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Czech glass has confirmed its world level and reputation. Just now ( December 2023), the domestic hand-made production of glass was added to the list of UNESCO’s intangible cultural heritage. The application, submitted by the Czech Republic together with France, Finland, Hungary, Germany, and Spain, was approved by the organization’s intergovernmental committee at a meeting in Botswana.

In 2005, the Slovak verbuňk dance was the first to be inscribed on the UNESCO list of domestic intangible cultural heritage, and most recently vorařství last year. In the Czech Republic, in addition to the Ministry of Culture, the Museum of Glass and Bijoux in Jablonec nad Nisou, as well as representatives of individual glass smelters, schools, and professional organizations, participated in the preparation of documents related to the registration of handmade glass production.

“Glassmaking is an important industry especially in the Liberec and Zlín Regions and also in the Highlands. It is also a topic for which people travel to the Czech Republic from all over the world, and I believe that thanks to today’s inscription on the UNESCO list, there will be even more. I congratulate the glassmakers and everyone who participated in this success,” says František Reismüller, director of the Czech Tourism Office – CzechTourism, and adds: “Czech glass is of interest not only to tourists from Europe, who could, for example, see Crystal Valley on the main news of French TV channel TF1, it is also attractive for guests from Asia, who since March of this year can get to us better thanks to the direct flight between Prague and Seoul. Details about domestic glassmaking in all corners of the Czech Republic, including what is new in the given sector, can also be found on our portal Kudy z nudy.

The technological uniqueness of Czech glass can be seen all over the country. In the past, specifically in 2020, it was confirmed by the fact that the production of Christmas ornaments from blown glass pearls was added to the list of intangible cultural heritage of UNESCO. It was preserved in the Rautis company in Poniklá in the Giant Mountains.

At the same time, unlike other countries, Czech glass production includes all techniques. In addition to the above-mentioned traditional production of Christmas ornaments, this includes – together with the preparation and production of glass raw materials – also blowing, grinding, painting, coiled pearls, production of tubes, jewelery sticks and more.

So far, the Czech Republic has had a total of 32 inscriptions in UNESCO. Most recently, Žatec and the Žatec hop landscape succeeded, becoming the 17th Czech tangible monument on this list and the first ever hop heritage with this world mark.

One of the popular forms of travel is visiting places associated with important personalities. These include architects, musicians, painters, and other artists. That is, people who created a unique work, attract tourists from different corners of the world. The Czech Republic has a whole range of such magnetically attractive personalities and attractions. For example, the architect Jan Blažej Santini-Aichel, who died 300 years ago. Vysočina is significantly connected with Santini, in the region you can visit many buildings designed by this phenomenal creator.

When traveling to Santini, the Church of St. Jan Nepomucký in Žďár nad Sázavou. It is a place that represents the pinnacle of Santini’s work and is inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List. The “Green Mountain”, as the Baroque Gothic jewel is also called, is characterized by a unique, perfectly thought-out geometry and mystical symbolism in the form of stars and numbers, most often five and ten. The unmistakable spiral tower and unique floor plan attracted the attention of the whole world, and the church thus became an icon of the Vysočina region.

“Vysočina has the most municipalities with less than a thousand inhabitants in the Czech Republic. The population density is not too high, and the area is thus very much connected to the land, regional products, and services, and can therefore appeal to rural tourism and agritourism, which is so popular in Austria, for example,” says František Reismüller, director of the Czech Tourism Office – CzechTourism, adding: “Large distances between the villages of the region provide a specific atmosphere that has inspired a number of personalities. For example, the architect Jan Blažej Santini-Aichel. The works he designed were often created as church buildings, which is also typical for the Highlands. This is also why this region was depicted as an ‘Unexpected home office’ in the form of a monastery library in our main Unexpected Traditions campaign this year. The good news is that last year the region between Bohemia and Moravia was visited by the highest number of tourists in the last ten years, namely almost 643 thousand. Residents predominated, numbering more than 573,000, while almost 70,000 foreign guests arrived. Together with the region and local entities, we are working to sensibly increase the number of bona fide travelers in the Highlands and spread tourism in the spirit of much-needed sustainability.”

Since this year, Vysočina has had a holiday in the countryside as a priority theme for tourism. There are a number of picturesque rural buildings, cottages, and farms in the region, where you can not only stay but also taste unique experiences associated with the countryside, nature, and the region. Whether it’s contact with animals or, for example, tasting local specialties. The region is also home to unique monuments listed on the UNESCO World Heritage List.

“Pilgrimage Church of St. John of Nepomuck in Žďár nad Sázavou, the basilica of St. Prokop and the Jewish quarter with the synagogue and cemetery in Třebíč and the historical core with the castle in Telč are our UNESCO monuments. Vysočina can therefore be proud of having the most of them in the whole of the Czech Republic. In general, we are a region extremely rich in monuments, in our region there are 2,966 immovable cultural monuments, 16 national cultural monuments, 3 urban and 3 village conservation reserves, 22 urban and 5 village conservation zones and 1 landscape conservation zone,” says the director of Vysočina Tourism Oľga Königová and adds: “This is not the only reason we attract tourists, since this year we have been emphasizing rural tourism, and not only in the context of the Holidays in the Countryside project. Related to this are regional products, including local gastronomy, drinks from local breweries and original buildings in small villages or completely isolated. At the same time, we do not forget about places that offer tourists complete services and a variety of diverse experiences. Among them is, for example, Žďár nad Sázavou Castle.”

Žďár nad Sázavou Castle was created from a Cistercian monastery from the 13th century. Among other things, travelers can visit the interactive Museum of the New Generation or follow in the footsteps of Santini. The central building is the Minor Basilica of the Assumption of the Virgin Mary.

“During the tour in the footsteps of Santini, visitors can see the Konventní rybník embankment, the monastery convent, the Basilica of the Assumption of the Virgin Mary and St. Mikuláš, an abbot’s apartment with a library, baroque stables or the oval hall of the prelature. The convention building, in which, among other things, we organize concerts and a dance residency, should open in 2025 after a general reconstruction as an International Creative Center, which will become the Vysočina Region’s center for the development of cultural and artistic activities. We have big plans ahead of us and we believe that by supporting cultural activities we will contribute to the development of the entire region, which is our considerable goal,” says the owner of Ždár nad Sázavou Castle, Constantine Kinský.

Currently, places associated with Santini and a number of other tourist attractions in Vysočina can be enjoyed in the context of Advent and the upcoming holidays. Not only the corners of the Ždár castle are made up of magical backdrops, and thanks to the unique combination of history and architecture, visitors can stop for a while and immerse themselves in the Christmas atmosphere.

Prague Zoo reveals its animal orphans this year during the Advent season. The traditional campaign Adopt Me! looking for patrons for unjustly neglected animals. A total of six species including mammals, birds, but also reptiles, and fish, which do not receive enough public attention. Their support is a popular Christmas gift – not only for them but also for your loved ones.

“At the end of the year, we traditionally present so-called animal orphans to the public. At the same time, it is not only about getting supporters of their breeding but also about introducing lesser-known or overlooked animal species,” says the director of the Prague Zoo, Miroslav Bobek.

He believes that every animal is something interesting and deserves people’s interest. “Gorillas, wombats, sea lions or nutcrackers attract a decisive part of the attention. Now we’re trying to get it to less attractive animals.”

The adoption of animals or their sponsorship is a long-standing popular product of the Prague Zoo. The adoptive parent becomes a member of the zoo’s friends club and is invited to important social events: for example, the season-opening ceremony in the spring, the annual celebration in September, or the sponsors’ meeting in December.

And who is looking for their patrons this year?

This year’s group of animal orphans is revealed, and their faces have already filled the public space not only in Prague and other Czech cities, but also in virtual space. QR codes on posters represent the easiest form of adoption – for example in the form of an original Christmas gift.

The Saharan gundi is guaranteed to be the furriest figure. It is characterized by its compact body, large eyes, and exaggerated skin, to the point of creating folds that, with a little exaggeration, evoke a Shar Pei dog. These desert rodents inhabit the Africa Pavilion up close, where visitors can often see them huddled together basking under a heat lamp.

This year’s group of animal orphans is revealed, and their faces have already filled the public space not only in Prague and other Czech cities, but also in virtual space. QR codes on posters represent the easiest form of adoption – for example in the form of an original Christmas gift.

The position of the rarest animal is occupied by the crested kagu. This New Caledonian endemic may resemble a heron, but in reality it has no close relatives. He can’t fly, because he was originally not threatened by any predators in his homeland. With the arrival of Europeans, rats and cats were introduced to the islands, making the kagu an endangered species today. In the zoo, this graceful bird is an absolute rarity due to its excellent pair fidelity. In the Prague one, people can find it in its lower part.

