Photographer documented 1968 Soviet invasion
PRAGUE » It’s been 50 years, but powerful images of the Soviet-led invasion of Czechoslovakia taken by photographer Josef Koudelka still resonate among Czechs and elsewhere in the world — they’ve even been admired in Russia.
As the armies of the five Warsaw Pact countries invaded his country an hour before midnight on Aug. 20, 1968, Koudelka was ready. Risking his life, he took thousands of photos in the week that followed, capturing the shocking experience for his nation — and the defiance of its people.
After the negatives were smuggled out of the country, the photos that were published in the West became one of the most famed documentary series of the 20th century.
Looking back at 1968 in an interview with The Associated Press, Koudelka said he seized the once-in-a-career opportunity.
“The opportunity to take so many photos made it possible for me to do something I never thought I would be able to do,” Koudelka said. “And I think that a majority of people in Czechoslovakia who knew me as a photographer didn’t even think I could do anything like that.”
His photos captured the mood on the streets of Prague: the public anger, frustration and massive protests against the troops that came in with tanks to crush the Prague Spring — the brief period of liberal reforms under leader Alexander Dubcek meant to lead toward democratization of communist Czechoslovakia.
“It was a tragedy. But also miracles happened at the time,” Koudelka said. “One of the biggest miracles for me was — and that has happened at major events elsewhere — that people are able to completely change overnight.”
He said in reaction to the attack, the whole nation became united.
“No matter who you were, only one thing mattered: We were all against them,” he said.
One of his now-iconic photos shows a man holding his coat wide open in front of an armed soldier standing on a Soviet tank, while another one captures an elderly man trying to hit a tank with a cobblestone.
“My photos captured a moment when we behaved like a nation,” Koudelka said. “And that didn’t happen too often in our history.”
Unarmed people could not stop the armies, however, and the country was subsequently taken over by a hard-line Communist regime fully loyal to Moscow. The occupying troops stayed for over 20 years and withdrew only after the 1989 Velvet Revolution led by the late Vaclav Havel. DEAR SCARED » Calm your fears. It may comfort you to know every student feels the way you do when first entering high school. It’s a new environment, and you will encounter new people.
Be nice to everyone, and most of them will like you. That’s how friendships are made. Look for extracurricular activities that interest you, and join some if you can. You already know you will need to study hard. If you do, good grades will follow.
As to what you should watch out for: If some of the other students are doing things that you consider wrong, don’t join in. And keep in mind there’s a school counselor you can talk to if you have any problems or concerns.