AuthorMartin Hladík

On the occasion of the Japanese Emperor’s 66th birthday and the National Day of Japan, the Ambassador of Japan to the Czech Republic, H.E. Mr. Kansuke NAGAOKA, held a reception at the Marriott Hotel Prague.

A very dramatic Japanese drums open the event.

In front of the President of the Senate RNDr. Miloš Vystrčil, the president of chamber of Deputies, Mr. Tomio Okamura, Mr. Karel Havlicek – 1st Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Industry and Trade, Mr. Jaromír Zůna, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defense, Mr. Jeroným Tejc, Minister of Justice, Mr. Martin Šebestyán, Minister of Agriculture, members of the Senate and of the parliament, and many Ambassadors, government officials, members of the Czech Parliament and Senate, and distinguished guests, H.E. Mr. Kansuke NAGAOKA, RNDr. Miloš Vystrčil, and Mr Tomio Okamura greeted the guests.

Here are selected sections of the Ambassador’s, the President of the Senate, and the President of the Chamber of deputies speeches at the event.

To celebrate the 2026Chinese New Year of the horse H.E Mr. Feng Biao, the Ambassador of the People’s Republic of China to the Czech Republic, and Mrs. Cai Jingli organized a “Happy Chinese New Year Performance” by Fujian Art Troupe at Divadlo Hybernia, in Prague center.

H.E Mr. Feng Biao welcomed the guest with a nice speech.

Watch the Video with highlights from the Ambassador’s speech and from the culture event.

Happy 2026 Chinese New Year of the Horse

祝您2026年中国马年新年快乐！

The Ambassador of Mongolia to the Czech Republic, H.E. Mr. Gansukh Damdin, and his spouse, hosted a farewell reception at the beautiful Villa Lanna.

Here are selected sections of H.E. Mr. Gansukh Damdin and Mr. Jiří Brodský, deputy minister of foreign affairs, speeches at the event, and highlights of the cultural performance.

We wish H.E. Mr. Gansukh Damdin, a lot of success in his new appointment.

It is important to check the muzzle, which giraffes can sometimes get injured after pulling each other on a branch. Photo Petr Hamerník, Prague Zoo

A North Nubian giraffe named Johanka is now undergoing veterinary training. She is the first giraffe at Prague Zoo that the keepers train daily. They use the so-called target, treats in the form of giraffe biscuits, and the youthful nature of the one-and-a-half-year-old animal. Visitors to the Africa House can see the regular training with their own eyes. What seems like self-serving petting is actually a sophisticated method.

“Johanka is already letting us touch her head and check her eyes, ears, horns, and mouth. She has learned to respond positively to our target, which is a short handle with a blue balloon. She has associated its presence and the accompanying click of the clicker with treats, and this allows us to, for example, weigh her,” says senior keeper Aleš Doležal.

While the target and treats keep the giraffe busy, the other keeper can check its eyes and ears for inflammation or its horns for occasional abrasions. Photo Petr Hamerník, Prague Zoo

Although the young giraffe is docile, the desired goal is still far away. In the future, this means taking blood from the jugular vein. Considering the height of these ungulates, a voluntary method conditioned by positive motivation would save the giraffe and the zoo staff the stress associated with the necessary anesthesia.

“I used to take care of elephants, which are more receptive and less conservative. Working with giraffes is different because they are actually very shy animals whose trust you gain quite slowly,” adds Doležal. According to him, it is good to start training with a giraffe at a young age. Young animals are less cautious and more open to new things.

These days, people will see the herd of North Nubian giraffes more in the indoor exhibition of the Africa House. However, it is not uncommon for the seven-member herd to go for walks in the large enclosure even in winter. If the weather is calm, sunny, and there is no danger of frost, even temperatures slightly above zero do not pose the slightest problem to giraffes.

