THE 1968 Soviet-led occupation of Czechoslovakia by Warsaw-Pact armies was commemorated this year in many places around Slovakia. The infamous intervention killed dozens of people and ended hopes for a “political thaw” and “communism with a human face”.
More than 40 period photographs by Branislav Zrutta depicting the Warsaw Pact armies’ crossing through the western-Slovak town of Myjava on August 21, 1968, can be seen in a local square. The exhibition also includes current photos to give people an idea of the path the tanks and military vehicles took.
Numerous documents showing the course of events are also presented, like reports of the then local Myjavský Obzor periodical, official documents and the resolution of the locals against the occupation. Myjava spokesperson Marek Hrin told the TASR newswire that there were no fatalities directly in the town, but in the nearby town of Brezová pod Bradlom, a Soviet tank killed one person who ironically ran to welcome the occupation armies.
The exhibition will run until the end of August, and could be extended if it garners enough interest. It is located under two tents in a public space so it is freely accessible 24/7, Hrin informed.
2. Sep 2013 at 0:00 | Compiled by Zuzana Vilikovská
