Mother with Child

Mother with Child is a stone sculpture in Boskovice, part of a larger memorial complex known as the Monument of Victory (Pomník vítězství). It stands in a small park below the post office building, next to the Liberation Monument and memorial plaques set into a decorative wall — one dedicated to the victims of World War I and four dedicated to the victims of World War II.

What does the sculpture show?

The composition depicts a mother holding a child on her lap, both looking into the distance as if watching for a father returning from war. It's a common theme for post-war memorials across Czechoslovakia, but the Boskovice version departs from the typical "soldier on a pedestal" formula. The sculptor drew on a visual language closer to Henry Moore's figurative work than to a classical, heroic war monument — the forms are simplified and rounded, focused on a gesture of tenderness and waiting rather than on heroism.

The figure itself is carved from Bulgarian limestone. Around it are boulders brought from Rozseč nad Kunštátem, symbolizing homes destroyed during the war — a rough, unworked contrast to the smoothly shaped mother-and-child figure.

Who created the monument?

The winning design, titled Pomník vítězství (Monument of Victory), was created by sculptor Sylva Lacinová (née Jílková) from Brno together with her brother Lubor Lacina. The sculpture itself was carried out by Sylva Lacinová in collaboration with academic sculptor Josef Stárek from Olomouc.

Why did it take twenty years to build?

The monument's story starts in 1946, a year after the war ended, when the town decided to commemorate both the victims and the liberation. The following two decades brought repeated changes of location and design: the castle greenhouse grounds, the upper part of Masaryk Square, and a plot next to a commercial building were all considered before the current site — the park below the post office — was finally chosen. The design was finalized in 1965, and the sculpture's unveiling was tied to the 20th anniversary of Czechoslovakia's liberation.

Where exactly is it located in Boskovice?

The monument stands in a small park just below the post office, close to the castle and the historic town centre — a natural short stop while walking between the main square and the castle grounds.

Is it the only sculpture of its kind in the region?

No — similar mother-and-child compositions symbolizing post-war reconstruction and remembrance were also created in Brno and Znojmo. The Boskovice monument belongs to a broader Moravian tradition of marking the war's end through the image of a waiting family rather than a soldier alone.

Frequently asked questions

What is the Mother with Child sculpture in Boskovice made of? Bulgarian limestone, surrounded by boulders brought from Rozseč nad Kunštátem.

Who made the monument? The design came from Sylva Lacinová and her brother Lubor Lacina; the sculpture itself was realized by Sylva Lacinová together with Josef Stárek.

When was it unveiled? In 1965, to mark the 20th anniversary of the liberation, although the project had been in the works since 1946.

Where exactly does the sculpture stand? In a small park below the post office in Boskovice, next to the Liberation Monument and plaques commemorating victims of both world wars.

Does this sculpture have anything to do with Nikola Martinoski's paintings of the same title? No. There is a separate series of oil paintings called "Mother with Child" by Macedonian artist Nikola Martinoski, made between the 1930s and 1960s and depicting a Romani mother breastfeeding a child. That is an entirely different work of art, unrelated to the Boskovice sculpture beyond the shared title.