Marshal Konev’s daughter wants to bring her father’s statue home to Russia

The daughter of Soviet Marshal Ivan Konev has said she wants to bring her father’s statue, which has been at the centre of a dispute between Prague and Moscow, home to Russia. Natalya Koneva told the Russian media, she would request its transfer immediately.

The fate of the statue has caused a rift between Prague and Moscow after it was repeatedly vandalized with red paint and the mayor of Prague 6, Ondřej Kolář, said it would be better to remove it altogether, ideally to the grounds of the Russian embassy.

Kolář has welcomed Koneva’s decision, saying this solution might help calm the situation. The local administration is to debate the issue on Thursday.

Marshal Konev is perceived as a controversial figure in the Czech Republic. Although he helped liberate the country from Nazi oppression, he was also involved in the suppression of the Hungarian uprising in 1956 and the construction of the Berlin Wall in 1961.