Today is a story about unusual sculptures and monuments of Prague. Their number and variety of styles are impressive: from classic to modern, from spiritual to outright provocation. They really brighten up a walk around the city and if you meet them again, you consider them your old acquaintances!

01. Fountain "Musicians" on Senovazhnaya Square(sculptor Anna Khroma). Four dancing bronze sculptures represent four rivers: the mandolin sculpture represents the Ganges, the flute sculpture represents the Amazon, the violin sculpture represents the Danube, and the trumpet sculpture represents the Mississippi. The fifth sculpture is an allegory of the Nile River. (To be honest, I didn’t see the fifth one)

02. Sculptures of some special, mysterious beauty. The musicians are naked and covered only with scraps of “bronze fabric”, but their faces are covered.

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05. It seemed to me that their wrapped faces symbolize absolute rapture with the sounds of music and disdain for their nakedness

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07. "Dancer". You are both a puppeteer and a puppet - brilliant!

08. "Pissing Men" (sculptor David Cherny). They stand in the courtyard of the Franz Kafka Museum, at Cihelna 2b, Prague 1 on Mala Strana. This composition represents two bronze men peeing on a map of the Czech Republic. The provocative sculptures were installed in 2004 and are controlled by a computer that adjusts the rotation of the hips and raises the hips.

09. So, you can even make the statues “write” their own phrase by sending mobile phone SMS to number 724 370 770.

10. In general, there are a huge number of naked boys in Prague, and all of them have their private areas polished to a shine. This one stands in the courtyard of the Toy Museum (at Jirska 6, Prague 1)

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12. These are probably the most famous figures of babies by the famous Czech master David Cerny. They are called "Babies" and crawl next to the museum on Kampa Island

13. You can climb on them, and no one is chasing anyone

14. Monument to the victims of communism (sculptor Zoubek). Mala Strana, at the foot of Petrin Hill. It consists of a staircase on which there are seven sculptures symbolizing the suffering of a person doomed to death... A depressing sight

15. The theme of religious sculptures also deserves special mention. In addition to the classic statues of the Apostles and many crucifixes, the city has many extraordinary performances, such as Christ made from old shoes (usually these installations are dismantled for the winter, so I didn’t catch it)

16. This is how jokers depicted the crucifixion in the museum at Karlova 2, Prague 1

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18. "Commander" at the Estates Theater. This is a monument in honor of the premiere of Mozart's opera Don Giovanni in 1787 (c sculptor Anna Chromi)

19. The “trick” of this character is that under the cloak... there is emptiness. This is also creepy

20. On the facade New Town Hall we meet Rabbi Loew. Legend has it that Death, who could not reach him for a long time, pretended to be a rose and was given to the rabbi by his daughter (now she is always crying next to him). If you don't know this beautiful story, then all sorts of bad thoughts come into your head;-P

21. On the other side of the building we are met by the Iron (Black) Knight of Scamp. It seems that the enchanted knight can be bewitched by the prayers of a young virgin (it worked out well, however).

22. A funny shop without legs, occupied by voluptuous musicians. Stands in front of the Inter Continental Hotel (on Pařížská street)

23. Very touching guys are standing on one of the platforms of the Prague Main Station ( Wilsonova 300/8, Prague)

24. On the embankment, next to the Kampa Museum, Sri Chinmoy stands and blesses the river buses passing by

25. Kafka is everywhere. This one is located at Praha 1, Dusni 141/12

26. "Sigmund Freud, the hanging intellectual" (with sculptor David Cherny). Plastic and epoxy resin sculpture symbolizes disconnection intelligentsia from the people.

27. A detached look and a hand in his pocket somehow hints that the comrade is completely indifferent to his safety, and in general, he has a philosophical attitude towards issues of life and death

28. One more interesting object, "floating" over Prague. golden bone... (no comments)

29. And this sweetest car on human legs is called “Quo vadis - People's Car of the GDR “Trabant”” and stands in the courtyard of the German Embassy ( Vlašská 19, Prague 1, Malá Strana).

