21 August 1968 saw the armies of 5 back then socialist countries led by the Soviet Union illegally entering the territory of their partner in the Warsaw pact, which was at the time a military defense grouping of socialist countries. The invasion halted the process of democratization in the Communist-party-led Czechoslovakia. The ensuing changes in its leadership triggered the process of what became known as “normalization”, pursued by the party representatives loyal to the Soviet model of communism. One of the results of this development was the end of freedom of speech and of the press. In the show today, we will be talking about freedom of speech and press through the story of Agnesa Kalinova, one of the iconic voices of Radio Free Europe.
AUGUST 1968 Agnesa Kalinova Máte problém s prehrávaním? Nahláste nám chybu v prehrávači.
The Soviet army led invasion on 21 August 1968 marked the beginning of the end, not only for freedom of the press but also for freedom of expression in former Czechoslovakia. Slovak visual artist Rudo Sikora has first-hand experience with repressions, as he was the target of over 100 police investigations during period of normalisation in the 1970s and 1980s.
AUGUST 1968 Artists at Police Máte problém s prehrávaním? Nahláste nám chybu v prehrávači.
Stefan Kuffa, Martina Simkovicova as well as the Culture Ministry chief of staff Lukas Machala are members of a coalition party that received 5,6 % of all votes in the 2023 general elections and 1.9 % in the latest European Parliament elections. In response to all these facts, while wearing a T-shirt emblazoned with the numbers 5.6 and 1.9, visual artist Rudo Sikora is going to march from the Slovak National Gallery in Bratislava to the Culture Ministry offices today, Thursday, 22 August, and he will be holding his latest artwork entitled “Against the Cycle of Evil” . A large scale print of the work will be left at the Culture Ministry registry with Minister Martina Simkovicova marked as the addressee of the package.
