Velvet Revolution Monument on Národní Street

The Velvet Revolution monument on Národní Street is a small but powerful memorial in the heart of Prague, marking the events of 17 November 1989 that set off the collapse of communist rule in Czechoslovakia. A bronze relief of human hands, known simply as "Ruce" (Hands), sits on the street where riot police violently broke up a peaceful student demonstration that evening.

What does the monument show?

The relief is made up of eight human hands arranged in different gestures. Some form the "V" victory sign, others are shaped as an open, empty palm — a direct reference to the chant "Máme holé ruce" ("We have bare hands"), which students shouted as they faced armed police units. That simple gesture became one of the defining images of a protest that stayed peaceful even as the state responded with force.

Who created it, and when?

The relief was made by Otakar Příhoda and Miroslav Krátký. It was installed in February 1990, just a few months after the events it commemorates, at a time when the memory of the Velvet Revolution was still fresh for people living in Prague. It was originally mounted inside the passageway of Kaňka's Palace, one of the buildings lining Národní Street.

Why did the monument change location?

In November 2016, to mark another anniversary of the crackdown, the relief was moved from inside the passageway onto the building's façade. The move made it far more visible to passers-by, turning it into something closer to a conventional memorial plaque on a street-facing wall rather than a piece tucked away inside a gateway.

What happened here in 1989?

On 17 November 1989, thousands of students gathered on Národní Street, originally to mark the anniversary of the death of Jan Opletal, a student killed by the Nazis in 1939. The peaceful march turned into a confrontation with riot police, who trapped the demonstrators in the narrow street and beat them with little room to escape. News of the violence against the students spread across the country within hours and became the spark for mass protests that brought down the communist government within weeks.

Has the monument ever been the target of an artistic provocation?

Yes. In November 2009, on the 20th anniversary of the events, an unauthorized installation appeared on the relief: hands making a Nazi salute labeled "17 November 1939," alongside raised middle fingers labeled "17 November 2009." The piece was the work of Roman Týc, a member of the art collective Ztohoven, who attached the elements to the monument with magnets. It was removed the following day, but the stunt sparked a wide public debate about how modern Prague remembers the Velvet Revolution.

What is the site like today?

The stretch of Národní Street around the monument remains one of the main shopping thoroughfares in central Prague, running toward the National Theatre and the Vltava river. Every year on 17 November, the spot draws thousands of residents and visitors who come to light candles and lay flowers, honoring both the 1939 victim and the participants of the 1989 events.

Frequently asked questions

What do the hands on the monument symbolize? The gestures reference the students' chant "We have bare hands," underlining the peaceful nature of their protest against armed riot police.

Who designed the relief? It was created by Otakar Příhoda and Miroslav Krátký and unveiled in February 1990.

Where exactly is the monument located? The relief is mounted on the façade of a building on Národní Street in central Prague, at the site of the former Kaňka's Palace.

Why was the monument moved in 2016? It was relocated from inside a building passageway to the façade to make it more visible to people walking along the street.

What event does the monument commemorate? The violent police crackdown on a student demonstration on 17 November 1989, which triggered the Velvet Revolution in Czechoslovakia.