I don’t see military officers as often anymore, but a cop on the street still gives me the chills.
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Ivan Bacina was born on 14 March 1964 in Čáslav. His father was a career soldier with the rank of major and worked as the head of the airport administration in Čáslav. His mother Hana was a worker and a member of the street committee, both were members of the Communist Party of Czechoslovakia (KSČ). After finishing primary school in Čáslav, Ivan Bačina trained as a locksmith in ČKD Kutná Hora. From his youth he wore long hair, for which he was expelled from driving school. From 1983 to 1985 he performed basic military service in the Czechoslovak People’s Army, starting in the NCO school in Prešov and then continuing in the unit in Janovice nad Úhlavou. At both places he experienced bullying, and for an incident in which he assaulted a non-commissioned officer he earned a sentence in military prison. From 1985 he increasingly attended concerts by unauthorised bands, often staying in Křepice na Moravě or Havlíčkův Brod. After a search and interrogation by State Security, he decided to move permanently to Havlíčkův Brod. He showed his opposition to the regime by signing declarations or petitions. He took part in demonstrations against the ruling communist regime, held a hunger strike for Pavel Wonka, or was involved in the activities of the independent initiative Havlíčkův Youth. He also became a member of the Movement for Civil Liberty. In 2021, the Ministry of Defence awarded him the Third Resistance Participant Award for fighting and resisting communism. At the time of filming in October 2024, Ivan Bačina lived in Mírovka near Havlíčkův Brod.
