The National Museum will open a memorial at Vítkov at the end of October

Prague - The National Museum in Prague will open the National Memorial at Vítkov at the end of October, the reconstruction of which began in 2006. According to General Director Michal Lukeš, it will initially be a trial operation.
    "We will offer the public a permanent exhibition 'Crossroads of Czech and Czechoslovak Statehood', in which we will capture significant turning points in the history of the 20th century, when statehood and the ideological concept of the state changed dramatically,” Lukeš told ČTK. He pointed out that by taking over the National Memorial at Vítkov with the grave of the Unknown Soldier and the equestrian statue of Jan Žižka from Trocnov, the museum took on the demanding task eight years ago of ensuring its reconstruction.
    "Additionally, we aim to rehabilitate, revitalize, and open this predominantly closed facility to the public. We are trying to do our utmost to ensure that this place is not just a silent symbol of our statehood, but also a modern museum where especially younger generations can become acquainted with important moments of recent history," Lukeš added.
    The memorial now features a range of interesting architectural elements, including a newly built observation deck on the roof with an impressive view of the Prague panorama. The spaces outside the terrace are barrier-free.
    According to Lukeš, the total cost of the Vítkov reconstruction reached 321 million crowns, provided by the Ministry of Culture. "The reconstruction of the monumental equestrian statue of Žižka is planned for 2010-2011, with total costs estimated at 30 million," Lukeš added. Throughout November, entrance to the memorial will be free, according to him.
    After two months, the National Museum is ending guided tours of the new building of the National Museum, the adjacent former Federal Assembly building, which were attended by almost ten thousand people. However, its doors will remain wide open to the public. Until January 6, visitors can view the exhibition "Košice Golden Treasure" there.
    The last guided tours, which began in mid-August, will take place on Sunday, October 18. The museum invited interested visitors on a journey through the historical events that took place here and through the interesting architectural elements. From October 9 to 16, part of the festival "4 + 4 Days in Motion" took place here.
    "On November 17, an extensive and unique exhibition titled 'For Freedom' will be opened on the ground floor of the building. It will reflect the atmosphere in Czechoslovakia in the 50s, 70s, and 80s of the 20th century, touching on the 1960s as well. It will focus on access to free information, propaganda, and various interpretations of individual events from that period,” Lukeš characterized the exhibition.
    It will last until July 6 and will be divided into two parts. The first will be devoted to the 1950s - their darker aspects, such as political trials, impenetrability of borders, and changes in social structure. It will showcase the penetration of information from outside through listening to foreign radio - symbolized by a balloon from which leaflets of Radio Free Europe were dropped over the territory of the republic. The courtroom enclosure from the trial of Milada Horáková and her last letter will also be on display.
    The second part will provide a view of the 70s and 80s, the era of normalization. It will recall a stylized "samizdat workshop," exile literature, and the broadcasting of Radio Free Europe in the 70s and 80s. The exhibition is being prepared by the National Museum in cooperation with the Military History Institute Prague.