A mystical walk through the Visegrad cemetery. Prague, Czech Republic
The Vyšehrad Fortress and its attractions are located on a hill almost in the center of Prague on the banks of the Vltava. dates back more than a thousand years, and about no other historical district of Prague, or even the entire Czech Republic, there are as many legends as about Vysehrad. Vysehrad, shrouded in the haze of ancient historical events, evokes a sense of mystery that can be felt here at every step.
There is a statue in the Vysehrad gardens that definitely needs to be mentioned - this is the equestrian statue of St. Wenceslas. It was this statue that was the first modern statue of this saint to stand at the Horse Market. It was moved to Vysehrad when Josef Vaclav Myslbek created his world-famous monument to St. Wenceslas, which today adorns one of the main squares of Prague.
And in the Visegrad Gardens there is perhaps the most controversial landmark of Visegrad - the Devil's Pillar, which is three parts of a stone column inclined towards each other, covered in many legends. Read more about the Vysehrad gardens and the Devil's Pillar.
While walking through the Vysehrad Gardens, be sure to stop by Vysehrad (No. 6 on), from where you can admire stunning views of Prague, the Vltava and bridges.
Church of Saints Peter and Paul
The beautiful neo-Gothic Basilica of Saints Peter and Paul (Bazilika svatého Petra a Pavla) is the main attraction of Visegrad (No. 7 on). Its blackened towers are the undisputed dominant feature of the entire Visegrad Hill. The temple is especially beautiful at night, illuminated by many lights.
The Church of Saints Peter and Paul in Visegrad has a very long and complicated history; it was built and rebuilt over a thousand years, changing its style from ancient Romanesque to elaborate Baroque, and remained in a deplorable state for decades. The most serious changes occurred with the main temple of Visegrad in the mid-14th and first half of the 18th centuries, and the Church of Saints Peter and Paul took on its modern neo-Gothic appearance only at the very end of the 19th century after a major restructuring under the leadership of Joseph Motzker and the construction of two neo-Gothic towers on the western facade of the temple .
The Basilica of Saints Peter and Paul in Visegrad amazes with its magnificent interior decoration. You will see here many images of the patron saints of the Czech Republic and the tomb of the Czech kings; representatives of the Přemyslid dynasty are buried here. Also interesting is the sarcophagus of Saint Longinus, a Roman centurion, a witness to the crucifixion of Christ, who later accepted the Christian faith. You can read more about the Church of Saints Peter and Paul here.
Visegrad Cemetery
Vyšehrad Cemetery (Vyšehradský hřbitov) is one of the most important attractions of Vyšehrad. This is the oldest and most famous Prague cemetery, and the resting place of world-famous Czech artists, composers, writers, sculptors, scientists and politicians.
Modern Vysehrad is a place in Prague where tourists and citizens can escape from the noisy streets of the Czech capital, find a quiet place to enjoy the silence and feel the centuries-old mystery of Vysehrad, which can be heard in the symphonic poem “Vysehrad”, written by the famous Czech composer Bedřich Smetana, and in the works of the Czech poets Julius Seier and Karel Jaromir Erben, for whom Visegrad has always been a source of inspiration.
Darlings, tell me, do you like to get up early when you are in another city, eat eggs and toast with orange jam for breakfast and go for a walk around the sleepy, sweetly yawning city? That's what I love. Only it takes me, as a rule, not to central squares and sweet tourist quarters, but to places that are not so popular for morning walks. IN Czech Republic V Prague it turned out to be such a place Visegrad Cemetery. We went outside and immediately found ourselves in thick fog. The feeling is as if you climbed into the beard of Santa Claus and found a whole city there.
“The weather is perfect for visiting cemeteries,” I and my brave morning-walking colleagues thought, and together we boldly stepped into the fog. 
The Visegrad Cemetery is located near the city center, away from noisy traffic, high above the Vltava embankment. We went there on foot. You can also get there by metro (line C) to Visegrad station. 
