Tales of old Prague. Tales of old Prague Stories of walls, bridges and churches
The capital of the Czech Republic is like a magic chest, where extraordinary characters and legends are kept. Some stories are sad and beautiful, others are just creepy, but in any case, getting to know them allows you to take a fresh look at the paths traveled by tourists. The unrealistic appearance of the ancient city, its cobbled streets, spiers and statues, bridges and mills inspire confidence that all these magical legends really happened, moreover, that they all happened just recently, and right around the corner you can meet an ominous Golem, pensive Faust or medieval alchemists.
Magicians and alchemists
Perhaps, of all the magicians associated with Prague, the first to come to mind are alchemists- everyone knows that Golden Street was named after them (historians may object and argue that goldsmiths and other artisans simply lived on a narrow street along the fortress wall, all tourists will still always associate the image of the street with medieval magicians). But, in addition to them, even lived in Prague Doctor Faust himself. His house can be seen in the south of Charles Square, it is pink. Through the roof of this house, Mephistopheles carried away the scientist striving for immortality. There is a whole cycle of legends, according to which, Faust arrives at his Prague home on moonless nights. In general, Johann Faust, who in German literature became the collective image of the sorcerer and warlock - real historical person but little is known about him. He lived in Germany in the 16th century, became a successful doctor, fortune teller and alchemist, his services were in demand at many royal courts, including in Prague, where the scientist was given a laboratory. But whether it really was located in this house is unknown.
It is known that at the end of the 14th century the alchemist Edward Kelly lived here, and then the royal physician Jan Kopp. Most likely, that is why the glory of “magic” was entrenched behind the house.
By the way, the alchemist Kelly is also a real historical person.
He was close King Rudolf II- one of the strangest emperors of the Habsburg dynasty, who in 1583 moved from Vienna to Prague and practically retired from public affairs. They say that the emperor suffered from depression, which is probably why he preferred communication with leopards in the royal garden and conversations with sages, magicians and scientists to the human company. However, the depression did not prevent the far-sighted, sensitive emperor from collecting in Prague a magnificent collection of works of art and generally leading the city to the flowering of culture. And his love for the wife of a Prague ghetto banker became the subject of a number of other stories.
Wonders and Curses of the Ghetto
THE FATE OF THE PATRONS
The medieval Jewish ghetto in Prague boasts its epic. The most popular character in all stories - philanthropist Mordechai Meisl. He was born in 1528 into a poor Jewish family, but managed to get rich through trade and banking, so that wealth allowed him to do charity work. He became one of the most important people in the city and financial adviser to Emperor Rudolf II. They say that the emperor was in love with the wife of Mordechai, the beautiful Esther. However, she died early, depriving the already gloomy emperor of hope and leaving Meisl without a family, who then completely plunged into patronage. A street in the Jewish quarter of Prague and a synagogue are named after Meisl. However, there are fewer facts about him than legends.
"GREAT SIN" AND TERRIBLE GOLEM
Most of the stories are known writer Leo Perutz- one of the founders of the genres of magical realism and the modern horror novel. The basis of his book "Nights under the stone bridge" the legends of the Prague ghetto just lay down. The main characters of the stories are Mordeai Meisl and Rabbi Loew.
The book begins with a story about a strange plague that broke out in the ghetto in 1589 and claimed the lives of children. The sages could not guess what the cause of the disease was, but one day in the cemetery, the daredevils saw the figures of children in long white shirts, who danced over a fresh grave.
Rabbi Loew guessed that illness was a punishment for some grave sin. The next night, the rabbi summoned the soul of one of the dead children and learned that the cause of the illness was the sinful dreams of the beautiful Esther, who dreamed of Rudolf II. Esther died the next day and the plague ended.
There are various rumors about the death of Meisl himself. Someone believes that the banker's treasures are hidden in the Jewish quarter, which he did not have time to spend. Others object that he gave away everything and died in poverty.
As for Rabbi Lev Ben-Bezalel, he, of course, became more famous thanks to his amazing Golem - this legend was also made immortal by Leo Perutz. Indeed, various golems can be found in different arches, back streets and parks of Prague, if you look carefully around.
Stories of walls, bridges and churches
It is wrong to believe that there were no witnesses to the legends left, and that everyone disappeared into the atmosphere of Prague. Participants in some events live to this day - and what if they are architectural structures or statues?
HAND OF THE HOLY
Not far from the Old Town Square and Tyn, on Male Shtupartskaya street, is the baroque facade of the Church of St. Jacob. If you look up and to the right at the entrance, you can see a dried human hand hanging on a hook. They say that it was the Virgin Mary herself who grabbed the hand of a thief who had encroached on church property. The blasphemer's hand instantly withered away, and it is she who now hangs on a hook.
