Pictures of 1968 invasion appeal to Georgians

Zdeněk Mihalco, Roman Staněk and Naďa Straková
18. 8. 2008 17:30
Czech embassy proposes a way to support the locals
Photographs from the 1968 invasion displayed in front of the parliament
Photographs from the 1968 invasion displayed in front of the parliament | Foto: Roman Staněk

Tbilisi - The Georgian parliament building is holding an exhibition of photographs depicting the Warsaw Pact troops' invasion of Czechoslovakia on August 21, 1968 as well as pictures from the present war between Georgia and Russia that erupted two weeks ago.

The juxtaposition of these two events is more than clear.

"We were preparing an exhibit of photographs covering the years 1968 and 1989 in Tbilisi and some of my friends saw them and got an idea to exhibit these together with the pictures of the current conflict in Georgia. So we decided to lend the photographs to them," says Czech ambassador to Georgia and Armenia Ivan Jestřáb.

The exhibition was put together with the help of Czech embassy in Tbilisi
The exhibition was put together with the help of Czech embassy in Tbilisi | Foto: Roman Staněk

By displaying the pictures to the public the organizers wanted to send a signal that the events of the 1968 invasion in Czechoslovakia should not be repeated in Georgia.

Support of Georgians

Georgia's president Michail Saakashvili compared the arrival of the Russian army on Georgian territory to the Soviet invasions of Czechoslovakia in 1968 and Afghanistan in 1978.

Among those who draw parallels between the 1968 invasion and the current Russian-led intervention in Georgia is a Czech senator and former journalist Jaromír Štětina who visited Tbilisi last week.

"It is not Chechnya that I'm reminded of here, but the year 1968. The same spirit, protests against the occupiers, the same lies and arrogance from the Russian side. The actions taken by Kremlin are the same as as those 40 years ago, they have the same imperialist features. Only Kremlin is more dangerous than it was back then," said Štětina to Aktuálně.cz.

Read more: Czech senator returns to war reporting in Georgia

According to the Czech ambassador, the photographs have aroused enormous interest among the locals, including Georgian MPs and NGOs.

Georgians demonstrate against what they call the Russian invasion
Georgians demonstrate against what they call the Russian invasion | Foto: Roman Staněk

"Despite the fact that the 1968 occupation of Czechoslovakia cannot be automatically compared to the arrival of the Russian army to Georgia, it is symbolic in a way. We want to let the Georgian people know we sympathize with them and we support their territorial integrity," adds Jestřáb.

The exhibition of the 1968 and 1989 photographs is just one part of a series of events and activities prepared by the Czech Foreign Ministry to commemorate the 40th anniversary of the Warsaw Pact troops´ occupation.

The exhibition in its original conception will be launched in one of Tbilisi´s galleries on August 21.

 

Read more:

Josef Koudelka forgives Warsaw Pact troops for 1968

Soviet invasion of 1968 to have its own web page

1968: Bilateral meeting anticipated Soviet invasion

 

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