On Monday, the campus was bustling from early morning. Among those curious about the campus were the Czech Television or radio Orion, which broadcasted the whole event through several live feeds. Journalists with cameras paraded through the buildings and at the press conference in the new chamber hall of the Faculty of Fine Arts and Music. In addition to the interviews with representatives of the university, the city, the region and the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports, they also heard the first concert demonstration performed by pianist Eliška Novotná and Lukáš Michel, interpreting a Lachian song.

The midday rain stopped just in time for the unveiling of the bench named in the honor of Václav Havel, a commemorative place for meeting and dialogue. Ostrava’s bench is the historically fiftieth built – the first was unveiled on a university campus in Washington in 2013. The Dean of the Faculty of Education of the UO, Daniel Jandačka, was responsible for its placement on the university campus. In his speech he pointed out the need to look back and reflect on the faculty in the context of the past regime. The Governor of the Moravian-Silesian region, Ivo Vondrák, was also present at the ceremony, Daniel Jandačka conveyed the words of Dagmar Havlová, and Havel himself was also remembered by his close friend, the Rector Emeritus of the Janáček Academy of Performing Arts and playwright, Petr Oslzlý. The Rector of the University of Ostrava, Jan Lata, symbolically cut the ribbon to the song Modlitba pro Martu (a Prayer for Martha). The song was sung by Martina Vaculová, a student of the Faculty of Fine Arts and Music, and sent literal chills down the spines of the audience. The celebratory event was closed by a choir of students and teachers singing the song Proč bychom se netěšili (Why Wouldn’t We Be Happy).

I am glad that we can meet here at the opening of the City Campus of the University of Ostrava. The road to get here was long, often thorny, but clearly successful. Rather than dozens, hundreds of people have contributed to get here.

The guests then moved to the ball sports hall. Rector Jan Lata opened the programme by presenting the UO award for contribution to freedom and democracy to Petr Fiala, which the university had awarded him at the Academic Day in November 2022. Petr Fiala is the third recipient after Petr Pithart and Adam Michnik to receive such award from the UO.

“I am glad that we can meet here at the opening of the City Campus of the University of Ostrava. The road to get here was long, often thorny, but clearly successful. Rather than dozens, hundreds of people have contributed to get here,” opened Jan Lata, beginning the official part of the campus opening. He was followed by the Czech Prime Minister Petr Fiala.

The fact that this multi-purpose complex combines education with leisure activities is something that will put Ostrava among one of the leading European cities and make it even more attractive place to study.

“The university is starting this year with a major transformation of its university facilities. It is certainly a significant milestone in the history of the university and it is also a milestone in the development of the City of Ostrava itself. Personally, it makes me happy and I think that it should be that way everywhere. Unfortunately, it is not always the case that you look at a project from its inception as something that is meant to serve not only the university, but also the academic community and the public. And I think that the fact that this multi-purpose complex combines education with leisure activities is something that will put Ostrava among one of the leading European cities and make it even more attractive place to study,” said Petr Fiala in his speech.

After several speeches by various guests and the ribbon-cutting ceremony, students from the Faculty of Fine Arts and Music accompanied by a brass quintet sang the student hymn Gaudeamus Igitur.

I am looking forward to the consultancy of movement programs the most, where they will, for example, help you improve your running style based on measurements.

At three o’clock in the afternoon, the time for guided tours of the buildings came. Guests were guided by students and teachers. “The guides were great and at each stop I was able to ask questions. I am looking forward to the consultancy of movement programs the most, where they will, for example, help you improve your running style based on measurements,” told us one visitor, adding that the most curious guests toured the sports building for an hour and a half. They could meet, for example, a gymnast Radomír Slíž, who has achieved several competitive placements including the World Cup. Thanks to the certified gymnastics hall, Radomír can now train intensively at the new campus.

In the building for Art and Design, the guests walked through the chamber hall and soundproof classrooms, where the students of the music part of the Faculty of Fine Arts and Music will be practicing in a few days. The publicly open part of the building includes a new exhibition hall, where the works of the first exhibition have just been installed. Moreover, after dark, one of the walls of the building came to life with an original conception of video mapping, which was the last item of the opening ceremony of these new and important Ostrava landmarks.