A derogatory symbol referring to Russia’s participation in the Vrbětice explosion was sprayed on the monument to the Red Army soldiers in Brno’s Moravské náměstí. It was removed the same day, without serious damage. Photo Credit: BD.
Brno, Apr 22 (BD) – Yesterday, the monument to the Red Army in Moravské náměstí was stained with spray-paint, in relation to the involvement of Russia in the Vrbětice case.
“In specific situations, this place leads to a certain symbolism”, remarked Petr Štika, the secretary of the town hall.
He mentioned as examples the heart in Ukrainian colors and the insult aimed at Russian President Vladimir Putin, which appeared on the monument in 2015. As in the past, the town hall acted quickly, removing the paint during the afternoon, at no cost to the city since the town hall is insured against vandalism.
“We are used to it. A professional company was contacted in the morning to remove the sign. It is a cultural monument, so care must be taken to avoid damaging the statue and pedestal,” said Štika.
The sculpture for the Red Army by Bohuslav Fuchs and Vincenc Makovský has stood in the centre of Brno since 1955 to commemorate the liberation of the city. However, acts of vandalism cause much more damage when more valuable works are affected.
“It would be a disaster if someone sprayed, for example, the Parnassus fountain, which is made of porous material and has immeasurable historical value. Similar problems concern the plague column in Svobody. Damage to such important monuments is gross vandalism, but this happens once or twice a year”, said Štika.
