Pomník Rudoarmějců v Teplicích War memorial

Welcome to Teplice, the beautiful Havlicka orchards. You are standing in a place that has undergone a very turbulent development over the last few decades. If you look around now, you see space that has been designated as a piety place for a long time. It is a place that carries the heavy burden of history and reflects the changes in political moods in our state. In front of you there is a space where memories of two world wars and the tension of the occupation.

Let us now transfer back in time to the year one thousand nine hundred fifty-three. It was this year that a complex was built here to honor the Eastern Army soldiers. At that time it was common and required to build such monuments within the then social order. The goal was to create a place where gratitude for liberation would be shown, but it was also a powerful symbol of power and the presence of foreign troops in our territory. But it is important to know that this place was not empty. Before the statues of the soldiers from the east began to stand here, there was a completely different monument that reminded the victims of the First World War. By replacing the original monument with a new monument, one layer of history was erased for the benefit of the new, ideologically controlled one.

Now pay attention to what this complex looks like and what you should perceive here if you look at its form. The dominant was the superlife stone statue of a soldier holding a gun. This character was supposed to emit strength and victory. But it wasn't just about one statue. The entire space was designed to act as a cemetery. Note that in addition to the main figure, there were 18 low memoirs that were to evoke the tombstones. For that, there were two bowls designed to ignite the fires. This whole area was supposed to bring a visitor into the atmosphere of sadness, respect and unwavering military discipline.

When we look at the creator, we have to mention the name Antonín Kalvoda. He was the author of a copy of the statue that stood here in a later period. Kalvoda was a respected artist who had to work in the course of the then enquiries, which often meant to create works that were meant to serve as political posters in stone rather than as pure artistic expression.

We are now getting to the most dramatic moments that bind to this place. The history of this monument is not just a story of stone, but of human resistance. Let's go back to August of the year one thousand nine hundred sixty-eight. At that time Czechoslovakia was once again occupied by Soviet troops, causing a huge wave of outrage and anger in the population. The people of Teplice have decided that the symbol of the time they have right before their eyes in Havlíček's orchards cannot stand.

Imagine the scene. A group of brave citizens joined together and decided to remove the statue. They didn't use soft tools, they used brute force. With the rope and tractor, they tied the rope to the statue and simply pulled it off the ground. It was an act of profound symbolic resistance. Unfortunately, at that time there was a regime that did not tolerate such acts. These people paid dearly for their actions because they were punished by prison. But they didn't want to give up their symbol. Two years later, in the year one thousand nine hundred seventy, a new copy of the statue created by the said Antonín Kalvoda was discovered on the scene. By doing so, the regime tried to erase the trail of citizens' rebellion and restore the image of the victorious soldier.

But here begins one of the most interesting and recent parts of this story, which took place only in our days. In the year two thousand twenty-five something unexpected happened. The memorial was torn down again. This time, however, was not an organised protest with a tractor from the last century. All indications suggest that a car and rope were used to destroy the memorial. It's fascinating how history repeats itself. The method of a thousand nine hundred sixty-eight was essentially repeated after more than fifty years. It is proof that even after a long time, some symbols in people cause strong emotions and resistance.

This incident led to the final end of the memorial. In two thousand twenty-six, the council decided that the monument would be permanently removed from the city's property. This means that it will no longer return to its original form and this place in Havlíček orchards will have a different character from now on.

If you look around now, try to realize how many layers of time are buried in this country. First there was respect for the sacrifice of the First World War, then came the era of the victorious soldier from the east, followed by resistance from the citizens, forced restoration of the statue and finally its final demise. It's a mirror of our history in a small, mirror of how our values change and how our views of what they deserve to stand in the city centre as a monument.

The mystery remains exactly who was the author of the last intervention. Even though the tracks are clear, the identity of the people who tied the rope to the car in the year two thousand twenty-five stays in the dark. It's a modern legend that joined the old ones.

Thank you for coming through the history of this controversial place. I hope this story of power, resistance, and change of time interests you. We now invite you to explore the beautiful Havlíček orchards. Go through the rest of the park, feel the calm of the surrounding nature, and think about what traces history leaves in us. I wish you a pleasant ongoing tour of Teplice. Goodbye.