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First Radio Free Europe studio

This exhibit, organized on the occasion of the fiftieth anniversary of Radio Free Europe's first full schedule of broadcasting to Czechoslovakia in 1951, covers the history of the radios and some of the broad themes in the Radios' programming over the years.

Watch the slideshow

Read an article about the exhibit, published in Hoover Digest.


Related online exhibit: Radio Liberty: 50 Years of Broadcasting

When Radio Liberty’s first broadcasts in Russian went out over the airwaves on March 1, 1953, hardly anyone thought that fifty years later these broadcasts would still be considered a necessary component in the establishment of a free press and democratic system in the former Soviet Union. RFE/RL currently broadcasts in all the languages of the newly independent states of the former Soviet Union and many languages spoken in the Russian Federation. This online exhibit illustrates features and figures of Radio Liberty’s history from its early days into the 21st century, based on the holdings of the Hoover Institution Archives.

Upcoming Events

Tuesday, September 15, 2026 6:30 PM ET
Markus Wolf
Book Talk: "The Troika: The Troika: A Story Of Three Families, Friendship, And The Cold War"
The Hoover Institution Library & Archives is partnering with the International Spy Museum to co-host a hybrid event on "The Troika", Markus Wolf'… International Spy Museum (700 L'Enfant Plaza, SW Washington DC 20024)
Thursday, September 24, 2026 12:00 PM PT
Yellow Peril Newspaper Excerpt
The Kaiser's Warning: How A 1908 Interview Wrongly Predicted The Transformation Of American Racism
The Hoover Institution Library & Archives at Stanford University and the Japanese Association for Migration Studies will co-host a virtual… Zoom
Friday, October 2, 2026
Democracy Without Shelter: How Mongolia Holds The Line
You are coordially invited to a fireside chat on Democracy Without Shelter: How Mongolia Holds the Line with Elbegdorj Tsakhia and H.R. McMaster on… Hauck Auditorium, David and Joan Traitel Building
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