The decision to restore communist sickle-and-hammer symbols is prompting resentment in Košice. The motif is widely regarded as a symbol of modern-day Russian irredentism, and is used as such by Russian nationalists. (source: Korzár - Jana Ogurčáková)
The Soviet memorial at Liberation Square in Košice will undergo reconstruction, according to a contract between the city and the Municipal Greenery Administration, which manages the monument.
The memorial is a national cultural heritage site, and the work will include the restoration of moulded elements and stone plaques, including the long-criticised communist-era hammer-and-sickle symbols. The motif was part of the Soviet flag, and continues to function as a symbol of communism. It has been revived in Russia in recent years to signify Soviet-era nostalgia and Russian irredentism. In countries that fell under Soviet occupation, like Czechoslovakia after 1968, it is widely regarded as a symbol of oppression.
The hammer-and-sickle symbols on the memorial have been damaged repeatedly over the years, and controversy over them intensified after the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
Peter Kalmus, an artist and activist, expressed shock at the news: "It’s incomprehensible, especially timing-wise," he said. He regards the reconstruction of the hammer-and-sickle symbols “a gift” to Russia in light of the upcoming 35th anniversary of the Velvet Revolution, which saw the communist government in Czechoslovakia overthrown. The anniversary will be celebrated in Košice in just two days.
A price tag of nearly €14,000
The Interior Ministry and the city of Košice will cover the cost of the work, with the ministry contributing 80 percent of the expenses, or €11,100, and the city covering the remaining €2,775. The project is set to be completed by the end of the year.
Kalmus, who is currently on probation for damaging the memorial, finds the ongoing restoration wasteful. "With the money spent on these repairs, the monument could have been dismantled and moved to a dignified location, like a cemetery. There’s space for that; I’d even go there to light a candle," he said.
The idea of relocating the memorial has been discussed for years, but the City of Košice has demurred, pointing to the Venice Charter for the protection of monuments, which forbids the relocation of heritage sites except on grounds of preservation or national interest.
Kalmus argues that this restoration makes a move unlikely, suggesting, "In the Baltic states, Poland, and even Hungary, these monuments have been removed. The only sensible solution would be to move it to a cemetery, though under this government, that’s sci-fi."
A slap in the face of the revolution
Peter Neuwirth, a Košice local who participated in the Velvet Revolution, called the restoration a slap in the face of the November events. He added, "It’s absurd to repair a monument that was declared a cultural heritage site by the Communist Party in 1983. The Soviet army didn’t liberate us; they came one day and took people to the gulags the next."
Neuwirth, along with over 2,000 residents, signed a petition last year to rename Liberation Square to Legionnaires' Square – in reference to the Czechoslovak Legions that played a key part in the post-WWI establishment of Czechoslovakia – but the city council only acknowledged it without taking further action. Neuwirth continues to push for the monument’s relocation, citing the 1975 relocation of a Gothic church in Most, Czechia, as an example.
"We don’t want to demolish it, just move it to a cemetery," he said. However, the fact that the memorial was declared a war grave complicates the issue. The Interior Ministry has stated that any modification or relocation of a war memorial must be approved by both the ministry and the property owner.
