A Life Shaped by Borders Born in 1959 in the small Czech village of Úvaly, near Valtic, Robert Polách lived a life deeply connected to the soil and the shifting political tides of his homeland. His early years were rooted in the agricultural traditions of the region, following his studies at a secondary agricultural school in Prostějov. He spent much of his working life within the rhythms of animal production, serving as a zootechnician for local agricultural cooperatives such as JZD Hraničář. This connection to the land and the practicalities of rural existence provided a foundation of resil…