The reconstructed monumental equestrian statue of Jan Žižka on Vítkov Hill in Prague once again attracts visitors and admirers. The restoration work, which began in April 2010, came to an end after one and a half years.
This monumental statue depicts the Hussite leader Jan Žižka on the back of a horse. It was this very place where he defeated the Crusade army in the Battle of Vítkov in 1420. The statue was made by Bohuslav Kafka, who spent ten years working on it (1932-1942). It was ceremoniously revealed in 1950 on the occasion of the 530th anniversary of the Battle of Vítkov.
Jan Žižka statue can be seen from long distance
The statue is cast from bronze and weighs 16.5 tons. The monument is 9 m high, 5 m wide and 9.6 m long. Due to its size and location, it is visible from a very long distance and belongs among the largest equestrian statues in the world.
It is a part of the National Memorial on Vítkov Hill in Prague (Map). There is a grave of the Unknown Soldier under the statue, in which the remains of fallen soldiers from the Battle of Dukla Pass during the Second World War are kept. There is a great open space in front of the memorial, where various pious and ceremonial events took place in the past.
The National Memorial on Vítkov Hill, along with the equestrian statue of Jan Žižka and the grave of the Unknown Soldier, belong among the most significant cultural monuments in the Czech Republic. In 1999, the statue and the memorial were added among the national cultural monuments.
