Pomník Osvobození

Liberation Monument (Pomník osvobození) stands in Tyršovy Gardens in Pardubice, right by the entrance from today's náměstí Republiky (Republic Square). Carved from sandstone and rising 660 centimetres, the 1957 sculptural group shows a Red Army soldier standing on a pedestal, bowing his head in a gesture of tribute, flanked by a girl laying a flower wreath, a pioneer holding a banner, and a woman in folk costume carrying a harvest wreath.

Who made the monument, and why does it look the way it does?

The sculptor behind the work is Josef Malejovský, a native of Holice who received numerous public commissions in the spirit of official socialist realism. The foundation stone was laid in 1952, on Stalin's birthday — because the monument was originally meant to depict the Soviet dictator himself. After Stalin's death, followed by that of Czechoslovak president Klement Gottwald, the plan shifted to a joint sculpture of both leaders. Then, in 1956, the Soviet Communist Party's condemnation of the Stalin personality cult forced another change: that April, the Regional National Committee in Pardubice decided to replace Stalin's figure with a generalized young Red Army soldier. The work was renamed Pomník osvobození — the Liberation Monument — and finally unveiled in 1957.

Are there war graves at the site?

Yes. The monument site also contains the graves of 27 fallen Red Army soldiers, which makes it both a piece of public sculpture and a war grave — a status that shapes how the site is treated and discussed today.

Why is the monument controversial?

In recent years the sculpture has become a focal point of public and political debate. Tensions grew sharper after Russia's annexation of Crimea in 2014, and sharper still after the full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022. For some residents and architects, the statue reads as a symbol of Soviet occupation, and open letters have called for its removal or relocation. The city of Pardubice has resisted taking it down, partly because doing so would mean repaying grants previously received for its upkeep. For other residents, the monument still functions primarily as a memorial to soldiers killed in World War II.

What changed at the site in 2022?

In response to the ongoing public debate, informational panels were installed next to the sculpture. They were put together jointly by historians from the East Bohemian Museum in Pardubice, archivists from the State District Archive in Pardubice, and researchers documenting the region's twentieth-century history. The panels lay out how the monument came to be, who its creator was, and how the surrounding site has changed over the decades.

Frequently asked questions

Where exactly is the Liberation Monument located? In Tyršovy Gardens in Pardubice, at the entrance from náměstí Republiky.

When was the monument unveiled? In 1957, although work on it began back in 1952.

Who created the monument? Josef Malejovský, a sculptor from Holice.

What is the monument made of? Sandstone; it stands 660 centimetres tall.

Are soldiers buried at the site? Yes, the graves of 27 fallen Red Army soldiers are located there.

Did the monument always look like this? No — it was originally meant to depict Joseph Stalin, but after the 1956 condemnation of his personality cult, his figure was replaced with that of a Red Army soldier.