KNIGHT BRUNSWICK
Away from the statues of Charles Bridge, above the island of Kampa, there is a monument to the beloved Prague image - to the knight of Brunswick.
The Czechs love Brunswick too. Even before Tsvetaeva, his image was covered with a huge number of legends, the most famous of which is associated with the knight’s desire to depict a lion on his shield. In pursuit of this right, the knight participated in many battles, lost all his warriors, and, in the end, once saved the life of a golden-maned lion who fought a dragon. Since then, the knight and the lion have been inseparable. They say that the knight's golden sword was embedded in the base of the Charles Bridge, so for a long time the statue stood with a spear. However, according to legend, the Czech Republic could stop being afraid of enemies only when the golden blade shines again in the hands of Brunswick. The sword was put into the hands of the knight shortly before the start of the "velvet revolution".
DALIBORK TOWER
Many tourists, hurrying from one "tick" on the map to another, will not stop near the gloomy tower of Daliborka at the top of Prague Castle, which leads to the stairs at the end of the Golden Lane, or simply guess that once there was a prison. Meanwhile, the name of the tower is associated with the name of its prisoner: the knight Dalibor. They say that the knight in captivity wasted no time and learned to play the violin in order to signal the conspirators who were supposed to release him. Unfortunately, the beautiful plan failed, and the rebel was executed. This story was immortalized by Bedrich Smetana in the opera Dalibor.
Prague genius deadline
Prague is rich not only in frightening stories, but also in humorous stories. If the musical experience of the knight Dalibor can be considered sad, then the Prague successes of another composer are triumphant. Mozart was madly loved in Prague, Pasquale Bondini, then director of the opera, was delighted with his "The Weddings of Figaro" and D major "Prague" symphonies. It was he who ordered the composer a new opera, "Don Juan", which was to be premiered in the autumn of 1787. Shortly before this event, Mozart arrived in the city and stayed at Bertramka's villa with friends - the Dushek spouses. With them, he wanted to calmly finish work on the opera.
But, they say, work on the opera was in a big hurry, there are even rumors that the master managed to write it in one night with a glass of wine in his hand, and finished it at seven in the morning on the day of the premiere. There are also rumors that such a procrastination of the brilliant composer is to blame for his not quite platonic relationship with Duszek's wife, Josefina. However, it is not known whether this is true or fantasies inspired by the theme of the opera.
Funny tales about Mozart's adventures in Prague are not limited to this. For example, during rehearsals, one of the singers could not exclaim naturally enough, then the composer had to sneak up on her and roughly grab her from behind, so that the girl squealed in fright. " Wonderful!' exclaimed Mozart. - " That's how you scream."
For many lovers of poetry, the knight of Brunswick, of course, is associated with Marina Tsvetaeva. I was no exception. The poem "The Knight of Prague", reverently transcribed into a notebook, traveled with me. I really wanted to read it there, in front of the sculpture that Marina Ivanovna loved so much. But first, this sculpture had to be found.
In Prague, I was only two daylight hours. And the first meeting happened late in the evening. It was "hazy-slushy, smoky-foggy, nighttime Prague" - exactly the same as Boris Pasternak wrote about it in a letter to Marina Tsvetaeva.
And the next day, early in the morning, I went on a date to the knight, "guarding the river."
But first there was a walk along the Vltava, and for the first time I saw the Charles Bridge from the board of a pleasure boat. It must have been a great choice. Because otherwise, as it turned out later, the impression would be completely different. Of course, I looked through all my eyes, looking among these sculptures of the Prague Knight towering over the bridge. But she couldn't see him.
It is unlikely that Marina Tsvetaeva walked along the Vltava on a boat. Although she lived in Prague and its environs for more than three years: from August 1, 1922. to October 31, 1925. It was a very difficult in everyday terms, but very creatively filled period in the life of Tsvetaeva. About 40 poems were written, almost three poems. In Prague, she collaborated with many magazines, her articles were in demand here. In Prague, she met and parted with her love (although what love is among great poets is not given to us mortals to understand). Her son was born here.
And for me the very fact that I can see what Marina Ivanovna saw was very important.
If you are lucky enough to swim under this ancient and interesting bridge, built and named after King Charles the Fourth, then keep in mind that you should definitely throw a few coins into the water. But you need to throw them so that they hit the stone bridge vaults. Then all your innermost desires will come true.
