The park with the Marek Čulen statue (source: Sme)
Before the split of Czechoslovakia, state delegations used to pay homage to war victims in Prague at the national memorial, holding the remains of unknown Czech and Slovak soldiers. However, after the federation split in 1993, Slovakia lost this place of reverence, having no other as an adequate replacement. Venues like the memorial of the anti-fascist Slovak National Uprising in the city centre or the cemetery of Soviet soldiers killed when liberating Bratislava during WWII at Slavín do not conform to all foreign delegations.
Lost in Bratislava? Impossible with this City Guide! (source: Spectacular Slovakia)
Last year the Defence Ministry, at that time led by Peter Gajdoš of the Slovak National Party, came up with the idea of building such a venue in the form of the tomb of the unknown soldier. The government greenlighted the idea and allocated €820,000 for its construction.
As the most suitable place of the new memorial the Defence Ministry chose a small park between Leškova Street and the Government Office, close to the Námestie Slobody in the Old Town. It would replace the statue of a controversial politician of the previous regime, Marek Čulen.
However, deputies of the Old Town local council turned this proposal down and even required the usage of the allocated money for different purposes, due to the COVID-19 pandemic reducing revenues of local administrations.
