We commemorate the 30th anniversary of the events of 1989, when the Velvet Revolution ended the totalitarian rule of the Communist Party. The Czech Mint issued silver commemorative medals on this occasion.

Students gathered in Prague on November 17, 1989 in order to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the closure of Czech universities by the Nazis and to pay homage to Jan Opletal, who died during anti-Nazi protests. Although the reverent assembly was allowed, it gradually turned into an anti-communist demonstration. The National Security was ordered to prevent people from going to Prague Castle or Wenceslas Square. Národní třída was therefore dammed and brutal force was used against students. Beating defenseless young people was the last straw for the oppressed nation. The revolution, which has entered history as a velvet for its non-violent nature, has just begun…

Commemorative mintage was processed by an expert medal maker and teacher Mgr. Petr Horák. Its obverse side presents a scene of civil protests on Wenceslas Square - the statue of a Czech patron is surrounded by the raised hands of demonstrating people whose fingers form a characteristic gesture - a victorious V-sign. The composition of the obverse side is supplemented by a an inscription VELVET REVOLUTION, together with an depiction of the Czechoslovak flag. The reverse side then bears another symbol associated with the Velvet Revolution, namely the heart that Václav Havel accepted as his own. The heart is placed above the silhouette of Prague Castle and thus refers to the famous neon installation made by artist Jiří David. The composition of the reverse side was closed by Václav Havel's famous statement TRUTH AND LOVE MUST PREVAIL OVER LIES AND HATRED.

The medal was published in cooperation with the Foundation VIZE 97 of Dagmar and Václav Havel.