Jan Žižka Monument (Jezdecká socha Jana Žižky), Prague

This huge edifice (built between 1929 and 1932 to commemorate the victory of General Jan Zizka and the Hussites in 1420 over the papal forces) stretches awkwardly along a long, narrow hill in Zizkov. The large statue of General Zizka fronting the building was erected in 1950. The monument became a symbol of the independent republic although it was used by the Nazis as an arsenal and later by the Communists as a mausoleum where the three Communist presidents are buried. It is also the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier where wreath-laying ceremonies take place.