THE DALAI LAMA - HAVEL - PRAGUE, 1990

When 35 years ago the newly elected President Václav Havel invited the newly elected Nobel Peace Prize winner, the Tibetan Dalai Lama, to visit Prague, photographers Stanislav Doležal, Radovan Boček, Gabina Fárová and Petr Lukáš captured official moments and more or less hidden moments. The visit was planned by the President's secretary at the time, Saša Neuman, who subsequently took part in all subsequent visits of His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama to the Czech Republic. His texts, containing short stories to accompany many photographs, accompany the book Dalai Lama Havel Prague 1990.

The authors of the Czech-English publication have conceived the story of the beginning of an extraordinary friendship between two prominent personalities in an extremely interesting and historically revolutionary period. In October 1989, both were nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize, which was awarded to the Dalai Lama. In December 1989, after the “Velvet Revolution”, Václav Havel was elected President and in January, during his New Year's speech, he said: 'I would be happy if Pope John Paul II and the Tibetan Dalai Lama would visit our country, even for one day.' A month after Havel's personal invitation, in February 1990, the Dalai Lama did indeed come for a several-day visit to what was then Czechoslovakia

Thirty-five years after the Dalai Lama's first visit to Prague, we now have the opportunity to see for the first time images capturing rare moments of public meditations with the Dalai Lama, his meetings with the leaders of the churches of the time, and authentic snapshots from his visit to Lány and various places in Prague. The texts mark the places and people visited, but most importantly they bring many specific stories and anecdotes from this visit. In addition, they describe very accurately and remind us, without any nostalgia or pathos, how important a time in our modern history it all took place. They are sensitive reminders of the mood in our society and the ideals that fresh freedom offered. It was the values of humanity, the right to freedom of speech and also high moral responsibility that linked Václav Havel and the Dalai Lama, and thanks to this book we have a glimpse into the beginnings of their friendship full of mutual respect, long philosophical debates and a shared sense of humour.

Printed on GardaPat 13 BIANKA paper, using a frequency-modulated screening technology called Satin Screening

The book contains 91 b/w photographs, format 265 x 240 mm, hardcover with dust jacket, 120 pages.

ISBN 978-80-87201-49-7