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22nd Annual Smithsonian Magazine Photo Contest Travel
Stalin's Skatepark

In 1955, the Czechoslovakian government erected the largest statue of Stalin in the world to prove their loyalty. The monument only lasted until 1962, however, when de-Stalinization led the government to demolish the statues and left a large scar overlooking Prague until the end of the Cold War. The Metronome was erected then, and over the intervening 30 years, the site has turned into an unofficial-but-sanctioned skatepark and is one of my favorite responses to fascist legacies.

Photo Detail
Date Taken: 10.2024
Date Uploaded: 12.2024
Photo Location: Prague, Czechia
Camera: LEICA SL2-S
Copyright: © Paul Karns