The gift includes a diverse collection of items that had been kept in exile for decades. „Today we are presenting an art collection that originally adorned Jan Masaryk's London apartment and was saved by Lumír Soukup with his own money at an auction in 1949. I would therefore like to thank Mrs. Alenka Soukupová, Lumír Soukup's daughter, for this extraordinary gift to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. I would also like to thank the French Embassy in Prague and everyone who participated in saving the gift and transporting it to the Czech Republic,” said Minister Jan Lipavský before accepting the artworks. 

Dr. Lumír Soukup (1915–1991) served in the Czechoslovak exile in London during World War II and became Chief Secretary to Minister Masaryk in 1946. After the February coup in 1948, he went into exile in dramatic circumstances, where he was instrumental in preserving many valuable documents and objects related to the Czechoslovak resistance and Masaryk's legacy. He later headed the Czech Studies department at the University of Glasgow and actively supported the preservation of Czech culture abroad. 

The current donation includes, among other things, the watercolor „Bouquet in a Vase“ by Oskar Kokoschka, given to Masaryk in 1938 as a token of gratitude for his help with emigration, as well as graphic prints by Václav Hollar, the bronze sculpture „Treasures of Heaven and Earth“ by Jan Štursa, and Herbert Masaryk's painting „Dormer in Winter.“ There is also an etching depicting T. G. Masaryk's arrival in Prague on October 28, 1918, and historical maps of Bohemia and Moravia. 

The donated items form a representative cross-section of Czech art and testify to the values that Jan Masaryk espoused as a diplomat and as a person. They have become a worthy part of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs' collection and, at the same time, a valuable testimony to the Czech cultural and diplomatic footprint in the 20th century.