"This bridge has survived centuries. It has known both times of glory and times of humiliation of our people. Since it was built, much has changed in the Czech Republic and continued to change; more than once disputes and civil strife divided people of the same blood, one language. Only the bridge remained all unfailingly loved for many centuries, he withstood amid all storms, even years of humiliation and decline, he withstood, solid and strong, a monument to better times and the glory that gave birth to him and was always a joy and encouragement for the weak in spirit. Charles Bridge is the most durable, because during its construction, lime was kneaded on eggs. For sixteen of its mighty spans and for the same number of supports, for all this bulk of stones and bricks, it took a lot of them. "
From the legends of A. Irasek.
The meeting with Brunswick nevertheless took place. Of course, I was looking for him among those sculptures that are located along the edges of the bridge. And I don’t even know what prompted me to look down over the bridge. There, on the pylon of the bridge, on the very shore, stood the knight of Marina Tsvetaeva.
Otherwise, of course, it could not be.
He wasn't supposed to be like everyone else. He could not stand on a par with the rest of the stone sculptures, and even with the saints. He should have been alone. It had to be "out and over". And, of course, he had to stand in an unusual place.
And the fact that this place is unusual is recognized by many. It is believed that this is the strongest energy place in Prague. And even sometimes you can see a column of energy that passes through the pedestal of the sculpture. Unfortunately, I didn't get to see him. Perhaps the rain interfered.
But then I examined the sculpture from all sides.
September 27, 1923 Marina Ivanovna wrote down the poem "The Prague Knight"
"... I'm your height,
Knight of Prague...
She considered the "Knight of Prague" the center and heart of Prague. Already living in Paris, Marina Ivanovna wanted to write a poem about the knight Brunswick, asked to send detailed information about him, looked everywhere for an engraving depicting his face. "If I have a guardian angel, then with his face, his lion and his sword" she wrote in a letter to Teskova, a writer and translator whom she met in Prague.
The poem was never written. So who is he, this "...knight guarding the river - days"? Was there really such a brave person, or is it a legendary character? Opinions differ. The Czechs consider the knight of Brunswick to be their king Přemysl II, who did so much for his country. And according to the legends of Alois Irasek, who collected tales of the Czech people, Brunsvik was the son of the Czech king Zhybrzyd. I'll keep it short because it's a very interesting story.
The father died, and Brunsvik decided to add the image of a lion to the coat of arms of the Czech Kingdom. He said goodbye to his wife, ordered her to wait seven years and went to look for the lion. By the way, this legend is very reminiscent of the adventures of Sinbad the Sailor. There is also a journey by sea, and an enchanted mountain, and the Nag bird, which carried Brunswick to a high mountain in its nest. But then the paths of the knight and Sinbad diverge.
Going down the mountain, he saw a dragon knight fighting a lion. In a hard fight, he defeats the dragon, and the lion becomes his faithful companion. The knight is looking for a way home, but ends up in the country of King Olibrius, whose daughter was kidnapped by an evil dragon. And this daughter's name was Africa. Our valiant knight rescues the royal daughter, who naturally falls in love with him and demands that he marry her. I had to fulfill her wish. But the knight Brunswick always dreamed of returning home, because his first wife was waiting for him there, and seven years were already running out. And here, sadly walking around the castle of King Olibrius, he finds himself in a secret room, where he finds a beautiful sword. Africa, the second wife, reveals to him the secret of the sword. It turns out that it is enough to take the sword out of its scabbard and say "Everyone's heads off their shoulders" - as soon as it comes true. Which the knight of Brunswick did immediately. And the heads of the king, and his daughter Africa, and all the courtiers rolled over the royal floor. And Brunsvik returned to Prague with his faithful lion, where his wife nearly remarried, thinking that Brunsvik was dead. And they began to live and live, and a white lion appeared on the princely coat of arms. But that's why the lion has two tails - I did not find out.
Of course, I really wanted to see the faithful lion on the sculpture. He is depicted in a very strange way. At the knight's feet, but facing the opposite direction.
By the way, the lion outlived its owner by several years and died on his grave.
No less interesting is the pedestal. What is shown on it?
I'll have to go to Prague again. Go down to the island of Kampa, on which the sculpture stands and study it properly. She is worth it!
Moreover, according to all the legends, a magic sword is hidden somewhere here.
For a long time the knight Brunswick stood without his magic sword. Instead, he held a spear in his hands.
And only in 1993, when the first president of the independent Czech Republic was elected, did the knight have a golden sword in his hands.
Isn't that why everything is relatively calm in the Czech Republic now? For me, it was very good there.
On the next day of my stay in Prague, the rain stopped, and I again went to the knight of Brunswick. But the pandemonium of the people in no way contributed to my lyrical mood. And in addition, some merchant completely "blocked the bisector" and the poems "The Prague Knight" that I rewrote remained unread in front of the sculpture.
