The Tyrant and the Martyr – A Tale of Two Statues
Statue of Jan Hus in Old Town Square, Prague
Written by Scott Jones
“Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.”
Hebrews 11:1
My wife and I were in Prague when we heard about the shooting of Charlie Kirk. It was late and we went to bed without knowing the outcome. We awoke in the morning to learn that Charlie had been martyred.
As it happens, Prague is a great place to reflect on the enduring legacy of martyrs and to contrast that with the fate of the powerful secular elites.
In Letna Park, on a high hill overlooking the Vltava River and the old city of Prague, there is a large stone platform. This platform, or plinth, once supported a statue of Josef Stalin. This was the largest statue of Stalin in the world. This statue was erected by the Communist rulers of Czechoslovakia to honor Stalin, their Soviet “benefactor”. The statue was begun in 1948, but was not finished until 1955, two years after Stalin’s death. The immense statue stood 51 feet high, not counting the base. It reflected the cult of personality that surrounded Stalin. The Czech Communist leaders sought to curry his favor and to avoid suspicion, which could be fatal.
Stalin was one of the most powerful men in the world in the mid-20th century. Rising to power under Lenin, Stalin outmaneuvered Leon Trotsky and seized control of the Soviet Union in 1927. Stalin was a ruthless dictator who killed millions of his own citizens, as well as the citizens of nations that fell under Soviet domination. While he industrialized the Soviet Union and participated in the defeat of Nazi Germany, he also killed millions in the Ukraine alone by starvation. He ruthlessly purged and executed anyone who was perceived as being disloyal to him. In the aftermath of World War II, he extended Soviet control over the states of Eastern and Central Europe, crushing anyone who opposed him. Truly, his rule was a “reign of terror.” Stalin died in 1953.
The statue of Stalin did not last long. It was demolished with explosives in 1962 as part of Premier Nikita Kruschev’s destalinization campaign. Today all that remains of Stalin’s statue is the immense stone plinth. In the place of Stalin’s statue stands the Prague Metronome. 75 feet tall, the metronome towers over the edge of the hill, as a reminder of freedom and the march of time which overcomes all men – even dictators. The metronome was erected in 1991, two years after the “Velvet Revolution” that freed Czechoslovakia from Soviet rule.
In contrast, across the river from Letna Park, in the Old Town Square of Prague stands a statue of Jan Hus. This statue stands 33 feet tall. It was erected in 1915 to commemorate the 500th anniversary of Hus’s martyrdom. It is the central focus of the Old Town Square, with Hus standing tall, head held high, looking across the square at the 14th century Tyn Church. This statue has been a place of quiet protest against authoritarian rule, first by the Habsburgs and later by the Soviet Union. Czechs protested the Communists by sitting quietly at its base.
Jan Hus was a Czech theologian and priest, who protested the corruption and indulgences of the Roman Catholic Church of the 15th century. He also argued for the supremacy of scripture over the various teachings and edicts of the Church and of the Pope. He preached to the people of Bethlehem Chapel in Czech, rather than in Latin. Consequently, he fell into disfavor with church authorities, as well as the secular political authorities. He was excommunicated by the Archbishop of Prague and later by the Pope. When Hus refused to stop teaching, the Church placed Prague under an interdict and forced Hus into exile in Bohemia. He was summoned to the Council of Constance. Despite the promise of safe passage by the Holy Roman Emperor, he was tried for heresy, convicted, and burned at the stake on July 6, 1415. To make sure that there were no remains for his followers to venerate, Hus’s ashes were scattered in the Rhine River. His prophetic final words spoke to the rise of the Protestant Reformation a century later: “Today you burn a goose, but in one hundred years, a swan will arise.”
It is a remarkable contrast. The gigantic statue of a global dictator is gone, but the statue of the simple theologian and priest remains. While Stalin’s memory is scorned, Hus is venerated by the Czech people. Indeed, when I contemplate Stalin, I am reminded of the words the prophet Isaiah spoke against the King of Babylon: “The Lord has broken the staff of the wicked, The scepter of the rulers;” (Isaiah 14:5). On the other hand, God raises up the faithful over the proud: “Oh, love the Lord, all you His saints! For the Lord preserves the faithful, And fully repays the proud person.” (Psalm 31:23) The two statues in Prague illustrate this principle well.
It is too soon to fully assess what Charlie Kirk’s legacy will be, but certainly he is counted among the martyrs. Perhaps he will not have a statue erected in his honor in 500 years, but his memory and the blessings his faith brought to our nation will long outlive the evil of his detractors.
People will remember Charlie’s name, but the names of his detractors will be forgotten. The Lord God Almighty tears down the monuments to His enemies, but He exalts the faithful.
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Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
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