Memorial to the Czechoslovak Army Corps The Dukla Memorial is one of the most significant military memorials in Slovakia. It is situated within the cadastral area of the village of Vyšný Komárnik, right in the area where fierce fighting took place during the Carpathian-Dukla Offensive in the autumn of 1944. The memorial complex commemorates the courage, suffering and sacrifices of the members of the 1st Czechoslovak Army Corps in the USSR, who fought for the liberation of Czechoslovakia.
The Czechoslovak government commissioned the memorial as a tribute to the soldiers who lost their lives during the battles for the Dukla Pass. The structure was completed in 1949 to a design by the architect Jozef Grus. The monumental tower-like structure, featuring a ceremonial hall, stands 28 metres tall and is a striking landmark of the entire site.
The names of fallen soldiers on bronze plaques
A stately colonnade leads to the memorial, featuring bronze plaques engraved with the names of the 1,256 fallen members of the 1st Czechoslovak Army Corps in the USSR. The names commemorate the specific individuals who lost their lives during the fighting at Dukla and at other locations along the Czechoslovak units’ route of advance.
The colonnade forms a dignified entrance to the memorial site and gradually leads visitors towards the central monument. The entire area is designed as a place of remembrance, respect and reflection on the consequences of war.
The Memorial Cemetery and the Heroes of Dukla
The site includes a memorial cemetery where 565 members of the 1st Czechoslovak Army Corps in the USSR are buried. These are soldiers who lost their lives during the Carpathian-Dukla Offensive, one of the most gruelling mountain military operations of the Second World War on the territory of present-day Slovakia.
Busts of the heroes of Dukla are situated around the perimeter of the cemetery. They commemorate prominent figures and soldiers associated with the battles for the mountain pass. The cemetery, together with the memorial, forms a single complex that gives visitors an insight into the scale of the human losses and the significance of the events of 1944.
Statue of a Czechoslovak soldier
Also associated with the memorial is a statue of a Czechoslovak soldier, the original version of which was created by the sculptor Jan Adolf Vítek. To mark the 70th anniversary of the Carpathian-Dukla Operation, an artistic replica of the original statue was erected on the site.
The figure of the soldier symbolises members of the Czechoslovak Army Corps who attempted to cross the Dukla Pass to reach their homeland. The statue complements the monumental character of the memorial and commemorates the specific men whose lives were marked by the war.
The ‘I Accuse’ Sculpture Group
The wider memorial complex at Dukla also includes the significant sculpture group *Žalujem* by the Slovak sculptor Ján Kulich. The work has been installed in the refurbished premises of the nearby Dukla observation tower.
With its dramatic artistic design, the sculpture highlights the suffering caused by war and symbolically condemns the violence that claimed the lives of thousands of soldiers and civilians. A visit to the memorial can therefore be combined with a tour of the observation tower and other military monuments in the vicinity of the Dukla Pass.
National Cultural Monument
The Czechoslovak Army Corps Memorial was designated a national cultural monument in 1961. This designation confirmed its historical, architectural and social significance.
Today, the site is one of the main stops for visitors exploring the military history of north-eastern Slovakia. Every year, commemorative events, memorial services and annual celebrations dedicated to the Carpathian-Dukla Operation and its victims are held here.
Source: OOCR RŠ
Source of photographs: OOCR RŠ
Map
Gallery
Information
The memorial is situated near the village of Vyšný Komárnik in the Dukla Pass area, not far from the Slovak-Polish border.
The extensive grounds, featuring a monument, a colonnade, bronze plaques, a war cemetery and busts of heroes, can be explored on foot.
Admission to the memorial is free. Please respect this place of remembrance by behaving appropriately.