Yes, and a walk along the Charles Bridge was not very successful for the same reason ...
Moscow also has its own knight Brunswick. And it is located somewhere opposite the Obraztsov Puppet Theater.
I wonder if Marina Tsvetaeva knew about this?
Well, in conclusion, to finish the topic "Tsvetaeva about the Czech Republic", I will add that after moving to Paris, Marina Ivanovna always remembered the Czech Republic with love, as evidenced by her correspondence.
"... I love the Czech Republic endlessly and am infinitely grateful to her, but I don't want to cry over her (they don't cry over the healthy, and she is the only healthy among the countries, those who are sick!) So, I don't want to cry over her, but I want to SING her" . (From a letter to Teskova).
In March 1939, when Nazi Germany occupied Czechoslovakia, Tsvetaeva wrote the poetic cycle Poems for the Czech Republic.
I cannot but place this poem from the Czech cycle. One of her last poems, written a few weeks before leaving for the Soviet Union. And in August 1941, Marina Ivanovna tragically passed away.
"Oh, tears in my eyes!
Cry of anger and love!
Oh Czech Republic in tears!
Spain in the blood!
Oh black mountain
Eclipsed - the whole world!
It's time - it's time - it's time
Return the ticket to the creator.
I refuse to be.
In the bedlam of nonhumans
I refuse to live.
With the wolves of the squares
I refuse - howl.
With the sharks of the plains
I refuse to swim
Downstream spins.
I don't need holes
Ear, nor prophetic eyes.
To your crazy world
There is only one answer - refusal.
"I have a friend in Prague, a stone knight, very similar in face to me, He stands on the bridge and guards the river: oaths, rings, waves, bodies. He is about five hundred years old and he is very young: a stone boy.
When you think of me, see me with him…."
Charles Bridge is one of the main tourist gems of the Czech Republic, the most memorable sight in Prague. There are more than 18 bridges in this city, stretching along the banks of the Vltava, but the Charles Bridge overshadows them with beauty, romance, and the number of mystical legends and stories associated with its construction and history.
Wriggling like a silvery snake, the Vltava flows through the whole of Prague - a true blessing and curse of the Czech Republic. This river is known for its treacherous floods. In ancient times, the inhabitants of Prague cities used numerous fords and crossings to cross the Vltava.The predecessors of the Charles Bridge were the first wooden bridge built in the 10th century, washed away by a flood, and the first Czech stone bridge built in 1160. After standing for 170 years, this Romanesque bridge, named after Queen Judith, was also destroyed by a flood.wayward Vltava. And when the architect Peter Parler began to build the bridge for the third time, the devil appeared to him and promised that the building would exist for centuries. However, for the promise, he demanded a payment - the living soul of the person who would be the first to pass through the new structure. The master agreed. Soon the work was completed, and on the day of the celebration, a child, his grandson, ran out onto the bridge. Then he grabbed a rooster walking nearby and rushed to cut across the boy. Having let the rooster first on the bridge, the architect saved the life of his grandson, and after the sacrifice ensured the success of the next and already final construction of his stone brainchild.
Charles Bridge is considered to be one of the most beautiful in the world. It was built according to the project of the architect Petr Parlerge. The first stone in constructionPrague (or Stone)the bridge was founded in 1357 by the decree of the Czech king Charles IV,whose name it bears to this day.
History has preserved the exact date - July 9, 1357, when King Charles IV laid the first stone in the foundation of the bridge, named at the beginning "Prague" or Stone, but renamed in honor of Charles in 1870. Even the hours and minutes of laying the stone are known - 5 hours 31 minutes, chosen not by chance, since Karl was fond of science and believed in mystical combinations of numbers.
The year, date and time of the beginning of the construction of the bridge are added to the "happy" mirror-pyramid sequence 1 3 5 7 9 7 5 3 1 with the number 9 in the middle.
An astronomical fact adds mysticism to the history of the creation of the bridge - it was at this time that the Sun, Saturn and the Earth “stand” on one line.
Be that as it may, the Charles Bridge, which has survived many upheavals over six and a half centuries, is still standing and pleases our contemporaries with its grandeur and beauty.
The Charles Bridge was built over 50 years. According to one of the legends, telling about its unprecedented strength, at first, the work did not go well, because a solution of the proper quality was not obtained, and then a call was thrown: from all over the country to bring chicken eggs to add protein to the bonding mass. According to another legend -Czechs also added milk and wine. Local peasants, who supplied the construction site with these "building materials", sometimes, through misunderstanding, delivered eggs already boiled, and instead of milk - cottage cheese or cheese. And then these foodstuffs went in addition to the soldering of the bridge builders. However, you can believe the legend, or you can not, but this simple recipe has become the key to the durability of the bridge - its supports have been able to easily withstand the powerful streams of the recalcitrant Vltava for many centuries.
