Memorial in Honour of Czechoslovak Leader Dubcek Unveiled in Russia

Slovakia’s Minister of Foreign and European Affairs Ivan Korcok said it was a "great honour" for him to have the opportunity to unveil a memorial sign and plant an oak in Nizhny Novgorod to commemorate Alexander Dubcek, the leader of the Czechoslovak Communist Party.

A delegation of Slovak and Czech diplomats, including Slovakia’s Minister of Foreign and European Affairs Ivan Korcok, arrived in the Nizhny Novgorod region on 12 October in order to honour Alexander Dubcek, a Slovak reformer who led Czechoslovakia during the Prague Spring of 1968.

A memorial sign was unveiled and an oak was planted in a local park on the occasion of the 100th anniversary of Dubcek's birth. The Slovak leader spent five years of his life in Nizhny Novgorod in his youth.

Korcok delivered a speech at the ceremony, saying that he was honoured to mark "a very important anniversary in Slovak and Czech history, namely, the 100th anniversary of the birth of one of the most important and outstanding Slovak politicians, Alexander Dubcek".

“We have planted this oak as a kind of symbol of strength, greatness and longevity. It will remind us and all future generations of Alexander Dubcek, who, in the difficult times of Czechoslovak history, always looked for a way out and gave people hope”, he added.