This year’s group of animal orphans is revealed, and their faces have already filled the public space not only in Prague and other Czech cities, but also in virtual space. QR codes on posters represent the easiest form of adoption – for example in the form of an original Christmas gift.

There are never enough crested cockatoos, so this year the raven cockatoo also got its space. The elegant Australian species breaks the general stereotype of white cockatoos – it is black with transverse orange ripples. The parrot does not deny its colorful tail feathers. According to indigenous mythology, these lovers of eucalyptus seeds herald the arrival of the rains with their loud speech. In the Prague Zoo, they inhabit Darwin’s Crater.

This year’s group of animal orphans is revealed, and their faces have already filled the public space not only in Prague and other Czech cities, but also in virtual space. QR codes on posters represent the easiest form of adoption – for example in the form of an original Christmas gift.

This year, the traditional campaign has an unusually wide representation of winged birds, but it is not surprising: the South American stickleback is not only a fascinating species like the two already mentioned, but also has a “superpower”. Thanks to its exceptionally long toes, it distributes its weight and can walk on aquatic vegetation, e.g. on water lilies. Those interested can see his careful walking on the water surface in the Rákos pavilion.

This year’s group of animal orphans is revealed, and their faces have already filled the public space not only in Prague and other Czech cities, but also in virtual space. QR codes on posters represent the easiest form of adoption – for example in the form of an original Christmas gift.

Another seemingly neglected species is actually newly bred at the Prague Zoo. So the Bates dog is just starting to look for his adoptive parents. These days, attentive visitors can discover it for the first time in the Terrarium pavilion. The emerald green boa constrictor boasts the longest teeth of any non-venomous snake! In combination with the shape of the head, the rare reptile has earned a poetic family name.

This year’s group of animal orphans is revealed, and their faces have already filled the public space not only in Prague and other Czech cities, but also in virtual space. QR codes on posters represent the easiest form of adoption – for example in the form of an original Christmas gift.

Advent includes fairy tales, miracles and fulfilled wishes, so it is appropriate to include one “goldfish” among the orphans. Bleher’s iris perfectly fulfills this characteristic, at least visually. In addition to its coloring, the nimble fish is also attractive due to its conspicuously high back, especially in males. Even so, it was only discovered for science in 1982. A flock of irises in the Prague Zoo is running through an aquarium in the Indonesian jungle.

In addition to animal orphans, people can of course choose from hundreds of other animal species kept at the Prague Zoo.

You can easily fill out the adoption or sponsorship form on the website https://www.zoopraha.cz/jak-pomoci/adopce/seznam-zvirat-pro-adopci.

Photo of the Prague Zoo

On December 1, 2023 – The Speaker of the Chamber of Deputies Markéta Pekarová Adamová received the Speaker of the Azerbaijani Legislative Assembly Sahiba Gafarová. The two officials discussed the deepening of mutual relations in key areas of the energy industry. But they also discussed the expansion of cooperation to other economically promising sectors.

The Speaker of the Chamber of Deputies of the Parliament of the Czech Republic, Markéta Pekarová Adamová, received the Speaker of the National Assembly of the Republic of Azerbaijan, Sahiba Alighizi Gafarová.

“Azerbaijan is our important strategic partner, especially in the field of energy. The oil we import from there covers about a quarter of our total consumption. This makes our country one of the main importers of Azerbaijani oil. In this way, our good relations contribute to ensuring our own raw material self-sufficiency and energy security,” said the Speaker of the Chamber of Deputies, Markéta Pekarová Adamová.

Last year, a memorandum on strategic partnership in the field of energy was signed, and this year the first meeting of the Czech-Azerbaijani working group took place on this topic.

“During our meeting, I suggested to Madam Speaker that we are ready to deepen our relations in other areas of economically perspective cooperation. Our companies have excellent know-how and an international reputation in sectors such as waste and water management. We are also interested in supplies of Azerbaijani natural gas and would very much like to deepen cooperation in the sector of renewable energy sources,” added the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Markéta Pekarová Adamová.

This year, the Czech Republic and Azerbaijan are commemorating the 30th anniversary of the establishment of mutual diplomatic relations. Today’s visit represents the political culmination of this year’s bilateral cooperation.

On December 4, 2023 – President of the Senate Miloš Vystrčil and Speaker of the Chamber of Deputies Markéta Pekarová Adamová visited Israel.

As part of their one-day trip, they held talks with the Speaker of the Israeli Knesset, Amir Ochana, and also visited one of the places where terrorists from the Hamas movement attacked Israeli civilians on October 7 this year.

The Speaker of the Senate, Miloš Vystrčil, and the Speaker of the Chamber of Deputies of the Parliament of the Czech Republic, Markéta Pekarová Adamová, made a working trip to the State of Israel at the invitation of the Speaker of the Knesset, Amir Ochana.

“A country that is historically connected to us and has helped us many times when we were in need, now needs us. From the beginning of its existence, the Jewish state has had to defend its existence, and in this struggle it has the full support of the Czech Republic. If we let hatred win in one place, it will quickly spread to another, and eventually, we will all have to face it. Therefore, we cannot stand by the injustice, we cannot let the spreading wave of anti-Semitism go unnoticed, and we cannot let terrorist propaganda win over the truth. We are and will be with Israel as long as the situation requires it,” said the Speaker of the Chamber of Deputies, Markéta Pekarová Adamová.

The parliamentary delegation visited Kibbutz Kfar Azza, whose inhabitants were brutally attacked by Hamas terrorists on October 7 this year. Also on the agenda was a visit to wounded soldiers in the Ichilov hospital and a working meeting with Chairman Amir Ochana and Chairman of the Knesset Foreign and Defense Committee Juli Edelstein.

“In Kibbutz Kfar Azza, we saw with our own eyes what the terrorists are capable of. Even after two months, the now abandoned village is full of chilling places. We spoke to survivors, first responders and those still identifying victims’ bodies. I am very happy that the Czech Republic stands by Israel and supports its defense capabilities and its fight against terrorism. Israel is an example of how a country can heroically defend itself, even if it is not easy,” added Senate President Miloš Vystrčil.

206% more Tourists from South Korea arrived in the Czech Republic than in the same period last year.

More tourists visited the Czech Republic in the 3rd quarter of this year than in the pre-Covid 2019 year.

A special video “Fairy Tale Trip To Czechia with Yoona produced by Hyundai Motor Group X Czechia, has had more than 15 million views in the last 2 weeks.

Direct air connections play a fundamental role in the tourism industry. CzechTourism works intensively on them with Prague Airport and other entities.

This year, among other things, the lines Prague – Seoul were put into operation, and work is being done in the following years. The fact that this activity makes sense is confirmed by the figures for the 3rd quarter of 2023. They show that the number of Asian guests is growing in the Czech Republic.

The Czech Tourism Office – CzechTourism is changing its management. From November 1, 2023, the current director of marketing and foreign offices, František Reismüller, will be the new director based on a selection process. This was announced by the Deputy Prime Minister for Digitization and Minister for Regional Development Ivan Bartoš.

The open selection process, in which eleven people applied, was announced by the Ministry of Regional Development (MMR) because the current director of the CzechTourism agency, Jan Herget, decided to leave.

Read the interview at our last magazine issue: https://www.czechleaders.com/interviews/jan-herget

In the 2nd round of the selection of the new management, the MMR Commission decided between two candidates. A key role was played by the vision of where CzechTourism and the promotion of the Czech Republic as a tourism destination in domestic and foreign markets should go so that it is economically beneficial for the whole country.

“I believe that the new director of the CzechTourism agency, František Reismüller, who knows the Czech Tourism Office very well, will move the entire tourism sector forward. It is clear from the latest data on the number of visitors to hotels in the Czech Republic that, although we have already reached pre-covid numbers, the ratio of Czech versus foreign guests visiting us has changed. According to the committee that selected him, the new director has great potential to change that, as he previously worked as the director of marketing and foreign representations of CzechTourism. Among other things, he and his team are behind the Unexpected Traditions campaign, valued by experts, which is currently running in 13 countries around the world with the aim of attracting as many foreign tourists as possible to the Czech Republic,” says Deputy Prime Minister for Digitization and Minister for Regional Development Ivan Bartoš and adds: “František Reismüller not only during the preparation of the campaign, he showed the importance of cooperation across destination management in the Czech Republic, because each region has its own theme in the visuals. And his management of foreign representations clearly shows an understanding of the specifics of individual countries and the necessary contextual insight. He realizes that we cannot do without digitization in the tourism industry in the future. This also led to the fact that from November 1 this year he will manage the entire CzechTourism. I wish him the best of luck.”