30. Prague boasts many lovely maidens. For example, this lady lights the way with her stone torches on one of the supports of the Chekhov Bridge

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32. In general, naked young maidens everywhere sparkle with their charms on the facades of Prague houses

33. Sexy madam sphinx lies against the wall of the Rudolfinum building (from the embankment side) at Alšovo nábřeží 79/12

34. And this person is waiting for visitors on the corner of the Three Angels house, in one of the alleys near Old Town Square

35. Some fabulous little frog is thoughtfully smoking a pipe on the pier. They corrected me here in the comments: “this is not a frog, but Vodnik, that is, Vodyanoy. There are several places in Prague where it is believed that Vodyanoy can live. One is this, on the Chertovka canal (next to the wheel of the water mill), the other - under the rocks of Vysehrad, there are others"

36. Another option for contemporary art in Prague is street art. For example, a whole orchestra of colored wire figures. They are standing at some cafe on the river, right behind the lock (from the Visegrad side)

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38. Every city has its own Tsoi Wall;-) In Prague, it bears the name of John Lennon and, at the same time, is the wall of the Maltese Garden (address Velkopřevorské nám.). Our VKontash dog is right there

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40. Graffiti in the passages is very colorful and cheerful. It’s curious that no one will spoil them with other inscriptions

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44. And this is my favorite “Embryo” by my beloved David Cerny. A sculpture resembling a human fetus," created in 1996 from metal, plastic and epoxy resin. It "grew" on the corner of the facade of the Na Zabradli theater building at Anenske Namesti 5, Prague 1, stuck to a drainpipe like an extraterrestrial creature from a science fiction film.

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46. ​​At night, this something flickers moon-pink... If you don’t know that this is special, you can get a heart attack. Brrrrr!

47. The “Guns” exhibition in the courtyard of the AMoYA - Artbanka Museum of Young Art (the same David Cherny) consists of four suspended pistols, the muzzle of each of which is directed to the center

48. Glamor bomb - wow, this is adorable!!

49. Forged sign in front of the entrance to one of the many Prague hotels in the city center

50. And this bar made two minnows its totem and hung a couple above the entrance

51. Uh, “pink sheep”... no comment again

52. Window-node - it’s so Prague ;-)

The Czech Republic has two patron saints - Saints Wenceslas and John of Nepomuk. They can be found in many parts of the city, as the Czechs themselves are very fond of their national defenders. There is a statue of St. Wenceslas on the main square of Prague, but the history of this monument is not as simple as it might seem.

Wenceslas Square, or as the townspeople themselves call it, Vatsavak is one of the largest squares in Europe. Many things happened at this place historical events. Today, in the center of Prague's business and shopping center, there is a majestic statue of Prince Wenceslas, Saint heavenly patron countries. The first statue was installed here back in early XVII century and it is strikingly different from today. The first monument is distinguished by its poetic and ecclesiastical beauty, in which the country's leaders saw a little more naivety than is appropriate for the central statue of the city. Therefore, the first Vaclav was moved to Visegrad, and in its place, according to the design of Joseph Vaclav Myslbek, a sculpture more appropriate was installed national character Chekhov. Modern sculpture surrounded by four more saints - Saint Ludmila, Saint Agnes of Bohemia, Saint Procopius and Adalbert of Prague. Saint Wenceslas himself sits on a horse, protectively raising a banner above himself.

On the pedestal there is an inscription: “Saint Wenceslas, Duke of the Czech Land, our sovereign, do not let us or our children perish.” There is a legend that the saint sleeps under Mount Blanik, and when the Czech Republic is in mortal danger, the king and his knights will awaken and go out to fight.

Coordinates: 50.08138900,14.42750000

Statue of Francisco Xavier

The statue of Francisco Xavier, located on the Charles Bridge in the Czech capital, Prague, is dedicated to the Jesuit missionary Francis Xavier, who in the 16th century, on behalf of Pope Paul II and the Portuguese king, tried to convert Asians to Christianity. The first statue was created in 1711 by the sculptor Ferdinand Brokoff, commissioned by the Faculty of Philosophy and Philology of the University of Charles. In 1913, on the site of the statue that drowned during the flood of 1890, a copy of the work of Vincenz Vozmig was erected.

