Statue of Ivan Konev explained

Statue of Ivan Konev
Italic Title:no
Other Language 1:Czech
Other Title 1:Socha Ivana Koněva
Artist:Zdeněk Krybus and Vratislav Růžička
Year:1980
Completion Date:9 May 1980
Type:Sculpture
Material:bronze and granite
Subject:Ivan Konev
Height Metric:300
Width Metric:140
Length Metric:100
Metric Unit:cm
Imperial Unit:in
City:Prague, Czech Republic
Mapframe:yes
Mapframe-Zoom:13

The statue of Ivan Konev (Czech: Socha Ivana Koněva) was a monument to Russian general Ivan Konev that was erected in Prague in 1980. In the late 2010s, it became a subject of controversy within Czech Republic–Russia relations, resulting in its removal in 2020.

History

The statue was unveiled during the Soviet Victory Day celebrations on 9 May 1980, and intended to commemorate Marshal Ivan Stepanovich Konev, who was one of several commanders of Red Army troops that captured Prague from the hands of the Germans near to the end of World War II. It depicted a life-sized figure of Konev, holding in his hand a bouquet of lilacs, which civilians allegedly presented to the Red Army when it entered Czechoslovakia in May 1945. It was located in Prague district 6 (Interbrigády Square, Bubeneč area). The statue was designed by Czech sculptor and architect Vratislav Růžička.[1] [2]

After the fall of the communist regime in 1989 and the Czech transition to a democratic government, it became a subject of frequent vandalism, particularly on the anniversary of the Prague Spring, a revolution that was put down by invading Soviet forces.[3] [4] The local government proposed relocating the monument to the Russian embassy.

In 2018, the city added explanatory text to the monument, stating that Konev participated in the suppression of the Hungarian Revolution of 1956 and the Prague Spring.[5] The explanatory text has been criticized by the Russian embassy.[6] The diplomatic spat over this text has been one of the issues leading to the deterioration of Czech-Russia relations.[7] [8]

On 21 August 2019, an unknown individual spray-painted "No to the blood-covered marshal, we shall not forget" on the statue. The mayor of Prague 6 said that he is considering leaving the monument uncleaned, remarking that "red, after all, means beautiful in Russian". By September 2019, the Prague municipal authorities had covered up the monument, no longer willing to incur the cost of cleaning it up. The move proved to be controversial, as within days the tarpaulin covering the monument had been torn down three times; two individuals, described by Czech media as "pro-Russian activists", were detained by the police.[9]

The monument was finally removed on 3 April 2020 during lockdown and the state of emergency imposed due to the COVID-19 pandemic in the Czech Republic, with the Czech president Miloš Zeman criticizing the removal as "an abuse of the state of emergency".[10] [11] [12] Within days, the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation announced it would begin a symbolic investigation of the alleged "defiling of symbols of Russia's military glory".[13] The mayor of Prague district 6 subsequently went into hiding under police protection, out of concerns of an alleged saxitoxin and ricin poison plot for his actions regarding the statue.[14] [15] [16] [17] [18] [19] [20] The poison threat was later revealed to have been a hoax originating from the Russian embassy. The Czech government expelled two Russian embassy diplomats; Andrey Konchakov (Russian: Андрей Кончаков), who headed the Russian Center for Science and Culture (Rossotrudnichestvo) (Russian: Россотрудничество) in Prague, and his subordinate Igor Rybakov, an FSB officer.[17] [21] Russia has also opened criminal proceedings, but the Czech authorities stated that Russia has no legal jurisdiction in this case.

Shortly after removal, local Prague authorities announced they are considering displaying the monument in the planned, while the Russian and Czech ministries noted they are also discussing plans to have the statue transferred to Russia.[22]

In June 2020, during an arts and landscape festival in Prague, 12 small temporary statues of Ivan Konev were unveiled, painted to look like figures such as Batman, Superman, the Joker, and Adolf Hitler.[23]

For thirty days in December 2022, the plinth was occupied by Ahriman the Demon, a statue created at an international convention of blacksmiths, depicting Vladimir Putin as a goblin wielding a gas tap and making a Nazi salute.[24] It was to be auctioned off to support Ukraine during the Russian invasion, an effort organized by businessman Dalibor Dědek.

