Statue must tell true story of Soviet ‘hero’, say Czechs

The Guardian ^ | Aug 5, 2018 | Robert Tait

[CondoleezzaProtege]

Russia has been accused of interfering in the affairs of the Czech Republic after its embassy tried to block changes to the inscription on a Soviet-era statue explaining the chequered role of Russian Marshal Ivan Konev, who was twice designated a Hero of the Soviet Union by Stalin and whose remains are buried in the Kremlin.

Now the dispute is set to come to a head at a historically sensitive moment, the 50th anniversary of the 1968 invasion of then-communist Czechoslovakia by Soviet-led forces to crush the liberal Prague Spring.

Critics said the original plaque exaggerated the marshal’s role while omitting more notorious subsequent actions – including commanding the suppression of the 1956 Hungarian uprising and overseeing the building of the Berlin Wall, besides leading reconnaissance missions for the 1968 invasion.

The new engraving credits Konev with commanding forces “who liberated northern, central, and eastern Bohemia” and says they were “the first to enter Prague on 9 May 1945”. It links him with the events in Hungary and Berlin and adds: “In 1968, he personally backed the intelligence surveillance preceding the invasion of the armed forces of the Warsaw Pact into Czechoslovakia.”

It has provoked a furious response from the Russian embassy.

“The unmistakable change in the appearance of a monument important to preserving the memory of our nation’s heroic struggle against Nazism creates a dangerous precedent,” said Nikolay Bryakin, an embassy spokesman.

The Russian position is backed by the Czech Communist party (KSČM), which recently reached a deal to keep the current minority Czech coalition government in power.

Josef Skála, a former party vice-chairman, called the inscription change “a dirty game” and added: “Would you be happy if a text appears on the monuments of Winston Churchill, depicting his role in the death of millions of innocent people?”

[CondoleezzaProtege]

“The previous plate was actually lying,” said Ondřej Kolář, mayor of the Prague Six municipality, where the monument and Russia’s embassy sit. “When Soviet troops arrived in Prague on 9 May 1945, there was only one SS division here and that was on the outskirts of the city. The Wehrmacht had surrendered to the forces of the Prague uprising, and left the previous day.

“The city was basically free, but that wasn’t something Soviet propaganda wanted to use. We are not denying the role of the Red Army or saying the Soviets didn’t suffer. They suffered a lot – but not in Prague.”

[Snickering Hound]

Prague had been freed in the ‘Prague Uprising’.

German troops negotiated and were able to march to Patton’s army to surrender but were disarmed.

Soviet troops ‘liberated’ Prague on May 9, losing 10 men to SS holdouts.

It wasn’t the Battle of Berlin or Budapest by any means.

[Kozak]

Screw the Russians. If the Czechs want to tear down every Soviet era monument, more power to them.

[VR-21]

“The unmistakable change in the appearance of a monument important to preserving the memory of our nation’s heroic struggle against Nazism creates a dangerous precedent,” said Nikolay Bryakin, an embassy spokesman.

Wonder how much he wants to preserve the memory of his nations alliance with the Nazis.

[VR-21]

“The unmistakable change in the appearance of a monument important to preserving the memory of our nation’s heroic struggle against Nazism creates a dangerous precedent,” said Nikolay Bryakin, an embassy spokesman.

Wonder how much he wants to preserve the memory of his nations alliance with the Nazis.

[proxy_user]

Konev was an Russian peasant who was tough as iron, and who rose to become a major Soviet general. He thought nothing of sending tens of thousands of his troops to almost certain death against the Germans. Refined feelings cannot be expected in such a character.

[BenLurkin]

Ditto that!

[BenLurkin]

The Red Army never liberated anything.

It raped, it plundered, and it murdered.

And of course, the Soviets occupied and subjugated half of Europe.

But liberated? Never.

[rrrod]

Agree...stand with the Czechs!

[granada]

“It wasn’t the Battle of Berlin or Budapest by any means.”
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/
/

Yes, it couldn’t be. Hitler was dead.

They had the guts to hold the Prague uprising because they knew the Red Army had liberated Berlin and would reach Prague very soon.

[granada]

He wants to preserve the memory of the Munich Agreement, the deal made by the West with Nazis regarding Czech.

[ak267]

I was born in Prague in the mid 60’s. Our family fled in 68 when my father received word that he and my mom were on the “black list”.

Stayed in West Germany for a while until the State Dept. gave us clearance for asylum. Immigrated in 70 and began the process of assimilation.

[Bull Snipe]

Post WW II, he commanded the Soviet forces that suppressed the 1956 Hungarian rebellion.

[Cronos]

As a resident of Poland, I understand why the Czechs want to remove this. But as a non-Pole I can also impartially see why the Russians are against this - while the Soviets DID commit atrocities post the war and even during the war to the Poles and Czechs, the Russians see that they lost 20 million people "fighting the great patriotic war" - so they see this in the same light as, say, if Germany tore down a statue to an American general or soldier -- to us that is insane as Americans did NOT commit atrocities, but to the Russians they see the "savior" bit and not the atrocities.

It's really grey.

[granada]

very ironic.

Red Army liberated Manchuria at the end of WWII. Worrying about the prospect of USSR’s direct support to Chinese communists, American government sent marine corps to China and sponsored anti-USSR,anti-Communism propaganda. But in 1946,marine corporals raped a Chinese university student in Beijing. American media smeared the victim as a prostitute and perpetrators were acquitted by American navy court. The rape case sparked a nationwide anti-America movement in China, thousands protesters were arrested by police. America’s reputation bit the dust, America-backed dictatorial regime was ousted by Chinese communists in 1949.

[piasa]

...and then the Chinese communists who rode in on the bad vibes of a single rape case murdered 60 to 80 million fellow Chinese.

[Kozak]

The Soviets were initially German allies. They invaded Poland and carved it up with the Germans. They only fought once THEY were invaded. Not exactly a noble record. I care not one whit if Russians get their panties in a wad. Czechs have the right to do what they want in their own country.