We are in place. 
At the entrance, visiting hours and a map with a list of the deceased indicating burial places are indicated. 
An interesting observation: in America, angels mourn over graves - mostly young women, bowing to the name of the deceased, covering their faces with their hands, or, in inconsolable grief, falling on stone slabs. In Cuba, at the Colon cemetery, every second memorial is crowned with pot-bellied, milky marble, cheerful babies with touching dove wings. In Prague - at the Visegrad cemetery we met several times angels pierced by arrows. 
We also met traditional angels 
And angels without wings. Perhaps one of the most touching images. 
An old cemetery has been located on the territory of the existing Visegrad Cemetery since 1260. Since the 17th century, burials of the Visegrad Chapter parish have been held here. In the 60s of the 19th century, church officials Stulz Vaclav and Karlach Mikulas led the initiative to organize a national cemetery. 
Thus, the Visegrad cemetery became the burial place of almost 600 outstanding representatives of national culture and science, as well as a gallery of cemetery sculptures and tombstones created by the best sculptors of that time. Such as J. V. Myslbek, F. Bilek, B. Kafka, O. Spaniel and others. 
They were also buried in the Visegrad cemetery 
The arcades of A. Viegla with cross vaults rest on Tuscan columns; they are made of sandstone and decorated with artistic paintings. 
The main alley at the cemetery led us to the pantheon of the most famous personalities of the national culture of the Czech Republic (in Czech, Slavin). Frantisek Palacky, being the head of the Svatobor association in 1862, proposed to build such a tomb for all Czech celebrities of that time. 
Among the famous people buried in the cemetery are the writers: Karel Hynek Macha, Karel Capek, Bozena Nemcova, Vitezslav Nezval, Jan Neruda. Czech artists whose bodies rested in peace in the cemetery: J. Marzhak, M. Goly, M. Ales, A. Huttissi, K. Purkynė. Sculptors Vaclav Levy and Otakar Spanel take pride of place with dignity. For some reason, I definitely wanted to see and pay my respects to Alphonse Mucha. Yes, yes, to the same Alphonse Mucha, whose works have received a rebirth over the past 5-7 years in modern culture. Now it's in the mainstream. 
Czech scientists J. Heyrovsky, who developed the polarography method, and the famous cytologist Ev. Purkynė are also buried here. Composers A. Dvorak, B. Smetana, Z. Fibich and others. 
There are many unusual sculptures here. 
It was as if the sculptors were faced with the task of highlighting each buried person and drawing attention to themselves. 
Looks like a bird 
Swan 
.
Persons 
and expressions 
.
We walked through the Visegrad cemetery in the morning. On Thursday. Along completely empty alleys. 
In addition to the three of us strolling, cozy, neat nuns were leisurely working on the cemetery grounds. 
They swept fallen leaves from the slabs. And there was something incredibly calm in their movements. Basics. Unchangeable. For some reason I immediately thought that they certainly knew what the meaning of life was. So they are in no hurry to get anywhere. 
Perhaps at noon on a weekend, when there are many visitors, the magic of this place is felt less clearly, in a different way. But that Thursday morning there was an absolutely amazing atmosphere of calm and tranquility. The fog spread like a light flowing organza, leaving droplets of moisture on the almost transparent wings of the angels. 
Another piece of magic that’s hard to look away from. 
More 
Wings forgotten by an angel 
And the towers of the Basilica of St. Peter and Paul disappear completely mystically into the fog 
And one more thing... You constantly feel that there is someone else here besides you. Suddenly 
Perhaps because there are a lot of flowers in pots, candles and crosses carefully laid out with chestnuts. 
During the funeral rite, the body of the deceased in a coffin or his ashes in an urn were displayed near the wall for the last farewell to loving relatives and people. 
