Liberation80: Svoboda MHC Points to Significance of 1st Cechoslovak Army

Ruskov, April 5 (TASR) - The Svoboda Military History Club (MHC) focuses on Czechoslovak military history, and in particular the 1st Czechoslovak Army during WWII commanded by General Ludvik Svoboda, as reflected in the club's name, its chairman Ondrej Varga has told TASR. "We founded the club in 2011, as we'd already been devoted to the 1st Czechoslovak Army Corps before that. In 2016, we also received official permission to be a military-historical association named after Ludvik Svoboda from his daughter, Zoe Klusakova-Svobodova," said Varga. The club is based in the village of Ruskov near Kosice. The club's activities include participating in reconstructions and events commemorating WWII battles, along with exhibitions, lectures and research activities. "These are mainly demonstrations of the activities of the 1st Czechoslovak Army Corps, which, along with the Soviet and Romanian armies, played a significant role in the liberation of Czechoslovakia. We wanted to revive this issue and present it to the public," said the club's chairman. The club's activities also include static demonstrations of military camps with displays of equipment and weapons from the given period. The club engages in, for example, presentations on the anniversary of the Slovak National Uprising (SNP) in Dargov, but also at municipal days and other events. It cooperates with the Defence Ministry in a project aimed at preparing the population for national defence. The club's plan is to obtain suitable premises for presenting its collections. "The goal is to build a museum that would also provide an overview of the development of a Czechoslovak soldier and his equipment. It would be interactive, visitors would be able to try out the equipment or drive selected vehicles. This is a vision for the future," stated Varga. ko/df/am