Stuha - pocta Jaroslavu Seifertovi

Stuha - pocta Jaroslavu Seifertovi (The Ribbon - Tribute to Jaroslav Seifert) is a concrete monument shaped like a ribbon rising toward the sky, standing in Prague's Žižkov district at the junction of Chelčického, Seifertova and Táboritská streets, next to the Lipanská tram stop.

Why is the monument located here?

Jaroslav Seifert was born in Žižkov and spent his childhood and youth there, identifying with this working-class Prague district throughout his life. The monument stands at the upper (eastern) end of Seifertova street, which bears his name, just past its junction with Lipanská street — right in the heart of the neighborhood the poet was tied to from childhood.

Why does the monument take the form of a ribbon?

Rather than a traditional figurative sculpture or bust, the artist chose an abstract ribbon of solid cast concrete, wrapping around a raised triangular surface at the junction. At one point the ribbon appears to tear open and lift upward — a gesture meant to symbolize the poet's strength of spirit. The ribbon's surface bears a quotation from his poem "Prosinec 1920" ("December 1920"): "to slovo letělo jak pták do sítě hvězd" ("that word flew like a bird into a net of stars").

Who designed the monument, and when was it unveiled?

The monument was created by sculptor Jan Roith, who waived his fee for the work. It was unveiled on 19 September 2016. The ceremony featured a children's choir performance, speeches by then-culture minister Daniel Herman and architecture historian Zdeněk Lukeš, a reading of Seifert's poem by actor and writer Zdeněk Svěrák, and attendees laying roses at the foot of the monument.

Who was Jaroslav Seifert?

Jaroslav Seifert (1901-1986) was a Czech poet, journalist and translator, and one of the founders of Poetism, an avant-garde current in interwar Czech poetry. In 1984 he became the first, and to date the only, Czech writer to receive the Nobel Prize in Literature. He was born and raised in Žižkov, at the time one of Prague's poorest working-class districts, an experience that left a lasting mark on his work — he repeatedly returned in his poems to the atmosphere and landscape of the neighborhood.

What else is worth seeing nearby?

The junction where the monument stands sits right in the middle of Žižkov, near the Lipanská tram stop, within easy reach of the Žižkov Television Tower with its climbing-baby sculptures, as well as the district's tenement houses and local pubs, which still preserve an authentic, unpolished character rarely aimed at tourists. It's a good stop for anyone looking to see Prague's Žižkov beyond the city-center trail.

Frequently asked questions

Where exactly is the Stuha - pocta Jaroslavu Seifertovi monument located? In Prague's Žižkov district (Prague 3), at the junction of Chelčického, Seifertova and Táboritská streets, next to the Lipanská tram stop.

Who designed the monument? Sculptor Jan Roith, who waived his fee for the work.

When was the monument unveiled? On 19 September 2016, with culture minister Daniel Herman, architecture historian Zdeněk Lukeš and actor Zdeněk Svěrák in attendance.

Why does the monument look like a ribbon rather than a traditional statue? The cast-concrete ribbon, which tears open and lifts toward the sky, is meant to symbolize the poet's strength of spirit — its surface carries a quotation from his poem "Prosinec 1920."

Why is Jaroslav Seifert commemorated in Žižkov specifically? Because he was born there and spent his childhood and youth in the district, identifying with it throughout his life.