Prague exhibition marks 30th anniversary of Soviet withdrawal

Prague, Jun 21 (EFE).- Czechs on Monday commemorated the 30th anniversary of the withdrawal of the Soviet troops from former Czechoslovakia through a large-scale street photo exhibition in Prague.

The exhibition that runs until the end of July showcases scenes from the departure of the USSR army that invaded the Czechoslovak territory in 1968 alongside other troops from the Warsaw Pact.

It was prepared by the Post Bellum NGO, which in 2001 started documenting key moments of the 20th century with the help of witnesses and the Institute for the Study of Totalitarian Regimes.

The event pays homage to the 248 victims of the 23-year Soviet-led occupation, which was brought to an end following the bloodless 1989 Velvet Revolution.

The photographs displayed nearby metro stations were taken by Dana Kyndrova and Jindrich Streit during the final moments of the pullout of the nearly 75,000 Soviet soldiers.

The exhibit also draws attention to the ecological catastrophe that occurred during the occupation, which resulted in the contamination of water by petroleum products.

Only 9% of the towns the Soviet army occupied were relatively clean. EFE

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