The flight of fighter jets over Prague, which Duka ordered, was eventually canceled by the organizers
Duka requested the Minister of Defense Lubomír Metnar (for YES) to fly military planes over Prague. And he suits him. However, after Hřib’s criticism, the organizers eventually canceled the plan, even though they did not consider his arguments to be justified, the director of the Charles Bridge Museum, Zdeněk Bergman, said on behalf of the organizers.
“The Midsummer Association will respect the wishes of Mayor Hřib and there will be no flight,” Bergman said. He added, however, that the passage of military aircraft is common throughout the country to celebrate various anniversaries. “In Prague, we are witnessing flights during reverential acts in Vítkov or Klárov, which lies in the immediate vicinity of the Vltava. It is not a rule that military machines always accompany only acts organized by the state itself, but also by many non-state associations and associations that maintain traditions, “he said.
It will be loud, Prague announced
Prague learned about the event from a letter that only controls it about the expected increased noise. Mayor Hřib stated that he did not agree with the flight of machines in the city center.
According to the city, the relevant department of the Ministry of Defense sets the minimum altitude for the flight of a group of aircraft at 500 stops, ie about 150 meters. Aircraft normally have a minimum allowable height of 300 meters. Machines that are to fly over Prague at about 19:50. The event was also approved by the Military Office of the President of the Republic, the municipality added.
Army: It’s nothing special
According to the spokesperson of the General Staff Magdalena Dvořáková, this is nothing extraordinary. She said that last week the fighters flew over Pilsen, which celebrated the day of the liberation of the US military. But that is not true. The flight of fighter jets in Pilsen, where people were waiting for them, was canceled at the last minute. The rationale was that aircraft performed other tasks.
According to Dvořáková, Duke justified the request for five years by saying that Nepomucký has five stars displayed in the halo and was thrown into the Vltava from Charles Bridge.
“I consider this way of exploiting the historic center to be disrespectful and uncultured. I consider it extremely inappropriate to connect church issues with the army, “Hřib said.”
On the occasion of the 300th anniversary of the beatification of St. John of Nepomuk, five military jets of the Czech Army at a reduced flight altitude over Charles Bridge will fly over on Saturday 15 May at 7.50 pm. I personally do not agree with this flight.
– Zdenek Hrib (@ZdenekHrib) May 13, 2021
If the Boletus hadn’t announced it, no one would know
Nevertheless, the flight of planes was not even mentioned in the program of the Midsummer Festival. Hřib is the first to apply to the fighter flight plan.
Midsummer festivities were already in Prague in the Baroque period, the current organizers renewed them in 2009. They are always celebrated on the eve of the feast of St. John of Nepomuk, this year they will also commemorate 300 years since the saint’s beatification.
According to the website, the program will include mass events in the St. Vitus Cathedral, processing on Charles Bridge, a boat regatta, a cruise of hardened people, devotion in the church of St. Francis of Assisi on Křižovnické Square and a concert on the surface of the Vltava under Charles Bridge.
The Czech martyr Jan Nepomucký has a statue on Charles Bridge, commemorating his death in 1393. According to legend, he was a confessor to the wife of King Wenceslas IV, Queen Sophia, and refused to divulge the secret of confession. He was therefore dropped into the Vltava.
King Wenceslas IV. according to history, he really had disputes with Jan of Pomuk (today’s village of Nepomuk) after Jan, as vicar general, unexpectedly quickly confirmed the new abbot in Kladruby and the king did not have time to object. Nevertheless, the king planned to fill the post with his man. John of Pomuk was captured by the king’s supporters, tortured and later thrown into the Vltava.