Granddaughter of Mucha: Leave the decision about the epic to the new leadership of Prague.

Prague - The granddaughter of painter Alphonse Mucha, Jarmila Mucha Plocková, has called through her lawyer on Prague councilor Hana Třeštíková (Prague Sobě) to postpone the decision regarding the placement of the Slav Epic in the underground spaces of the reconstructed Savarin palace. This is evident from a letter that is available to ČTK. According to her, the current council should leave the decision about the placement of the paintings to the new political representation. Prague spokesperson Vít Hofman stated that the current procedure was approved by the councilors in June and that the current city leadership will not be making any further decisions.

Permanent spaces for the Slav Epic have been sought in the metropolis since the beginning of the last century. The plan to place the canvases in Savarin was approved by the city council in January, and the painter's granddaughter has disagreed with it from the outset. According to her, the planned spaces are not appropriate because they are below the groundwater level, and she does not consider the connection of the cultural monument with a shopping and administrative center in the center of Prague to be suitable either. She previously indicated the castle in Prague-Zbraslav as an appropriate location.

She also mentioned that the Savarin project by the development company Crestyl is still not permitted and its zoning proceedings were suspended due to a negative statement from heritage conservationists. According to her, the decision is not urgent and should only be made by the new Prague council. "The placement of the Slav Epic is not urgent, and its hasty and illegitimate anchoring under the current conditions for the next quarter of a century is in strong contradiction with the public interest," stated her lawyer Zuzana Císařová in the letter. She added that Třeštíková, despite a promise to her client, has still not provided information and documentation regarding the planned placement.

Prague spokesperson Hofman stated that the city's procedure is based on a plan already approved by councilors. "No further decisions will be made by the current city leadership; they will be in the hands of new councilors. Negotiations are still ongoing, they are lengthy and demanding. We are thoroughly reviewing all legal aspects so that the new political representation will have all relevant information, upon which they will decide on the next steps," he stated.

According to the agreement with Crestyl, the city plans to place the canvases in Savarin for 25 years, and they are currently lent to the castle in Moravský Krumlov until the end of 2026. The plan has been criticized by the Society for the Slav Epic, of which Mucha Plocková is also a member. According to the society, there are more suitable spaces in Prague that were discussed in the municipal commission, and there is no reason to pay for the placement to a private development company. The amount of rent has not yet been specified by the city, but according to the original proposal, it could reach up to half a billion crowns over a quarter of a century.

Crestyl owns Savarin near Wenceslas Square through the Czech companies Welwyn Company and Savarin HoldCo and a Malta-registered company Savarin P.l.c. The reconstruction of the palace itself at Wenceslas Square began last year. Crestyl also plans modifications to the inner block and the connection of Na Příkopě, Jindřišská, and Panská streets with a new shopping complex. The Ministry of Culture reversed the originally positive opinion of municipal heritage conservators and changed it to negative in March. However, according to the company, this decision related to the original, several-year-old project, which is no longer current. The developer has requested a review from the Minister of Culture.