More moods 
The day woke up and the rays of the sun made their way through the fog 
Birth of a new day 
We spent no more than an hour on the territory of the Visegrad cemetery. Perhaps if we did not have to return to work, we would linger and new interesting details would be revealed to us. However, this time was enough for me to feel the peace and unusualness of this place. 
We quickly walked towards the center. The fog was clearing, and a bald white man, very similar to Casper, smiled at us. 
>
>
>
>
For those who are interested in the topic of the mystical and cemeteries, I invite you here
Czech archaeologists claim that Prague began with Vysehrad. This hill, according to legend, has seen many famous personalities, from Krok, the son of the progenitor of the entire Czech people, to famous cultural figures who found peace in the local cemetery. In fact, this is not a cemetery, but a memorial, which is recognized as a national monument of the Czech state. In terms of its significance, the Visegrad Cemetery can be comparable to the Novodevichy Cemetery in Moscow.
It is located next to the majestic Basilica of Saints Peter and Paul and is a small plot of land surrounded by a fence. Entrance to the cemetery is free.
Vysehrad is not a crowded place at all, much less a cemetery. Here you can rarely find tourists armed with photo and video cameras. But those who know about this place will not fail to visit the burial places of Jan Neruda, Bedrich Smetana, Karel Capek, Bozena Nemcova and other equally famous writers, composers, and politicians. For better orientation among the graves, the entire territory of the cemetery is divided into 15 sectors, but examining all the tombstones will not take much time, so it is better not to look for the graves of famous people, but simply walk along the paths of the cemetery, noting the original tombstone sculptures. By the way, famous sculptors worked on many of them.
The eastern side of the cemetery is occupied by the sculptural composition-mausoleum “Slavin”. An angel in long robes bent over the sarcophagus, guarding the sleep of the illustrious sons of the fatherland.
The Vysehrad cemetery is located in the oldest part of Prague - in Vysehrad. Vysehrad is an ancient fortress located on a hill with stunning views of the Vltava and Prague Castle.
Vysehrad is the abode of Czech rulers. It was from here that the first ruler of Prague, Princess Libuše, predicted great destiny and glory for Prague. It’s difficult to argue about fame - Prague is flooded with tourists in any season. And a visit to Vysehrad, and with it the Vysehrad cemetery, is included in the mandatory tourist program. And sometimes there are just crowds of people there, especially on those days when a large number of tourist groups with guides flock.
To be honest, the Visegrad cemetery is not one of my favorites. It’s too crowded here: the Japanese are running around with cameras at the ready, there are excursions in many languages, it feels like being in a museum. Everything around seems to have been washed and wiped with rags and cleaning agents, all the statues and tombstones have been polished and restored. However, there is an explanation for this - the entire flower of the Czech nation is buried here - artists, sculptors, writers, musicians, politicians.
As I already wrote in my previous review of the Old Don Cemetery, in Europe they treat cemeteries completely differently than in Russia. Moreover, if this cemetery has the status of a museum. This cemetery is cherished, no one cries here, no sorrow is felt in the air here. The Visegrad cemetery is precisely a necropolis-museum. It is very small, located behind and to the left of the Basilica of St. Peter and Paul.
On the gate (which is on the opposite side of the entrance to the basilica) there is the inscription Pax vobis - “Peace be with you.”
The main “pearl” of the necropolis is the Slavin tomb - a common grave (here it seems like something like a military mass grave, but it’s not at all like that) of the most prominent Czech figures - Alphonse Mucha, Bohumil Kafka (not the Kafka who wrote “The Castle” and “ Transformation", he is buried at Olshansky New European), Karel Capek and many others.
The cemetery is not too old. It stands on the site of a very ancient churchyard, dating back to the 12th century, but it was rebuilt and dug up, and from the 17th century, dead parishioners of the Visegrad Chapter began to be buried here.
