Queen Máxima of the Netherlands donated a bell, partly made from Russian weapons, to a church in Czechia as a sign of solidarity with Ukraine on 5 June.

Source : AP, as reported by European Pravda

Details : The Freedom Bell was made by the Dutch workshop Royal Eijsbouts, which used pieces of artillery shells and other weapons used by Russia in its war of aggression against Ukraine.

"This bell has a lot of symbolism in it and it’s a very special project for us," the owner of the bell foundry, Joost Eijsbouts, told Czech public radio. "To use material designed for violence and turn it into something peaceful is a good idea."

The bell will be installed in the tower of the Church of the Holy Saviour in Prague, replacing one of the original bells that the Austro-Hungarian army took and turned into weapons during World War I.

The ceremony at the church, attended by Czech President Petr Pavel and his wife Eva, was to be one of the highlights of the Dutch royal couple's visit to Prague. However, King Willem-Alexander was forced to cut short his trip and return home late on the evening of 4 June due to the fall of his government.

Background : 

• In March, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha presented US Secretary of State Marco Rubio with an icon of the Virgin Mary made from an ammunition box.
• In 2023, the then-Lithuanian Defence Minister Arvydas Anušauskas was presented with a piece of a downed Shahed drone during a trip to Ukraine.

Support Ukrainska Pravda on Patreon !