We have kept our faith and our farm all our lives
Download image
Ludmila Melichaříková was born on 24 February 1935 in the village of Malá Lhota near Valašské Meziříčí. Her parents, Anna and Josef Novosad, were poor, hard-working people who raised three children - Ludmila had two more siblings. At the end of the World War II, as the liberation front approached, when Soviet soldiers of the 17th Guards Rifle Corps had to fight for their positions for several days, the Novosads lived in a basement shelter and after the fighting was over, they took part in the celebrations of their regained freedom. Ludmila Melichaříková’s family owned a small farm, including two cows and a pig, from which they had to make mandatory deliveries throughout the communist regime. However, they never joined a cooperative farm. Similarly, they maintained their Catholic faith throughout the entire period of totalitarianism. Because of her poor conditions, Ludmila Melichaříková had to start working right after finishing primary school. She and her husband Josef were married in the church and together they raised three children. Ludmila Melichaříková was living in the Home for the Elderly in Rožnov pod Radhoštěm at the time of the interview in 2024.
