The Memorial to the Victims of Communism (Pomnik obetem komunismu) is situated at the foot of the Petrin hill in Ujezd, which is an area in Prague Lesser Quarter (Mala Strana). The sculptures show human figures gradually disintegrating as a symbol of pressure of the communist regime and its effects on human lives.
Victims of Communism in Czechoslovakia
The Czech Republic, then part of Czechoslovakia, was under the communist rule in 1948-1989. During those four decades, thousands of people were put in prison, forced to work in working camps (such as uranium mines), or forced into exile. Many other people were trying to leave the country to seek better lives abroad, and many of them were killed when trying to cross the borders. Approximate numbers of these victims are quoted at the memorial. Czech communist regime ended in the so called Velvet Revolution in the autumn 1989, around the same time as communist regimes in other Eastern European countries were falling.
Memorial Authors and History
The Memorial to the Victims of Communism was created by Czech sculptor Olbram Zoubek and architects Zdenek Holzel and Jan Kerel. It was unveiled in 2002. In 2003 part of the monument was damaged by a bomb, but no one claimed having carried out the attack.
Ujezd and Lesser Quarter in Prague
Ujezd is the southern part of Lesser Quarter between Petrin Hill and the Vltava River. Lesser Quarter is a historical district between Prague Castle and the Vltava River. These places are among the most beautiful in Prague and they are very popular with tourists. There are many hotels in Lesser Quarter, which is connected with Old Town (another popular tourist district) by the famous Charles Bridge.