Velký strahovský stadion Other

Welcome to Strahov, Prague. You're standing right in front of something that's likely to blow your mind with your unusual size and maybe even a little. Take a look around you and try to realize how vast space is in front of your eyes. What you see is not just an ordinary building or a place for sports. It's a monumental area that seems almost infinite, and it doesn't make any sense in the human image. Can you feel the strange atmosphere? It is a place where human ambition meets the relentless passage of time, where concrete massiveness combines with the silence of the historic hill. This space, known as Velký strahovský stadion, will immediately consume you with its presence.

In order to really understand why this place looks like this and what weight it carries, we need to move deeply into the past together. Let's go back to the era of the first Czechoslovak Republic. It was the year of a thousand and nine hundred and twenty-six when the construction began to take place, which was to be a role model for the world and to be a symbol of a new, young and ambitious country. At that time, our country was filled with hope and desire for something great, something that could bring people together and show their strength. Architects Alois Dryák and couple Balcárek and Kopp laid the foundation for a project that was supposed to be much more than just a sports area. It was a dream of national unity. The whole construction process has been associated from the beginning with great expectations and desire to create something that is unprecedented throughout the world.

Now pay attention to what's right in front of you. Notice these massive concrete structures that are protruding to the sky. Although these bleachers are in a state of emergency today and show clear signs of years and neglect, their original strength and monumentality are still felt in every piece of material. This architecture is not subtle, it is not decorative in the classical sense of the word, but its beauty lies in the incredible mass. It's an architecture of dimensions to make a man small. Imagine the incredible capacity this space once offered. In total, there could be up to 200,000 people here. That's a number we find hard to imagine today, standing here alone in silence. And yet, although there are only a few thousand sitting places, the total area of this stadium is still a world record. You are witnessing the largest stadium on our planet by its surface.

But this space is not just about concrete and dimensions. It's a space filled with stories of people who have shaped our history and whose fates have intertwined here. Imagine the year one thousand nine hundred thirty-seven. The atmosphere is tense, history is breaking and the world is changing. It was here, in these places, that the last public address of Thomas Garrig Masaryk took place. The first president of our republic spoke to the people during the celebrations in Zborov. It was the word of a man who was building the foundations of our freedom, and his voice probably spread all over this hill, while people listened with hope and fear.

Let's look further at the shadows of the past that are still hanging here. The year one thousand nine hundred forty-eight brought other, much heavier emotions. During the eleventh all-sokol convention there were not only sports treasures and celebrations of the body. This moment has become a silent but very strong and clear protest against the coming communism. Thousands of people gathered here to express with their presence and their unity something that was very dangerous at the time, but absolutely necessary to preserve human dignity. It was a place where sport, national pride and political struggle met in one single moment.

There were other great people in this space who were changing the face of our country. Here we can think of Edvard Benes or Clementus Gottwald, figures that represent different and often contradictory directions of our political history. And of course we must not forget those who ruled here through their incredible will power. Imagine the legendary Emil Zatopek whose determination and perseverance are still alive in people's memory. Even though this space is a little abandoned these days and its parts are falling apart, in its silence you can still feel the echo of its runs and all those moments when there was a history of human perseverance and victory over its limits.

There's one more thing you need to be interested in that makes this place really unique. Maybe when you look at these old concrete shapes, you think it's just a ruin of the past. But remember what I just told you. This space is unique. It is a monument that spreads out on the Prague hill and has no competition in the world. Its area is truly unbeatable, and it is this unusual thing that makes it special. It is a witness to our best and darkest times, a place that survived various regimes and political changes.

Today this space is protected as a cultural monument of the Czech Republic. Although its parts are in a state of emergency and require care, its historical and cultural value is undeniable. It's a place that makes us think about how big things we can create as humans and how quickly everything can change. Before you go on your next trip, stop for a while and just shut up. Feel this space, its silence, its weight and its incredible size. Let the extraordinary atmosphere of a place that witnessed great celebrations and great protests come into your head. Thank you for spending this moment with me at this monumental monument. I wish you a pleasant further tour and may our history still fascinate and surprise you.