M.Sc. František Reismüller, Ph.D. he studied sinology at the Faculty of Philosophy of Charles University. Right after school, he started working in tourism, first as a business development manager in the private sector. In 2013, he founded the foreign representative office of CzechTourism in Shanghai and was its director for four years. Subsequently, he spent three years working for the European Travel Commission (ETC), among other things, he was its marketing and project manager in Brussels. He then returned to the CzechTourism agency in the position of Director of Marketing and Foreign Representations, where he is to this day. František Reismüller is married and has one child. He speaks English, Chinese and German. In his free time, he dedicates himself to translations of beautiful literature from Chinese to Czech and to research in the field of Chinese culture and society.

“I feel very strongly that the tourism industry has changed after the covid-19 pandemic, just like the whole world. When presenting the Czech Republic at home and abroad, these changes need to be respected and accommodated, while at the same time it is necessary to build on what is already working, i.e. the Strategy of the CzechTourism agency and the Czech Republic 2021-2025 destination. My main priorities at the head of the Czech Tourism Office will therefore be the optimization of all agency activities and digitization in the sense of transparency and an emphasis on measurable and accurate data-based marketing. In practice, this means, among other things, the further development of the Kudy z nudy and Visit Czechia portals, which are highly appreciated by people,” says the future director of the Czech Tourism Office – CzechTourism František Reismüller, adding: “It is also necessary to address multi-source financing with the aim of saving the costs of the state budget and the overlap of activities agencies to synergistically build the Czech brand across industries and in cooperation with other state institutions. Last but not least, I want to emphasize a comprehensive, infrastructurally grasped product portfolio that reflects the needs of source markets and the offer of Czech tourist destinations. I am very much looking forward to my new job, I thank the MMR for the promised support, my predecessor and the entire excellent CzechTourism team, without whom it would not have been possible.”

František Reismüller wants to meet and exchange the agenda with outgoing director Jan Herget in his “old” workplace in his new position next week. He also plans to meet soon with all the employees of the CzechTourism agency, as well as with representatives of associations and unions active in the tourism industry, as well as with the CEOs of the CzechInvest and CzechTrade agencies, with whom CzechTourism shares the Czech House building in Štěpánská Street in Prague. All this is to maximally develop tourism for the benefit of the whole of the Czech Republic.

Photo by: Tomáš Fongus

President Petr Pavel, in a speech before members of the European Parliament on October 4, 2023, supported the expansion of the European Union to include the countries of the Western Balkans or the so-called Associated Trio (Ukraine, Moldova, Georgia). He also called for European countries to continue supporting Ukraine. He further warned against misinformation at the plenary of the European Parliament.

The President recalled the twenty-three-year-old words of former Czech President Václav Havel from the European Parliament about the need for constant reflection and critical examination of European values, ideals, and principles. Since then, he said, the urgency of the task has not changed. “Making sure our citizens can identify with the principles we stand for is even more important,” he said.

In his speech, President Pavel also commented on the Russian invasion of Ukraine. He called it a blunt and cynical attempt to wipe Ukraine, its people and culture off the map. He emphasized that Russian President Vladimir Putin, who tried to destroy a sovereign state and undermine the international order, must not win. “I therefore appeal to all to continue to provide assistance by all possible means. If Ukraine falls, so will we. And it will cost us much more,” he said.

He mentioned the accession of ten countries to the EU in 2004, which, according to him, brought benefits to all member states of the Union. He described the EU as the most successful peace project that the European continent has experienced. He supported further expansion of the European Union. “I am convinced that striving for a full-fledged European future for the Western Balkans and the Associated Trio is not only our moral duty. From a long-term perspective, this is an investment in the security and resilience of Europe and its citizens,” he added.

He stated that the integration process cannot be completed without the necessary reforms, both on the part of the candidate countries and the EU. “Enlargement should be seen as an opportunity to reshape the European idea. It should be seen as a chance to create a more effective Union,” he added.

The president also warned against disinformation, calling it a real threat. According to him, it is also necessary to create stronger bonds between natural European and transatlantic allies.

Today in Strasbourg, the President also met with Czech MEPs and held talks with the President of the European Parliament, Roberta Metsola, with whom he spoke, for example, about the biggest challenges facing the EU. Before the end of the trip, President Pavel will also meet with the Secretary General of the Council of Europe, Marija Pejčinović Burić.

Photo By: Tomáš Fongus

The first breeding of tile turtles in European zoos is the result of a fifteen-year effort by the team of curator Peter Velenský. As part of the breeding of reptiles at the Prague Zoo, this is a historic success on a world scale. Photo by Petr Hamerník, Prague Zoo

Exactly four months ago, two scaly turtle hatchlings hatched in the Prague Zoo. These mushroom-eating reptiles were bred by the Prague Zoo as the first zoo in Europe. Both delicate cubs thrive and transform significantly.

“They slowly lose their egg tooth and regularly eat oyster mushrooms, fruits such as figs or papaya and fresh dandelions. They gradually round out as their carapace becomes more arched. In short, they have a zest for life,” says curator of reptiles Petr Velenský. According to him, the key is that the turtles grow without deformities. “The supply of calcium is ensured by the cuttlefish bone, which they willingly nibble on. They got really hard for us. After hatching, they were unusually soft, almost like an inflatable balloon. Today, I would compare their hardness to a rugby cone,” he adds.

For the time being, the cubs remain in the background to be disturbed as little as possible. Handling them is limited to the necessary minimum. Even so, curator Velenský’s team learns valuable information about the way of life of these little-explored animals. For example, they are especially active after the terrarium has been dewed. Presumably in the belief that the mushrooms that feed on this food-specialized species will grow.

The egg tooth, i.e. the horn-shaped formation on the jaws, which enables small turtles to break the shell and hatch from the egg, is already only minimally visible on the head of the young. Photo by Petr Hamerník, Prague Zoo

According to the IUCN Red List, leatherback turtles are an endangered species, and even critically endangered in China. In addition to the loss of the natural environment, the cause is illegal trade on Asian markets. After all, the father of the cubs also got to Prague from the confiscated shipment of turtles via the Tai-pei Zoo. The current breeding at the Prague Zoo is therefore a life-long undertaking. The emerging methodology can help in breeding and other breeding institutions.

The reproduction of terrapins, whose adult individuals can be found by visitors in Velemlokário and which until recently were considered not only non-reproducible, but even unkillable, was preceded by a fifteen-year effort. The whole story is, among other things, colorfully described in the current issue of the Trojský kóník, the magazine of the Prague Zoo.

The extremely delicate hatchlings remain in the hinterland for the time being, where they live a very sedentary lifestyle. They only come out of their shelter to feed. Photo by Petr Hamerník, Prague Zoo

Our long-nose potoroos eat mushrooms, therefore for her 14th birthday I brought Scabbers a piece of chicken mushroom.

When I wrote last week about the aardvark female Pieta, who became the oldest representative of her species in the world, also the oldest historically, I should not forget some other representatives of the oldest animals also living in our zoo.

But before I start listing these record holders, I would like to say that we can naturally proceed only from what is well documented. At the same time, we know a little about the age which animals reach in the wild. Also, with animals kept in human care we are facing a deficit of information or hearsay and unverifiable data.

And now to the point:

We can start at the Walk of Fame at the entrance to the zoo, where Cuban iguana Pepíno also has his footprint. After all, of the 26 animal personalities, represented here, only Pepíno and Humboldt penguin Karlík are still alive. Pepíno originates from the wild; he came to Prague Zoo in 1992, became the father of the first young of his species here and is the founder of the famous Prague breeding. Currently he is at least 41 years old, therefore he is the oldest known Cuban iguana ever. But I must mention that a male of his close relative blue iguana called Godzilla reached estimated age of 69 years in American Gladys Porter Zoo.

Another reptile record holder, again in the world scale and historically, is a male Cuban boa, who is 33 years old. The second oldest Cuban boa also lives in our zoo. It is a male, who arrived form Bristol Zoo, which was closed last year.

We could find three similar record holders among birds, but this is due to their being bred only rarely in other places. So, let’s be content only with a list: New Guinea bronzewing – 12 years, large fig parrot – 18 years and barred laughingthrush – 9 years.

It seems probable that we also have a record holder among mammals. According to the data available it should be the male of moustached tamarin Jinx, who already exceeded the age of 22 years.

With great regret I must say that my favourite female of long-nose potoroo Scabbers will no longer be included among the abovementioned Mohicans. Although in the wild the potoroos usually reach five or six, rarely ten years, Scabbers celebrated her 14^th birthday on May 30 this year! However, the oldest long-nose potoroo in human care, a male, reached 15 years and one month in the Australian Taronga Zoo. I hoped that our Scabbers would surpass him. Unfortunately, she died on August 8.

