Members of the biker club “Night wolves — Sofia” cleared of paint and inscriptions of the monument of the Soviet army in the Bulgarian capital. Vandals painted the monument in pink — the color of the heroes of American comics. Whether anyone in the Czech Republic to do the same with the famous tank from smíchov? This tank remains pink.
“Tank pink I do not perceive as a symbol of the liberation of Czechoslovakia from fascism. It is an insult to the memory of soldiers who died in battles for my country,” — said “Companion” the Chairman of Club of military history “Dukla” (prostějov) Jaroslav Dvorak.
— Jaroslav dvořák: Need to return the color that was painted when he fought during the Second world war. I don’t know how the “Night wolves” in Sofia managed their action, but I heartily welcome it. We must not forget that Soviet soldiers gave their lives not for their country. They were saved from Hitler’s fascism us: Czechoslovakia, Bulgaria, Hungary and all of Europe. The memory of their heroism cannot be repainted depending on the particular situation.
— Companion: 30 may members of the Club of military history has tried to bring back the original color of the “pink tank”, which is now being demonstrated at the exhibition “Tribes 90” on the Square Comenius in Brno. However, they were arrested by the police. Why?
Because now this “work of art”, and repaint it — to commit a crime if the owner of the exhibit has not given his consent. In this case it is about the Military historic Institute in Prague. Our military history Clubs are doing everything possible so the owner agreed to return the tank to its original appearance. But while all unsuccessfully.
— Can art be a tank that took part in these battles during the Second world war?
— The decision of the sculptor David černý to repaint the tank was totally wrong. Our politicians, unfortunately, have declared this war machine piece of art just because he painted a famous artist. And to correct an error in the Czech Republic there is no political will.
— If someone in Russia decided to repaint in pink monument to the Czechoslovak Legionnaires, how would you react?
— I would not like. Soldiers fought and died in the name of higher goals, and in gratitude he was given a monument as a reminder of the battles and the tragedy of the death of these people. To destroy a monument, to taunt him, to change, — all this is totally unacceptable. If in Russia someone repainted the Legionnaires ‘ monument in pink, I would’ve considered it necessary to put pressure on the Russian government to fix everything. Today Moscow is doing: she’s trying to get the tank from smíchov in Prague to its original form.
— What do you think about the fate of memorials to Russian soldiers-liberators in Europe? For example, in Poland many memorials can be destroyed according to the program of de-communization as a symbol of the past regime…
This sad fact is the consequence of a distorted understanding of different historical events. For example, we have begun to recognize the famous tank provided for the monument to liberation in Prague as a symbol of the events of 1968. I think they need an information campaign so that people, especially young people, knew the history of the Soviet war machine, the symbol of which is a tank. In the end, it all depends on the culture and moral level of the citizens of the state in whose territory the monument. I will never agree with the destruction of monuments to those who died for our freedom.
