Irena Vyslyšelová

“However, there came the year 1968. The whole nation felt outraged and subdued by the incursion of the Russians. We organized rallies and happenings, even planting a linden in front of the school building. I remember that in Prostějov, the Russian soldiers shot a number of women. The situation was pretty charged in Olomouc as well, as there was a garrison stationed there. We would refuse them – the Russian soldiers would come to our happenings. In those days, I made a reputation for my anti-communist and anti-Soviet opinions. That was the reason for my later reprimand. I was invited to come to the district national committee. There was an inspector, her name was Kvasnicová and she was the dominant figure there. Even before I could sit down, she started yelling at me as if I was a little girl, accusing me of betraying our ideals! She told me I had no right to teach and made the proposal I should quit teaching. This was very painful for me. I was quite battered at that time.”

“On Sunday morning, we went to the church for service… Near the end of the prayer, there is a spot where it says ‘Lord have mercy on us’ and you strike your chest three times. By that time, I and my dad would already be backing out of the door, as that was about the time when the handball game was beginning at a nearby field. After the game, we would go home for lunch that my mother made. At one o’clock, there was the football match at Ander’s stadium, where my dad would regularly take me. I was keenly interested in all of this. I could sit there for hours. I had my own spot on the stand. The juniors played, followed by the first reserve and the league then played the fourth, the last match. I knew every single player, I can still recall their names today. I enjoyed it enormously.”

“At that time, they came overnight and the next morning, they were here! Olomouc, which had a garrison, was teeming with Russian soldiers! We were straight with the kids, telling them what was going on. Later, I once met one of my former pupils, by then already a women. She told me she remembered what I had told them in the days of the occupation: ‘Girls, remember that who comes at night is an occupier and who shoots at mothers and children, like they did in Prostějov, is a killer!’ She also told me that I had added the remark that I chose to tell them this now since I may later not have the chance to do so anymore.”

“I made a good choice because I was well suited for volleyball. There were two of from Olomouc in the national team. I still keep a newspaper article that was written after the championship in Paris saying that Špelinová and Vyslyšelová were the best ones in the whole national team.”