It is noteworthy that the almost sixteen-year-old giraffe Nsia (pictured in the background) probably remembered her own during Johana’s training and now also comes to the keepers for target. Nsia comes from the English Marwell Zoo, where they regularly trained with her in her youth. In the picture, from left, the head keeper Aleš Doležal and keeper Daniel Jančařík. Photo Petr Hamerník, Prague Zoo

Photo: Julia Piatkowska, Action Press/Shutterstock Editorial/Profimedia

The ceremonial outfits prepared for Czech athletes for the Winter Olympics in Milan–Cortina, featuring shorts and brightly coloured sweaters, faced criticism at home ahead of the Games. But at the opening ceremony last Friday, they drew attention as well as international praise.

The outfits worn by Czech athletes during the parade did not go unnoticed.

See more here.

Author: Ruth Fraňková, Anna Kubišta

Photo: e-Sbírky, National Museum

The Czech Republic has sent a record number of athletes to the Winter Olympics in Milan and the country has a good track record of participation in winter Olympic sports. To find the very first Czech medal from the Winter Games, we would have to go back to St. Moritz in 1928, when Czech-German Rudolf Burkert won the bronze in ski jumping.

Rudolf Burkert was born on October 31, 1904, in the village of Polubný in the Jizera Mountains.

See more here.

Photo: Jan Kubelka, Radio Prague International

Why did ice hockey take such deep roots in Czechia – a country far from Scandinavia and Canada? In a special episode of Czechast, Vít Pohanka looks at the history, culture and lasting appeal of Czech ice hockey, from frozen ponds to Olympic gold. The episode also features a fresh interview with legendary goaltender Dominik Hašek, who shares his view on the Czech team’s chances at the Winter Olympics in Milan and Cortina, as well as a look back at his extraordinary career.

See more here.

Author: Vít Pohanka

Photo: Bontonfilm

One of the three most prestigious film festivals in the world, the Berlinale, opens this Thursday in Berlin. Among the Czech films presented this year is Věra Chytilová’s 1979 satirical film PanelStory, or How a Housing Development Is Born.

The film captures a single day in the unfinished Prague housing estate of Jižní Město and was released only two years after its completion, after the communist authorities initially withheld it from cinemas.

See more here.

Author: Ruth Fraňková

Photo: Ian Willoughby, Radio Prague International

TV journalist Darja Stomatová has been reporting from Ukraine since the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion. Last week Stomatová received the Ferdinand Peroutka Prize, perhaps the most prestigious honour in Czech journalism, for her coverage of the conflict. I spoke to the 34-year-old at our studios in Prague.

You’re originally from Kazakhstan and you moved here at the age of about five, in the second half of the 1990s.

See more here.

Author: Ian Willoughby

With a willingness to tackle international challenges and some of the world’s most difficult molecules, Štěpánka Nedvědová’s profile sheds light on the slow, often invisible work behind scientific progress, where persistence matters as much as discovery. In this first instalment of Radio Prague International’s brand new edition of Science without Borders, this time brought to you from France, she goes deeper into what it is like to be a young, ambitious, and proud Czech scientist working abroad.

You describe yourself as a protein explorer and a biophysics enthusiast.

See more here.

Author: Xavier Amedeo Pallas, Barbora Navrátilová

Photo: Markus Spiske, Pexels

Czechia has scored 59 points in the latest Corruption Perceptions Index, equalling its best result to date but still lagging behind the EU average. According to Transparency International analyst Marek Chromý, the country has made clear progress since the 1990s, yet remains stuck in the middle of Europe’s corruption rankings.

Marek Chromý says the country has clearly improved since the early post-communist years, particularly in institutional trust and the functioning of the police and judiciary.

See more here.

Author: Vít Pohanka

Photo: Elena Horálková, Czech Radio

Have you heard of the Czechoslovak Hussite Church? What inspires someone to become a priest? Why are pastors prone to burnout? And can a priest dance on live television? Radio Prague International spoke with Martina Viktorie Voborníková Kopecká, a priest of the Hussite Church who is also a family therapist, author, blogger, and radio host. In a country where much of the population identifies as irreligious, she is a remarkably well-known public figure.

