Velvet Revolution
On November 17, Slovakia and the Czech Republic mark 30 years since the Velvet Revolution, a wave of demonstrations that toppled the communist regime in Czechoslovakia in 1989.
Katarína Kaszasová: From dissident’s granddaughter to Slovakia’s top auditor
Auditors are like detectives, says head of Auditing Oversight Authority.Jana Liptáková, 19. May 2020, at 9:41
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How we stopped being comrades
Freedom is not a birthright. No generation receives freedom ready-made and perfect: pre-prepared for consumption.Beata Balogová, 6. Apr 2020, at 13:29
Book about communist Czechoslovakia honours the Slovak journey
Authors Zuzana Palovic and Gabriela Bereghazyova were born behind the Iron Curtain but raised in a free world.Anna Fay, 1. Feb 2020, at 16:44
What the president said about the anniversary of the Velvet Revolution
Someone attempted to shake the foundations and we are still able to argue about ornaments. Read the whole speech of President Zuzana Čaputová.Zuzana Čaputová18. Nov 2019, at 15:10
Blog: 30 years after the Velvet Revolution, we still haven't found a Slovak original
November 17, 1989 was all about giving another chance to dreams stolen in 1948 and 1968.Andrea Sadloňová18. Nov 2019, at 14:38
Crossing the Slovak-Austrian border has never become a matter of course for me
How I ran for Mária Rozmaňová who was killed on the border in 1952.Jana Liptáková, 18. Nov 2019, at 14:16
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Čaputová on the anniversary: Democracy is an opportunity
Politicians celebrated 30 years of freedom, too.Compiled by Spectator staff, 18. Nov 2019, at 13:06
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For a Decent Slovakia gathering: The legacy of November 1989 lives on
The organisers and participants stressed the importance of the 2020 general election.Compiled by Spectator staff, 17. Nov 2019, at 20:20
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Freedom can be lost democratically, from the inside
Has the country survived the abductions of the state, the inoculation of Mečiar, Fico governments and the Kočner underworld without harm to democracy?Beata Balogová, 17. Nov 2019, at 18:46
Velvet Revolution Square takes its place in Bratislava
Part of SNP Square, where mass rallies against the communist regime took place 30 years ago, has been named after the Velvet Revolution.Compiled by Spectator staff, 16. Nov 2019, at 15:48
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1989 taught us that we the people are powerful
But it has taken us a long time to learn this lesson.Michaela Terenzani, 16. Nov 2019, at 13:00
How the Velvet Revolution happened (timeline)
Day-by-day overview of the fall of totalitarian regime in Czechoslovakia.Sme, UPN15. Nov 2019, at 12:00
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I was in the frontline because it reflected what I felt inside
One of the leaders of the 1989 student movement, Anton Popovič, remembers the fall of the totalitarian regime.Anton Popovič15. Nov 2019, at 12:00
spectacular slovakia podcast
The Velvet Revolution embodies a peaceful change
Professor Ľubica Lacinová remembers her life before and after 1989.Peter Dlhopolec, 14. Nov 2019, at 16:26
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1989: I knew immediately that Sľúbili sme si lásku would be a hit
People in the streets weren’t damaged by the regime; it rather annoyed, tired and disgusted them, said the singer songwriter of the 1989 revolution anthem.Matúš Krčmárik14. Nov 2019, at 10:20
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The concentration of the automotive industry is now the Achilles’ heel of Slovakia
Former NBS governor Vladimir Masár was one of the people who facilitated Slovakia’s transition to a market economy.Jana Liptáková, 12. Nov 2019, at 13:31
Interview
Prague was supposed to be a quiet posting when I arrived in 1987
A Canadian diplomat thinks back to his time in Czechoslovakia during the Velvet Revolution.Anna Fay, 11. Nov 2019, at 19:19
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Slovaks live better now than before 1989, statistics show
But many people still yield to myths about the communist regime and nostalgia.Jana Liptáková, 11. Nov 2019, at 12:27
Paneláky are an irony of history
Many older Slovaks are nostalgic of the job security and the flats they got “from the state for free” before 1989.Anca Dragu, 11. Nov 2019, at 11:44
More than 100 events will commemorate the Velvet Revolution
Project creators renamed revolution as evolution.Compiled by Spectator staff, 7. Nov 2019, at 11:02
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- 1. Why are there so many castles in Slovakia? Plus
- 2. Štrbské Pleso could become merely a bag of cheap tourist tricks Photo
- 3. One-fifth of Slovaks do not believe official data on coronavirus testing
- 4. Coronavirus in Slovakia: No new case confirmed (graphs)
- 5. People from Slovakia will be able to stay abroad for longer, cinemas and theatres to open on Sundays
- 6. E-quarantine now possible via Apple phones (news digest) Photo
- 7. Must-visit from Bratislava: Pajštún Castle Photo
- 8. Bratislava airport changes into a temporary parking area for aircraft Photo
- 9. Popular lake near Banská Štiavnica to get promenade Photo
- 10. Roundup: Čaputová’s honey bees and hiking tips for the last weekend of May Photo
- 1. Why are there so many castles in Slovakia? Plus
- 2. One-fifth of Slovaks do not believe official data on coronavirus testing
- 3. Central crisis staff has not decided on ending the state of emergency yet (news digest) Photo
- 4. New rules for wearing masks come into force
- 5. Štrbské Pleso could become merely a bag of cheap tourist tricks Photo
- 6. Coronavirus in Slovakia: No new case confirmed (graphs)
- 7. Coronavirus imported to Slovakia from over 50 countries
- 8. Bratislava airport changes into a temporary parking area for aircraft Photo
- 9. People from Slovakia will be able to stay abroad for longer, cinemas and theatres to open on Sundays
- 10. E-quarantine now possible via Apple phones (news digest) Photo
- 1. People from Slovakia will be able to stay abroad for longer, cinemas and theatres to open on Sundays
- 2. Why are there so many castles in Slovakia? Plus
- 3. One-fifth of Slovaks do not believe official data on coronavirus testing
- 4. MFA: It is too early to talk about complete easing of borders (news digest) Photo
- 5. Coronavirus in Slovakia: No new case confirmed (graphs)
- 6. Central crisis staff has not decided on ending the state of emergency yet (news digest) Photo
- 7. Austrian chancellor sees summer tourism as a zero-sum game
- 8. Coronavirus imported to Slovakia from over 50 countries
- 9. Coronavirus travel restrictions on Slovakia's borders: How to visit the neighbouring countries
- 10. Some airlines plan to launch flights soon