The construction of the bridge ended at the beginning of the 15th century. It was built of sandstone, stood on 16 pillars, was 520 m long and 9.5 m wide. The famous royal road passed along this route, human destinies were decided here, sentences were passed, magnificent fairs and horse races were held.
The project was developed and implemented by the architect Peter Parler, who was invited by Charles IV from the Swabian city of Gmund to participate in the construction of the Cathedral of St. Vita. Although Petr Parlerž was then only 22 years old, his work met the emperor's expectations from the first days. He left behind in the capital not only the core of the Cathedral of St. Vitus, but also the Charles Bridge and the Old Town Bridge Tower.
Charles Bridge was not always what it is now. At the time of its construction, there was not yet the current Prague. On the territory of the Czech capital there were several independent cities, two of which were called the Old Town and the Lesser Town. There were real trade relations between them, and it was Charles Bridge that played the role of a connecting thread and a customs checkpoint. In this regard, it was also the cause of frequent minor military conflicts - whoever owns the bridge collects tribute from the merchants.
Charles Bridge (length 516 m, width 10 m), standing on 16 mighty supporting bulls, connects the Old Town and Malaya Strana, crossing the Vltava over the small island of Kampa (it is separated from the coast by a narrow channel, Chertovka. In 1974, the bridge was declared a pedestrian .
In the direction of Malaya Strana, the bridge deviates somewhat from a straight line and descends, which opens up new picturesque views of the city panorama.
On the side of Stare Mesto and Mala Strana, mighty towers are installed on the bridge - all in the Gothic style, although they were executed in different eras. The towers located on both sides of the bridge are now a worthy decoration of this historical monument. In turn, the tower, located on the right bank of the Vltava - Staromestskaya, is recognized as the most beautiful Gothic tower - in itself, it pleases the eye and excites the imagination, but statues of representatives of the House of Luxembourg and the main Catholic saints are still carved on it.
During the Thirty Years' War, the Swedes, who tried to break through from Malaya Strana, could not take this fortification.
Over the centuries, the bridge tower has given rise to numerous rumors and legends. One of the legends says that sometimes an owl appears on the tower and with a sad cry portends misfortune: either a flood or a fire. Many times the inhabitants of nearby houses tried to shoot the owl in order to protect themselves from misfortune, but it invariably appears again and again, with its dull groans causing goosebumps to run down the backs of the townspeople.
By the way, the Czechs are a very superstitious people. They believe in ghosts, and are also sure that the Czech Republic is full of them at every turn.
On the Charles Bridge, too, it turns out, you can meet a ghost. In gloomy weather, on the parapet you can supposedly see a demon sticking to passers-by.
A waterman lives under the bridge, and on the Old Town tower the spirits of once executed criminals of a noble family are whispering. Their heads were hung right on the bridge.
If you walk under the arches of the tower to the bridge, you can become like the kings of the Czech Republic, who went in this way to Prague Castle. Climbing 138 steps to the 47-meter tower to admire the opening panorama of Charles Bridge and Prague Castle.
On the same bank, a few meters from the tower, there is a monument to Charles IV himself, the foot of which is decorated with four figures, symbolizing the main faculties of the University, founded by him in 1348.
At first, the decoration of the bridge was a simple cross.In the period 1683-1714. the Jesuits proposed to decorate the bridge with thirty statues of Catholic saints: honor to the churches, and glory to the emperor.And since the 17th century. it was decorated with sculptures.Exalted gestures or, on the contrary, humility with fate tell about the life of the saints.The number of sculptures and sculptural groups gradually reached 30, and the bridge turned into an open-air art gallery,brought him worldwide fame.Now almost all the sculptures have been replaced with copies. The originals, for the sake of better preservation, are placed in the branch of the National Museum (Lapidarium).
The most famous and oldest - appeared first, in 1683, the sculpture of St. Yana from Nepomuk. There is a legend that John of Nepomuk was the confessor of Wenceslas IV's wife. And, for refusing to give out the secret of confession, at his command, he was thrown off this bridge.A marble tablet with a metal cross and five stars is fixed on the parapet of the bridge. This is the place where St. John of Nepomuk was thrown into the water.
Now the bronze plate at the base of the statue, depicting the very scene of the priest being thrown off the bridge, has been polished to a shine by millions of palms of those who believe that touching this place will bring good luck. But it is best to touch two bronze bas-reliefs at the same time (the second depicts the owner and the dog and symbolizes fidelity), so that the wish will come true.
