Almost half of Czechs couldn’t care less about God. While some 40 per cent of them are Christians, an equal percentage of the population is atheists. Call it Communist legacy or attribute it to the well-known Czech culture of protest, the Czechs are the world’s second largest non-believers, the top spot going to Estonia. Yet, Prague is known as the ‘City of a 1,000 Steeples’. According to one writer in a local magazine, the national identity of the Czechs has been formed and tempered by resisting outside domination, both religious and political, for many centuries.
A Protestant reformer Jan Hus was laid out on a pile of wood and burnt for trying to woo the Vatican back to the original teachings of Christ.
Churches have been converted into concert halls and museums. Talk to any Czech, the godlessness comes through, especially among the elderly. It is widely acknowledged that the older generation, weaned on a diet of Marxism and protests, swears by man. A good chunk of the younger lot, in these stressed out capitalistic times, turns to a higher power for solace.
Generation O is also nostalgic about life under Communist rule. It may not have been a bed of roses, but at least employment, education, health and food were taken care of by the state. Now life is on the edge with unemployment running high and healthcare in the sick lane.
In Prague, there are few vestiges of red rule. On an outcropping overlooking the mighty Vltava river, a steel structure juts out. Here had stood one of the biggest statues of Stalin. It was pulled down during the so-called Velvet Revolution on November 19, 1989.
Over 200,000 people staged a protest demanding democracy. In 1990, the 40-year game was up for the Reds.
Another symbol of Communist rule is a rectangular matter-of-fact two-storey building that now houses a hotel. Our guide tells us that buildings like this are preserved to remind the people about the drabness of life under Communism.
In the 17 years since the dawn of democracy, Prague has undergone a metamorphosis, say the Czechs. The city sports a sexy, vibrant look. It looks like any other European city.
The Gothic and Baroque buildings, cobbled sidewalks still reflect an old world charm. In the night, which in summer sets in as late as 9:30 p.m, the city bursts into a riot of colours.
Joints like Dog’s Bollocks, Max Sex and Bombay Cocktails start throbbing with activity. Casinos are a 24/7 affair. Prague’s first online brothel boasts of 40 girls, 58 cameras and the customer being beamed live onto the internet. For 10 Euros as gatemoney, the girls are on the house.
There’s a centrally located night club with erotic dances, striptease and lesbian shows. Lest the fallen proletariat be denied their share of the pleasures of the flesh, in city squares squat touch screen porn consoles. Somewhat like a slot machine, these have rows of tarot cards. You just press any card and lo and behold! Full-fledged skin flicks come alive. Ragmuffins and the homeless can be seen enjoying themselves at these freaky contraptions.
Prague is not all sex and the city, though. Bach, Verdi, Strauss, Mozart, Handel and Wagner come alive at many spots. The the city is dotted with museums, art galleries and architectural treasures.
The museum of Communism showcases Nazi occupation, Stalin, the Communist coup, Soviet tanks and the Velvet Revolution. One comes face to face with Lenin and other facets of red rule. If that fails to turn on one, there is the torture museum. On display are medieval torture instruments from all parts of Europe.
For those with a literary bent of mind, the Kafka museum is the place to be. Here you get to see the relationship between the man and the city. The museum is divided into Existential Space and Imaginary Topography. Light is shed on how Kafka created enigmatic layers of his works.
There’s more of Kafka near the historic castle. A single-storey house where Kafka lived for a couple of months is well preserved with memorabilia and Kafka works. Here, Kafka is said to have written some of his short stories.
Besides, there is a Kafka restaurant. The castle itself is magnificent spectacle. It is said to be the largest in the world. One can see a thousand years of history carved into the stones of the St Vitus Cathedral, the old royal pace and the Basillica of St George.
Another spectacular sight is the Charles Bridge which is celebrating 650 years of its existence. Constructed during the reign of the Czech king and the holy Roman emperor Charles IV, the bridge is a hot spot for artists, musicians and souvenir vendors.
More than the sights for sore eyes, what strikes one in Prague is the basic humanism of its people. This is well reflected on the road. In no other city does one see motorists stopping to let pedestrians pass by. Even if it takes ten minutes, they will go only after you cross the road.
And, there are very few signals in the city. In the sidewalk cafes, people eat, guzzle beer and make merry throughout the day and for the better part of night. But there’s no drunkenness or hooliganism.