There is no special atmosphere in the cemetery. Even when I walked here in a snowless and surprisingly warm December (in a dress without tights and a warm jacket) early in the morning, and there was no one in the cemetery except me, I still didn’t feel anything special. There is no cemetery atmosphere at all, as if you are walking in a museum. Aunties periodically run around with rags and buckets, rubbing marble, scraping fences.
From time to time I came there to take photographs, and photographed there myself, but
in this regard, the Olshanskoe cemetery is more suitable, it is more beautiful there, and everything is wilder, more unbridled. You can feel the hand of time there, but on Visegradsky they argue with time.
There are flowers everywhere, in summer and winter - tourists and newlyweds, historical circles and various organizations constantly supply them to the deceased.
The cemetery gallery pleases the eye.
There are simply stunning sculptures there; you can spend hours looking at them.
Suddenly the last statue does not shine with cleanliness, which is surprising.
And some more beautiful cemetery moments:
Vysehrad is a historical district of Prague, located above the Vltava River. This river is famous among local townspeople for various historical events. Several centuries ago, an entire dynasty of Přemyslid kings lived in this territory.
Today Vysehrad is an ancient area where the Cathedral of Saints Peter and Paul proudly stands. Prague Castle, consisting of an ancient fortress and other architectural monuments, was once a very important place for the princes living here, and even King Vratislav II took part of these places under your possession.
Since that time, many historical events have happened in Visegrad: the first coin was minted, a stone castle was built in the Romanesque style, royal houses and holy buildings were erected. Under the leadership of Charles IV, the palace of the kings was renovated and new fortresses were built. However, already in the 17th century, Vysehrad became a place protected on all sides by a strong brick wall, and the local cemetery was henceforth intended for the burials of important Czech people.
Since the 19th century, the cemetery has become the burial place of almost 600 major figures of the Czech national revival. The tombstones were created by the best sculptors of the time. The cemetery territory is divided into 15 sectors.
In the eastern part of the cemetery there is the Slavín burial vault - a common grave of men and women who glorified the Czech people with their deeds. Slavin was built in 1889-1893 according to the design of the architect Antonin Viel.
List of buried
Composers, musicians:
Bedrich Smetana (1824-1884) - Czech composer, founder of the national school of composition.
Antonin Dvorak (1841-1904) is an outstanding Czech composer.
Zdenek Fibich (1850-1900) - Czech composer, representative of the romantic movement.
Otakar Ostrcil (1879–1935) was a Czech composer and conductor.
Wilem Kurtz Jr. (1872-1945) - pianist and teacher.
Karel Ancherl (1908-1973) - conductor.
Rafael Kubelik (1914-1996) - conductor and composer.
Artists, sculptors:
Alphonse Mucha (1860-1939) - painter, theater artist, illustrator, representative of the Art Nouveau style.
Mikolas Ales (1852-1913) - artist and illustrator.
Max Shvabinsky (1873-1962) - artist.
Josef Myslbek (1848-1922) - sculptor.
Ladislav Shaloun (1870-1946) - sculptor.
Writers, poets:
Karel Capek (1890-1938) - an outstanding Czech writer and playwright.
Karel Hynek Macha (1810-1836) - Czech romantic poet, founder of national poetry.
Jaroslav Vrchlicky (1853-1912) - Czech poet, playwright and translator.
Svatopluk Cech (1846-1908) - Czech writer and poet.
Frantisek Grubin (1910-1971) - Czech poet, prose writer, translator.
Bozena Nemcova (1820-1862) - Czech writer, founder of national prose.
Jan Neruda (1834-1891) - Czech prose writer.
Vitezslav Nezval (1900–1958) was a Czech surrealist poet.
Vaclav Benes Trebizsky (1849-1884) - Czech writer.
Others:
Milada Gorakova (1901-1950) was a victim of communist repression.
Yaroslav Heyrovsky (1890-1967) - chemist, Nobel Prize laureate.
Josef Bican (1913-2001) - football player.
Vlasta Burian (1891-1962) - actor.
Zdenek Kopal (1914-1993) - astronomer.