Miroslav Bobek

H.E. Mrs. Albesjana Iberhysaj-Kapitaj, the new and the first Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Republic of Kosovo, based in Prague.

The President of the Republic, Petr Pavel, received the credentials of the new ambassadors to the Czech Republic on Thursday, October 5, 2023 at Prague Castle.

H.E. Mr. Richard Masozera, the new Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Republic of Rwanda, first time based in Prague,

H.E. Mrs. Ayesha Ali, the new Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, based in Prague,

H.E. Mr. Jurgen van Meirvenne, new Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Kingdom of Belgium based in Prague,

HE Mr. Bakyt Dyussenbayev, the new Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Republic of Kazakhstan, based in Prague,

The Speaker of the Chamber of Deputies, Markéta Pekarová Adamová, led a parliamentary delegation and attended the conference of the Speakers of the Parliaments of the Council of Europe in Dublin. The main topic of the debates was the role of national legislatures in the reconstruction of Ukraine attacked by the Russian aggressor. The Chairperson emphasized the importance of educational and advocacy activities of elected legislators as well as systematic inter-parliamentary cooperation on specific integration projects.

The Speaker of the Chamber of Deputies of the Parliament of the Czech Republic, Markéta Pekarová Adamová, participated in the European Conference of Speakers of Parliaments. The conference, which is organized every two years by the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, was held this time in Dublin, Ireland. The main topic of this year’s plenary debate of leading legislators was the consequences of ongoing Russian aggression and the role of national parliaments in the desired restoration of the attacked Ukraine.

“Putin’s brutal aggression against Ukraine poses a fundamental threat to liberal democracies, basic humanist values and the global security architecture. How can our parliaments face this? Above all, we should contribute to increasing the awareness of our citizens. For that purpose, the Chamber of Deputies has already organized several seminars and public hearings focused on the consequences of war, the documentation of war crimes and the necessity of bringing their perpetrators before an international judicial tribunal,” said the Speaker of the Chamber of Deputies, Markéta Pekarová Adamová, in her speech.

“In addition, we signed a memorandum of understanding with the Ukrainian parliament. This supports specific know-how sharing and capacity building projects to help our Ukrainian partners on their way to the European Union. Together, we are also organizing the Parliamentary Summit of the Crimean Platform in Prague next month, where we will continue discussions with legislators from more than fifty countries about, among other things, the crimes committed by Russia in the illegally occupied territories of Ukraine,” added Speaker of the House of Representatives Markéta Pekarová Adamová.

Another point of joint discussion was the very topical issue of hate speech and threats against democratically elected politicians. “According to a number of studies, expressions of hatred towards public figures, not just politicians, are on the rise. I know it very well. I receive threats and face hate speech practically on a daily basis. Many of us have this experience, but what is crucial is how that part of society, which is alien to such manifestations, reacts to it. It is necessary to define ourselves in relation to these manifestations, which fortunately happens and which I value immensely,” said the Speaker of the House of Representatives Markéta Pekarová Adamová.

An integral part of the Dublin conference was also a separate working meeting at the level of senior staff of parliamentary offices. “The main topic of the meeting was the exchange of information in the field of transparency and anti-corruption measures. The participants of the meeting shared their experiences with the application of ethical codes of legislators and employees of parliamentary offices,” added the head of the Office of the Chamber of Deputies, Martin Plíšek.

The 13^th edition of Prague Pride, an annual festival celebrating the LGBTQ community, took place in Prague on Saturday 12^th August 2023.

The theme this year was “more traditional than you think”.

Over sixty thousand people, including a number of Ministers, Czech politicians, members of Prague’s diplomatic community, and big commercial companies and organizations, took part in the parade, which ran from the lower part of Wenceslas Square via Celenta st., Old Town Square, and Parizka st., to Letná Plain.

There, we met ministers Ivan Bartos and Jan Lipavský, and deputy mayor Zdeněk Hřib. Also in attendance were Prague diplomats for Equality, among them American Ambassador H.E Bijan Sabet and his spouse, Switzerland Ambassador H.E. Philippe Guex and his spouse, Ambassador of the Kingdom of the Netherlands H.E. Dan Huisinga, Ambassador of Germany H.E. Andreas Künne, Ambassador of the U.K H.E. Matt Field, and the representatives of Canada, Austria, Mexico, Finland and more.

The celebrations continued at Letná, with live music and other events, until 10 pm.

Photo: Embassy of Germany

Photo: Embassy of Finland

Photo: Embassy of Canada

Foto: STA

Heavy rains have caused catastrophic conditions in major parts of Slovenia, and lives are also at risk. Residents are assisted by all available forces. The most important thing is that people take care of their own safety, follow the instructions of the competent services and stay in a safe place.

If you want to help

If you would like to help people affected by floods in Slovenia you can do so by donating to Slovenian charities that have already started raising funds. It is recommended that all financial aid is collected through humanitarian organizations, as they are best equipped to distribute the funds to those in need.

If an individual receives assistance from organizations that have the status of a humanitarian organization operating in the public interest in the fields of social or healthcare services, and from organizations that have the status of a disability organization operating in the public interest in the field of disability care, this aid is exempt from income tax payment.

• Slovenian Karitas

Slovenska Karitas Kristanova ulica 1, 1000 Ljubljana IBAN: SI56 0214 0001 5556 761
Purpose: POMOČ NEURJE
Reference: SI 00 624

• Red Cross Slovenia

Rdeči križ Slovenija Mirje 19, 1000 Ljubljana IBAN: SI56 0310 0123 4567 891 (open at SKB Banka d. d.) Reference: 00 96875
Purpose: Ujma 2023 SWIFT/BIC: SKBASI2X
Code of purpose: CHAR

• Slovenian Association of Friends of Youth

Zveza prijateljev mladine Slovenije Dimičeva ulica 9, 1000 Ljubljana IBAN: SI56 6100 0000 3512 232 Reference: SI00 245021
Code of Purpose: CHAR
Purpose: neurje

• Chain of Good People (Veriga dobrih ljudi)

Zveze prijateljev mladine Ljubljana Moste – Polje Proletarska 1, 1000 Ljubljana IBAN: SI56 3300 0000 1303 865
SWIFT/BIC: HAABSI22
Code of Purpose: CHAR
Code of Purpose: pomoč prizadetim v poplavah
Reference: SI00 750

• ADRA Slovenia

HD ADRA Slovenija Njegoševa 15, 1000 Ljubljana IBAN: SI56 0284 3026 3945 425
SWIFT/BIC: LJBASI2X
Reference: SI00 2023
Purpose: NEURJE 2023
Code of Purpose: CHAR

• Evangelican humanitarian organisation Podpornica

Evangeličanska humanitarna organizacija – Podpornica Slovenska ulica 17, 9000 Murska Sobota IBAN: SI56 0249 6008 9536 543
Purpose: POPLAVE 2023
Reference: SI00 2023-8
SWIFT/BIC: LJBASI2X
Code of Purpose: CHA

Through the EU Civil Protection Mechanism (The Emergency Response Coordination Centre – ERCC), Slovenia asked for assistance in machinery for debris removal and for the provision of road transportability:

• 10 heavy working machinery (tracked excavators) up to 7.5 tonnes with engineer teams
• 10 heavy working machinery (tracked excavators) up to 17,5 tonnes with engineer teams,
• 10 heavy working machinery (tracked excavators) over 17,5 tonnes with engineer teams,
• 10 heavy working machinery (excavators and bulldozers) with engineer teams,
• 30 vehicles specialised for watercourse management, and
• 20 prefabricated temporary bridges up to 40 metres.

We have requested assistance through the NATO Disaster Response Mechanism (Euro-Atlantic Disaster Response Coordination Centre – EADRCC) in the form of:

• 5 heavy military helicopters with a carrying capacity of at least 5 tonnes for transport,
• 200 soldiers to carry out protection, rescue and assistance tasks; and
• 20 prefabricated temporary bridges up to 40 metres.

The Republic of Croatia has already provided the assistance with a military helicopter to help close and secure a broken levee on the Mura River and to help reinforce its embankments. Help from other countries is still expected to arrive. The assistance is being coordinated through the Administration of the Republic of Slovenia for Civil Protection and Disaster Relief, which is in constant contact with the two aid coordination centres in Brussels.

Source

Photo KPR: Tomáš Fongus

On Friday, August 4, 2023 at 1:00 p.m., the President of the Republic Petr Pavel appointed Ph.D. JUDr. Josef Baxa as the President of the Constitutional Court, he will take up the position on August 8, 2023.

The President also appointed Prof. JUDr. Kateřina Ronovská, Ph.D. judge of the Constitutional Court and vice-president of the Constitutional Court at the same time.

