Ivan Novotný

* 1958

The Student activist during the Velvet revolution in Czechoslovakia
17. 11. - 29. 12. 1989 - The Velvet Revolution in Czechoslovakia, 17. 11. 1989 - Demonstration at Národní třída
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    Elections into the strike committee of students at the Academy of Arts, Architecture and Design in Prague

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    “We appointed several people into certain functions. The biggest problem, however, was due to our initiative, appointing also our shadow successors, since we counted on the worst scenario – on physical liquidation. Despite of me being a chairman of the Socialist Youth Union, my colleagues, classmates decided, I would become a leader of the occupation committee. They appointed my shadow successor as well. We divided functions according to the fact there was a given number of students. In front of the door there were always three students with a key from school. The school was locked and there were students standing behind the partially glassed-in door, through which they could see. If someone wanted to enter the school, he rang the bell and the door opened. Three people were there for the safety reasons. Two would be too little in case of a physical attack. You know, two are being attacked, whilst the third one runs to inform about what´s happening. There were three people at the door all the time, taking turns in one hour intervals. At the first meeting we arranged our next goals. Firstly, we began the occupation strike. Secondly no alcohol was allowed, smoking was permitted only at the courtyard, not inside. The alcohol was the most strictly monitored. I had experience with two people. As soon as I caught somebody consuming alcohol, I said: ‘One of us has to leave, either you, or me!’ And the person had to leave the school. People took it not as only because of the alcohol, but because of launching a change. Another thing was that we divided into three groups. The first one went to the dorms, took sleeping bags, clothes and toiletries to be able to decently live there, maybe even for half a year.”

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    University strike during the Velvet Revolution

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    “They were experienced from 1968 when something similar happened at schools and they knew what was going to happen each day. On the third day of occupation strikes there was an interesting situation – in front of schools there were buses driving loaded with militiamen. Approximately at that time we began receiving provoking phone calls like: ‘Listen, just leave the school, as armed militiamen are coming for you. They are going to liquidate you.’ Well, we didn´t feel like laughing after such a phone call. We summoned a meeting and I told them about the phone call. After the third day, people couldn´t sleep anymore and the psyche began functioning much differently than during the normal circumstances. People started to create chaos. Certain number of people left the school with excuses like: ‘Listen, Ivan, here it´s all right, I am going to help out the revolution in our village.’ Or: ‘Ivan, we are going to pray for you at the dorms. That has a greater meaning,’ faithful Christians said. So some people left the school, but no one could blame them for that.”

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    Enemy of the socialist system

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    “I went to talent exams to Prague for the fifth or I don´t even know which time.” “Did you know back then they didn´t want to accept you because of your father?” “I didn´t realize it back then. Many things happening in life we comprehend much later. If I had seen my personal evaluation, I would have known. I was aware of the fact that my father was an enemy of the socialism, since once he called them “dirty bastards”. I had an experience of being at the talent exams and when handing in my work, other guys told me: ‘Ivan, your work is perfect, you are for sure accepted right away, but what about us?’ Of course I wasn´t accepted, because my personal (political) evaluation went first. It was a secondary thing to see the quality of my work left behind. Even the last time I tried to pass the talent exams, I received an answer of not being accepted. Yet only according to my written appeal they finally took me. So in 1986 I began studying at the Academy of Arts, Architecture and Design in Prague.”

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    Watsonova 4, Fakulta umení TUKE, Košice , 01.05.2017

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The worst of socialism are its consequences

foto Ivan Novotný
foto Ivan Novotný
photo: archív pamätníka
photo: archív pamätníka
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Ivan Novotný was born on January 12, 1958 in Bohemia. He studied artistic blacksmithing in Kremnica. In years 1977 - 1979 after unsuccessful attempts to enroll at a university he worked as a graphic artist at the District Educational Centre in Topoľčany. Subsequently he attended the compulsory military service in Prešov. Afterwards he settled in Košice and worked as a designer in Regional Promotional Centre Zdroj. In years 1984 - 1986 he worked as an artistic blacksmith and yet in 1986 he was accepted to study at the Academy of Arts, Architecture and Design in Prague (VŠUP) at the atelier of applied sculpture. Shortly before the Velvet Revolution Novotný as a Chairman of the Socialist Youth Union submitted a motion for its dissolution, which was approved.  Few days later, during the Velvet Revolution, he was active in VŠUP occupation, which lasted for one whole semester. After the November 1989 he lectured at the Prešov University and Technical University of Košice, where he works until present. He has no children and lives in Nižný Klátov.

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