?TK |
10 January 2012
Prague, Jan 9 (CTK) - Sabina Tancevova, secretary of the late former Czech president Vaclav Havel, would like his statue to be raised on Wenceslas Square in Prague centre, she told yesterday's issue of Lidove noviny (LN), in reaction to Czech artists' proposals for Havel's monument published in LN on Saturday.
She said she would particularly prefer sculptor Stefan Milkov's idea of Havel's monument in the lower part of Wenceslas Square in Prague centre as an antipole to St Wenceslas statue in the upper part.
Havel, former dissident, playwright and the last Czechoslovak and the first Czech president (1989-2003), died in his country house in Hradecek, east Bohemia, on December 18, 2011, aged 75 years.
"I rather have an idea of a figural monument of Vaclav Havel in a relaxed posture with his hands in pockets, with a smile and a scarf around his neck," Tancevova told LN.
Prime Minister Petr Necas (Civic Democrats, ODS) expressed a more reserved stance on Havel's statue.
"A possible monument must be the result of a public competition assessed by an expert jury. Politicians' individual taste should not play any role in it," Necas said.
According to Prague Mayor Bohuslav Svoboda (ODS), considerations about Havel's monument are premature.
"I would postpone this decision by five, ten years," Svoboda told LN, adding that shortly after Havel's death, no one is able to assess what "Havel meant for this world."
Transport Minister Pavel Dobes (Public Affairs, VV) shares this view.
However, he said he would welcome the form of a monument drafted by artist Jiri David. He proposed a 3D phonetic recording of Havel's voice pronouncing his famous slogan "Truth and love must prevail over lies and hatred" that would resonate from two concrete panels at a courtyard of Prague Castle, the presidential seat.
"Such a monument emphasises the power of the word. Moreover, it corresponds to the 21st century. There is no need to build bronze statues. I think that president Havel would probably not wish such a monument either," Dobes said.
A debate on Havel's monument was launched by Finance Minister Miroslav Kalousek (TOP 09) who said he could imagine a monument to commemorate Havel rather than the idea of the Prague Ruzyne international airport bearing his name.
A petition in support of this idea, initiated by film director Fero Fenic, has been signed by over 80,000 people.
Tancevova said she personally liked the idea.
"Vaclav Havel was an international personality, he was open to the whole world and the progressive world was open to him. He spent much time aboard a plane," Tancevova told LN.
LN's commentator Martin Zverina is rather sceptical about the intentions to celebrate Havel "as quickly and monumentally as possible."
"The admirers of Vaclav Havel's ideas can be saturated in his library and with his work. Worshippers of majestic gestures should sober up in order to at least seemingly harmonise their notion with Vaclav Havel," Zverina writes.
Copyright 2011 by the Czech News Agency (?TK). All rights reserved.
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