Photo KPR: Tomáš Fongus

Josef Baxa was appointed constitutional judge by the president at the beginning of June, together with Jan Winter and Daniela Zemanová. “The Constitutional Court is getting a strong and experienced president. Josef Baxa is an unquestionable authority and one of the greatest experts in criminal law. He was at the birth of the Supreme Administrative Court, which he also ruled for fifteen years. I also appreciate his ability and willingness to clearly explain legal arguments to the general public. I am convinced that, with his leadership, he will contribute to building the image of the Constitutional Court as a fair and judicious guardian of democracy and human rights,” says President Pavel on the appointment of Josef Baxa as President of the Constitutional Court.

Photo KPR: Tomáš Fongus

Academician in the field of private law Professor Kateřina Ronovská, who heads the Department of Civil Law at the Faculty of Law of Masaryk University in Brno, was introduced by President Pavel this week in the Senate. He subsequently approved her nomination. As part of her academic practice, Kateřina Ronovská cooperates with academic workplaces abroad, and this, according to President Pavel, gives her a great international perspective and experience from the legal systems of other countries.

Watermelon contains a high amount of sugar, so it is really just a seasonal diversion for turtles beyond their regular diet. Photo by Tereza Šolcová, Prague Zoo

In the summer, the Prague Zoo invites you to Melon Wednesdays with the big turtles. Every third day of the week from 1 p.m., visitors can watch Galapagos elephant tortoises and giant tortoises from the Aldabra Atoll enjoying watermelons.

Together with an engaging interpretation, these regular feasts are an unforgettable experience for young and old visitors.

“For the turtles, it’s definitely diversifying their diet. In addition to the sweet flesh, they don’t disdain the green skin either, so this is a completely zero-waste feeding,” explains head reptile breeder Nataša Velenská. During her interpretation, she is surrounded by a group of ten males – two elephant tortoises and eight giant tortoises. But even the females in the side enclosures or in the pavilion don’t come for short – even Velenská distributes watermelons to them after the commented feeding is over. “In total, this works out to 30 kilograms of melons per two tons of live weight every Wednesday.”

Despite the fact that turtles do not have teeth, even the hard skin of a watermelon is not a challenge for them. Chief reptile breeder Nataša Velenská distributes the watermelon fairly during the presentation, and also checks with maternal interest that each turtle only takes a bite that it can swallow. Photo by Tereza Šolcová, Prague Zoo

The area near the Pavilion of large turtles from the region underwent a significant revitalization this year. Visitors will appreciate the new fence, vegetation, and recently laid lawn on which a group of reptiles graze. People will find the exhibition near the bottom station of the cable car.

Acquaintance of a pair of cubs with their parents took place under the close supervision of the breeders. Among other things, the adults immediately explained the rules of the group hierarchy to the cubs. Photo by Petr Hamerník, Prague Zoo

Nestor kea chicks inhabited the exhibit together with their parents. The little parrots were artificially fed in the background and therefore only now became acquainted with the parent couple – male Rudy and female Judy. Today, the first aviary of the Rákos pavilion near the main entrance is very lively. In addition to the young, the current weather also contributes to this, which encourages these only high-altitude parrots in the world to be active.

The cubs joined the adults’ games almost immediately. The kea nestlings are exceptionally resourceful, and that is why they are regularly given various puzzles to play with at the Prague Zoo. In the picture, one such puzzle is solved by a pair of nesters with joint efforts: On the left, an adult, on the right, one of this year’s young. Photo by Petr Hamerník, Prague Zoo

“Basically, this is adoption by one’s own parents,” says bird curator Antonín Vaidl. This alternative breeding method has already proven itself here with short-tailed jays and several species of jays. In the case of parrots, however, it is a premiere at the Prague Zoo. “Judy, an inexperienced female, was nesting for the first time, so we preferred to place her eggs in a hatchery. The birds hatched at the turn of February and March, and we then hand-fed them in the incubator,” Vaidl describes the breeding, adding that these are the fourth and fifth chicks of this endangered species in the history of the Prague Zoo.

But small nesters had to be socialized in time with other birds of their species. Considering their intelligence, which is exceptional even among the generally very resourceful parrots, it was important to leave them isolated from other individuals only for the necessary time.

Enrichment is essential for these inquisitive parrots because, among other things, it keeps them in good mental condition. It often includes a reward in the form of a snack, which Nestor deserves to enjoy at the end of his efforts. Photo by Petr Hamerník, Prague Zoo

“At the beginning of the summer, we therefore placed the young in the nest hole behind the contact grid. That way she could get to know the parents and we could continue to take care of them and observe how they react to each other,” explains Vaidl. In the following weeks, the method proved itself. Juvenile sounds begging for attention roused a few adults to parental behavior. “When we removed the grid, the female was already more attached to the birds, but the male was more timid and tried to chase them away at first. In just a few days, however, we observed how he, too, feeds the two cubs and takes care of them in an exemplary manner.”

Nestor kea nestlings inhabited the exhibition of the Rákos pavilion. Seemingly inconspicuously colored, the parrot does honor to its order with its variegated underwings and coccyx. Photo by Petr Hamerník, Prague Zoo

Currently, visitors will find a group of four birds in the aviary. In addition to the already mentioned inquisitiveness, thanks to which nesters like to solve prepared puzzles and puzzles in the form of various enrichment elements, and adaptation to a colder climate, these New Zealand parrots are also special for their omnivorousness. In nature, they are able to catch small vertebrates, so boiled eggs as a source of animal protein add variety to the dose of root vegetables they are fed at the Prague Zoo.

Photo: Jiří Šeda, Czech Radio

What do artists such as ABBA, The Beatles, Queen, Stevie Wonder, Bob Dylan and Edith Piaf have in common with Czechoslovakia? While most of them never performed here, cover versions of their hits became huge hits in Czechoslovakia.

See the rest here.

Author: Libor Kukal

Photo: Michal Kamaryt, ČTK

International headlines were made at the weekend when Czech police stopped a Russian player from entering the country to appear at a tennis tournament. However on Monday the police said they would take no action against players with Russian passports taking part in a different competition. Why the discrepancy?

Czechia’s biggest tennis event, the Prague Open, is currently taking place in the capital.

However the start of the women’s tournament was rather overshadowed by events surrounding Russian and Belarusian players who had registered to participate.

Last Friday the police refused to allow a Russian player to enter Czechia, prompting organisers to say no citizens of either state would be taking part in the Prague Open.

See the rest here.

Author: Ian Willoughby

Photo: Prague Forum for Romani Histories / Institute of Contemporary History, Czech Academy of Sciences

The Czech Republic is one of many countries marking Roma Holocaust Memorial Day on 2 August, the day in 1944 when 2,897 Roma were murdered in Auschwitz. Up to half a million Roma were murdered in total, including over ninety percent of the pre-war Roma and Sinti population of what is now the Czech Republic. To mark the anniversary a new database has been launched by the Institute for Contemporary History of the Czech Academy of Sciences, bringing together testimonies of Czech and Slovak Roma who survived what is known in the Romani language as the Porajmos – the Devouring. David Vaughan spoke to the initiator and head of the project, Kateřina Čapková.

See the rest here.

Author: David Vaughan

Photo: Prague Pride Festival

Prague’s annual Pride festival is set to begin on Monday, running one week of events and festivities that celebrate queer culture and understate the importance continuing to push for full gender and racial equity in Czechia. I spoke with Kateřina Šilhová, one of the events coordinators, about what’s in store this year.

“I would say that Pride is still relevant and important because it reminds us about where we stand as queer people in society, so activism is certainly still part of the festival. It’s all about visibility, and of course reminds us that queer and LGBTQ+ people do not have some important rights here in the Czech Republic.

“So I would say Pride is an important event not only to make the lives of LBGTQ+ better, but it’s also about making everyone’s lives better, because equal rights make the living situation in the whole society better.

“Even though we can see some improvements in Prague and in the Czech Republic in the legal aspects of queer life, rights are still not equal, and Pride is here to remind us that we still have some things to fight for, and we can get together to celebrate queer culture.”

See the rest here.

Auth: Amelia Mola-Schmidt

Photo: René Volfík, iROZHLAS.cz

For three decades, the Czech Summer Course for Expatriates has been bringing people with Czech ancestry from all over the world to their ancestral home to get in touch with their roots and brush up on their language skills. Now in its 30th year, the course has brought a diverse range of students of all ages and many different nationalities to Czechia once again. While they were on a tour of the Czech Radio building, we managed to catch up with a few of them to hear about their motivations, struggles and successes.

The Summer Czech Course for Expatriates, as it is officially known, is held annually in the spa town of Poděbrady and is intended primarily for people from Czech heritage communities living abroad. It attracts people from all over the world, including North and South America, Oceania, and even Africa and Asia, as well as Europe.

See the rest here.

