🕒 Date of last update of the article: 15.02.2024 at 8:29 p.m | 🖋 Author: Viktor Shatrov
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🕒 Date of last update of the article: 15.02.2024 at 8:29 p.m | 🖋 Author: Viktor Shatrov
Schweik is a world-famous character created by Czech writer Jaroslav Hasek. His work The Adventures of Schweik, the Brave Soldier is still one of the most popular anti-war novels written after the First World War. It is the story of a simple soldier, Schweik, in which a protest against violence and war sounds in a major note.
The sculpture was installed on 10 July 2012 to commemorate the anniversary of Ukrainian-Czech friendship and as a monument to the post-war city (it is no coincidence that it was mounted on historic pieces of railings that even have bullet holes from the Second World War).
Official opening of the mini-sculpture of Schweik in the city Uzhgorod was made by Jaroslav Hashek’s grandson, Richard.
The author of this small masterpiece is Mykhailo Kolodko. The creation of the mini-sculpture of Svejk was financed by the owner of the tavern-museum “Deca at the notary” Pavlo Chuchka.
If you look closely at the mini-sculpture, you will notice that Schweik is holding a dumpling in his hand. This has a certain symbolism. Firstly, dumplings are a traditional Czech dough dish, to which an entire page is devoted in Hašek’s novel. Secondly, in the slang of the Czech military during the First World War, “dumpling” means “fool”, “foolish”, “foolishness”.
The mini-sculpture “Brave Soldier Schweik” is located on Kyivska embankment, near the pedestrian bridge (GPS: 48.621410, 22.297453).
It is known that there are similar twin sculptures of Schweik in Odesa, Budapest, Prague, Skopje, and many other European cities.
Content
| 🗺 Location | N48°37′18″ E22°17′51″ |
| 🗽 Opening date | 07/10/2012 |
| 🧑 Sculptor | Mykhailo Kolodko |
| 🧭 Distance from the center of Uzhgorod | Near |
| 🚙 Road for | Car, on foot |
| 🏕 Stop with a tent | No |
| 🏡 Housing nearby | Uzhgorod |
| ☕ Cafes and shops | Uzhgorod |
| 🔰 Start | From the mini-sculpture “Svobodka” |
| 🚶 Walking distance (along Kyiv Embankment) | 46 m |
| 🕐 Approximate time | 1 minute |
| ⬆ Rise | Mostly without ups and downs |
In her book “Uzhgorod – the world capital of mini-sculptures”, Nadiya Popadiuk explains an interesting legend related to this mini-sculpture. According to this legend, the city of Uzhgorod was the first stop of the famous warrior Shveik. One evening, a quiet, modestly dressed man entered a local inn on the banks of the Uzh River. “Greetings, I’m Josef Švejk,” the man introduced himself, although there was no one in the inn except the innkeeper. In those days, in the territory of Transcarpathia moonshine “slyvyanka” was an indicator of the level of wealth of the family and was given to guests, it was brewed exclusively on spring water, so it was transparent, like a tear. The innkeeper greeted the guest and, according to custom, poured him a full glass of plum wine, which Schweik drank down in one gulp and began to tell about himself.
He told about his hometown Prague, how he traveled around the country, how he participated in military maneuvers and even how he was under the military tribunal in Terezin. She talked in such a way that they did not notice that it was already dawning outside. Finally, Švejk spoke about his tradition: in new cities and countries where he visits, he usually leaves bronze mini-sculptures with his image as a symbol of human freedom to move, despite bureaucracy, obstacles, and war. He took out a roll of white cloth from under his shirt and gave it to the innkeeper, who promised him that after the end of the hostilities and the establishment of peace, he would place a mini-sculpture of Shveik in the city of Uzhgorod.
Having received a large bottle of plum wine as a gift, the brave soldier left the city and went in search of new adventures. The innkeeper fulfilled his promise, and after the end of the war, the mini-sculpture of Shveika settled on the railing of the Uzh River embankment, opposite the inn, which is famous for the tastiest plum in the city.
Author of the article: Viktor Shatrov
Number of articles: 1100+
Knowledge of languages:: Ukrainian, English
Favourite quote: “Travelling – the only thing that makes you richer“
He was born and lived all his life in Uzhhorod. He graduated with a gold medal from Uzhhorod School No. 1 named after Taras Shevchenko (now Uzhhorod Lyceum named after Taras Shevchenko). He studied at the History Department of UzhNU, graduating with honours in 2009. He worked as a senior researcher at the Transcarpathian Museum of Folk Architecture and Life, a lecturer at the East European Slavic University.
