For many decades, a Soviet tank raised on a pedestal in the center of Prague was a monument to the liberation of the city by the Red Army at the end of World War II. But when the Soviet Union invaded the country in 1968 to crush the country’s attempt at freedom and democratization, known as the Prague Spring, public perception of the tank memorial shifted. It was no longer seen as a symbol of liberation and freedom, but a cruel reminder of the communist oppression imposed by the Soviet Union. In 1991, a group of art students painted the Soviet tank bright pink in protest, sparking intense debate and discussion within the Czech society. This was followed by many more acts of vandalism aimed towards the tank, culminating in the removal of the monument from the square.
The tank memorial at its original location, in Prague. Credit: Wikimedia
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