Shoigu asked the Ministry of defence of the Czech Republic to give Russia the monument to Marshal Konev. He refused

The Russian defense Minister Sergei Shoigu was sent to the Ministry of defence of the Czech Republic a letter asking to transfer to Russia dismantled in the Prague monument to Soviet Marshal Ivan Konev, announced April 9, “the Russian newspaper”.

In the letter he noted that the authorities of the district Prague 6 the dismantled monument to Konev on the eve of the 75th anniversary of victory over German Nazism.

“Skillfully conducted in 1945, the military operation to liberate Prague from the Nazis saved the lives of hundreds of thousands of Czechs and freed millions of your fellow citizens from the Nazi yoke,” – said Shoigu.

Russia can not remain indifferent to the demolition of the monument, said the Minister.

“I ask you as soon as possible to transfer the monument to Russia. If the solution to this problem requires financial expenditure, we are ready to pay for them”, – wrote Shoigu Czech counterpart Lubomir Metaru.

Press Secretary of the Ministry of defense of the Czech Republic Jan Pasek 10 APR confirmed Radiozurnal receipt of the letter, but said that the Agency cannot meet the request.

“If the Russian side asks us to give them the statue Koneva, we, as the Ministry of defence, can’t do that. The statue is not ours, it [belongs to the authorities of the area] Prague-6”, – he said.

During the Second world war, Prague – at that time the capital of Czechoslovakia – was released as a result of the Prague offensive 6-11 may 1945. Konev was one of the commanders of the Soviet group of forces.

However, in the Czech Republic to Konev negative attitude because of his involvement in the suppression of the Prague spring in August 1968. In 2018, the Czech Republic recognized the events of the invasion and occupation.

Konev monument dismantled April 3, 2020. The head of the district Prague 6 ondřej kolář joked that he did it in compliance with the quarantine, because Konev was without a mask. The Czech authorities have stated that they plan to place the monument in the Museum memory of the twentieth century.

After the dismantling of the monument Sledkov RF opened a criminal case under part 3 of article 354.1 to the Criminal code (desecration of symbols of Russia’s military glory, committed publicly). “As believes a consequence, such cynical actions of the municipal authorities of the city of Prague grossly violated assumed by the Czech Republic of obligations under bilateral agreements with the Russian Federation, demonstrating its disregard for the shared memory and the history of the struggle of the Soviet people against fascism”, – said the Agency.