The Metronome was my favorite attraction in all of Prague. Towering 25 meters above Letná hill, the monument not only serves as a beautiful viewpoint of the city but also as a symbolic representation of some of Prague’s most fascinating history. In 1949, the Czechoslovak Communist Party decided to construct a large monument of Joseph Stalin where The Metronome currently stands today. A city-wide competition was enacted, and all visual artists in Praguye were obligated to participate. Construction began in 1952 using the winning design of Otakar Švec. The design was chosen because Stalin was not portrayed with the usual arm raised forward and clenched fist, but instead, the Soviet dictator held a book in one hand with the other close to his heart. Stalin stands in front of a worker, a farmer, a scientist, and a soldier. The Communist Party was not the first to consider a monument atop Letná hill; Otakar Švec, along with Kiri Stursa, planned to construct a statue of President Tomáš Gar...