Mandela Way T-34 Tank facts for kids
The Mandela Way T-34 Tank is a famous landmark in London, England. It sits on the corner of Mandela Way and Page's Walk in Bermondsey. This tank is a old Soviet-made T-34-85 medium tank. It is no longer used for fighting. People often call it Stompie or Stumpie. What makes it special is that it gets repainted all the time. Many different artists, especially graffiti artists, give it new colors and designs.
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History of the Tank
This tank used to belong to the Czech army. It is believed to have been part of a big event in 1968. This event was called the Prague Spring uprising. During this time, Soviet-led forces stopped people in Czechoslovakia from making political changes.
After the "Velvet Revolution" in 1989, Czechoslovakia became free. The tank was then taken out of service. It was sold and used in a movie called Richard III in London in 1995.
How the Tank Came to London
After the movie, a local man named Russell Gray bought the tank in 1995. He paid £7,000 for it. He bought it as a gift for his son.
Mr. Gray owned an empty piece of land. He wanted to build something new there. But the local council, Southwark Council, said no. So, as a funny way to protest, he put the tank on his land. He pointed its big gun turret right at the council offices!
It is said that he had asked for permission to put a "tank" on the land. The council officials thought he meant a septic tank, which holds waste water. They were surprised when a real army tank appeared!
Repainting the Tank
The Mandela Way T-34 Tank is often repainted. Its colors and designs change regularly. Local graffiti artists usually do this.
For example, in 2002, artists Cubitt Artists and Aleksandra Mir painted it pink. In April 2017, an artist named Charlotte Meldon painted it back to its original military olive drab color for a short time.
In April 2020, during the coronavirus pandemic, the tank was painted sky blue. This was done to show support for the National Health Service (NHS), which helps people who are sick.
Gallery
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The tank in its original military olive drab colour
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Painted pink in 2002
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In a black and cream swirling design, December 2008
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June 2009
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2009 design inspired by US yellow cabs
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November 2014
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February 2016
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March 2017
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Painted olive drab, April–July 2017
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March 2020
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April 2020 in support of the NHS
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November 2020, with remembrance poppies added to the turret
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Other Tanks with Graffiti
There are other tanks around the world that have been painted in artistic ways.
In Kiev, Ukraine, at the National Museum of the History of Ukraine in the Second World War, you can find T-64 and T-72 tanks. These tanks have been painted in a hippie style with bright colors and designs.
There was also a famous memorial in Prague, Czech Republic, called the Monument to Soviet tank crews. It had an IS-2m tank on a stand. In 1991, an artist named David Cerny painted this tank pink. He also put a large sculpture of a middle finger on its turret. This was his way of protesting against the monument. Later, the monument was taken down. The pink tank is now shown at the Military Museum Lešany.
Images for kids
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Tanks at the National Museum of the History of Ukraine in the Second World War, Kyiv
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May 2012
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May 2019
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May 2020 in support of the NHS
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