One of the most valuable and complex sculptures of the Charles Bridge represents a missionary standing on a high pedestal, overshadowing an Indian prince kneeling to his left with a highly raised crucifix. The pedestal is represented by the figures of a Tatar, a samurai and a black man. The boy to Francis's right hands him a shell of water for him to bless. Next to the boy you can see a sculpture of a pensive man with a book, who bears a portrait resemblance to the creator of the sculptural composition, Ferdinand Brokoff.

Coordinates: 50.08649000,14.41279200

Crawling Baby Statues

Ten statues of crawling babies, made of bronze, were installed on the Žižkov Television Tower in 2000 as part of the project “Prague - European City of Culture”. The author of this idea is the extraordinary Czech sculptor David Černý. The sculptural composition had incredible success, and since 2001, baby figures have become a fixture on TV towers.

You can look at the 100-kilogram statues up close, photograph them and even sit on them in Kampa Park, where replicas of those same crawling babies are located. Despite the controversial public opinion, this creation of Cherny is one of the city’s attractions and a popular tourist attraction.

Coordinates: 50.08096600,14.45176400

Statue of Youth

The Statue of Youth is located in Prague Castle next to the Toy Museum, in the old part of the city of Prague. This monument to a naked boy hides many stories about its origin and purpose. There is also a belief that touching the monument will bring happiness and love.

Some believe that he is a symbol of democracy, others believe that the statue is a representation of childish spontaneity and craving for everything new. When those who were particularly interested asked the architect what the meaning of this sculpture was, the architect simply threw up his hands and replied: “Nothing.” .

Of course, there are some beliefs here. Many tourists touch, expecting that it will bring happiness and unearthly love. Perhaps this is true. In any case, it’s worth going to Prague, admiring the statue and trying your luck.

Coordinates: 50.09170700,14.40418400

Statue of the knight Bruncvik

Near the Charles Bridge on the Kampa Peninsula side there is a statue of the legendary knight of Czech legends Bruncvik (an analogy of the Russian Ivan Tsarevich). In the Czech Republic, the image of Bruncvik symbolizes the customs post of Charles Bridge, but is still located on the territory of the Small Town.

The stone Bruntsvik has his famous magic sword in his hands, and at his feet is a lion - his faithful friend and servant, who, after the death of his master, died on his grave. According to legend, the hero’s sword was walled up somewhere at the base of the Charles Bridge, and in the hour of mortal danger for his people, he must break out of captivity and to the call of the resurrected Bruntsvik - “Heads off your shoulders!” - must hit the enemy. One cannot help but remember that this particular statue of Bruntsvik was Marina Tsvetaeva’s favorite monument.

Coordinates: 50.08644600,14.41352600

Sights of Prague

The Czech Republic is home to some of the strangest statues in the world. Not surprising, since Prague is the birthplace of the infamous sculptor David Cerný. His provocative works have gained recognition throughout the world. Besides Czerny's breathtaking masterpieces, the Czech Republic is full of quirky statues that are sure to make you stop and think.

1. Hanging Man, Prague

2. Babies on the Žižkov TV Tower, Prague

3. “Pissing Men”, Prague

Czerny's sense of humor was most evident in his sculpture of men peeing at the Franz Kafka Museum in Prague. The sculpture consists of two bronze men. Their hips are robotic and move so that words or entire phrases are spelled out with a stream of water. Anyone can send an SMS, which will be written in sculptures.

4. Statue of St. Wenceslas on a dead horse, Prague

5. Statue of St. Vilgefortis, Prague

6. Devil's heads, Zhelizy

7. Column of the Holy Trinity, Olomouc

Take a modern art route through Prague - find giant babies, a hanging man, Franz Kafka's spinning head and unravel their meaning. The provocative sculptures of David Cherny evoke conflicting feelings, but do not leave anyone indifferent.

