The restoration of the mausoleum of Yugoslav soldiers in Olomouc cost 12 million CZK

Olomouc - The mausoleum of Yugoslav soldiers in Bezručové sady in Olomouc, which had been neglected for many years, has regained its original appearance thanks to an extensive reconstruction costing nearly 12 million crowns. The city also wants to repair the crypt, restore the coffins, and care for the remains of nearly 1,200 Yugoslav soldiers who died in the territories of Moravia and Silesia during the First World War. Mayor of Olomouc Mirek Žbánek (ANO) told reporters today.

The first phase of the reconstruction of the mausoleum in Bezručové sady adjacent to the historic center of Olomouc began in 2016 and cost 5.3 million crowns. First, the walls of the terraces, the stairs were repaired, metal grilles were restored, and the masonry was consolidated. The now completed second phase cost 6.5 million crowns and included the repair of both the interior and exterior of the chapel, which is adorned with decorative and figurative painting from 1935. The chapel has new plastering, and the paintings by Vsevolod Kolomacký have also been restored.

"There is also new electrical installation, lighting, and especially a security and camera system," said Žbánek. Five installed cameras are connected to the central control room of the municipal police, which will ensure that the renovated mausoleum does not again become a target for vandals or a shelter for the homeless.

The completed second phase of the mausoleum's reconstruction cost 6.5 million crowns, of which just under three million crowns were covered by a grant from the Ministry of Defense, according to the mayor's deputy Otakar Bačák (spOLečně).

The planned repair of the crypt and the restoration of the coffins will cost approximately 5.5 million crowns according to Bačák and should be included in the budget proposal for Olomouc for next year. After the repair of the crypt is completed, the remains of the soldiers will be respectfully laid back in their original place.

The city hall was able to start repairing the neglected monument in 2016 because after two years of legal proceedings with the successor states of the former Yugoslavia, the city became its owner. The original owner of the mausoleum, the Kingdom of Yugoslavia, formally ceased to exist in April 1945.

The mausoleum of Yugoslav soldiers is a building in the monumental neoclassical style from 1926 designed by architect Hubert Aust. It was built at the expense of the Czechoslovak-Yugoslav League for the burial of the remains of 1,188 Yugoslav soldiers who died in military hospitals in Olomouc during the First World War. Later, the remains of soldiers from other parts of the country were also brought to the mausoleum.

Since 1958, the mausoleum has been registered as a cultural monument. After the completion of the reconstruction, it will serve cultural and social purposes.