Moscow sends diplomatic note over removed Soviet marshal statue

Russia has sent Czechia a diplomatic note seeking assistance in locating the removed statue of Soviet Marshal Ivan Konev. Russian Ambassador Alexander Zmeyevsky confirmed the request in an interview with the newspaper Izvestia, stating that embassy staff need help pinpointing the statue’s location.

Czech Foreign Minister Jan Lipavský said the country would respond, adding that the statue has been placed in the municipal depot in Měšice, near Prague.

The Konev statue, unveiled in 1980, was controversial due to Konev’s role in the Warsaw Pact invasion and suppression of the Hungarian Uprising. It was removed by the Prague 6 City Council in April 2020.