Discovering Prague. Žižkov, the (red) heart of Prague

From the noisy and crowded Wenceslas Square, proceeding Northeast for a couple of stops on tram n°9, you will find yourself catapulted into another reality, where the previous streets full of tourists and coloured lights of the city-centre, give way to the typical sounds, sensations, smells and aromas of the neighbourhood, where every-day life activities take place, marked by their distinctive urban pace. However, particularly with Žižkov, it is difficult to perceive the exact moment of transition from day to night, or from darkness to dawn, and it is just as true if you attempt to find a specific aspect or point –  such as a street or a particular building –  that marks an exact “emotional” borderline between the New Town and this neighbourhood, which is so different from the centre of Prague, but all the same, just as charming and fascinating.

Žižkov, whose main area today lies in the Municipal District of Prague 3 – but which was actually an independent town until the 1920s – got its name from the Hussite leader Jan Žižka from Trocnov in 1877, a Czech general and hero of the civil war in Bohemia, whose historical and legendary figure is inextricably linked to Czech national consciousness. The neighbourhood stands at the foot of Vítkov hill, a place in which Žižka, loyal to the ideals of Jan Hus, achieved a major military victory over the army of Emperor Sigismund in 1420, against a bigger army, made up of thousands more soldiers, compared to those of the Hussite rebels . On the hilltop, the stronghold of the Žižka Hussites, there is an imposing equestrian statue of the great leader (one among the biggest in the world), built by Bohumil Kafka in 1950, which represents him as a warrior.

Historically, Žižkov has always been a popular neighbourhood, especially during the communist period, when it became a symbolic place of the working classes, to such as extent as to become defined as “The red heart of Prague”, due to the high number of  residents, who were particularly loyal to the Party. For a certain period of time, it was connected to the district of Vinohrady, but then became an independent area. Considered traditionally as rather “restless” and rebellious, Zizkov – with its nearly 58,000 inhabitants and an urban area of 5.44 km2 – is now a lively and dynamic neighbourhood and in the last few years, has  changed quite a lot architecturally as well as in reputation, becoming, if not dangerous, at least rather disreputable (The Czechs are in fact annoyed by the high density of Romany, who reside there, and for this reason, the area is now considered rather ill-famed), in a fashionable area, with an ever increasing number of alternative clubs and small coffee bars, that have allowed the district to maintain – more so than in any other place in Prague – the reputation of “Bohemien”. It is no surprise then if Žižkov has remained a meeting place for artists and writers, such as Jaroslav Hašek, and was the birthplace place of famous people such as the Czech poet Jaroslav Seifert – Nobel Prize winner for Literature in 1984. The district is now also a destination for many foreigners, especially Americans (but also Italians), who choose it as a favourite place in which to reside, fascinated by its charming aura of decadence and, certainly, also attracted by the famous pubs and clubs, where the Czech underground culture was born and developed, including other interesting cultural movements during the course of history. But the historical years with vast numbers of decayed buildings, neglected facades and downgraded areas, is now almost a thing of the past, and the neighbourhood, during the warm summer and cold winter evenings, is still an attraction for young people, who  come here from all parts of the city to visit the symbolic pubs, such as the old “Nad Viktorkou” and the legendary “U vystřelenýho oka” (at the blinded eye), named in honour of Jan Zizka, or to the more modern “Akropolis”, which is  currently the most important centre for cultural events in the neighbourhood. But nowadays, Žižkov is full of clubs, bars, pubs and coffee bars – to such an extent as to have become the European urban area with the highest number of public places. In addition to the traditional Czech pubs and taverns, numerous shops and restaurants have opened up in recent years, which sell ethnic products, set up in small spaces, which offer residents and visitors various kinds of oriental food and, at times, while walking along the streets of the neighbourhood, (which alternate with steep slopes and descents and which are imbued with the strong smell of various spices), the impression is that of not being in the red heart of Prague, but in some far off bazaar in Istanbul or in the streets of some other distant city in the East.

Even from an architectural point of view, Žižkov displays unique features which makes it impossible to confuse it with any other district in the Czech capital. Next to popular houses there are tall concrete buildings which overlook other wonderful Art Nouveau buildings, containing hidden courtyards, in a sort of architectural cacophony, but not without a charm of its own, which – engraved in stone, manifest the anarchic soul of the place, which is continually being transformed. The famous TV tower built between 1985 and 1992, based on a design by architect Václav Aulický and illuminated during the night by lights, (with the colours of the Czech flag), is 216 meters high and is the tallest tower in Prague overlooking the neighbourhood with its fascinating yet disquieting profile. Though it had been viewed with contempt by the local population during its construction, today its reputation has definitely improved and it has become the symbol of Prague 3 and, from its internal restaurant, one can enjoy a spectacular view of the city. An example of high-tech and futuristic architecture, that weighs over 11,800 tons. In 2000 the tower was decorated with a number sculptures by the famous Czech artist David Černý. At its foot, there is a small Jewish cemetery with its characteristic tombstones, which were partially destroyed during the construction work. Another important cemetery in the neighbourhood is the New Jewish cemetery , built in 1881 and located in a wonderful park with many trees, full of ivy. The place is visited regularly by numerous tourists, also because the great writer Franz Kafka is buried there. Behind the aforementioned equestrian statue of Jan Zizka on the hill of Vítkov, is the National Memorial, whose construction was started in the nineteenth century but not completed until the end of World War II, where in the decorations you may easily observe the modifications  made by the Communist in their attempt to transform it into an exultation of revolutionary socialist art.

There are also numerous churches, such as St. Procopius, built in a Neo-Gothic style in  Sladkovského náměstí, designed by the Czech architects Josef Mocker and František Mikš and consecrated in 1903, and that of San Rocco, protector against the plague, which is close to Olšanské náměstí, Žižkov’s oldest church, built in Baroque style between 1680 and 1682. The neighbourhood is also home to the prestigious Advanced School of Economics (VSE), a University with approximately 20,000 students, which is an important national centre of economic studies. But as in every respectful working-class neighbourhood, there is also a local football team, and representing Žižkov in national football competitions is the FK Viktoria Žižkov team, which was founded in 1903, and which during home matches, plays at the Viktoria Stadium, located in the lower part of the neighbourhood. The Viktoria Zizkov team is the only left of the 20 previous ones that existed before World War II – which made Žižkov the urban area with the highest number of football teams in the city.