Ladislav Kudrna is a Czech historian specializing in the history of communist Czechoslovakia, with a particular focus on the underground resistance during the normalization period. His earlier research explored Czechoslovak pilots in World War II and the involvement of Czechoslovak nationals in the Vietnam War.
He has worked at the Institute for the Study of Totalitarian Regimes since 2008 and was appointed its director in May 2022. He studied history at the Faculty of Arts, Charles University in Prague, completing his doctoral degree in 2008. In 2011, he habilitated in Czech and Czechoslovak history at the Silesian University in Opava, where he earned the title of associate professor.
Ladislav Kudrna is the author of several acclaimed monographs and scholarly studies that have illuminated previously overlooked aspects of modern Czech history. He is a recipient of multiple academic awards and co-author of the documentary March or Die.