the Diplomat recalled that the Czechs had violated a bilateral Treaty of 1993, which provides for the care of military graves and monuments in the territory of the Republic. The intention of the head of the district Prague 6. send the demolished monument to Konev in the vault of a certain Museum that hasn’t even been created, Russia considers a “mockery of the memory of the liberators” of the Czech capital.
On Smolensk square insist that the memorial objects retain their purpose and value in relation to the specific historical sites. “Do not excluded any options in conditions when local and Central authorities refuse to resolve the situation”. “As for the possibility of redemption of the monument, then consider this as the extreme measures”, – concluded Vladimir Titov.
Recall that the situation with the monument significantly complicated Russian-Czech relations. The initiative to demolish the monument to Soviet military commander, under whose command the troops of the 1st Ukrainian front liberated Prague from the Nazis (while all historians recognized as a personal achievement of Ivan Konev in maintaining the unique architecture of the city during offensive operations 6 – may 11, 1945), belonged to the warden, Ondřej Kolaria. Subsequently, the Czech President miloš Zeman has condemned the decision, which, however, remained in force. Previously, the monument was opened on 9 may 1945, had been subjected to violations on the part of the vandals. And two years ago the city authorities was placed next to him, an “explanatory plaque” on the role of the Marshal in preparing the ground for the introduction of troops into Czechoslovakia in 1968, which in Russia is disputed.
