About this place
The Hrdinům od Zborova monument (To the Heroes of Zborov) stands in the town park along the Svitava river embankment in Blansko, a short walk from the Blansko-město train station. It is one of the few interwar legionnaire monuments in the Czech Republic to have survived in its original form — thanks to local residents who hid it during the German occupation.
Who does the monument honor?
The monument commemorates the Czechoslovak legionnaires who fought in the Battle of Zborov on 2 July 1917, on the Eastern Front in what is now Ukraine. About 3,500 soldiers of the rifle brigade took part in the attack, breaking through successive Austro-Hungarian defensive lines; 185 legionnaires were killed. The Battle of Zborov became a symbol of the Czechoslovak independence movement and one of the defining episodes in the history of the Czechoslovak Legions.
Who created the monument, and when?
The figure was modeled by academic sculptor Karel Babka and cast in 1933 in one of Blansko's foundries — a town with a long tradition of iron production. The casting itself was carried out by sculptor František Doležel from nearby Bořitov. The soldier is depicted in an attacking stance, holding a rifle fitted with a bayonet, and was modeled after legionnaire Bohumil Sypěna. The figure stands 380 centimeters tall.
How did the monument survive the war?
The monument's history is as significant as its artistic form. During the German occupation, residents of Blansko hid the statue to protect it from confiscation and melting down — the occupying authorities routinely removed monuments with national symbolism from public space. After liberation in 1945, the figure was briefly kept in the local sokolovna (Sokol organization hall) before being installed at its current site on the Svitava embankment in 1947. Because of this history, the Blansko legionnaire monument is regarded as one of the few such memorials in the Czech Republic to have survived in its original form.
Is it a protected cultural monument?
Yes. The Ministry of Culture of the Czech Republic has declared the Hrdinům od Zborova monument a cultural heritage site (kulturní památka), recognizing both its artistic value and its historical significance as a record of local memory of the legionnaires.
Where exactly is it located?
The monument stands in the town park running along the Svitava river embankment, within easy walking distance of the Blansko-město railway station. It makes a convenient stop for a short riverside walk combined with a visit to Blansko's town center.
Frequently asked questions
When was the Battle of Zborov fought? On 2 July 1917, on the Eastern Front of World War I, involving about 3,500 soldiers of the Czechoslovak rifle brigade.
Who created the monument? The figure was modeled by academic sculptor Karel Babka and cast by sculptor František Doležel from Bořitov; it was cast in Blansko in 1933.
Who was the soldier modeled after? Legionnaire Bohumil Sypěna, shown in an attacking pose with a rifle and bayonet.
Why is the monument unusual? Because it survived the German occupation after Blansko residents hid it, before it was returned to its place on the Svitava embankment in 1947.
Where exactly does the monument stand? In the town park on the Svitava river embankment, near the Blansko-město train station.
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