A heart so full of life

Rudolf Medek is a symbolic figure of the founding of Czechoslovakia. The young teacher first flirted with decadent poetry, but then the war came and the poet Medek enlisted. He soon defected to the Russian side to join the Czechoslovak formations in Rus, where he commanded intelligence units, received several decorations and became one of the key Czechoslovak figures in Russia. After returning to his homeland, he served as a soldier, did not shy away from political skirmishes, and wrote legionary novels, plays and poetry. Death took him by surprise in 1940, at the age of just fifty. His difficult life and controversial views are also reflected in his "second" life, that is, after 1940. He was banned, slandered, denigrated and forgotten. This book commemorates the life story of a poet and soldier for whom patriotism was never an empty concept.