Mon 23/6 19:00
Pohřbené naděje (Buried Hopes)
Screening of the documentary film and discussion on the fate of Czechoslovaks in Soviet Kyrgyzstan.
The horrors of the past, shattered lives, remnants of uranium mines, labor camps, and mass graves. The forgotten history in Kyrgyzstan is slowly being carried away by time, and its recognition is increasingly obstructed by the growing influence of Russia. Among the victims of Soviet repression were also many inhabitants of Czechoslovakia. In August 2024, an expedition organized by the Gulag.cz organization visited the sites of this turbulent history, coinciding with the approaching 100th anniversary of the founding of the Interhelpo cooperative by our fellow countrymen in Kyrgyzstan. What began as a vision of building a better society, however, turned into a tragedy—many of them became victims of Stalinist repression, diseases, and harsh conditions.
The result is a documentary film documenting the search for traces of terror, meetings, and interviews with descendants of Czechs, survivors, and local experts against the backdrop of Kyrgyzstani cities and exotic landscapes.
Where did our fellow countrymen die? What do Kyrgyz archives hide, and what is the local memory of Soviet terror? In the dark past of the Soviet Union, many questions remain unanswered, and many ruined lives that we must not forget.
After the film screening, there will be a discussion with the filmmakers (primarily in Czech).
Directed by: Tomáš Polenský / Czech Republic / 2025 / 56 min
www.zamecek-memorial.cz
www.gulag.cz
Entry free
The event is organized by the Zámeček Memorial and Gulag.cz in collaboration with Divadlo 29 as part of the Textconnexion 2025 project, supported by the Ministry of Culture of the Czech Republic, the Pardubice Region, and the City of Pardubice.
