Brno, Aug 18 (CTK) – Celebrations marking the centenary of the October 28, 1918 establishment of Czechoslovakia will be held in Brno’s streets and the exhibition grounds on June 1-17 next year, Mayor Petr Vokral told a press conference on Friday.
The celebrations, held under the City Hall’s auspices and named Re:publika 1918-2018, will include exhibitions highlighting the country’s history, achievements and personalities, and also various cultural events, Vokral said.
At the same time, 90 years from the establishment of Brno’s exhibition area will elapse next year.
The exhibition area was open in 1928 in order to host an exhibition on the 10th anniversary of the establishment of Czechoslovakia.
“We want to present Brno as a self-confident, broadminded, bold and proud city, where unique and timeless works were made, where innovative personalities worked and where key social and cultural issues have been discussed,” Pavel Andel, the new project’s creative director, said.
Vokral said up to 300,000 visitors might attend the celebrations, including foreigners.
Andel said the celebrations will consist of three pillars. The first pillar will be the exhibition programme using state-of-the-art interactive methods to acquaint people with history and the best of the modern architecture and design.
The second pillar will be events to accompany the exhibition and prepared by local institutions on their own initiative. The National Theatre in Brno, for example, will stage a festival of dance ensembles from the countries that were, like Czechoslovakia, successors to the collapsing Habsburg monarchy in 1918.
An exhibition of industry and design, Made in Czechoslovakia, will be another accompanying event, Andel said.
The last pillar will present Brno’s hospitality.
“We are turning to Brno inhabitants to browse their family photo albums, address their grandparents, discuss the past and convey their memories to us. We want all generations to be involved in the celebrations,” Andel said.
The City Hall will spend 50 million crowns on the celebrations.
Vokral said he expects the Czech government and the South Moravian Region to contribute to the event’s financing.