Author: Anna Fodor

Photo: Juan Pablo Bertazza, Radio Prague International

A long-awaited new pedestrian bridge connecting Prague’s districts of Holešovice and Karlín officially opened to the public on Friday. The Štvanice footbridge is named after the island it crosses, but it is also referred to as HolKa, girl in Czech, after the two districts it connects.

The minimalist footbridge spanning the Vltava River from Holešovice and Karlín was designed by architects Petr Tej, Marek Blank and Jan Mourek. It is made of special concrete, resembling marble, which has excellent mechanical properties. It is durable, frost-resistant, and has a high-quality surface which prevents water from leaking in, one of its authors, Petr Tej, told Radio Prague International:

“The structure should last 200 years without any maintenance. The other special feature is its seamless connection with the Bubny Embankment. The last part can be vertically raised. There is a hydraulic mechanism in the pillar in Holešovice that allows the whole footbridge to be raised by three metres in the event of a flood.”

 See the rest here.

Authors: Ruth Fraňková, Juan Pablo Bertazza

Photo: Zuzana Jarolímková, iROZHLAS.cz

Recently there have been a lot of Czech media reports about tensions and conflicts between the Roma and Ukrainian refugee communities in the country. In early June, a young Roma man was stabbed in Brno, according to unverified reports by a Ukrainian national, and died afterwards as a result of his injuries. The attack prompted a wave of anti-Ukrainian reactions and protest marches in Brno and other cities demanding increased security for Roma people. Further incidents, protests, and rumours followed, prompting the Czech Interior Minister to call on those affected not to allow themselves to be manipulated into prejudice and hatred.

Roma organisations appealed to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to call on Ukrainian refugees to respect diversity and refrain from violence, and to the Czech police and Interior Ministry to thoroughly investigate the incidents and bring the perpetrators to justice. Meanwhile other leading Roma public figures condemned the anti-Ukrainian protests and the spread of misinformation.

See the rest here.

Author: Anna Fodor

Photo: Ian Willoughby, Radio Prague International

Communist-era dissident John Bok has some great stories to tell. His parents met in the UK during the war and his English grandmother joined them in Prague after the conflict ended. Indeed Bok’s first language was English and though his speech is idiosyncratic he still has a noticeable northern English accent. Like his parents, he fell foul of the Communists, especially when he signed Charter 77. In the 1980s John Bok served as Václav Havel’s odd-job man before heading his security team in the immediate aftermath of the revolution. However – perhaps in part due to his life-long rebellious spirit – he soon found himself frozen out of the circle around the democracy leader and was not invited to his inauguration as president in late December 1989. I spoke to John Bok, who is today 77, at our studios in Prague’s Vinohrady.

See the rest here.

Author: Ian Willoughby

Start-up Quarter with J&T Real Estate intends to change the real estate market.

Selling real estate over the Internet is becoming more and more common. A comprehensive solution in this area is offered by the Quarter startup, which is supported by Jaromír Šimek and Jan Zelený.

What this startup is offering? Simplicity, and a safe way how to sell or buy real estate. Our main goal is transparency and fairness.

Additionally, the registered customers can use the evaluation service which will be updated every three months. Customers will receive an estimation of selling price and rental for today and up to three years in the past. The data is provided by an external provider using data from advertising servers and also from the land registry. Based on this you can easily estimate how much you could get for your property and decide if you want to rent or sell, which you can do only by one click.

The Quarter started a close cooperation with the real estate agency Reallocate managed by Pavlina Prokesova. This partnership will provide top-class services to its customers. The benefit of the service is, that the customers will get all contracts prepared by a respected law firm and the escrow by J&T Banka.

The Quarter wants to become a platform for private and public offers – focused on investment opportunities based on cooperation with local developers and private customers of J&T and registered VIP customers will be able to get all private offers before the rest of the market.

Currently, the Quarter offers an exclusive 5.000 sqm. land for a family residence in a luxury location in Prague, the last few flats in a new development project in Vinohrady, or a specific apartment with a wine cellar in Troja.

The start-up functions for only 6 months. More projects are coming soon and The Quarter is still looking for new partners to cooperate.

Author: Amelia Mola-Schmidt

Helppes is a non-profit organisation based in Prague that trains and matches assistance dogs to clients who have varying disabilities. I took a trip to their training facility to learn more about what they do, and the impact their work has on the lives of their clients.

If you’ve ever walked down the street and spotted a person walking with a dog in a brightly coloured vest, you probably knew it was an assistance dog – a specially trained pup that helps individuals with physical disabilities that use a wheelchair or are visually impaired, but also people with autism and post-traumatic stress disorder. The range of disabilities that assistance dogs can help with are broad, and one organisation in Prague – Helppes, is training these dogs that are then matched with clients’ specific needs. Dušan Pospíchal, a member of the supervisory board at Helppes, explained the matching process to me.

See the rest here.

Author: Amelia Mola-Schmidt

Photo: Radek Petrášek, ČTK

If you’re planning to watch the Barbie film, you might be surprised to learn that the drinks and pitchers in the Barbie bar were designed by Czech glassware company Klimchi. I spoke with CEO Lukáš Klimčák on what this feature in one of the summer’s biggest films means for his company, and for the reputation of Czech design.

“Last year we were approached by the production department of Warner Brothers in May with a request to dress a set in their movie that was coming out. Obviously we were interested in what movie it was, and they told us that it was the Barbie movie with Margot Robbie and Ryan Gosling.

“Of course we were really excited about it at the time, but we didn’t know it was going to be so big and how much hype there would be around it.

“We then started to choose with the Warner Brothers production team the perfect shade of pink from our Rosaline colour theme collection. At the end we picked the designs from this collection and got it delivered to the studios near London.”

See the rest here.

Author: Amelia Mola-Schmidt

Photo: Barbora Navrátilová, Radio Prague International

If you’re looking for a tranquil spot to observe the red rooftops of Prague, the Furstenberg garden should be your next trip. With multitple terraces, fruit trees and rose bushes, the garden is a plant lovers’ paradise.

See the rest here.

Authors: Amelia Mola-Schmidt, Barbora Navrátilová

Photo: Kateřina Šulová, ČTK

Three Czechs who risked their lives to save nine members of a Jewish family from the Holocaust have been recognised in memoriam as Righteous Among the Nations, the highest Israeli tribute to Gentiles who saved the lives of Jews during the Second World War. On Wednesday their relatives received the award from the Israeli ambassador to Prague.

The Righteous Among the Nations title has been awarded by the Yad Vashem Holocaust memorial in Jerusalem since 1963. To date some 30,000 people around the world have received the award.

Three new names were added to the list this Wednesday, when the Israeli Embassy in Prague officially presented the title in memoriam to the Čepek family.

See the rest here.

Author: Ruth Fraňková

Photo: Michaela Říhová, ČTK

The Senate met on Wednesday to consider three judges nominated for places on the Constitutional Court. However, the candidacy of Robert Fremr for Czechia’s top court sparked controversy, following recent allegations of impropriety pre-1989.

The Senate gathered on Wednesday to consider three names put forward by President Petr Pavel to be Constitutional Court justices. They had all been approved already by two upper house committees.

However allegations published last week put one of the nominees, Robert Fremr, in the spotlight.

See the rest here.

Author: Ian Willoughby

Photo: Cimbalom Guy / YouTube

Matěj Číp, a musician from a small village in Moravia, has devoted his life to playing the cimbalom, a hammered dulcimer from Central-Eastern Europe. After graduating from the Ostrava conservatory, he went on to study at the Northern State University in South Dakota, becoming the first ever cimbalom student at university level in the United States. He is now heading to the prestigious Berklee College of Music in New York City for his Master’s degree. His ambition is to spread the awareness of the instrument all over the world. I met with Matěj shortly before his departure to the US and I started by asking what brought him to study the cimbalom in the first place:

“The beginnings are connected with my family, especially with my grandmother. On her 70th birthday, we had a classic celebration in our village in Moravia and my parents decided to invite a cimbalom band, a traditional folk band.

See the rest here.

Author: Ruth Fraňková

Photo: Zuzana Jarolímková, iROZHLAS.cz

According to the Ministry of Interior’s biannual report on extremism, the anti-establishment, anti-government movement in Czechia has been gaining strength and is now overshadowing the traditional xenophobic extremist groups. Where did this movement originate and how serious a threat does it pose? I discussed these questions with extremism expert Miroslav Mareš from Brno’s Masaryk University.

“It is quite a terminological challenge, because the governmental reports on extremism traditionally focused on hard-line extremist groups. If we look back to the mid-1990s, there were some racist skinhead gangs and neo-Nazis on the far right spectrum and the dogmatic communists or anarchists on the left side of the extremist spectrum.

