Artists must leave the likusáks on Kraví hora by Sunday, the leadership of Brno has urged them

Brno - The leadership of Brno today announced to the representatives of the community of young artists Creative Kraví hora that they must vacate the buildings in the former military area at Kraví hora, known as likusáky, by Sunday. The meeting at the magistrate took place today at 2:00 PM, and the city leadership called on the representatives of the community to attend two hours in advance. The city's request is based on a call from the building authority of the Brno-střed city district, said community representative Radovan Přikryl to ČTK. However, the artists do not want to give up so quickly and want to revise the official call and determine whether it is valid or merely opportunistic. The city leadership is only fulfilling the requirements of the office, interpreted the position of the magistrate’s spokesperson Filip Poňuchálek to ČTK.

Likusáky are approximately 80-year-old wooden houses, of which there are about 20 near the observatory at Kraví hora, six of which belong to the city, while the others belong to the Brno University of Technology. The call from the building authority does not apply to these, although they are, according to Přikryl, in practically the same technical condition. For several years, the community of around 300 artists, visual artists, sculptors, or musicians has operated in the likusáky. "If only part of them had to leave, it would mean the dissolution of a community that cannot be relocated," said Přikryl.

The building authority acted based on a local investigation on October 24, 2023, and sent the call to the magistrate on February 5, according to a document provided to ČTK by Poňuchálek. In a statement, he wrote that the call was received by the magistrate on Monday, February 19, in the afternoon. According to the building authority, the buildings are unfit for use. "They are not constructed or built in accordance with current legal regulations and standards regarding their fire safety requirements," states the document, which calls for an immediate prohibition of entry. Přikryl noted that, according to current regulations, hundreds of historical buildings are logically not built. Nevertheless, he added that the authority called on the owners to ensure modifications by the end of May that would allow use. "This is not a fundamental issue and is solvable. But I have the impression that the leadership of Brno does not want to find a solution," said Přikryl.

Poňuchálek stated that the city is looking for a solution to meet the requirements of the building authority with regard to the tenants. "The city wants to support the creative sector, and we will seek alternative spaces, but that is not a simple task. (...) The likusáky have never been approved for use, nor were they intended for the purposes for which they are used today. The area in which they are located has long been designated in the land-use plan as public green space," said Poňuchálek.

Přikryl believes that the city's actions are driven by a desire to remove the likusáky. Two years ago, Jiří Dušek, the director of the Brno Observatory and Planetarium (formerly a senator for ANO, now for ODS), sought to create a park there. "However, last year before the elections, he told us that he was not interested in the space," noted Přikryl. He also mentioned that a working group composed of representatives from the city, the Brno University of Technology, and the community of artists was supposed to be formed to address the transformation and future of the site, but the city ultimately did not create it.

"We know that the likusáky will not stand here forever. We proposed a process for how to architecturally address this; it is possible to demolish gradually and replace demolished buildings, but the city has probably decided on a final solution," thinks Přikryl. According to him, it is also not feasible for the buildings to be vacated by Sunday, as there are items worth hundreds of thousands of crowns inside.