“Who were the Vlasovtsy?” you might ask. The Voj\u00edn Rud\u00e9 arm\u00e1dy memorial here commemorates a complex and controversial chapter of World War II. This monument isn’t dedicated to the Red Army as you might think. It’s dedicated to the 1st Infantry Division of the Russian Liberation Army, often called the Vlasov army. They were Soviet prisoners of war who, offered a perilous choice, donned German uniforms to fight against Stalin’s regime. In the spring of 1945, as Prague fought for its freedom, the Vlasovtsy found themselves on the outskirts of the city. Their hope was to surrender to the Americans. But the plight of the Czech people resonated deeply. They chose to fight alongside the Czech resistance against their common enemy the German forces. Their intervention proved decisive. The Voj\u00edn Rud\u00e9 arm\u00e1dy memorial serves as a reminder. A reminder of their sacrifice, of their fight for a different future. Ironically, after the war, their role in the Prague Uprising was largely erased from official accounts by the Soviets who viewed them as traitors.
Центральный дом работников искусств
Step through the grand wooden doors of the Central House of the Workers of Art, and you’ll be transported to