Documenting LGBTQ hedonism in ’80s Czechoslovakia

Illicit nights — Photographer Libuše Jarcovjáková spent years capturing Prague’s underground party scene in the early 1980s, exposing a new perspective on life behind the iron curtain.

Libuše Jarcovjáková has never taken nice pictures. Her photography is deeply personal, raw and uncompromising – and, as a result, one of the most eye-opening insights into life behind the iron curtain. It is a portrait of sex, desire and hedonism in ’80s communist Czechoslovakia.

“People tend to have a completely distorted image of what everyday life was like in a totalitarian society,” she explains. “People were extremely surprised by the lack of restraint in these photos, by how wildly we lived.”

“People don’t change that much. We’re still the same human species with the same worries and the same pleasures. Perhaps this is the universal message of my work: that people are always the same.”

Much of the 67-year-olds photography has remained hidden away until this year, when it was finally celebrated in a reflective exhibition at the Rencontres d’Arles festival 2019. The show, titled Evokativ, was the first time her extensive archive was shared with the rest of the world.

Some of Libušes most captivating work was taken during her nights in the T-club (one of the two underground gay clubs in Prague) in the ’80s. The photographer says that she visited almost every night from 1983 to 1985. “A friend took me there,” she recalls. “The moment I arrived I fell in love with the whole environment. I just knew that I had to take photos of the place and that one day I would.”

“Everything was so incredibly vivid, colourful, in contrast to the drab greyness outside.” 

Although being openly LBGTQ+ was decriminalised in 1962, homophobia was still widespread in Czechoslovakia. Many gay people would still be faced with “gross indecency” charges, a term used liberally and loosely by state police. Despite that, people continued to risk their freedom while attending T-club – which was only a few minutes walk away from the Security Services headquarters.

“People were at risk of being blackmailed by the secret police because of their sexual proclivities,” says Libuše. “The entrance was guarded by a bouncer who was master of the fate of everyone trying to get into the club. He made absolutely sure that nobody entered who simply wanted to gawp at the gays or who might be aggressive. Anyone causing a disturbance could expect to be banned for a considerable period of time. It took a short while before I was able to visit the club on my own without a chaperone, but things soon settled down.”

Although Libuše describes growing up in communist Czechoslovakia as a “schizophrenic” time; she and the people whom she met, partied with and loved still lived in hope. “We knew without a shadow of a doubt that we were living in a perverse society in which the basic moral principles did not apply, and upon which the will of a foreign power was being imposed. In spite of all of this, we had hope. Quite illogically we hoped that everything would one day change.”

See more of Libuše Jarcovjáková’s work on her official website.

Enjoyed this article? Like Huck on Facebook or follow us on Twitter.


You might like

Smiling people enjoying a night out, one person wearing a red hat and jacket.
Music

Huck teams up with Eastern Margins for a special SXSW London showcase

From Shibuya to Shoreditch — Taking place at Village Underground on Monday, performances will come from MONO, Nina Utashiro, Ena Mori, Jianbo, LVRA & Soda Plains.

Written by: Isaac Muk

A person wearing a black cap and holding a sign that says "What made me"
Music

Tony Njoku: ‘I wanted to see Black artists living my dream’

What Made Me — In this series, we ask artists and rebels about the forces and experiences that shaped who they are. Today, it’s avant-garde electronic and classical music hybridist Tony Njoku.

Written by: Tony Njoku

Vibrant book covers against bleak, rocky hills and buildings; 'Babylon' and 'Albion' text in bold lettering.
Culture

Dalia Al-Dujaili: “When you’re placeless, nature can fill the void”

Babylon, Albion — As her new book publishes, the British-Iraqi author speaks about connecting with the land as a second-generation migrant, plants as symbols of resistance, and being proud of her parents.

Written by: Zahra Onsori

Crowded festival site with tents, stalls and an illuminated red double-decker bus. Groups of people, including children, milling about on the muddy ground.
© Alan Tash Lodge
Music

New documentary revisits the radical history of UK free rave culture

Free Party: A Folk History — Directed by Aaron Trinder, it features first-hand stories from key crews including DiY, Spiral Tribe, Bedlam and Circus Warp, with public streaming available from May 30.

Written by: Isaac Muk

A collage depicting a giant flup for mankind, with an image of the Earth surrounded by planets and people in sci-fi costumes.
Culture

Why Katy Perry’s space flight was one giant flop for mankind

Galactic girlbossing — In a widely-panned, 11-minute trip to the edge of the earth’s atmosphere, the ‘Women’s World’ singer joined an all-female space crew in an expensive vanity advert for Jeff Bezos’ Blue Origin. Newsletter columnist Emma Garland explains its apocalypse indicating signs.

Written by: Emma Garland

Huck 79

We are all Mia Khalifa

How humour, therapy and community help Huck's latest cover star control her narrative.

Written by: Alya Mooro

Huck is supported by our readers, subscribers and Club Huck members. It is also made possible by sponsorship from:

Signup to our newsletter

Sign up to our newsletter to informed with the cutting edge of sport, music and counterculture, featuring personal takes on the state of media and pop culture from Emma Garland, former Digital Editor of Huck, exclusive interviews, recommendations and more.

Please wait...

Accessibility Settings

Text

Applies the Open Dyslexic font, designed to improve readability for individuals with dyslexia.

Applies a more readable font throughout the website, improving readability.

Underlines links throughout the website, making them easier to distinguish.

Adjusts the font size for improved readability.

Visuals

Reduces animations and disables autoplaying videos across the website, reducing distractions and improving focus.

Reduces the colour saturation throughout the website to create a more soothing visual experience.

Increases the contrast of elements on the website, making text and interface elements easier to distinguish.