John McCrae: In Flanders Fields

In Flanders fields, the poppies blow
Between the crosses, row on row,
That mark our place; and in the sky
The larks, still bravely singing, fly
Scarce heard amid the guns below.
We are the Dead. Short days ago
We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,
Loved and were loved, and now we lie
In Flanders fields.
Take up our quarrel with the foe:
To you from failing hands we throw
The torch; be yours to hold it high.
If ye break faith with us who die
We shall not sleep,
though poppies grow
In Flanders fields.

Poetic translation: Petr Jan Vinš

Ve Flandrech rozkvétají máky,
tam, kde řad hrobů křivolaký
nás hlídá; a vysoko v dáli
snad skřivani se rozzpívali,
však děla přehlušují ptáky.
Jsme Mrtví. Avšak ještě včera,
než jitro přešlo do večera,
my lásku znali a teď spíme
na polích flanderských.
Vy buďte ti, kdo v boj se dají,
když z rukou našich upadají
pochodně; zas zdvihněte je výš
zradíte-li, pak neuhlídá kříž
náš klid,
ač máky rozkvétají
na polích flanderských.

There are two monuments close to each other in Klárov.

The first of them, the Winged Lion, celebrates the heroism of Czechoslovak soldiers in RAF units. After the occupation of the republic by Germans, 1,200 Czechoslovak pilots fled abroad. They then fought in RAF units. After the war, they returned to Czechoslovakia, but after the communist putsch of 1948, many of them fled the country for the second time, others were often imprisoned, persecuted, or even executed.

The author of the monument is Colin Spofforth. The Winged Lion monument was unveiled in 2014 and was largely funded by the British community living in the Czech Republic. Winston Churchill’s grandson Arthur Nicholas Winston Soames was also present at the ceremony.

The second monument with the symbol of the tattered flag is the work of Vladimír Preclík. It reminds of the heroes of the 2nd resistance, ie heroes from the years 1939-1945. The shape of the monument symbolizes the struggle for the restoration of Czechoslovak statehood.

Many thanks to you all…

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