Slovaks will celebrate anniversary of Velvet Revolution in a great way. Gatherings on the squares will commemorate 30 years since the fall of communism in Czechoslovakia.

Two gatherings in two different Bratislava squares and two ceremonial events in one building. The government, opposition, NGOs and the For a Decent Slovakia movement are organising their own event to mark the 30th anniversary of the 1989 Velvet Revolution, which toppled the totalitarian regime of former Czechoslovakia. The main event organised by the state on November 17, a national holiday, will be a memorial event in the new building of the Slovak National Theatre. The Government's Office under PM Peter Pellegrini has already invited Czech PM Andrej Babiš. Babiš’s spokesperson Jana Adamcová confirmed that he will celebrate the anniversary in Slovakia. Pellegrini will meet with Babiš in Prague where the Czech PM invited all the PMs of the V4 countries on November 17.

The same theatre building will host another event between 16:00 and 17:30, the ceremony of the White Crow awards that takes place every year on this day. The award, given out by non-governmental organisations, goes to whistleblowers and people who have contributed to transparency and fighting corruption in Slovakia.

President Zuzana Čaputová will commemorate the anniversary with Czech President Miloš Zeman on November 16. Zeman will come to visit Slovakia on the occasion of opening the Czech House and they will also symbolically recall the revolution.

Citizens on the streets

SNP and Freedom Squares in Bratislava will be occupied by people, citizens of Slovakia

Cultural events

In addition to the main programme, the Culture Ministry is also the organiser of cultural events, such as the State Chamber Orchestra concert in Žilina on November 21 or the State Opera of Banská Bystrica on November 16.

The Slovak National Theatre  will host ten discussion events during all November.

Other events:

• Klub 89: discussion with personalities of the Velvet Revolution in Brussels on November 6
• International scientific conference From Totalitarianism to Democracy in the historical building of the Slovak National Theatre (SND), November 12-13
• November 89 Exhibition at Bratislava Castle, November 14-February 2020
• Concert in SND, November 16

Levice

 There is an interesting exhobition „Normalised lives“ in Tekovian Museum in Levice which shows how peoples´lives were normalised from the beginning of Russian occupation in 1968 till November 1989.

There will be a big meeting on the Hero Square on 17 November 2019 in the town of Levice, thousand of inhabitants of Levice region will remember November events of 1989.

A great gathering of Velvet revolution heros with inhabitants of Levice will meet 17 November in the synagogue, our students will give the visitors materials which have been made in our eTwinning project. There will be a lot of discussions with people and students in the town library and much more.

Our school has a special radio programme about the Velvet revolution and democracy for all students. We will host a former student revolutioner Matej Haško, who was the students´leader during the Velvet revolution in our town. We visited the exhobition „Normalised lives“ in the Tekovian Museum and we organised our own photo exhibition.

PHOTO EXHIBITION

FILM PHOTO EXHOBITION NOVEMBER ´89

Discussion with an activist student and leader of the Velvet revolution 1989 in Levice Slovakia, Students have heard about organizing strikes with students and adults during revolution and fighting for freedom and democracy in our town. Students were asking curious questions about these revolutional times.

Slovak students visited an interactive exhibition about Fall of Communistic regime in Czechoslovakia in the capital city in Bratislava.

We are really glad, we can be part of a great celebration og Velvet revolution and support democracy by activities of this pproject as well.