The commemorations began in Oxford on Saturday, 8 November, with the traditional student event Velvet Night, organized by the Oxford University Czech and Slovak Society. The Czech Ambassador visited the colleges where the students are active, met with them, and supported their cultural and social activities. The evening included a formal dinner, a cultural programme, and a discussion on freedom, democracy, and the values of the Velvet Revolution. The guests of honour included not only Ambassador Václav Bartuška but also Michal Kocáb.

The Czech Embassy in London plans to continue supporting educational and cultural activities that bring modern Czech history closer to the younger generation and highlight the values on which our democratic society is built.

On Tuesday, 11 November, the Ambassador took part in a panel discussion organised by the Delegation of the European Union to the United Kingdom. Together with the ambassadors of Hungary, Lithuania, and Romania, he shared his personal experiences from 1989 and opened an exhibition mapping these events.

The Czech Ambassador emphasised that the fall of the Berlin Wall is, for the Czech Republic, a symbol of the return to freedom and the beginning of a path that led to full integration into European and Euro-Atlantic structures. He also stressed the importance of democratic values and noted that their protection remains a key task in today’s geopolitical environment.

On Monday, 17 November, a discussion with international students took place at University College London (UCL). The discussion was moderated by Sean Hanley from the School of Slavonic and East European Studies (SSEES) at UCL and was held in the so-called Masaryk Room, a hall named after T.G. Masaryk, who helped establish Slavonic Studies in London more than 100 years ago. The Ambassador shared his experiences from 1989 and highlighted the importance of democracy and European values. On the margins of his lecture, he also met with SSEES Director Professor Simon Dixon and lecturers Jakub Beneš and Jessie Barton Hronešová.

This discussion was followed by an informal debate with Czechoslovak students, held at the embassy. The students themselves took on the role of moderators. They asked the Czech Ambassador mainly about his personal experiences and how students today can engage in public life.

To conclude the evening, students lit candles in the shape of the “Havel heart” in front of the embassy building, paying tribute to the events of 17 November.