letter from the Tynska Kavarna
Orianne Johnson
T his letter describes a little about my experiences the last few months in a few former eastern bloc countries. As I board the plane to come back to Canada, the memories are varied, from learning to cook bramborak —potato pancakes— from a retired musician of the Czech Philharmonic and discussions on the EU with my English language students in Prague, to sharing Chilean fruit cake on Christmas Eve in Budapest with people from around the world. All make up this world for me. My fear is that in Canada I will not be able to find places like the Tynska Kavarna, a coffeehouse. Through winding cob- blestone streets to a heavy wood door, pushing the iron ring handle reveals a dimly lit interior where the smoke is thick. It was comforting that the hum of voices held no meaning for me; I was an observer. My interest, as a North American and a design student, has been to observe the physical effects of communist rule that still exist in the cities I visited. They seem almost nonexistent when wander- ing through Prague’s Old Town Square with the flocks of tourists. In this beautifully restored historic centre, sculptures speak of an older history — the religious struggles of the 15th century. At the same time they are linked to a nationalist struggle of the 20th century. From the east edge of Old Town Square, the wide, straight avenue Parizska provides a view across the river to Letna Plain, where from 1952 the huge statue of Stalin stood, joining the castle in dominating the Prague skyline. Blown up in 1961, a giant metronome now sits on the plinth.
me that they were the work of David Cerny, a Czech artist who is best known for painting pink a green tank that stood in Smichov as a memorial to Soviet soldiers. His is a physical commentary on the former system, joining many incredible Czech writers whose work speaks of life within the former system and which was not published in their country legally until after 1989. My students also spoke to me about some of the negative aspects of city planning that remain as a result of communist power. The most prominent in the city centre is a four lane highway that connects several outer districts to the centre. This roadway runs right along a major axis of the historical city, cutting off the National Museum and the State Opera House from the boulevards that these build- ings head. Groups of people dressed in eve- ningwear making their way through the parking lot, just past the McDonalds (one of several that have popped up around the city), past the dumpsters and into the subway under the highway. They emerge from underground almost literally on the opera house steps just in time for the opening act of La Boheme or Tosca.
Another prominent building remaining from the communist era is a television tower, approximately 216m in height, in Zizkov, a poorer, slightly less picturesque part of the city. This building also dominates the Prague skyline from the opposite side of the river, and is visible from almost everywhere in Prague. It is not until one reaches Zizkov or the neighboring Vinohrady district that the large sculptures of faceless babies that crawl up and down the sides of the tower become visible. It was one of my English language students who informed
4
ON SITE review 6: BEAUTY
Made with FlippingBook interactive PDF creator