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Jan Palach Commemoration

In the evening of 20th January 2020, London’s Velehrad hosted a memorial service in commemoration of the death of Jan Palach and the events of 1968/69. The evening began with a speech given in honour of Jan Palach and by a minute of silence in honour of philosopher Sir Roger Scruton, whose recent death shook the community. The representative of the Embassy of the Czech Republic in London paid tribute to Jan Palach on behalf of the collective by placing a bouquet of flowers at the memorial plaque dedicated to him.

The programme then continued inside of Velehrad’s hall, where the organisation’s representatives explained the evening’s significance and shared their own memories of the events taking place in 1968/69. The guests were then invited to talk about their own experiences and impressions of that period. The shared stories talked about human destiny and collective solidarity, whilst emphasising that democracy is a very vulnerable establishment.

The evening was concluded by a classical music concert performed by SMETANA PIANO TRIO. The dynamic tempo of the concert reflected both the turmoil and human determination that symbolise the year 1968/69. The guests were invited for a small reception with refreshments provided by Velehrad during the concert’s break.

The whole evening was accompanied by personal memories and experiences that managed to overcome the obstacles of fate and bring together Czech and Slovak compatriots, thanks to whom this memory is preserved.

Jan Palach commemoration

Jan Palach commemoration

Classical music concert performed by SMETANA PIANO TRIO

Classical music concert performed by SMETANA PIANO TRIO