The men rode horses to Brno for three days: We hear allusions to the Red Army uniform

“The weather was harsh, especially Tuesday was challenging. But after all, it was supposed to be a war,” acknowledged the head of the group, Ivan Vystrčil, after dismounting from his horse. “On the way, we only had minor hiccups, for example, our horses ran away. But only a bit,” he described with a smile.

“I’m an active rider, but after those thirty kilometers in the saddle every day, I was glad to be down. And I’m most looking forward to taking off my uniform in the evening and having soup,” he admitted.

Especially with the current situation in Ukraine, the sight of a person in a Red Army uniform may not be to everyone’s taste. “Well, there were some hints, but we explained it to people. My character represents the commander of the 136th Cavalry Regiment, who was Ukrainian. This was a victory for everyone and history should be taken that way. Grafting into the present is the road to hell,” thought Vystrčil.

At the same time, he recalled that history is often understood in a simplistic way. “Something was poured into the concrete and there was freedom,” he waved his hand at the rather dilapidated monument to the Red Army soldiers at the Central Cemetery in Brno.

“There were specific people and specific stories. Somewhere in the chronicles you will read that people remembered how good the Germans were and how bad the Russians were. And elsewhere it’s the other way around. Consider that when Adolf Hitler spoke about the Munich Conference, he said the word peace sixteen times. And when you look at that time, it gives you chills, because the similarity somewhere is not purely coincidental,” he emphasized in conclusion.

Among the dozens of people watching the memorial service were young men in historical uniforms who introduced themselves as Karel and Adam. “We wanted to honor the memory of the fallen, that’s why we’re here. And since we are interested in military history, we thought that at least we would look thematic,” said the young people.