Pink tank unveiled in Prague to celebrate liberation anniversary

A pink tank has temporarily returned to the heart of Prague to mark the 20th anniversary of the Soviet troops' withdrawal from the country. Tank No. 23 was originally put on display in Prague square in 1945 to commemorate the liberation of Czechoslovakia by the Red Army after the Second World War occupation by Nazi troops.

For many, it became a symbol of the 1968 Soviet-led invasion that crushed the liberal reforms of Alexander Dubcek and ended an era known as the Prague Spring.

David Cerny, a Czech visual artist painted the tank pink with friends in April 1991. The Soviet troops left by the end of June that year.

Making reference to whether the tank still has relevance Cerny said, "It is hard to say, the generation that was born after 1990 may consider it a funny thing but there is a connection."

The tank was taken to Prague from a military museum to be placed on a pontoon on the Vltava river to kick off commemorative events.

Paula Kantnerova, Spokesperson for Czech week of Freedom Celebration said it was "one of the biggest anniversaries in Czech Republic's modern history but people keep forgetting it even though it was a great victory to get rid of the occupiers."


/Telegraph.co.uk/