Bratislava · SK

Statue of General Milan Rastislav Stefanik

A headless bronze giant once melted down by a communist regime now stands sentinel over the Danube, and its return to Bratislava is a small act of historical justice. The Statue of General Milan Rastislav Štefánik depicts the Slovak astronomer, diplomat and war hero in full flight gear, striding forward on a tall pylon at the edge of the modern Eurovea waterfront, his gaze fixed on the river. More than a photo stop, it is the surviving face of one of Central Europe's most turbulent twentieth-century stories. The monument was created by the Czech sculptor Bohumil Kafka and first unveiled in 1938; the lion and then the statue itself were torn down by successive regimes, and only in 2009 — on the 90th anniversary of Štefánik's death — was a faithful replica raised again. Today it anchors the lively, contemporary heart of Bratislava beside the Slovak National Theatre and the Danube promenade.