Alexander Vika (10 May 1933 – 21 April 2025) was a Slovak sculptor and academic. He was known for introducing abstract, modernist approaches to monumental communist-era Czechoslovak sculpture.[1]
Memorial of the 2nd Czechoslovak parachute brigade in Badín
Alexander Vika was born on 10 May 1933 in Bratislava.[1] His childhood was strongly influenced by World War II. When he was 11 years old, his family moved to the countryside to escape the intensifying bombardment of Bratislava by Allied forces.[2]
Vika trained at the arts academy in Bratislava and studied sculpture at the Academy of Fine Arts and Design, graduating in 1959. In the 1960s and 1970s, he created monumental statues, including the memorial of the 2nd Czechoslovak parachute brigade in Badín, the "Flame" memorial in Nemecká and the "Three ears of grain" memorial in Nitra. The Flame memorial is the highest, measuring 12.5 meters in height. In addition, Vika created a large number of memorials and plaques, located mostly in Bratislava, including the "Youth" statue located in front of the Junior hotel in Bratislava.[2]
