Monument to Soldier Schweik
Balkan Square, 1, St. Petersburg
Description:
Soldier Josef Schweik became widely known as the protagonist of the world’s most popular Czech novel, written in 1921-1923.
The creators of the monument, sculptors D. Pakhomov and A. Charkin, recreated in bronze the image of the retired infantryman Schweik, trying to reflect the characteristic features of the hero - optimism, enthusiasm and a kind of carelessness.
A cheerful bronze soldier pays homage with his right hand, and hides his left hand with a mug of beer behind his back.
The opening of the monument took place in April 2003 and was timed to the tricentennial of St. Petersburg, which coincided with the birthday of the author of the book about Švejk – Czech writer Jaroslav Gašek. The opening ceremony of the monument was attended by the grandson of Jaroslav Hasek - Richard Hasek, Radko Pitlik - a literary critic from the Czech Republic, dealing with the literary heritage of Hasek, as well as the Consul General of the Czech Republic in St. Petersburg Antonin Murgash.
Since its opening, the monument has attracted a lot of tourists who want to drink with a soldier and find luck by rubbing Schweik’s bronze nose. Anyone who wants to order the fulfillment of his innermost desire, you need to touch a beer mug.