With a hand that is around 75 feet long (22.8 metres), the metronome that waves above Prague is impressive enough as it is. Its location is no random choice and reminds people of the Soviet influence of the past.

The authorities built the metronome in 1991 right after the Iron Curtain fell¹. You can walk right up to it in Letna Park (which I recommend for great views of the city and a lovely beer garden). If you do, you will notice that the unused area around the metronome is almost derelict.

The site used to contain a huge, bizarre statue of Soviet leader Stalin which was unveiled on 1 May 1955². It loomed over Prague for seven years³ and must have been intimidating.

This was the largest statue of Stalin in the world⁴, and one of the largest group sculptures in Europe⁵. Every aspect of it was monumental^{6 7}:

• It took almost 6 years to build.
• It weighed 17 000 tons.
• It cost CZK 150 000 000.00
• It had 225 granite blocks embedded in concrete.
• In total, it stretched 22 metres long and 16 metres tall.

Stalin never saw the statue himself as he died two years before it was finished^{8 9}. Neither did the artist who committed suicide before it was unveiled¹⁰.

When Khrushchev took over from Stalin, he started to de-stalinise the Soviet Union¹¹. This embarassed the local Communist party. Khrushchev ordered Prague demolish this statue, which it was in October 1962^{12 13}. It took 800 kg of explosives a whole week¹⁴ to bring the massive statue down¹⁵.

If you like the view of the bridges of Prague from here, try the view from the bridges themselves.

The metronome was designed as a constant reminder of the time spent under communist control¹⁶.  In the 1990s, the plinth was used for an 11-metre high statue of Michael Jackson to promote his HIStory world tour. Ideas to redevelop the area include using it for an aquarium ¹⁷ or linking it to a National Library project. Until then, skateboarders while away afternoons in what used to be Stalin’s shadow.

References

1. Timian, A. (2011). Prague metronome. [online] Atlas Obscura. Available at: https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/prague-metronome [Accessed 24 Aug. 2026].[↩]
2. Museum of Communism (2023). The Stalin monument. Exhibition at museum.[↩]
3. Timian, A. (2011). Prague metronome. [online] Atlas Obscura. Available at: https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/prague-metronome [Accessed 24 Aug. 2026].[↩]
4. Timian, A. (2011). Prague metronome. [online] Atlas Obscura. Available at: https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/prague-metronome [Accessed 24 Aug. 2026].[↩]
5. Museum of Communism (2023). The Stalin monument. Exhibition at museum.[↩]
6. Museum of Communism (2023). The Stalin monument. Exhibition at museum.[↩]
7. Asiedu, D. (2005). World’s biggest Stalin monument would have turned 50 on may day. [online] Radio Prague International. Available at: https://english.radio.cz/worlds-biggest-stalin-monument-would-have-turned-50-may-day-8098509 [Accessed 24 Aug. 2026].[↩]
8. PopMatters Staff (2015). The red metronome: Prague’s communist past. [online] PopMatters. Available at: https://www.popmatters.com/189644-the-red-metronome-pragues-communist-past-2495571806.html [Accessed 24 Aug. 2026].[↩]
9. Museum of Communism (2023). The Stalin monument. Exhibition at museum.[↩]
10. Museum of Communism (2023). The Stalin monument. Exhibition at museum.[↩]
11. Museum of Communism (2023). The Stalin monument. Exhibition at museum.[↩]
12. Asiedu, D. (2005). World’s biggest Stalin monument would have turned 50 on may day. [online] Radio Prague International. Available at: https://english.radio.cz/worlds-biggest-stalin-monument-would-have-turned-50-may-day-8098509 [Accessed 24 Aug. 2026].[↩]
13. Museum of Communism (2023). The Stalin monument. Exhibition at museum.[↩]
14. Museum of Communism (2023). The Stalin monument. Exhibition at museum.[↩]
15. Asiedu, D. (2005). World’s biggest Stalin monument would have turned 50 on may day. [online] Radio Prague International. Available at: https://english.radio.cz/worlds-biggest-stalin-monument-would-have-turned-50-may-day-8098509 [Accessed 24 Aug. 2026].[↩]
16. Timian, A. (2011). Prague metronome. [online] Atlas Obscura. Available at: https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/prague-metronome [Accessed 24 Aug. 2026].[↩]
17. Edney, L. (2016). An exercise in futility – The Prague Post. [online] Archive.org. Available at: https://web.archive.org/web/20131216182535/http://www.praguepost.cz/archivescontent/4862-an-exercise-in-futility.html [Accessed 24 Aug. 2026].[↩]

Remember: links were correct at time of publication.