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Letter from Prague1989 from abroad
The events of 1989 commemorated 20 years on this week brought back many
emotional memories. I was 19 when it happened, still living at home, only
not in Czechoslovakia, but in Canada. Like thousands of others of Czech
descent, born in new countries, I watched the Velvet Revolution unfold on
the TV screen, night after night, until, somehow, miraculously at the end
of it, the Communist system crumbled and collapsed.
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Current AffairsMarch that sparked Velvet Revolution re-created in Prague
The people of the Czech Republic have been marking the 20th anniversary of
the start of the Velvet Revolution, which led to the collapse of the
country’s Communist government after over four decades of repression. The
main event on Tuesday was the re-enactment in Prague of the student
demonstration that sparked those changes in 1989.
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Czechs TodayPrayer for Marta singer Kubišová recalls dramatic comeback during 1989's Velvet Revolution
Modlitba pro Martu, A Prayer for Marta, is a song that for many people will
be forever associated with Czechoslovakia’s Velvet Revolution of 1989.
Performed by the 1960s Czech pop star Marta Kubišová, it had
previously come to symbolise resistance to the 1968 Soviet-led invasion. More
SpecialVelvet at the Film School – discussing the legacy of the Velvet Revolution
Our special programme marking the 20th anniversary of the fall of communism
was recorded on November 9 in front of a live audience at Prague’s
celebrated film and TV academy. Radio Prague’s Jan Richter chaired a
fascinating and lively discussion about the Velvet Revolution, its legacy
and meaning for today. On the panel were: Jiří Stránský: a Czech writer
who spent much of the 1950s in communist prisons; Václav Bartuška: a
student activist at the time of the revolution and the first person to be
given access to the StB (secret police) files – he is now the Czech
Republic’s ambassador at large for energy security; Silvie Mitlenerová:
a current Charles University Student and a student activist in Democracy
Check-Up, a student initiative; Petr Slabý: a film maker and journalist,
and a student activist at the time, studying at FAMU; Pavel Jech: the dean
of FAMU, who spent the revolution in New York! The panel also answered
questions from the audience. Here is a transcript of the discussion
(shortened to fit the format of Radio Prague’s broadcasts), which began
with Pavel Jech saying a few words about why it was taking place at FAMU:
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Current AffairsVáclav Havel and guests mark 20 years since Velvet Revolution
The former president and one of the key figures of the Velvet Revolution
Václav Havel marked on Saturday the 20th anniversary of the fall of
communism. A conference “Freedom and its Enemies”, held at Charles
University, was followed by a concert “It’s Here at Last”, featuring
artists such as Joan Baez, Suzanne Vega and Lou Reed.
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PanoramaSuccessful Czech-Japanese entrepreneur Tomio Okamura on how Velvet Revolution changed his life
Czech-Japanese entrepreneur Tomio Okamura is a household name in the Czech
Republic, both for running a successful tourist business to representing
one of the country’s largest tourist associations. As an expert in his
field, Tomio makes numerous appearances on TV and radio and is also
jury member on a well-known business reality programme. His success, in a
way he says, is linked to one thing: the Velvet Revolution. Ahead of the
upcoming 20th anniversary, Tomio agreed to come in to the studio to
discuss
how the fall off Communism changed his life. He began by recalling the
atmosphere of 20 years ago. More
Czechs TodayFather and Son, 20 years after the Velvet Revolution
The fall of communism turned around the lives of millions of people. In a
special edition of Czechs Today we talk to a father and son of the same
name about how this dramatic change affected their lives. Petr Cibulka
senior was born in Opava and moved to Prague in August of 1989 –less than
three months before the Velvet Revolution broke out. He now owns a hotel in
Lednice, Moravia. His son Petr Cibulka junior belongs to the generation
which was barely touched by the communist regime. He moved to Prague at the
age of 15, later went for a study stay in the US and now works as a
researcher at the English-language newspaper The Prague Post.
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