See the rest here.

Author: Ruth Fraňková

The main part of the KoresponDance festival will visit Žďár nad Sázavou in just a few days. Most of this year’s performances will take place at the local castle, Dolní hřbitov and Zelená hora between July 13 and 16. The introductory part in Prague took place on June 27 at CAMP – Center for Architecture and Urban Planning.

The theme of the 11th year is Architecture and Landscape, the festival in Žďár will be a celebration of the 300th anniversary of the death of the famous Czech architect Jan Blažej Santini, who left his distinctive signature in the city. Young and old visitors can look forward to 4 days packed with performances, workshops, film screenings, discussions, music and lots of fun.

The main star will be French choreographer Béatrice Massin with the group Fetes Galantes, who will perform a pair of projects with, among others, the group Collegium 1704 in the chapel on Zelená hora. Furthermore, visitors can look forward to a large project with local residents Ferst Dadler walks inspired by Santini’s architectural principles and stories of places and people, to the artistic group Tall Tales Company, BeInternational, Manolo Alcántara, La Méandre, Marta and Kim, Compagnie Monad, and Eliška Brtnická , Kristián Mensa and his dance battle, Stéphanie NDuhirahe, children’s projects and others.

Full program in Czech

The Ukrainian president came to Prague primarily to appreciate the efforts of the Czechs in the support they have provided to his country since the beginning of Russian aggression. President Pavel assured his counterpart that this support would continue. He also emphasized that by fighting for its own freedom and sovereignty, Ukraine also defends the interests of all democratic countries, including the Czech Republic.

“It is a great honor for me that my first official foreign visit to Prague Castle as president is from Ukraine. I would like to appreciate not only the courage of the Ukrainian nation in defending itself against Russian aggression but also the personal courage of President Zelensky. Seeking support from partners and allies in the situation of a direct threat to his life from Russia is admirable,” said President Pavel. He added, “It is in the interest of the Czech Republic that Ukraine, as soon as the war is over, starts negotiations on accession to NATO and the EU. It is good for our security, regional stability, and economic prosperity. We will also strive to ensure that the negotiations on joining the EU started by the end of this year.”

“I came to thank the Czech Republic for helping our people who were accepted by your country as refugees. Ukraine’s main goal now is to strengthen cooperation and join NATO. I appreciate that the Czech Republic does not look back to Moscow when making its independent decisions. I would also like to thank all the Ukrainian flags I saw on the way from the airport. It was touching,” said President Zelensky.

In addition to the private meeting between the two heads of state, the two heads of state also participated in a working meeting with their delegations. The program at Prague Castle concluded with a joint dinner hosted by the President in honor of the official visit of the President of Ukraine to the Czech Republic.

The program of the Ukrainian head of state will continue on Friday (7.7.2023) morning.

The plan is to meet with Prime Minister Petr Fiala, President of the Senate Miloš Vystrčil and Speaker of the Chamber of Deputies Markéta Pekarová Adamová.

Author: Zuzana Bönish, Photos: Archiv KPR

Text: M. Zisso; Photo: Václav Pavlas

It’s not a big secret that I love Thailand. I have visited this beautiful country several times, and have explored its beauty from Chiang Mai and Chiang Rai in the north to Phuket and the islands in the south. This time, we decided to have a more active holiday, at places we hadn’t yet visited. Let me share some of my freshest Thai experiences here, and who knows? It might even inspire you to pay a visit to some of the lovely places I am about to recall now.

Day 1 – suits, culture, and a big surprise

Our flights were on time. We landed in Bangkok at 1pm. Everything at the airport went smoothly. After about 45 minutes, we were in the taxi we had ordered in advance via booking.com.

Our hotel in Bangkok was a small, nice hotel close to Silom Road. We had a few hours for arrangements: exchanging money at “superrich” (Jewellery Trade Centre, 3rd floor) and finding a good fit-made suits tailor.

There are dozens of tailor’s shops around. Popping up from shop to shop, the prices and the quality vary. We chose our tailor at Silom Road, after a short time. We had the feeling that he was the best, and that we could trust him. “Carlos Bespoke”, Silom Road 284\6.

If you want to get perfect suits, then don’t wait until the last moment. They can make it in 24 hours, but
it’s better to make it sooner in order to have time for several fittings. We ordered three handmade suits. For that price, in Prague, you can only buy one suit of the same quality. We picked up the suits on our last day in Bangkok.

We missed Thai culture, so late in the afternoon of the same day we saw Saranrom Park, Wat Ratchabophit Sathitmahasimaram Ratchaworawihan and Wat Rajapradit Sathitmahasimarama.

The evening came, which was time for our first Thai dinner. Just a few steps from our hotel, was a BIG surprise. A hidden family restaurant, established by three sisters who wanted to share their home recipes. They’ve been running the restaurant for 30 years. Harmonique Restaurant, no. 22 Charoenkrung 34 Wat Muang Kae, Bangkok. Open daily from 11am until about 8pm. Like other customers, we fell in love with the food, which was rich with herbs and spices, the atmosphere, and the service. The design is unique, under the roots of a big old tree.

Harmonique Restaurant

Day 2 – in the good hands of Mr. Beer

On the second day, we woke up very early to reach the Khao Yai National Park (about a 3-hour drive from Bangkok). Thanks to H.E. Mrs. Ureerat Chareontoh, a former Ambassador in Prague (now Director General of Thailand International Cooperation Agency), we got in contact with a very good and reliable tour operator that helped us with all of our transportation in Thailand – www.trekkingthailandtour.com. They have a love and passion for nature, wildlife, and the beauty of the colourful Thai local ways of life, as well as being experienced tour guides, specialized in each branch of nature. We were in good hands to ensure that our trip would go smoothly.

Khao Yai National Park is the third largest in Thailand. It is important at the global and ASEAN level, being one of the Natural World Heritage Sites.

It is home to several important watersheds of rich biological diversity, where many important, rare, and endangered species live. This includes over 280 species of birds, making it popular with bird watchers from around the world.

Our tour guide, Mr. Beer, was an expert who knew all the hidden points to see those birds and animals, and who also had the specialized equipment for it. We saw the Great Hornbill birds, a few kinds of monkeys, gibbons, and other tropical wildlife.

After a full day of adventuring, we arrived back to Bangkok, tired but very excited and happy.

Trekking Thailand Tour team

Day 3 – Bangkok

The 3rd day was dedicated to seeing Bangkok. We visited a few of those highlighted places from our previous visits, but also felt the need to experience more similarly beautiful places.

For the first time ever, we decided to use public transportation, and take bus number 1 (10 Bahts per person) from our hotel to the Grand Palace, about a 15-minute ride away (remember to be dressed properly – long trousers and a shirt with sleeves).

It’s one of the most beautiful palaces in the world. Take your time to explore every building and temple that is open to the public.

From the Grand Palace, we went to Wat Phra Chetuphon (Wat Pho), and then to the National Museum, which is about a 15-minute walk away. On the way, we stopped at a few beautiful temples.

After a day of exploring, we went back to our hotel, and then for dinner to have more tasty food at the hidden restaurant under the tree roots.

Day 4 – Ayutthaya

A car with a driver from Trekking Thailand tour picked us up at our hotel, and we left the capital city of Bangkok for the ancient capital of Ayutthaya. We booked a beautiful Thai villa room at “Athithara Homestay”, a place run by the family that gives you a feeling of a homestay.

First, we went to visit the Bang Pa-in Palace (about a 20-minute drive).

When you look at the pictures, you will see how we toured the city. However, the best way to see Ayutthaya, Thailand’s old capital, is by Tuk Tuk. The payment is per hour, driving you from site to site around this big area:

1. Wat Lokaya Sutharam, with a huge reclining Buddha
2. Wat Yai Chai Mongkhon (the temple with a huge number of Buddhas), Wat Phanan Choeng Worawihan and Wat Chaiwatthanaram (the huge river temple complex), and Wat Kasattrathirat
3. Srinagarindra Park goes to Ayutthaya Historical Park, including four temples: Wat Phra Ram,
   Wat Phra Si Sanphet, Wat Mahathat, and Wat Ratchaburana. Wat Phra Ram – a temple complex with a huge prang, next to it is Wat Phra Si Sanphet – a temple with the three Chedis, Wihan Phra Mongkhon Bophit, Ayutthaya Elephant Palace & Royal Kraal, then Wat Mahathat – a temple with the Buddha head in a tree, and Wat Ratchaburana – the temple with a prang
4. Wat Maha That
5. Wat Phanan Choeng Worawihan
6. Wat Thammikarat, with lion figures around a chedi. A huge number of roosters.

Our accommodation was nicely located only a 5-minute walk from a very nice Thai food restaurant with live music, De Riva Ayothaya.