We were in Prague for the third time and after another walk along the Charles Bridge we wanted something new. Anticipating such a situation, I learned about the sculptures of David Cherny and put them on the map in advance. We completed this route in 2 days. As it turned out, many objects were located in the very center of Prague, literally above our heads, while others were “hidden” in courtyards and passages.

You can go through all the places in any order or choose the closest and most interesting ones. In any case, this will be a non-standard route that will show you Prague from a different side.

Main actor contemporary art of Prague is David Černý. He became famous for painting a Soviet tank pink, but not everyone understood the metaphor at the time. Now the significance of David Cherny for Prague can be compared with.

The tour is conducted by art historian Daria. She talks in an interesting and accessible way about the sculptures of David Cherny and other contemporary artists.

Sculptures of David Cherny on the map

The first sculpture of David Cherny is located on the territory of the contemporary art gallery “FUTURA”. The museum-gallery is a three-story exhibition space with a total area of ​​1000 m², located in the building former factory. Works by Czech and foreign contemporary artists are exhibited here.

To appreciate most works you need to be “very much in the know.” In addition to photographs and paintings, there are installations using video and audio effects. Exhibits change frequently. Look carefully at your feet and at the walls! Admission is free, but you can leave a donation.

“Monument to Sycophancy” by David Cherny stands in the courtyard. Two 5-meter white headless statues bent in a characteristic pose, leaning against the wall. The idea is to show the stupidity and facelessness of sycophants.

The composition also has a political background; to see it, you need to climb up the stairs and look into the back hole. In the video inside, Czech dissident artist Milan Knizek feeds former Czech President Vaclav Klaus porridge to the Queen song “We are the champions.”

• Address: Holečkova 49, Prague 5
• Opening hours: Wed-Sun 11:00-18:00

Crawling Babies (Miminka)

3 black asexual giant babies crawling in Kampa Park. Each bronze figure measures 3.5 x 2.5 meters and weighs about 100 kg. Babies have barcodes instead of faces. Thus, their author David Cherny expressed his attitude towards abortion.

Another interpretation is the faceless and sexless future that awaits us. Real children love to climb on sculptures of babies, which is not prohibited. Next door is the Kampa Museum of Contemporary Art, with an emphasis on 20th-century works.

• address: U Sovových mlýnů 2

Babies on the TV tower

In 2000, 10 sculptures of giant Miminka babies appeared on the Prague television tower in the Žižkov district and turned it into a popular tourist attraction. The babies quickly won the affections of the townspeople and were left to crawl around the tower. Climbing up, you can see the panorama of Prague from a height of 216 meters and visit the Clouds restaurant.

• address: Mahlerovy sady 1, Prague 3

The fountain is located in the courtyard of the Franz Kafka Museum. Two bronze figures of men, 2.10 m high, “pee” on a map of the Czech Republic, displaying various texts - statements of famous residents of Prague.

The movements of the sculptures are controlled by a computer. By sending an SMS to +420 724 370 770, you can set your message or simply throw a coin into the fountain. This composition was inspired by the Manneken Pis statue in Brussels.

• Address: Cihelná 2b, Malá Strana

To see another work by David Cherny, you need to cross the Vltava along the Charles Bridge and find the Na Zabradli theater. The sculpture was created for the 50th anniversary of the theater and attached to it drainpipe like an umbilical cord. Not all theater employees appreciated such a gift and demanded that it be dismantled. According to the author, the embryo symbolizes the birth creative life. As dusk approaches, the embryo begins to flicker pinkish-red.

• Address: Anenske nám. 209/5

Hanging Man

The 2.20 meter high sculpture hangs over Husova Street and no one notices it. The man's figure resembles two at once famous personalities— Sigmund Freud and Lenin. David Cherny claims that he is the founder of psychoanalysis, hovering over the abyss of the unconscious.

• address: Husova 351/1

Head of Franz Kafka

The largest and most expensive sculpture of David the Black in Prague, which is not so easy to find. The giant head is installed in the courtyard of the Quadrio shopping center near the Národní třída metro station. The monument to Franz Kafka is made of stainless steel, 10 meters high and weighing 45 tons.

