The Czech Republic commemorates the 85th anniversary of the birth of Václav Havel

05.10.2021 / 14:22 | Aktualizováno: 10.10.2021 / 09:45

"In October this year, Václav Havel would celebrate his 85th birthday, and in December it will be ten years since the news of his demise hit the whole world. He was a renowned writer, a prominent dissident imprisoned for many years for his tireless commitment to the defense of human rights, the president of Czechoslovakia and the Czech Republic, who, like no other, has earned the international status, prestige and authority of our country in the world. At the same time, he felt a citizen of the whole world and became an example of a statesman who sought greater understanding between different cultures and religions and a dignified coexistence of the inhabitants of the Earth. His spiritual legacy for future generations lies, for example, in the idea that freedom is a worthwhile value, in knowing the power of the helpless, and in believing in the ideal of truth and love. Václav Havel was above all a man who remained faithful to the principles of decency, he was able to sympathize with others, and looked at himself with the rare gift of self-irony. That is why he received recognition, friendship and love from important representatives of spiritual, political and cultural life across continents. The series of snapshots from the workshop of his long-time collaborator Mr. Ivo Šilhavý is a beautiful proof of that."