The torso of the pink tank has disappeared from Smíchov

Publisher
ČTK
12.06.2009 18:00
Czech Republic

Prague

Prague - The remains of a pink tank have disappeared from Kinsky Square in Smíchov today. Sculptor David Černý, who painted the former symbol of the liberation of Prague pink after 1989, brought the remnants of the tank there last August. He reminded of the 40th anniversary of the occupation of Czechoslovakia. Although he reportedly negotiated with the Prague 5 city hall about legalizing the placement of the remains, the city district decided that the tank must go.

Černý stated during the removal of the pink iron mass that he would place it on the Moon with a stop at Red Square. The remains, which belong to the Military Historical Museum, will likely be set aside at the MeetFactory cultural center, which Černý recently established.
"Last year we took the placement of the remains as a reminder of the 40th anniversary of the occupation; this year we wanted to legalize its placement," said Petr Horák, the deputy mayor of Prague 5, to journalists at the site where the remains stood. The city hall made the decision to remove the remains this week. Horák admitted today that the city district could negotiate again with Černý about placing the remains in another location within its jurisdiction.
Černý repeated today that the legalization of the remains on the lawn was more of a matter for the city hall; he himself reportedly collaborated with the city hall but maintained that the relevant permits must be issued by the authorities. He reminded that two other things, which are also in the park, were created somewhat illegally - a fountain built without a tender for 13 million crowns from the city hall and a monument to Ukrainian poet Taras Shevchenko.
The monument was hastily erected this March, even though it did not have the necessary assessments from heritage experts at the time of its unveiling. It will remain on-site permanently, as the city hall received permission retroactively. Municipal heritage experts claimed that it was enough for Prague 5 to request the issuance of an opinion; however, according to the Ministry of Culture, this is nonsense because the law on heritage does not recognize retroactive or subsequent binding opinions.
The remains of the pink tank, over which Černý painted a white occupation stripe, were brought by the sculptor to Smíchov on the night of August 21 last year. He decided to bring the remains back to Prague for the 40th anniversary of the occupation of Czechoslovakia by the Warsaw Pact troops. He expressed his stance towards the current behavior of Russia not only in foreign policy. At that time, the ongoing conflict in Georgia was current, and some politicians compared the participation of the then Soviet Union in the occupation of Czechoslovakia with Russia's involvement in the war conflict in Georgia.
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