Bust of Rodion Malinovsky

The Bust of Rodion Malinovsky stands on Malinovského náměstí, a square east of Brno's city centre, commemorating the Soviet military commander associated with the city's liberation in 1945. An oversized bronze portrait bust rests on a stone pedestal, making it one of the few post-war monuments in the Czech Republic still standing in its original form and location.

Who does the monument depict?

The bust portrays Rodion Yakovlevich Malinovsky (1898–1967), a Soviet marshal who commanded the 2nd Ukrainian Front during the Second World War. Units under his command liberated Brno in April 1945, ending the city's occupation by German forces. After the war Malinovsky rose to the highest ranks of the Soviet military, later serving as the USSR's Minister of Defence.

Who created it, and when?

The bust was created by Czech sculptor Vincenc Makovský in 1950. It was placed at its current location, a square named after the marshal as Malinovského náměstí, in 1955. The monument follows the style typical of socialist-realist public sculpture of the period: a monumental, deliberately oversized bust set on a tall, plain pedestal so the commander's likeness remains legible from a distance.

Why has the monument survived to this day?

Unlike many monuments from the communist era, the bust of Malinovsky was not removed after 1989. It is listed in the Czech monument register (Památkový katalog) as a protected cultural monument, a status based on its historical and artistic value as an example of mid-20th-century public sculpture rather than on any endorsement of the figure it depicts. This sets it apart from the fate of many comparable monuments elsewhere in the region, which were dismantled after the change of political system.

What should visitors know?

Malinovského náměstí, where the bust stands, lies in the Brno-střed district, in a quiet, mostly residential part of the city. The site is primarily of historical interest: for anyone following the history of Central Europe during the Second World War and its immediate aftermath, it links the story of Brno's liberation with broader questions about how present-day Czech society treats monuments from the communist period.

Frequently asked questions

Where exactly is the bust of Malinovsky located? On Malinovského náměstí in Brno, in the eastern part of the city (coordinates: 49.195901, 16.614595).

Who was Rodion Malinovsky? A Soviet marshal who commanded the 2nd Ukrainian Front, whose forces liberated Brno in 1945.

Who designed the monument? Sculptor Vincenc Makovský, in 1950; it was moved to its present site in 1955.

Is the monument legally protected? Yes, it is listed in the Czech register of cultural monuments as a protected heritage object.

Is the monument controversial? Like other communist-era monuments depicting Soviet commanders, it is occasionally debated in the context of historical memory, but it formally remains under heritage protection.