Josef Sudek Gallery presents an exhibition of unique photos from Carpathian Ruthenia

Who was Bohumil Vavroušek?

Vavroušek was a teacher born on the 25^th of June 1875 in the small town of Slavětín. He first taught in rural schools, and later in Vinohrady in Prague. He travelled to Galicia for the first time in 1909 and returned there many times. His photographs depict wooden folk architecture, especially churches and village buildings. From 1915-1929, he travelled to Slovakia and Carpathian Ruthenia annually. His work is preserved in valuable publications such as ‘Ecclesiastical Monuments in the Carpathian Ruthenia’, published in 1929. He died on the 6^th of October 1939 in Prague.

Why Carpathian Ruthenia?

Carpathian Ruthenia was politically unstable for much of the 20^th century, but the interwar period, when the area was part of the Czechoslovak Republic, was a happier period in the country’s history. After the end of the Second World War, Carpathian Ruthenia and almost a million inhabitants were forced to join the Soviet Union.

The country was a tourist destination in the interwar period, when tourism was becoming more common. The novels ‘Hordubal’ by Karel Čapek and ‘Nikola the Outlaw’ by Ivan Olbracht, both published in 1933, also popularised the region.

Forgotten part of the Republic

The exhibition, curated by Jan Mlčoch of the Museum of Decorative Arts, reminds visitors of Bohumil Vavroušek’s overlooked photographs of Carpathian Ruthenia and of the forgotten Czechoslovaks, including those who died in the struggle for their country’s independence.

www.upm.cz

Josef Sudek Gallery

The Josef Sudek Gallery, in the house U Luny in Hradčany, is named after the Czech photographer who lived there from 1959 until his death in 1976. Sudek used to meet with the poet Jaroslav Seifert and the painter Jan Zrzavý in this house. Artwork by other modern Czech photographers is featured in the exhibition, including those who photographed Prague from the mid-19^th century to the present and those who were active in the interwar period.

INFORMATION ABOUT THE GALLERY

Galerie Josefa Sudka

Úvoz 24, Praha 1

Opening times:

Tuesday-Sunday 11am-5pm

Admission:

Full: CZK 40; Reduced: CZK 20; Family: CZK 60