PHOTO GALLERY: Interactive Prague Uprising monument planned for Bubeneč square

On May 5, 1945, Czech Radio broadcast the message, “Calling all Czechs! Come quickly to our aid!” What followed was the final battle of World War II, lasting until May 8 as over 30,000 insurgents rallied in Prague.

Known today as the Prague Uprising, the conflict would end in significant casualties at the hands of the well-equipped Nazi forces. The insurgents suffered significant casualties, with estimates ranging from close to 3,000 killed and just as many wounded. Soviet forces arrived in Prague on May 9, ultimately ending the conflict.

A monument will be erected in Prague to honor the bravery of fighters. The winning proposal – named "We are calling everyone..." – commemorates the uprising.

According to the Czech Design organization, the monument will be built in Prague’s Bubeneč at the Interbrigade Square. The organization selected the winning concept in an art-architecture competition.

The winning design is from RSAA studio, an interactive monument that “evokes the dark energy of the evil of war, over which the need for freedom wins.“

The monument’s green roof is walkable and doubles as an amphitheater. The adjacent park will be revitalized as a multifunctional space for outdoor cultural and social activities. 

Michal Burian, director of the Military Historical Institute museum department and one of the invited competition experts, said: “The monument is primarily intended to remind of the courage with which civil society was willing to stand up to evil. Symbolically, it should pay tribute to thousands of often nameless fighting men and women, who were often non-soldiers.”

The square in Prague 6 was previously home to a controversial statue of Soviet Marshal Ivan Koněv between 1980 and 2020.

Throughout the weekend, Czech leaders paid tribute to the 79th anniversary of the Prague Uprising, commemorating the victims at the Czech Radio building on Vinohradská třída.