My first day in Prague turned out to be rain drenched and gloomy, washing away my plans of hitting the local sights. The dark, thundering sky offered no hope of a reprieve. I was on my second cup of coffee, when a friend suggested a trip to the Museum of Communism.  It sounded like a tourist trap, but I had nothing better to do, so I agreed.

Within no time I was eating my own words. Right from its location, situated next to a crowded McDonald’s, to the displays and films, the museum was an eye opener, a history lesson, and a glimpse at a time I hope never comes back.

The exhibit is based on a theme – Communism: the Dream, the Reality, and the Nightmare. It incorporates historical facts, accurate mock ups, uses posters and films and even a freedom wall, to chronicle the country’s totalitarian past, from the rise of the regime in February 1948 to its downfall in November 1989.

Walking past the stark mock ups of Communist era shops with bare shelves and limited supplies; a reconstructed classroom, complete with propaganda filled text books and gas masks for gas drills; anti-American and anti-capitalist posters blaming the west for failed crops; a stark interrogation room, with a sinister telephone that rings every few minutes, one experiences the chills and the limits that were exerted on the local population. You’re also left amazed at the amount of hard work regular people put in for the greater good of the country, and in return for limited rewards.

All the artefacts and installations are original and have been painstakingly sourced and collected over the years. In the projection room, you can watch footage of the Velvet Revolution of 1989, an event that took place very close to where the museum is situated.

Walking out of the museum and onto Prague’s main shopping street, you really understand the difference between what once was and the new reality.

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