The engineering structure consists of 42 mirrored, rotating disks that reflect neighboring buildings. It feels like Kafka's head is watching you! This sculpture cost the municipality 30 million crowns. A non-standard monument reflects the versatility of a non-standard person. In the evening the illumination turns on.

• Address: Charvátova, Nové Město

Horse

A sculpture that has caused outrage among many Prague residents since its creation in 1999. Saint Wenceslas, performed by David the Black, sits on an inverted dead horse and this whole heavy composition hangs in the air. Initially, the sculpture was located opposite the classical monument on Wenceslas Square, but soon moved to the Lucerna passage. A parody of unshakable stereotypes.

• address: Vodičkova 704/36

Unfortunately, some of David Černý's works were moved from the center of Prague to inaccessible places. The sculpture “Walking Trabant” (Quo vadis?) used to stand on Old Town Square, and now on the closed territory of the German embassy. The sculpture "Pregnant Woman" disappeared from the intersection of Dlouhá and Masná streets and is now installed outside the city. But David Černý continues to create new masterpieces that make Prague a center of contemporary art.

There are a lot of monuments of various kinds in the capital of the Czech Republic; the oldest, of course, are located in Prague Castle. It is there that the famous Church of St. Vitus is located, founded in the mid-14th century and whose phased construction continued until the mid-19th century. There are a lot of famous sculptures and bas-reliefs here. The church itself is even larger than the Cathedral Notre Dame of Paris, although somewhat shorter in length. The Charles Bridge is also unique, decorated with dozens of monuments and sculptural groups.

But there are also bright sculptures of modern times in Prague. Among them is a monument to the victims of communism. The memorial includes seven bronze sculptures, the figures of emaciated people symbolizing the suffering of political prisoners under the communist regime. The depressing impression is strengthened by the fact that, in accordance with the architects' plan, each sculpture looks defective: one is missing any limb, and a fracture is visible on the body of the other.

In the Czech Republic, a widely used famous sculptor David Cherny. In particular, he created a monument to the writer Franz Kafka, managing to bring to life the image of the most mysterious writer of the 20th century. The art object is created from stainless steel in the form of 42 horizontal elements that are independent of the other parts and are constantly in motion, stopping only for a few minutes and allowing you to view the exact image of Franz Kafka. The writer worked on novels that influenced many readers, and now “The Shining Head of Franz Kafka” stands majestically over a small square and reminds of the writer’s enormous contribution to literature.

In the courtyard of the Kafka House Museum in Prague, another original creation by David Černý, “Monument to Pissing Men,” is installed. Men relieve themselves on a water-filled map of the Czech Republic, symbolizing the division of Czechoslovakia. The monument is interactive: thanks to a special electronic device, male sculptures can move their hips and certain organs, displaying different quotes in streams on the water surface of the reservoir. What will be “written” can be ordered by sending a paid SMS to a specific phone number.

One of the most provocative sculptures by David Cherny is the sculpture “Toadying,” which represents two five-meter white figures of naked headless men resting their hands on a concrete wall. In addition to monumental satire, there is also political irony in the work of David Cherny. You can feel it if you climb a specially installed iron staircase and watch a continuously shown video with Vaclav Klaus, the ex-president of the Czech Republic, and Milan Knizak, a famous Czech artist, sculptor, musician and dissident. The latter feeds Vaclav Klaus porridge, flowing down his chin and dripping onto the table, while Queen’s “We are the champions” plays.

Monuments are the most important element of human civilization - they have been erected and destroyed at all times. Almost three thousand years ago, Queen Hatshepsut ruled Egypt for more than two decades in the guise of a male pharaoh, and she ruled well. When she died, her successor, by the way, a nephew, in anger for insulting the image of a male pharaoh, began to destroy all the monuments dedicated to Hatshepsut. But he ruled Egypt much worse than his predecessor.

Nowadays they continue to destroy monuments and create new ones. Czech - good example caring for history and providing freedom for the creativity of sculptors and artists. Today, Czech modernist sculptures reflect our difficult times. Time will put everything in its place.