If you go from the Old Place, then on the right are the following sculptures and sculptural groups: Madonna with St. Bernard; Madonna with St. Dominic and St. Thomas Aquinas (XVIII century); A crucifix erected in 1630 to replace an earlier one that was destroyed during the Hussite Wars; several images of Saints. They are followed by the statue of St. John of Nepomuk. On its opposite parapet, returning over the bridge from Mala Strana, one can see the statue of St. Prince Wenceslas; a sculptural group called the "Turk on the bridge" (statues of St. John of Matsky and St. Felix, who rescue Christian captives from Agarian captivity); a statue of St. Adalbert, as well as an excellent composition representing the mystical vision of St. Ludgard (1710). Behind the stairs leading to the island of Kampa there is a statue of St. Nicholas of Tolentino; sculptural group with St. Vincent Ferrer and St. Procopius. Next is a copy of the statue of a knight of the 16th century; a statue of St. Francis Xavier with a sculptural self-portrait of Brokoff (to the left of the figure of the Saint - in the form of an extra carrying his attributes), an outstanding sculptor of the Baroque era.
On a high pedestal, already behind the railing of the bridge, there is a statue of the knight Bruncvik (Roland) - the legendary hero of Czech legends (like the Greek Odysseus or the Russian Ivan Tsarevich). In this case, it symbolizes the customs post of Charles Bridge, but it is still located on the left bank, i.e. in the territory of the Small City. The stone Bruncvik has his famous magic sword in his hands, and at the feet of the knight is a lion - his faithful friend and servant, who, after the death of his master, died on his grave. P according to legend, the hero's sword was immured somewhere in the base of the Charles Bridge, and at the hour of the mortal danger of his people, he must escape from prison and under the call of the resurrected Bruntsvik - "Head off your shoulders!" - must hit the enemy. But during all sorts of wars, he has never appeared - apparently knowing that his people can still cope without much help.
During the most powerful flood in the entire 650-year history of the bridge in 2002, the water of the Vltava rose by 8 meters, completely hiding the Charles Bridge in Prague. Only the faithful knight Brunswick - the keeper of the bridge - did not leave his post.
A unique monument of history and architecture, and today lives a stormy modern life. The half-kilometer long footbridge is never empty - it is a popular place for walks and meetings. It is chosen by artists, musicians, souvenir sellers, and pleasure boats and motor ships with orchestras and restaurants on the upper decks leisurely walk along the Vltava.
He leaves no one indifferent and falls in love with him at first sight.
According to modern legend, when the Dalai Lama walked along the Charles Bridge in 1990, he said that this bridge is in the center of the universe, and there is no negative energy around it - thus it is able to attract every person to itself. Therefore, it is not surprising that there are still a huge number of people who want to pass through a four-dimensional postcard from one century to another - during the tourist season, Charles Bridge is so filled with guests of Prague that locals simply use other bridges to cross the river.
Today, Charles Bridge is a tourist Mecca. It is visited by countless crowds of tourists, enjoying the view of ancient Prague, music, souvenirs. And only in the morning noisy guests give him a rest. The bridge is suddenly empty. And then you can meet the dawn on it.
Charles Bridge can be an inexhaustible source of inspiration. The view on both sides of the bridge can inspire the creation of the most fantastic paintings, poems and melodies, and when you think that every stone here knows more than any history textbook, you yourself become completely inconspicuous (but still enchanted! ) a grain of sand in the endless and sparkling stream of life.
The webcam shows the pearl of Prague - Charles Bridge and the famous Prague Castle - one of the largest and most beautiful castles in Europe. The image is updated every 30 seconds.
The Czech Mint has unveiled a coin dedicated to the legendary knight Brunswick.
On the left bank of the Vltava, Charles Bridge rests on the Lesser Town Towers. There is also a statue of the knight of Brunswick - the hero of legends and the defender of the Czech Republic.
According to legend, Brunswick, along with his squad, went to win the right to depict a lion on his coat of arms. Almost the entire squad was killed. Only Brunswick remained.
And then one day he saw a lion fighting with a nine-headed dragon. The knight saved the life of the lion, and he became a devoted friend to Brunswick. It was he who helped the hero get the magic sword.
Returning home, Brunswick buried his sword at the Charles Bridge. It is believed that when the Czech Republic is in danger, Brunsvik will return, his horse will knock on the place where the sword is buried and wake up King Wenceslas. And Wenceslas will drive out all the enemies of the Czech Republic.
