The sixth issue of the new magazine POLITIKA (Politics) features the legendary photograph by Ivan Soeldner entitled Tajemství tajemníků (The Secret of the Secretaries) depicting Alexandr Dubček quietly talking to Gustáv Husák.
Jiřina Bohdalová talks to the publicist Sylva Groszová about her holidays in Vienna that she had left for ten hours before the invasion and could not come back until the 5th September. It was the first time she was not interested in clothes shops: You know I could not stay there, not even for one year. Just imagine that I would like to tell a joke and I would not know how to translate a word and somebody else might translate it incorrectly! In such a case I would just jump on the first train and go home,
she said to Groszová. The same issue also publishes contributions by Bohumil Hrabal, Čestmír Císař, Laco Novomeský and others.
October 5th – 9th
On 5th October, the Czechoslovakian delegation (Dubček, Černík and Husák) return from the talks in Moscow. They were there to render an account of how they implement measures ordered by the Cremlin after the August invasion.
In “Kulturní glosář” (Cultural Glossary) Václav Vondra speaks about the recent opening night of a play by the American author Arthur Miller, The Price, in the Libeň S.K. Neumann Theatre. Not to believe, that’s nothing, anybody can do that, whereas to believe – that’s a difficult task!
says the protagonist to the aging police officer and Vondra points out that there are parallels with our political situation.
On 9th October, the publishing house Melantrich publishes the first issue of the new weekly magazine on politics, economics, science and culture called ZÍTŘEK (Tomorrow). Its editor is Vladimír Novotný, and one of the employees is Sylva Daníčková, known from Laterna Magika, Jiří Srnec Black Theatre and the film Florenc 13.30. There are photographs and texts on the film by Ivan Soeldner and other contributions by e.g. Vladimír Škutina, Jindřiška Smetanová, Miroslav Holub and Josef Hlinomaz.
The newspaper Večerní Praha reminds its readers of the twentieth anniversary of the foundation of the Music Secondary Boarding School for the visually impaired in Lázeňská Street, which was at that time the only institution of its kind.
Newspapers also dedicate a lot of attention to the new trial of General Heliodor Píka, who was sentenced to death in 1949 for military treason.
The Nobel Prize holder for the year 1958, Father Dominique suggests that Alexandr Dubček should be nominated for the same prize for the year 1969. National newspapers also speculate that Ludvík Svoboda and Alexandr Dubček should receive the Czechoslovakian Peace Award for the year 1968.
October 12th – 29th
The newspaper Práce spreads the news that five people who publicly expressed their disapproval of the occupation of Czechoslovakia at the demonstration in Red Square on the 25th of August were convicted of breach of the public peace. The literary critic Konstantin Babický is sentenced to three years in exile, Larisa Danielová four years, Vadim Delon, son of a French aviator two and a half years in prison, Vladimír Dremljuga, worker, three years in prison and Pavel Litvinov, Senior Lecturer at Moscow University is sentenced to five years in exile.
Karel Gott and Helena Vondráčková left for the International Song Festival in Rio de Janeiro.
Waldemar Matuška finishes his successful tour around England with the National Ensemble of Songs and Dances.
Alexandr Dubček and Josef Smrkovský become honorary members of Matice slovenská.
October 1968 also sees the abolition of working Saturdays. However, many companies compensate for this loss by making their employees work overtime on weekdays.
Czechoslovakian politicians sign an agreement with the Soviet Union on terms and conditions of the temporary stay of the Soviet Army in the Czechoslovakian Republic. The agreement is ratified by the National Assembly on 18th October.
French film star Jeanne Moreau comes to Prague to play the main role in the French-Czechoslovak film Diana’s Body.
On 19th October, the newspaper Práce publishes an article on the writer Vlasta Javořická. “My books have been banned for almost a quarter of a century and yet, people still read them. They borrow them from one another. I have been a prolific writer. In the last ten years 130 of my novels have been published, some of them in more volumes.“ The Nazis were the first to ban her books, then came the Communists – they said that her books were religion-oriented and that her husband was a factory owner. She did not deny the first, the latter made her laugh, writes Sylva Groszová about Vlasta Javořická. The 1950’s were approaching and her son-in-law’s superior, General Píka was arrested and the whole Javořický family feared persecution. Her three daughters with their children left the country. Her son and one daughter stayed and were treated as next to nothing. Their children were not allowed to study, because the regime did not like their religion and their grandmother.
On the 22nd of October Lidová demokracie publishes the news that the subway under Wenceslass Square with escalators and shops will open on 28th October.
The ensemble of the Theatre Za Branou set off on a tour with performances in Belgrade, Zagreb, Venice, Parma, Florence, Milano, Rome, Vienna, Baden, Zurich, Basle, Copenhagen, Oslo, Stockholm, Parisži, Brussels and two towns in West Germany. “Fifty five actors and technicians, three trucks, one review better than the other, millions of experiences. They play in Czech with synchronous translation.
The 29th of October marks the 45th anniversary of the Czechoslovakian Airlines.
Miscellaneous
What do fashion columns recommend for the autumn of 1968? Rain coats, steel belts, high black and white wellington boots, tights and stockings with patterns, berets, short folded or bell-shaped skirts, velvet, pepito patterns, just like in the 1930’s.
The last page of the newspaper brings news from the Olympic Games in Mexico: the gold medals from Miloslava Rezková (high jump), gymnast Věra Čáslavská and diver Milena Duchková, the silver from the group of gymnasts and the bronze medal from Ludvík Daněk (discus throw)…
Since the second half of September, visitors to the buildings of Prague Castle have to pay an admission rate of 5 crowns – newspapers speculate how this affects the number of visitors…
A lime tree, the symbol of the republic, is planted in the south tip of Kampa. A metal kapsule with greetings and a message is buried next to it (is it still there?)!
Co-operative societies reclaim 443 outlets in Prague to make up for old damage and as a part of the renaissance of the co-operative system.
