Prague Metronome

Welcome, urban explorer, to the elevated heights of Let-nah Park. As you stand here, catching your breath after the steep ascent from the banks of the Vltava River, turn your gaze outward. …

Stand directly at the base of the massive stone pedestal and look straight up. Try to visualize an unfathomably large granite statue towering fifteen meters high, nearly fifty feet, looming over the entire city. …

Move slightly to the side of the main plinth and imagine the figures that once flanked the central statue of Stalin. He did not stand alone up here. …

As we walk along the perimeter of the base, we must address the deeply tragic, deeply human story of the man who designed the monster. The sculptor was a well known Czech artist named Oh-tah-kar Shvets. …

Stand back and look at the empty space above the plinth. The irony of the Stalin monument is that it was completed far too late. …

Fast forward to the year nineteen ninety one. The Velvet Revolution has successfully toppled the communist regime, and Czechoslovakia is breathing the fresh air of freedom. …

Walk across the wide, flat expanse of the concrete base. You will notice that the ground is covered in graffiti and scuff marks. …

As we conclude our visit to the Prague Metronome, look up at the giant red arm one last time. For many years, the pendulum swung continuously, a reassuring rhythm above the city. …