The call for the repair of Kyselka was joined by Mádl, Mardoša, and Hanychová

photo: Lukáš Podhorský

Prague - More public figures have joined the call from students and artists for the company Karlovarské minerální vody (KMV) to take action to repair the devastated Kyselka spa in Karlovy Vary. On Tuesday, student activists plan to publish their own versions of advertisements for the Mattoni mineral water online, as prepared by artist Roman Týc. The dilapidated, monumentally protected spa was recently highlighted by a student happening in Prague and a photographic campaign on Prague's trams.
Among those joining the student action are actor Jiří Mádl, writer Jaroslav Rudiš, bassist of the band Tata Bojs Mardoša, silver medalist kayaker from the London Olympics Vavřinec Hradilek, and model Agáta Hanychová. All will feature in a new video spot on the theme "What will I do when Mattoni repairs Kyselka?" "We can reveal in advance that Agáta Hanychová will pour Mattoni over herself naked in Staromák," said one of the activists, Matěj Chytil, to ČTK today.
On the fashion website Fashionbook.cz, which also supported the call, a fashion story photographed directly in the devastated spa grounds will appear on Tuesday.
Earlier, video spots have surfaced online, featuring well-known personalities appealing to the public to take an interest in the Kyselka issue. In the video, musician David Koller, gymnast Věra Čáslavská, architect David Vávra, and artist David Černý discuss the condition of the spa.
The company KMV, which is one of the owners of the properties, has already allocated 60 million crowns for the repairs of two buildings in Kyselka this year. The company claims it only owns minor parts of the devastated buildings, bears no responsibility for the others, and that its business has had no impact on the condition of the properties. However, activists argue that KMV and the companies with which it is personnel-linked own practically all the buildings and land in the former spa, and are thus responsible for their devastation as well.
For inadequate care of some heritage sites, KMV was fined 1.8 million crowns by the Karlovy Vary magistrate earlier this year; the regional office confirmed it, and the company intends to fight it in court.