The Prague Metronome is one of the city’s most important monuments and an original work of art. It stands on the base of a former monument to Stalin and offers a breathtaking view of Prague. Prague locals love to meet up under “the Pendulum” or at “Stalin’s place”, as it is known today. The paved esplanade behind the Metronome is a favourite spot for skateboarders.
The Metronome, which towers 25 metres above Letná hill, dates back to 1991. It symbolises the inexorable passage of time. Its creator, Czech sculptor Vratislav Karel Novák, called it the “Time Machine”. It is powered by a motor and was only intended to be installed temporarily, but it eventually became a permanent fixture on Letná hill.
In the 1950s, the pundits of the Communist regime decided to flatter the brutal Soviet dictator by erecting a monument to him here. The colossal sculpture, ironically nicknamed “the queue at the butcher’s” by the people of Prague, was not finally completed until after Stalin’s death. And instead of arousing admiration, it created unease, as the years of Stalin’s reign were sharply criticised shortly after its inauguration. It was finally demolished in 1962, leaving only a huge pedestal that remained unused until the metronome was built.
