Statue of Winston Churchill in Prague

The Statue of Winston Churchill stands on a square that bears his name in Žižkov, in Prague's third district. It's a cast of a British sculptor's work that arrived in the Czech capital a decade after the fall of communism, as a deliberate political statement about the mood of the 1990s.

Where exactly does the statue stand?

The statue is located on Winston Churchill Square (Náměstí Winstona Churchilla) in Žižkov, one of Prague 3's historic neighborhoods, close to coordinates 50.08467, 14.44118. The square has only carried the British prime minister's name since 1990 — before that, during the communist era, it was named after President Antonín Zápotocký, whose own statue by sculptor Jan Šimota once stood on the same spot.

Why does Prague have a Churchill statue at all?

Renaming the square right after the 1989 Velvet Revolution was itself a demonstrative act — replacing a communist figurehead with someone associated with the West and resistance to totalitarianism fit the political atmosphere of the time. The statue itself, however, only followed a decade later. City authorities originally planned to commission an entirely new sculpture for Prague, but the sculptor's death in 1996 put an end to that idea.

Who created the statue?

The cast that stands in Prague is the work of British sculptor Ivor Roberts-Jones. It isn't a one-of-a-kind piece — an identical cast stands in front of the Houses of Parliament in London, on Parliament Square, and another is in Oslo, Norway. Prague's statue joined a small handful of cities where this same composition of the British prime minister has been erected.

When was the statue unveiled?

The unveiling ceremony took place on 17 November 1999, deliberately timed to the tenth anniversary of the events that brought down the communist regime in Czechoslovakia. Former British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher attended the ceremony, underlining the political significance of the occasion.

Why Churchill, and why in Žižkov?

Choosing Winston Churchill as the new namesake for this Žižkov square fit into a broader wave of renaming across Prague's public spaces after 1989, in which communist-era figures were removed and replaced with names associated with democracy, freedom, and resistance to totalitarian rule. Churchill, as a symbol of British defiance against fascism during the Second World War, fit that narrative well.

What should you know before visiting?

The statue sits in a quiet, residential part of Žižkov, away from central Prague's main tourist routes — it appeals more to visitors interested in the country's post-war and recent political history than to those following a classic sightseeing itinerary. It's worth noting that the square itself has changed its name and symbolism more than once during the 20th century, which is in itself a small trace of the political history of this part of Prague.

Frequently asked questions

Who created the Winston Churchill statue in Prague? British sculptor Ivor Roberts-Jones, the same artist behind the identical casts standing in London and Oslo.

When was the statue unveiled? On 17 November 1999, the tenth anniversary of the Velvet Revolution, with former Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher in attendance.

Where exactly is the statue located? On Winston Churchill Square (Náměstí Winstona Churchilla) in Prague's Žižkov district (Prague 3).

What was this square called before? Before 1990 it was named after communist president Antonín Zápotocký, whose statue stood there previously.

Is this the only cast of this statue? No — identical casts also stand in London, in front of the Houses of Parliament on Parliament Square, and in Oslo.

Why wasn't a unique new statue made for Prague? That was the original plan, but sculptor Ivor Roberts-Jones died in 1996 before it could be carried out.