- Address: V Celnici 1031/4, 118 00 Nové Město, Czech Republic
- Year of foundation: 2001
- Opening hours: 09: 00-21: 00
In Prague there is a very interesting Museum of Communism (Muzeum komunismu or Museum of Communism), where you can get acquainted with the system created during the reign of the Soviet Union. This period covers more than 40 years of the country's history.
What do you need to know about the Museum of Communism?
This is the first museum in the country dedicated to Soviet rule. In Czechoslovakia, it lasted from the February coup in 1948 to the Velvet Revolution of 1989. The official opening of the Museum of Communism was due to the financial assistance of German businessman Glenn Speaker in 2001.
Famous historians and muologists of the country worked on the creation of a unique exposition. They searched for exhibits in the shops of junkies and flea markets. Thus, porcelain dishes, army footwear, motorcycles, etc. were found. Jan Kaplan was responsible for the documents, and comments on the exhibits were created by the former professor of Charles University, Chestmir Krachmar. To ensure that visitors could fully experience the spirit of that time, absolutely all the details worked in the institution: smells, sounds, light.
What is the exposition about?
The Museum of Communism in Prague covers an area of more than 500 square meters. m and tells visitors about the various spheres of the then life. Here are presented such directions as:
- labor everyday life and everyday life of the population;
- politics, economics, art and sport;
- history, censorship and propaganda in the media;
- army, police, secret services and the "People's Militia";
- correctional and judicial institutions: processes, labor camps, Stalinist repressions, etc.
The exhibits show an objective and comprehensive view of the communist era of Czechoslovakia. A separate collection demonstrates the history of the overthrow of the regime.
What to see in the museum?
The territory of the institution is divided into 3 thematic parts: "Reality", "Dream of a bright future" and "Nightmare". In every room, realistic compositions are recreated. The most interesting of them are:
- school class, filled with textbooks, books and posters with slogans;
- interrogation room with torture equipment belonging to the State Security Service;
- workplace turner at the machine-building plant;
- atelier of the artist;
- shop Tuzex and other expositions.
In a separate room you can watch a 20-minute film about the life of the Czechoslovak population. Throughout the museum there are busts of Lenin, Stalin, Karl Marx and other Soviet figures. Attention of visitors are attracted by various photos and legal documents:
- permission to leave the country;
- warning of the dangers faced by currency traders;
- pictures from the celebration of the First of May.
Features of visit
The Museum of Communism in Prague is oriented not only to foreign tourists, but also to local youth who want to learn the history of their state. Specifically for schoolchildren, methodological aids have been developed here, in which the thematic issues were compiled. The answers to them should be found in the expositions of the institution.
Visit the Museum of Communism every day from 09:00 to 21:00. The cost of the ticket is $ 8.5, children under 10 years old admission is free. Groups of 10 people have discounts.
On the territory of the institution there is a gift shop, in which original cards, medals and emblems are sold on the appropriate subjects. Especially popular are T-shirts with an Olympic bear, armed with a Kalashnikov assault rifle.
How to get there?
From the center of Prague to the Museum of Communism you will reach the metro station Mustek. Trams # 41, 24, 14, 9, 6, 5, 3 (in the afternoon) and 98, 96, 95, 94, 92, 91 (at night) also go here. The stop is called: Václavské náměstí. You can also walk to Washingtonova or Italská street. The distance is about 2 km.