This week, someone damaged car wrecks imported from war-torn Ukraine in the center of Hradec Králové. Michal Bureš, director of the East Bohemian branch of the Memory of Nations organization, said on Friday.
The three car wrecks are part of the traveling exhibition Stories from Ukraine, which began in Hradec on November 17 and will run until December 6. It is intended to highlight the horrors of the conflict affecting the civilian population of Ukraine. According to Bureš, the exhibition stirred a wave of emotions when installed.
“It seems that Russian attacks on civilian vehicles continue in Hradec Králové. There have been changes to many of the metal parts of the cars; some parts have been lost. One wreck is spray-painted with the words “STOP PROPAGANDA, DONBAS,” Bureš said. The fiercest fighting is raging in Donbas.
The exhibition in the square was duly authorized by the city council and had the support of the city. City police began monitoring the site more closely with cameras after the incident, according to Bureš. “
Various people have also called the municipality, including an anonymous person. They demand contact information from the exhibition organizers, while others want the wrecks removed, so they don’t disfigure the city. Some even plan to do it themselves. On the other hand, the site is becoming a space for remembrance and expressing solidarity with Ukraine, with people placing flowers, small objects, and lighting candles,” Bureš said.
“The exhibition organizers have reported to the Hradec Králové municipal police the damage and theft of parts of the exhibited wrecks from the Russian-Ukrainian conflict on October 28 Square. Due to the nature of the violation, its investigation and resolution are the responsibility of the Police of the Czech Republic. According to the request of the state police, city officers will provide maximum cooperation,” said Petr Vinklář from the Hradec Králové City Hall.
According to the spokeswoman of the Hradec region police, Eliška Pospíšilová Majerová, the police learned about the case from journalists. “Based on your knowledge, we have sent a patrol to the site to verify the information, and if we find any illegal behavior, we will deal with it,” Pospíšilová Majerová said when asked.
The exhibition is expected to move to Olomouc after it ends in Hradec Králové.
People can see the shot-up and otherwise destroyed car wrecks from Irpin, Bucha, and Hostemel in the center of Hradec Kralove on 2 October 28Square, which organizers say is an actual testimony to the war in Ukraine. Through panels and audio recordings, they convey the stories of their owners from the places where Russian soldiers committed crimes. The transport of the wrecks from Ukraine to the Czech Republic has been organized thanks to partners Memory of the Nation, which has been helping Ukraine through fundraising since February.
The Russian invasion of Ukraine began on February 24. The town of Irpin became one of the symbols of the war in Ukraine. The Russians destroyed the bridge that connects Irpin, Bucha, Hostomel, and Vorzel with Kyiv. At the end of February, images of desperate Ukrainians trying to flee the fighting across the destroyed bridge to more safety went around the world.