National Monument in Vítkov
One of the important events in our history is connected to the Prague hill called Vítkov. On July 14, 1420, a battle took place here, in which the Hussites, led by Jan Žižka, defeated the Crusaders. It is in memory of this battle and Jan Žižek that the hill is still called Žižkov.
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Interesting facts National Monument in Vítkov
Between 1928 and 1938, a memorial was built here in honor of Czechoslovak legionaries and the establishment of the republic, which also includes the tomb of the Unknown Soldier, the equestrian statue of Jan Žižka and a view of the capital city of Prague. At present, the monument is a national cultural monument.
The national monument in Vítkov in Prague was designed by architect Jan Zázvorka in the spirit of constructivism. The building has a total length of 142 meters, a width of 27.6 meters and a height of 31.5 meters.
Tomáš Garique Masaryk also took part in the laying of the foundation stone on November 8, 1928, and construction work began a year later. The building was completed in 1932, but until 1938 work continued on the interior decoration. After that, the work was interrupted due to the occupation and the memorial then served as a warehouse for the Wehrmacht.
On July 14, 1949, the remains of an unknown warrior who fell at Dukla were transferred to the memorial and placed in a sarcophagus in front of the memorial. The granite slab, which covers the grave of an unknown soldier, bears the symbol of the coat of arms and the inscription Glory to the heroes who fell for their homeland.
On June 22, 1954, the Mausoleum of Klement Gottwald was founded here, which was abolished on March 30, 1962. The Sarcophagus of Klement Gottwald is located in the center of the main hall, on the sides of which are placed other sarcophagi and several tombs. The remains of Presidents Antonín Zápotocký and Ludvík Svoboda were also placed in the memorial.
To the left of the main hall is the Hall of Fallen Warriors, a memorial to the warriors of the First and Second World Wars. In 1955, the Hall of the Soviet Army was added to the building in the form of an apse, in which the remains of an Unknown Soviet Warrior are now stored.
In 1950, a ceremonial unveiling of one of the largest bronze statues in the world took place, a monument to Jan Žižka, authored by Bohumil Kafka. The total height of the statue is 9 meters, length 9.6 meters and width 5 meters. The equestrian statue weighs 16.5 tons.
In 1962, the National Monument in Žižkov was declared a national cultural monument.
Author: Andrea Štyndlová