Comrades Go Home Collage

On the night of August 20-21, 1968, Czechoslovakia was invaded from the north, east and south by 20 Soviet and Warsaw Pact divisions totaling some 250,000 men.With this military operation, Moscow put an end to the “Prague Spring,” the brief flowering of political and economic democracy that began the previous January . In the first hours on the 21st Soviet planes began to land unexpectedly at Prague’s Ruzyne airport, and shortly Soviet tanks would roll through Prague’s narrow streets. Within hours foreign troops would take up strategic positions throughout the city, including surrounding the building of the Central Committee of the Communist Party, taking hold of Wenceslas Square, and eventually taking over Czechoslovak radio and television. The occupation of ’68 had begun. Wenceslas Square, with its patron saint on horse back draped with the Czech flag, taken over by oppressors. Tanks hurling out of the side streets, firing volleys at the National Museum. Burning cars, people in movement, photographers, pleading faces, and countless pointed guns. The future of their country was not something the Czechs gave up lightly, although there was little hope. They protested in the thousands for days. They clashed, and they pleaded, they hung up placards, and slogans, and wrote graffiti on the walls, crying a common appeal for justice. In their protest, says political scientist Zdenek Zboril, there was simple genius - This collage includes famous photographs of the events, including an homage to Josef Koudelka. The little family in the corner is my mum, brother and me getting off the plane when we arrived in Australia, photographed by my father. © Venus Oak (S. Novak) 2010. All rights reserved. My art work cannot be reproduced without my written permission

Collage:Paper on Paper

Original:One-of-a-kind Artwork

Size:11.8 W x 14.2 H x 0 D in

Delivery Time:Typically 5-7 business days for domestic shipments, 10-14 business days for international shipments.