This coin belongs to a series of coins dedicated to Czech legends.
Marina Tsvetaeva dedicated the poem "The Knight on the Bridge" to Brunswick.
According to the press service of the Mint of the Czech Republic, the face value of the coin is 10 ducats, the precious metal is 999 gold, the minting quality is “proof”, the weight is 31.10 g, the diameter is 37 mm, the mintage is 200 pieces.
On the obverse, three shields are minted with heraldic symbols depicted on them - a lion and two eagles. Below them is engraved the year of minting "2012" and the mint mark. There are 21 stars along the edge of the coin.
The reverse depicts a knight with a raised sword. He leans on a shield. Nearby is a roaring lion. On the edge of the coin is engraved - "DESETIDUKAT", "CESKE REPUBLIKY". In the inner circle there is another inscription: "OTEC DOBYL ZNAKU ORLA JALVA CHCI DOBYTY".
For many lovers of poetry, the knight of Brunswick, of course, is associated with Marina Tsvetaeva. I was no exception. The poem "The Knight of Prague", reverently transcribed into a notebook, traveled with me. I really wanted to read it there, in front of the sculpture that Marina Ivanovna loved so much. But first, this sculpture had to be found.
In Prague, I was only two daylight hours. And the first meeting happened late in the evening. It was "hazy-slushy, smoky-foggy, nighttime Prague" - exactly the same as Boris Pasternak wrote about it in a letter to Marina Tsvetaeva.
And the next day, early in the morning, I went on a date to the knight, "guarding the river."
But first there was a walk along the Vltava, and for the first time I saw the Charles Bridge from the board of a pleasure boat. It must have been a great choice. Because otherwise, as it turned out later, the impression would be completely different. Of course, I looked through all my eyes, looking among these sculptures of the Prague Knight towering over the bridge. But she couldn't see him.
It is unlikely that Marina Tsvetaeva walked along the Vltava on a boat. Although she lived in Prague and its environs for more than three years: from August 1, 1922. to October 31, 1925. It was a very difficult in everyday terms, but very creatively filled period in the life of Tsvetaeva. About 40 poems were written, almost three poems. In Prague, she collaborated with many magazines, her articles were in demand here. In Prague, she met and parted with her love (although what love is for great poets is not given to us mortals to understand). Her son was born here.
And for me the very fact that I can see what Marina Ivanovna saw was very important.
If you are lucky enough to swim under this ancient and interesting bridge, built and named after King Charles the Fourth, then keep in mind that you should definitely throw a few coins into the water. But you need to throw them so that they hit the stone bridge vaults. Then all your innermost desires will come true.
Alas, I didn't succeed.
"This bridge has survived centuries. It has known both times of glory and times of humiliation of our people. Since it was built, much has changed in the Czech Republic and continued to change; more than once disputes and civil strife divided people of the same blood, one language. Only the bridge remained all unfailingly loved for many centuries, he withstood amid all storms, even years of humiliation and decline, he withstood, solid and strong, a monument to better times and the glory that gave birth to him and was always a joy and encouragement for the weak in spirit. Charles Bridge is the most durable, because during its construction, lime was kneaded on eggs. For sixteen of its mighty spans and for the same number of supports, for all this bulk of stones and bricks, it took a lot of them. " From the legends of A. Irasek.
The meeting with Brunswick nevertheless took place. Of course, I was looking for him among those sculptures that are located along the edges of the bridge. And I don’t even know what prompted me to look down over the bridge. There, on the pylon of the bridge, on the very shore, stood the knight of Marina Tsvetaeva.
Otherwise, of course, it could not be.
He wasn't supposed to be like everyone else. He could not stand on a par with the rest of the stone sculptures, and even with the saints. He should have been alone. It had to be "out and over". And, of course, he had to stand in an unusual place.
And the fact that this place is unusual is recognized by many. It is believed that this is the strongest energy place in Prague. And even sometimes you can see a column of energy that passes through the pedestal of the sculpture. Unfortunately, I didn't get to see him. Perhaps the rain interfered.
But then I examined the sculpture from all sides.
September 27, 1923 Marina Ivanovna wrote down the poem "The Prague Knight"
"... I'm your height,
Knight of Prague...
She considered the "Knight of Prague" the center and heart of Prague. Already living in Paris, Marina Ivanovna wanted to write a poem about the knight Brunswick, asked to send detailed information about him, looked everywhere for an engraving depicting his face. “If I have a guardian angel, then with his face, his lion and his sword,” she wrote in a letter to Teskova, a writer and translator whom she met in Prague.
