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Several of Josef Koudelka’s 1968 photos are being shown at the Mánes gallery, by the River Vltava, in a new exhibition entitled 1945 – Liberation, 1968 – Occupation. Two rooms of iconic black and white photographs show two very different sets of images: the Red Army greeted with smiles and flowers in May 1945, and Russian soldiers berated by angry crowds in August 1968. So how do the people looking at these images feel about today's Russia, especially in the light of the current situation in Georgia?

An exhibition of banners and posters made by the citizens of Prague in response to the occupation of Czechoslovakia in 1968 has just been unveiled on Prague’s Wenceslas Square. Photos of home-made posters and grafitti messages were taken by Austrian reporter Franz Goess in August 1968, and to mark the 40th anniversary of the Soviet-led occupation, the images have gone on display at the heart of the Czech capital. On Monday, Mr Goess himself formally opened the exhibition. The photos will remain on display on Wenceslas Square until September 12, when they will travel to Vienna and then Paris.

When Soviet tanks rolled into Prague in the night from August 20-21 1968, the Czechoslovak Radio building was one of the first places that they tried to bring under control. In the process the building was damaged, several people were killed and dozens injured. Broadcasts went on in secret for several days, keeping the world informed of what was really happening, initially from within the building itself, and then from other locations in the city, using mobile studios and transmitters.

My guest for this edition of One on One is Ivan Passer, who this week received a Crystal Globe in Karlovy Vary for his lifelong contribution to world cinema. The president of this year’s festival jury fled communist Czechoslovakia in 1968, after directing what has been voted one of the best Czech films ever made – ‘Intimate Lighting’ is a black-and-white new wave classic telling the story of two friends reunited. In more recent years, Passer has worked in Hollywood, producing movies such as ‘Cutter’s Way’ and ‘Stalin’ to much critical acclaim.

Friday marks the 40th anniversary of the “Two-Thousand Words”, a declaration that was one of the first and most important steps of the national revival referred to as the Prague Spring. The manifesto, which appeared in several publications, posed important questions for the future of democratic reforms in communist Czechoslovakia.

The climate in Prague in the spring of 1968 was one of liberalization and reform. Laws were passed to abolish censorship and cultivate ‘democratic socialism’. As communist Czechoslovakia opened itself up to the West, the USSR looked on with increasing disapproval. On the night of August 20, Soviet-led troops invaded Prague to bring an end to the reforms. Some of the photos of the turmoil that ensued have just gone on display in Prague.

You may not be familiar with the name Josef Koudelka, but there is a very good chance you will know his work. And we’re all sure to see a lot more of it as the August anniversary of the 1968 Soviet invasion of Czechoslovakia draws nearer. Koudelka’s striking black-and-white shots of tanks in the centre of Prague and other images from that turbulent period are regarded as some of the most important works of photojournalism of the 20th century.

Writers from all over the world gathered in Prague this week to recall the strange days of 1968. The Prague Writers’ Festival, which was originally set up to promote Central European writing abroad, attracted a larger-than-ever number of authors to the Czech capital – here to recall the Prague Spring of 1968, as well as what they themselves were up to, the year that shook the world.

Former Czechoslovak TV journalist Ludmila Sýkorová has published a book on the events that took place in Brno during the 1968 Soviet-led invasion. Ms Jankovcová said she attempted an objective approach to the events any compensation were shot dead by the Soviet troops in Brno on August 21, the first day of the occupation, while many more suffered injuries inflicted by the occupation forces.

Czech prime minister Mirek Topolanek and other state dignitaries have attended a special ceremony in front of the Czech Radio building to mark the 39th anniversary of the Soviet invasion of Czechoslovakia in 1968. Speaking at the event, Mr Topolanek praised the heroism of those who stood up to the Warsaw Pact troops, whose invasion of Czechosovakia ended efforts to establish a more liberal form of socialism in this country.

The prime minister also said it was important to remember the lessons learned from the fate of the so-called Prague Spring to ensure that such events were never repeated. He also paid tribute to Czechoslovak Radio for truthfully informing the people about what was happening in this country during the invasion. The Czech Radio building in Prague was the scene of some of the heaviest clashes between Soviet troops and Czech protesters during August 1968.