See also

Notes and References

  1. News: Ludvík . Matěj . 23 May 2015 . Sochu Koněva doplní cedule . cs . Pražský deník . 28 July 2021.
  2. Web site: 1 April 2021 . Socha maršála Koněva našla nový domov, bude vystavena v pražském Muzeu paměti XX. století Domov . 28 July 2021 . Lidovky.cz . cs.
  3. Web site: 10 April 2020 . Russia opens criminal case after Czech officials remove Soviet statue . https://web.archive.org/web/20210730060558/https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/apr/10/russia-opens-criminal-case-after-czech-officials-remove-soviet-statue . 30 July 2021 . . (via Reuters in Moscow).
  4. Tol . Tol . 2019 . Transitions Online_Society: Marshal Konev Statue Poised to Retreat? – 3 October . Transitions Online . English . 10/08 . 7–9 . 1214-1615.
  5. News: U sochy maršála Koněva odhalili vysvětlující desky. Přepisujete historii, protestovali komunisté . 21 August 2018 . ČTK . 21 August 2018 . cs . Explanatory plaque unveiled at Marshal Konev sculpture, Communists protest rewriting of history.
  6. Web site: 5 August 2018 . Statue must tell true story of Soviet 'hero', say Czechs . 28 July 2021 . The Guardian . en.
  7. Ogrodnik . Łukasz . 2019 . Complications in the Czech Republic's Relations towards Russia . Polski Instytut Spraw Międzynarodowych . English.
  8. Book: The Long Shadow of World War II: The Legacy of the War and Its Impact on Political and Military Thinking since 1945 . 9781952715037 . Strohn . Matthias . 31 August 2021.
  9. Web site: 1 September 2019 . Statue of Red Army general under wraps in Prague to stop vandals . 28 July 2021 . The Guardian . en.
  10. News: Praha 6 odstranila sochu maršála Koněva . 3 April 2020 . ČTK . 3 April 2020 . cs . Prague 6 removed the statue of Marshal Konev.
  11. News: Controversial Soviet-Era Statue Removed in Prague . 18 April 2020 . 3 April 2020 . The Moscow Times . Agence France-Presse.
  12. Web site: 'Red is beautiful' says mayor of Prague 6 after refusing to remove paint from vandalised statue . . https://web.archive.org/web/20210227010731/https://english.radio.cz/red-beautiful-says-mayor-prague-6-after-refusing-remove-paint-vandalised-statue-8122606 . 27 February 2021 . 23 August 2019.
  13. Web site: Moscow Opens Criminal Case Over Removal Of Soviet Marshal's Statue In Prague . 10 April 2020 . RadioFreeEurope/RadioLiberty . en . 10 April 2020.
  14. News: Cameron . Rob . Mystery 'poison plot' sends Czech mayors into hiding . . 3 May 2020 . 3 May 2020.
  15. News: Kundra . Ondřej . MUŽ S RICINEM . MAN WITH RICIN . cs . Respekt (respekt.cz) . 26 April 2020 . 23 September 2021 . 26 April 2020 . https://web.archive.org/web/20200426214742/https://www.respekt.cz/tydenik/2020/18/muz-s-ricinem.
  16. News: Прохазкова . Петра (Procházková, Petra) . Прхал . Лукаш (Prchal, Lukáš) . Deník N (Чехия): по следам зачинщика "рицинового дела": Что на секретных встречах рассказывал нам высланный российский дипломат и агент . Deník N (Czech Republic): in the footsteps of the instigator of the "ricin case": What the expelled Russian diplomat and agent told us at secret meetings . ru . . ИноСМИ.ru (inosmi.ru) . 11 June 2020 . 23 September 2021 . 14 June 2020 . https://web.archive.org/web/20200614080745/https://inosmi.ru/politic/20200611/247592022.html.
  17. News: Что такое и зачем нужно Россотрудничество . What is Rossotrudnichestvo and why is it needed . ru . Центр «Досье» (dossier.center) . 25 February 2021 . 23 September 2021 . 25 February 2021 . https://web.archive.org/web/20210225145351/https://dossier.center/rossotr/. Archived at compromat.ru on 25 February 2021 as "Мягкая сила" Элеоноры Митрофановой: Слив бюджета на "балалаечную дипломатию", доносы и карманный бизнес сотрудников Россотрудничества ("Soft power" by Eleonora Mitrofanova: Draining the budget for "balalaika diplomacy", denunciations and pocket business of Rossotrudnichestvo employees). Image of Igor Rybakov from compromat.ru.
  18. News: Спецслужбы подозревают и. о. главы Россотрудничества в Чехии в перевозке рицина для покушения на мэра Праги . Intelligence agencies suspect and. O. the head of Rossotrudnichestvo in the Czech Republic in transporting ricin for the assassination attempt on the mayor of Prague . ru . . 10 May 2020 . 23 September 2021 . 10 May 2020 . https://web.archive.org/web/20200510220827/https://theins.ru/news/218762.
  19. News: Пражская газета назвала сотрудником ФСБ дипломата, заподозренного в перевозке рицина . Prazhskaya Gazeta named a diplomat suspected of transporting ricin as an FSB officer . ru . Радио Свобода (svoboda.org) . 9 May 2020 . 23 September 2021.
  20. News: Первых лиц Праги взяли под охрану из-за приезда россиянина с отравляющим веществом рицин – СМИ . The first persons of Prague were taken under protection due to the arrival of a Russian with a poisonous substance ricin - media . ru . «ГОРДОН» (gordonua.com) . 26 April 2020 . 23 September 2021.
  21. Web site: Czechs expel two Russian diplomats over hoax poison plot . . 5 June 2020.
  22. Web site: 27 April 2020 . Prague's controversial statue of Ivan Konev may be moved to Russia . 28 July 2021 . news.expats.cz . en.
  23. Web site: Marshal Konev Makes Triumphant Return To Prague . 28 July 2021 . RadioFreeEurope/RadioLiberty . en.
  24. Web site: Morning . Prague . 2022-12-05 . Statue of Vladimir Putin as a Nazi Goblin Unveiled in Prague . 2022-12-06 . Prague Morning . en-US.

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