The Ghosts Of Prague's Communist Past
Thirty-five years after the Velvet Revolution threw off Soviet-backed communist rule in Czechoslovakia, we visited some of the sites in Prague where monuments once stood and propaganda posters loomed over passersby.
Then
Now
1
A statue of Soviet founder Vladimir Lenin in Prague's Dejvice neighborhood, photographed in 1981
The statue was unveiled in 1972, then pulled down in 1990 in the wake of the 1989 Velvet Revolution that overthrew communist rule in Czechoslovakia. The statue's base -- shaped like a kicker ramp -- was a popular spot for skateboarders until it was removed in 2007 and the space grassed over.
The statue was unveiled in 1972, then pulled down in 1990 in the wake of the 1989 Velvet Revolution that overthrew communist rule in Czechoslovakia. The statue's base -- shaped like a kicker ramp -- was a popular spot for skateboarders until it was removed in 2007 and the space grassed over.
Then
Now
2
The Monument to Soviet Tank Crews in Prague, photographed in 1961
The tank was famously painted pink by artist David Cerny in April 1991, then removed in June of the same year.
The tank was famously painted pink by artist David Cerny in April 1991, then removed in June of the same year.
Then
Now
3
A plaque to Vladimir Lenin inside a metro station that was called Leninova when this 1978 photo was taken. The quote alongside the plaque comes from a propaganda poem: "None are more alive than Lenin in this world. Our strength, our wisdom are the surest of weapons."
This plaque reportedly still lurks among the cobwebs and cables behind the newsstand in the station now named Dejvicka.
Then
Now
4
A 1960 view of the largest Stalin monument ever built that once looked out over Prague
