A concrete ribbon with verses by Jaroslav Seifert has risen in Žižkov

Prague - A simple sculpture with verses by Jaroslav Seifert decorates a previously neglected small square in Prague's Žižkov. It is located near the places where the most famous Czech poet spent his childhood. Today, the artifact in the form of a ribbon pointing to the sky was unveiled in the presence of guests of the world congress of poets, which is taking place in Prague in honor of Seifert, as well as the poet's daughter Jana Seifertová-Plichtová.

"There are few occasions that I look forward to as much as this one. Several very positive moments come together here. Firstly, in light of the approaching 115th anniversary of Jaroslav Seifert's birth, we are repaying a long-standing debt that our society has towards this sole Nobel Prize laureate in literature from our country," said today the Minister of Culture Daniel Herman (KDU-ČSL). A mosaic of positive activities from various sectors of social life is meeting here, the cultivation of this place in the public space arose from the initiative of true enthusiasts, it is not a plea from a desk, the minister reminded.

The initiative to create the memorial came from the owners of the house, who also own the small piece of land by the Lipanská tram station. The retaining wall from which the ribbon, the work of sculptor Jan Roith, rises has also been repaired. To facilitate the creation of the memorial, the Jaroslav Seifert Foundation was established last year at the Czech Center of the International PEN Club.

"I remember the year 1984 when Jaroslav Seifert was awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature. It was a time that we can call the dark age of the 20th century. At that time, it was not talked about much, and I am glad that the tides have significantly shifted, and today we can embrace the legacy of this great poet and cultivator of Czech culture," said Herman.

Seifert's memorial takes the form of a ribbon made of cast concrete - according to representatives of the foundation, a bookmark in the opened "book" of Žižkov - as a tribute to Žižkov patriots and other admirers of the poet's genius. The ribbon features a quote from Seifert's poem December 1920 "...that word flew like a bird into the net of stars...".

The Žižkov native Seifert spent his entire childhood on what was once the periphery. The district today has several reminders of his presence. In 2001, on the day of his belated hundredth birthday, a commemorative plaque was unveiled at his birthplace on Bořivojova Street. The poet's portrait by sculptor Stanislav Hanzík sometimes provoked discontent; many would have preferred a more realistic work.

Architecture historian Zdeněk Lukeš commented on the new memorial, stating that, in his opinion, more than the previous, predominantly figurative and realistic Seifert sculptures or busts, this one "resonates more with the interwar period of modern art and perfectly fits into the genius loci of this charming Žižkov locality."