Statue of Tomáš Garrigue Masaryk in Karlovy Vary, Bronze monument in Karlovy Vary, Czech Republic.
The statue of Tomáš Garrigue Masaryk stands on the pedestrian zone at the corner of T. G. Masaryka and Dr. Davida Bechera streets in Karlovy Vary. The over-life-size bronze figure, 2.4 metres tall, is bareheaded in a suit and tie, holding a written sheet of paper in his left hand and with his right hand on his lapel. It rests on an oval granite pedestal.
The monument was created in 2007 by sculptor Jan Kotek and honors the first president of Czechoslovakia, who led the nation after World War I. Its construction marked the recognition of Masaryk's leadership role in establishing the modern state.
The statue originally bore only a facsimile of Masaryk's signature on a low bronze plinth, without any inscription. Many visitors, mostly Russians, mistook the figure for Lenin, so on 13 June 2012 the city added a bronze inscription with the president's name and birth and death dates, cast at the same foundry in Horní Kalná.
The monument is easily reached on foot from the town center and sits near cafes and other sights worth visiting. The site is open to the public and can be viewed at any time.
The statue originally carried no inscription, only a facsimile of Masaryk's signature on a low bronze plinth. Many visitors, mostly Russians, mistook it for a depiction of Lenin, so on 13 June 2012 the city added a bronze inscription with the president's name and birth and death dates, cast at the same foundry in Horní Kalná for about 100,000 korunas.
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