Around 50 people gathered in Monaco to commemorate the founding of Czechoslovakia, bringing together members of the Czech and Slovak communities alongside Monegasque friends for an annual celebration of their shared history.
The gathering took place at the Banc Václav Havel on Wednesday, October 28 and was organised by the Association pour l’Amitié Monégasco-Tchèque. What began as an initiative by the association has since become an established tradition in the Principality, marking the anniversary of Czechoslovakia’s foundation in 1918.
Among those attending were prominent sporting figures with Czech and Slovak connections, including AS Monaco goalkeeper Lukáš Hradecký, who was born in Bratislava. Guillaume Rose, President of the National Council’s Commission for Culture and Heritage, was also present, alongside Štěpánka Strouhalová, President of the Association culturelle franco-tchèque in Nice and a co-organiser of the event.
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Addressing the gathering, association president Michal Kreslik reflected on the principles behind the creation of Czechoslovakia, highlighting the belief that different peoples could preserve their own languages, identities and traditions while building a shared future.
He also emphasised that the peaceful dissolution of Czechoslovakia into the Czech Republic and Slovakia in 1993 had not weakened the ties between the two nations. Although they now exist as separate countries, their historical and cultural connections remain strong.
This year’s commemoration carried additional significance, marking 90 years since the birth of Václav Havel, the playwright and former Czech president who became an international symbol of resistance to communist rule.
The tribute took place beside the Václav Havel memorial, unveiled by His Serene Highness Prince Albert II in 2024. The monument incorporates a table through which a linden tree, the Czech national tree, continues to grow.
Kreslik used the occasion to underline Havel’s enduring message about the importance of protecting freedom, warning that it should never be regarded as guaranteed. He also drew a connection between Monaco and the former Czechoslovakia, arguing that a nation’s importance is defined not by its geographical size but by its values and the relationships it builds with others.
Following the ceremony, the celebrations continued with dinner at the neighbouring Club Bouliste du Rocher, bringing the gathering to a close in a spirit of friendship and shared heritage.
More than a century after Czechoslovakia was founded, the annual event remains an opportunity for Monaco’s Czech and Slovak communities to celebrate their common history and maintain the bonds between their two countries.
