Čau! This is Will Adams and Trey Beck taking over for today’s blog post. We had a chance to sleep in before an afternoon visit to the Communist Museum.
The museum we walked through showcased the period in Czech history in which the communists took control. In 1948, only a few years after being freed from the Nazis, the Communist Party took control in Czechoslovakia. The occupation by the Soviet Union was agreed upon before the war ended in 1945 during the Yalta Conference. During our walkthrough we saw three stages of the Communist regime: the Dream, the Nightmare, and the Reality. The Dream portion was the idealistic part of communism, the rise of the party in Czechoslovakia, and the propaganda that the Soviets put into place. This part included artwork glorifying the workers, banners praising the people (saying they “ignited the march of progress” in Czechoslovakia), and their achievements in sports at the time. Next up was the Nightmare which focused more on the dreadful living standards that the Czech people had to live through. This included the secret police, the borders of the country with the West, and torture tactics done by the Communist regime. Lastly, we saw the Reality section, which outlined what normal life was like from 1945-1989. They showed a classroom, a shop, and a workshop and also gave exhibits on both the Prague Spring and the Velvet Revolution. The end of Communism in Czechoslovakia was in 1989, when the leaders of the Communist Party in Czechoslovakia resigned and gave way for Václav Havel to take charge of the newly democratic nation and lead it into reconciliation with the West.
Paintings glorifying the workers of Czechoslovakia, empowering the belief that Communism was for them.
A portion of the wall memorializing those who died in the struggle against the Communist Regime.
Later that day, we met with Soumik Kunda Babuya, an artist who specializes in digital media. Soumik was born and raised as a minority Hindu in Bangladesh. His girlfriend at the time was Muslim. Because of their difference in religion, they were unable to see each other so they moved to Prague. To combat his loneliness in a new city, Soumik drew cartoons. These cartoons depict his observations of Czech culture. Soon he realized that storytelling through art was his passion. He quit his path of becoming an engineer and began graphic designing full time. Soumik currently works with the marketing team for Snapchat. It was interesting to hear about Soumik’s transformation through living in Prague. In Bangladesh, he lived a predetermined life among people who judged him based on his religious ethnicity. In Prague, people tend to keep to themselves. For example, a waiter not saying “have a nice day” back is not necessarily being rude. Because of this, people do not bother or judge him. He has the opportunity to follow his passion.
Cartoon by Soumik illustrating Czech drinking culture.
Listening to Soumik was a very interactive experience. Opposed to standing up and giving a lecture, he sat down with us and treated us as peers. This gave us a very interactive and memorable experience. This was a great way to conclude an exciting day and we can’t wait to see what tomorrow brings us!