The poem was never written. So who is he, this "...knight guarding the river - days"? Was there really such a brave person, or is it a legendary character? Opinions differ. The Czechs consider the knight of Brunswick to be their king Přemysl II, who did so much for his country. And according to the legends of Alois Irasek, who collected the legends of the Czech people, Brunsvik was the son of the Czech king Zhybrzhid. I'll keep it short because it's a very interesting story.
The father died, and Brunsvik decided to add the image of a lion to the coat of arms of the Czech Kingdom. He said goodbye to his wife, ordered her to wait seven years and went to look for the lion. By the way, this legend is very reminiscent of the adventures of Sinbad the Sailor. There is also a journey by sea, and an enchanted mountain, and the Nag bird, which carried Brunswick to a high mountain in its nest. But then the paths of the knight and Sinbad diverge. Going down the mountain, he saw a dragon knight fighting a lion. In a hard fight, he defeats the dragon, and the lion becomes his faithful companion. The knight is looking for a way home, but ends up in the country of King Olibrius, whose daughter was kidnapped by an evil dragon. And this daughter's name was Africa. Our valiant knight saves the royal daughter, who, of course, falls in love with him and demands that he marry her. I had to fulfill her wish. But the knight Brunswick always dreamed of returning home, because his first wife was waiting for him there, and seven years were already running out. And here, sadly walking around the castle of King Olibrius, he finds himself in a secret room, where he finds a beautiful sword. Africa, the second wife, reveals to him the secret of the sword. It turns out that it is enough to take the sword out of its scabbard and say "Everyone's heads off their shoulders" - as soon as it comes true. Which the knight of Brunswick did immediately. And the heads of the king, and his daughter Africa, and all the courtiers rolled over the royal floor. And Brunsvik returned to Prague with his faithful lion, where his wife nearly remarried, thinking that Brunsvik was dead. And they began to live and live, and a white lion appeared on the princely coat of arms. But that's why the lion has two tails - I did not find out.
Of course, I really wanted to see the faithful lion on the sculpture. He is depicted in a very strange way. At the knight's feet, but facing the opposite direction.
By the way, the lion outlived its owner by several years and died on his grave.
No less interesting is the pedestal. What is shown on it?
We'll have to go to Prague again. Go down to the island of Kampa, on which the sculpture stands and study it properly. She is worth it!
Moreover, according to all the legends, a magic sword is hidden somewhere here.
For a long time the knight Brunswick stood without his magic sword. Instead, he held a spear in his hands.
And only in 1993, when the first president of the independent Czech Republic was elected, did the knight have a golden sword in his hands.
Isn't that why everything is relatively calm in the Czech Republic now? For me, it was very good there.
On the next day of my stay in Prague, the rain stopped, and I again went to the knight of Brunswick. But the pandemonium of the people did not contribute to my lyrical mood in any way. In addition, some merchant completely "blocked the bisector" and the poems "The Prague Knight" that I had copied out remained unread in front of the sculpture.
Yes, and a walk along the Charles Bridge was not very successful for the same reason ...
Moscow also has its own knight Brunswick. And it is located somewhere opposite the Obraztsov Puppet Theater.
I wonder if Marina Tsvetaeva knew about this?
Well, in conclusion, to finish the topic "Tsvetaeva about the Czech Republic", I will add that after moving to Paris, Marina Ivanovna always remembered the Czech Republic with love, as evidenced by her correspondence. "... I love the Czech Republic endlessly and am infinitely grateful to her, but I don't want to cry over her (they don't cry over the healthy, and she is the only healthy among the countries, those who are sick!) So, I don't want to cry over her, but I want to SING her" . (From a letter to Teskova). In March 1939, when Nazi Germany occupied Czechoslovakia, Tsvetaeva wrote the poetic cycle Poems for the Czech Republic.
I cannot but place this poem from the Czech cycle. One of her last poems, written a few weeks before leaving for the Soviet Union. And in August 1941, Marina Ivanovna tragically passed away.
"Oh, tears in my eyes!
Cry of anger and love!
Oh Czech Republic in tears!
Spain in the blood!
Oh black mountain
Eclipsed - the whole world!
It's time - it's time - it's time
Return the ticket to the creator.
I refuse to be.
In the bedlam of nonhumans
I refuse to live.
With the wolves of the squares
I refuse - howl.
With the sharks of the plains
I refuse to swim
Downstream spins.
I don't need holes
Ear, nor prophetic eyes.
To your crazy world
There is only one answer - refusal.
"I have a friend in Prague, a stone knight, very similar in face to me, He stands on the bridge and guards the river: oaths, rings, waves, bodies. He is about five hundred years old and he is very young: a stone boy.
When you think of me, see me with him…."
