Prague
Wenceslas Square – Monument of Jan Palach
In the upper part of Wenceslas Square, history paused for a moment when student Jan Palach set himself alight in protest against the Soviet occupation. The monument of the bold deed can be found on the pavement by the fountain below the National Museum. It isn't pompous, but you can hardly miss it.
Palach's feat and the consequences it had caused are dealt with in the TV miniseries The Burning Bush. Its makers attempted to depict not only the story as close to the reality as they could, but show also the general life and the locations of the period as well. For example, the weather on the fatal day was rather gloomy, so a large canvas had to be stretched over to block the sun.
In times of Palach's life, trams used to run in the upper part of Wenceslas Square. That is why filmmakers shot this scene in the depot in Střešovice, where they found original paving and rails. The National Museum building was added to the picture digitally in the post-production process.
