The Praque Metronome

 

I actually really liked visiting this place. In the Lonely Planet guide to Praque book, there is an entire page dedicated to missing monuments - and this is one of these monuments. In days past, a big monument to Josef Stalin, the russian dictator, was erected here - and stood here for a few years and then was blown up and instead, this metronome was placed here.
The entire story of this erecting of one statue and then a few years later replacing it with something completely different because the political climate has changed so much, is really interesting and even though we had not planned to visit this place, it's actually really cool to have been there and later do the research to find out more about these events.

Materials:

• Cardstock: Club Scrap Let me count the ways
• Font: Mom's Typewriter and Bradley Hand ITC

Journaling:

• English version:
  This long extra walk also meant that we got to see the Praque Metronome. We saw it on the map and it didn't really say what it was so off we went up many many stairs until we reached it. The metronome stands where once was a giant statue of Stalin - 12 meters wide, 22 meters long and 15 meters tall on top of a 15 meters tall piedestal which's still there. Stalin didn't stand alone however - he was in front in classic Napoleon posture with his hand inside his jacket, behind him was a worker with a flag, a woman, a farmer and last, a soldier with his back turned towards the others as a symbol of the people's vigilance.
  The statue stood there from 1955 to 1962 - only 7 years - it took 6 years to build it! It's so crazy that a country's system can change so much in so few years that you erect a giant statue to pay tribute to a man, and then a few years later blows it up? And how crazy is it, that Stalin dies in 1953 - and still they continue with the statue and keeps it for 9 years after he passed?
  Now a tiny metronome is placed on the huge platform and it seems a bit tiny on top of the giant piedestal. The metronom was placed there in 1991 and is created by the artist Vratislav Novak. I don't know if the idea is that it measures the heartbeat of the city and therefore almost is Praque's heartbeat but that's the way I see it and terefore I kind of like it. At least a lot more than what stood there before!
• Danish version:
  Men denne lange ekstra gåtur betød også, at vi så Prag Metronom. Vi så den på kortet og der stod ikke rigtig noget om, hvad det var, så af sted med os op af mange, mange trapper indtil vi kom derop. Metronomen står, hvor der har stået en kæmpe statue af Stalin – 12 meter bred, 22 meter lang og 15 meter høj oven på den 15 meter høje piedestal, der stadig er der. Stalin stod der dog ikke alene – han stod forrest i klassisk Napoleon-stilling med hånden inden i jakken, bag ham var en arbejder med et flag, så en kvinde, en landmand og til sidst en soldat med ryggen til de andre som symbol på Folkets årvågenhed. Statuen stod der fra 1955 til 1962 – kun sølle 7 år – den tog 6 år at bygge! Hvor vanvittigt er det lige, at et lands styre kan ændre sig så meget på så kort tid, at man rejser en kæmpe statue for at hylde en mand, og at man ganske få år efter sprænger den i luften? Og hvor vanvittigt er det også, at Stalin dør i 1953 – og alligevel fortsætter man med statuen og lader den stå der i 9 år efter hans død?
  Nu står der så en lille bitte metronom oven på den store platform og den virker lidt sølle ovenpå den kæmpe piedestal. Metronomen blev placeret der i 1991 og er skabt af kunstneren Vratislav Novak. Jeg ved ikke, om ideen er, at den skal måle byens puls og dermed nærmest er Prags hjerteslag, men sådan ser jeg den, og kan derfor meget godt lide den. I hvert fald er det bedre end hvad der var der før!