Day 5 – Thai waters

Our driver arrived on time to take us (about a 3-hour drive) to the Erawan National Park, one of the most popular falls in Thailand. The major attraction of the park is the 7-tiered Erawan Falls, with emerald-green ponds. The trail from level 1 to level 4 is pretty easy. There are also several impressive and long caves within the park, some of them deeper inside the park, and a few of them along the roads around the park. The park and the falls are named after the three-headed white elephant of Hindu mythology. The top tier of the falls is said to resemble an elephant head. You can enjoy yourself there for a full day.

Late in the afternoon, we set off on our way to the next very special hotel at Kwai River.

There are a few hotels on the Kwai River. We chose the “River Kwai Jungle Rafts – SHA Extra Plus”, H/B (there are more luxury hotels there). You can only reach the hotel by boat, operated every hour.

It’s a very “natural” hotel, without electricity, air conditioning, or even a fan, and with no mobile signal or WIFI. The accommodation is on the river, with a nice terrace and a great view. The main attraction is natural water sliding on the river – HUGE FUN.

During the evening and the night, the hotel is laminated with candles and old kerosene lanterns.

Day 6 – more water

A full day of activities and relaxing at the Kwai River. We started our morning by feeding the rescue elephant, and then having a nice breakfast.

Day 7 – floating in daylight, flying at sunset

We took the 8am boat, and joined our driver again. After about 2 hours, we quickly visited Hin Khao Ngu Park, and a religious monument regarding Buddhism.

We then continued to our next hotel, Maikaew Damnoen Resort, a charming Thai-style hotel.

A short walking distance from the hotel is the Damneon Saduak Floating Market. The best time to visit is in the morning – at about 4pm most of the shops are in the process of closing for the day. Take a boat on the channels, do some shopping, and enjoy Thai food at the local restaurants.

Just before sunset, we went to visit Wat Khao Chong Phran, and it was a big surprise for me. Millions of bats fly from the cave to find food. We were there for over an hour, and they still kept on leaving the cave, making the sky black.

Day 8 – among life-risking vendors

From one very special Floating Market to another unique one, the Mae Klong Train Market, commonly called Siang Tai (life-risking) Market. It is considered one of the most amazing attractions in Thailand. Perhaps you remember it from one of the James Bond movies. Spreading over 100m in length, this market is located by the railway, near Mae Klong Railway Station. It is a common fresh market, selling seafood, vegetables, fruits, fresh and dried food, meats, and other miscellaneous goods. The market is called the ‘life- risking’ market because its stalls are attached to the Mae Klong-Ban Laem railway, which is a short railway line running to and from Mahachai and Mae Klong.

Vendors at the market put out parasols or canvases to protect themselves against the sun. The shelters stick into the railway, where visitors walk and do their shopping. When each signal of the arriving train rings, chaos takes place: vendors will rush to close their parasols and canvases, along with clearing all goods that will obstruct the oncoming train, arriving at great speed. Once the train passes, the parasols and canvases will be reopened as goods are again put into their usual place next to the railroad. Trains arrive at Mae Klong Station at 8:30am, 11:10am, and 5:40pm.

After a short drive, we reached Tham Khao Luang – a cave temple with beautiful numerous Buddha shrines, and with monkeys living there. And Wat Bun Tawee (Wat Tumklaeb).

We then headed to visit a panoramic place over the city Phra Nakhon Khiri. Locals know the place as Khao Wang, the hill with a palace. We went up in a cable car to the complex, built by King Mongkut as a summer palace.

And Wat Khoi, and Wat Mahathat Worawihan, and Wat Khao Ban Dai It…

We had our dinner at a very nice American-style restaurant, with good Thai food.

Day 9 – do you like birds?

We start our 9th day by visiting Pran Buri Forest Park, a small mangrove forest park popular for its mangrove forest walk and birds.

We then went to the Sirinart Rajini Ecosystem Learning Centre, followed by Khao Sam Roi Yot National Park. The park is home to a great diversity of bird species, making it a great destination for birdwatchers. It is one of the best places in Thailand to see waterbirds, as well as the Phraya Nakhon Cave. A small boat took us from the park to the other side of the mountain. To reach the cave, you need to climb about 500m. It’s worth the effort. It’s a large cave, which has a hole in the ceiling, allowing sunlight to penetrate. At the top of the hole, there is a stone bridge known as a„death bridge“ because many wild animals have fallen to their deaths from it. You can also find a beautiful temple there.

Then, it was off to our last destination before calling it a day, Kui Buri National Park. This is home to one of the biggest populations of gaurs (a massive wild ox) in Thailand, with an estimated 100 individuals and around 320 elephants. The tour takes about 3 hours, and you can see wild elephants, as well as golden jackals, various deer, langurs, white-handed gibbons, Burmese hares, Malayan porcupines, and wild boars.

The last days of the fairy tale

After a few hours of driving, we arrived at our last destination, to relax in for a few days before going back home to cold Europe – Coral Hotel Bangsaphan.

It is an ECO 3-star hotel (like 4 stars in Europe) located on the beach, with luxury accommodation, a swimming pool, and an a la carte restaurant.

I’d planned four days of relaxing and just enjoying the quiet, but they offered a few half-day excursions that we just couldn’t resist. We explored the area close to the Burmese border, and saw how rubber is made from the rubber tree.

The day after, we took a water trip, visiting three islands – Koh Tin, Koh Tan, and Koh Thalu. A great opportunity to snorkel on this beautiful bay, with all kinds of fish and corals.

Carlos, the tailor

After two more days of relaxing, we headed back to Bangkok to pick up our handmade suits from the tailor, and enjoy a great dinner. Before heading to our evening flight back, we took our last tour in Bangkok for this visit: the Chinese Quarter, and the Wat Traimit Withayaram Worawihan, with the golden Buddha.

Goodbye, Thailand! You were good to us, and we will come back.

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5 PROVEN TIPS FOR TRAVELLERS

Visa

Check in advance if you need a visa or e-visa (https://www.thaievisa.go.th/). Not all passports have the same benefits, not even all EU countries. If you need a visa, arrange it in advance at the Thai Embassy. If you can get an e-visa on arrival, find the form and print it out. Have some ID photos and Thai Bahts with you.

Flights

There are no direct flights from Prague to Bangkok. There are, however, many ways to get there. We flew with Emirates via Dubai.

Driving

In Thailand, you drive on the opposite side of the road (like in the UK). We got a car with a driver from a reliable company.

Dress Code

To enter temples and palaces you need to wear long trousers and a shirt with sleeves.

Exchanging Money

Don’t do it at the airport (only a small amount if you need it). The best places for exchanging money in Bangkok are probably “Superrich”. We got 5 more Bahts per Euro. It’s best to bring large Euro or Dollar notes (50 or 100).

In the 1950s, during the darkest phase of the communist regime in Czechoslovakia, Czech sexologists started to research the female orgasm, outpacing most of their colleagues abroad. What triggered their interest in the topic and what exactly did their research focus on? Find out in another part of our mini-series Sex under Communism.

Was Czechoslovakia the first country in the world to have its own sexual revolution? Sociologist Kateřina Lišková, who authored a book called Sexual Liberation, Socialist Style Communist Czechoslovakia and the Science of Desire, wouldn’t go as far as that. However, she says, sexual evolution in Czechoslovakia definitely started earlier than abroad:

“Specifically, in the early 1950s, the female orgasm was being explored in Czechoslovakia, which was unheard of for that time, not only in the surrounding Eastern European countries, but also west of our borders.

“In the West, the female orgasm wasn’t studied until about a decade later. In our country, other progressive things were already happening, like research on homosexuality, the legalization of abortion. So the 1950s in Czechoslovakia were actually very progressive sexually.”

See the rest here.

Author: Libor Kukal

Photo: Military History Institute

Hundreds of villages in the European military theatre of World War II became the target of Nazi massacres, where entire populations of inhabitants were systematically murdered and the villages razed to the ground. But perhaps none became more famous than the Czech village of Lidice.

The women and children were sent to a makeshift detention centre in a school in Kladno, from where the majority were deported to concentration camps; the women to Ravensbrück, where 60 of them died, and the children to the Chełmno extermination camp in Poland, where they were gassed to death in trucks by exhaust fumes. Of Lidice’s 105 children, only 17 survived the war. Approximately 340 people in total were murdered.

A small number of the children were deemed to be suitable for Aryanisation and were sent to Germany to live with pro-Nazi German families to be “re-educated”. After the war, the Czechoslovak government made efforts to find these children and repatriate them, but it took more than two years to find all of them and bring them home. The 143 women and 17 children who survived the war returned to their destroyed hometown and founded a new community, 300 metres from the original location.

See the rest here.

Author: Anna Fodor