PRESS RELEASE: Czech Radio’s unique project „89 Again“ has gathered over 10 thousand likes on Facebook

„89 Again“ project was launched on the 25th anniversary of the beginning of „Palach’s week.“ It is based on following historical events that culminated on November 17th, 1989. It offers not only facts, dates and personal stories, but also the context of the times, such as from the neighbouring states of The Czech Republic.

„We are very happy that the project has reached such popularity among social network users and website visitors. We believe that there will be more likes to come. „89 Again“ is going to run live throughout next year, covering events up to December 1989. New articles, archive sound material, contemporary photographs and samples of the contemporary print is going to be continuously published on special webpages,“ says the Project Manager Ruzbeth Oweyssi.

„In the course of the summer holidays we have been following the bizarre reaction of the regime to the declaration of Several Sentences. We also covered what was going on in culture and sport at that time, and found some plans that have never been realized to this day – such as the planned system of underground trams in Brno,“ adds the Project Editor Dusan Radovanovic.

On the web address www.znovu89.cz you may find the „live events from the past“ as well as stories of this revolutionary year in a chronological order. Everything is accompanied by a special edition of popular comic „Opráski sčeskí historje.“ Nevertheless, „89 Again“ may be followed and commented upon directly on its Facebook page (www.facebook.com/znovu89) or on its Twitter account (www.twitter.com/znovu89).

Reporting from the events that have taken place 25 years ago is running in several strands:
- home and foreign news reported in official media
- information from recently unearthed secret documents from security servies
- extracts from samizdat and from the broadcast of radio stations from abroad
- lifestyle of the times: technology news, culture, sport
- „opráski“ – a comic journey through the history with intentionally exaggerated gramatic and spelling errors

Czech Radio would like to use the opportunity of running the „89 Again“ project to ask the general public to kindly contribute their own contemporary recordings from Czech Radio’s broadcast as well as from Free Europe and Voice of America, or authentic photographs dated 1989 from all Czech Republic. Contributors may send their pieces via the special e-mail address: znovu89@rozhlas.cz.

Mgr. Kateřina Moravcová, MBA
Head of Communication Department of Czech Radio
Phone: +420 221 551 307
E-mail: katerina.moravcova@rozhlas.cz