Ostrava presented the Memorial to War Veterans

Ostrava – In the park of Czechoslovak Aviators in the center of Ostrava today, representatives of the city, the army, and the authors presented the Memorial to War Veterans. The site is meant to respectfully commemorate all veterans. The design for the memorial emerged from an artistic-architectural competition organized by the city. Sculptor Pavla Sceranková succeeded with her design. Writer Ondřej Buddeus also contributed to the artistic solution.

"I appreciate that the local government expresses support for our veterans through this memorial, as we gather here three stages of our veteran history - legionnaires, World War II veterans, but it is also the first time in the territory of the Czech Republic that a memorial is being opened for modern war veterans. Over the years, since 1991, we have conducted dozens of missions, in which thousands of our soldiers have rotated, and some of them have lost their lives while fulfilling their tasks. This is the significance of this memorial," said Jaroslav Hrabec, who is the author of the idea to build the memorial.

The memorial, composed of three cones, is adorned with inscriptions that reflect the thoughts of veterans and capture their personal experiences. Its creators conducted interviews with war veterans from modern conflicts as well as from the Second World War. "We tried to ensure that the selection of terms, expressions, and motifs was factual, dignified, with complete respect for the fighters, their stories and experiences, military and personal values, and that, in the words of one of the veterans, we did not indulge in any 'playing on emotions,'" Buddeus stated.

Sceranková added that the army and veteranhood were new themes for her, and she sought a way to approach them. "I realized that what I can draw from is my experience as a person who has not experienced this war. Veterans or soldiers are people who have this direct experience, which they return home with, and that it must also involve some type of isolation or the inability to share this experience with someone in their close surroundings. I tried to create a place that would be a meeting point. A place that speaks their language," Sceranková said.

The creation of the work was preceded by a competition announced by the city in 2019. Although 27 designs were submitted, none met the expectations of the jury. The competition was canceled and announced again in 2020. The construction of the memorial began in September 2021, and the installation was completed in May of this year. The authors designed the piece but also prepared and executed it as a whole. The costs of building the memorial amounted to 5.24 million crowns. Most of the costs were covered by the city, but the Moravian-Silesian Region and the central city district of Moravská Ostrava and Přívoz also contributed.

On social media, the memorial and its concept sparked discussion. "We have here a very unusual, interesting piece that will raise many questions, and that is right. I believe that today, war veterans of all wars in Ostrava will have a dignified place where we can remind ourselves of their merits for the homeland and for freedom," said Mayor Tomáš Macura.