In the late 1910s and early 1920s, Czech reform-minded Catholic priests began advocating changes to their church to better suit the newly established Czechoslovak state after World War I.

See more here.

Author: Hannah Vaughan

Photo: Shutterstock

Prime Minister Andrej Babiš (ANO) has announced that his government is seriously considering banning social media for children under the age of 15, following the example of France. While flash polls suggest that most parents would approve, many experts are dubious regarding the wisdom of an outright ban.

By the age of 11, close to 80 percent of Czech children have a profile on social media.

See more here.

Author: Daniela Lazarová

Photo: K. Hájek, Éd. Orbis

One hundred years ago, on February 8, 1926, the Liberated Theatre (Osvobozené divadlo) was founded in Prague – an avant-garde scene that profoundly influenced Czech culture and laid the foundations of modern political satire. It was here that the famous trio Jiří Voskovec, Jan Werich, and composer Jaroslav Ježek emerged, whose work remains one of the most significant chapters in Czech theatre.

The Liberated Theatre was created as part of the artistic movement Devětsil, inspired by the European avant-garde – Futurism, Dadaism, and Poetism.

See more here.

Photo: Jiří Špaček, ČRo

The video of a man stealing a swan on the Vltava River in the centre of Prague made news headlines this week. The incident was captured on video by a passerby, who later handed the footage over to the police. Animal welfare groups have also drawn attention to the case, saying the man has stolen swans from the river previously.

The video that has appeared on newscasts and social networks is relatively short –it shows a man on the embankment luring swans with bird food, grabbing one and carrying it to a parked car, where he locks it up in a cage in the trunk and quickly drives off.

See more here.

Author: Daniela Lazarová

Photo: Kateřina Cibulka, Czech Radio

Russia, security, and uncertainty have returned to the centre of European politics. But security, says analyst Filip Scherf, is not only about threats — it is also about self-confidence, responsibility, and partnerships. In this episode of Czechast, Scherf explains what Russia means for Czechia today, why size matters less than mindset, and what gives him hope in an increasingly fragile world.

Is Russia a threat to Czech society and democracy? It is a question that continues to divide Czech public opinion and political representation — and one that opened the conversation with Filip J.

See more here.

Author: Vít Pohanka

Photo: public domain

This Friday, the 25th Winter Olympic Games officially get underway in Italy. Few people know, however, that Czechs played an important role in the very first Winter Olympics more than a century ago. The Krkonoše Museum in Jilemnice is now highlighting the Czech role in shaping the first Winter Games.

Jilemnice is a small town at the foot of the Krkonoše, or Giant Mountains, in northeast Czechia.

See more here.

Author: Ruth Fraňková

The Committee of Good Will – the Olga Havel Foundation will once again present the Olga Havel Award in May. The prestigious award is intended for individuals who, despite their health disabilities, actively help others and contribute to improving life in society.

The public can nominate their candidates via an online form on the website www.cenaolgyhavlove.cz from February 1 to March 20, 2026.

The award ceremony will take place on May 18, 2026 in Prague.

“Olga Havel’s legacy is still extremely relevant after all these years. This year, we commemorate 30 years since her passing, and the values ​​she passed on to the Committee of Good Will still guide our activities today,” says the foundation’s director, Monika Granja.

“The Olga Havel Prize is an integral part of this legacy. It was first awarded in 1995 with the aim of recognizing people with disabilities who, despite their disability, selflessly help others. At the same time, it draws attention to health diagnoses that often remain on the fringes of public and political interest, and to the challenges these people face in their everyday lives,” he adds.

The winner of the Olga Havel Prize will be decided by a jury appointed by the foundation’s board of directors. The laureate will receive the traditional bronze sculpture “Encouragement” by sculptor Olbram Zoubek. Since 2017, the award has also included the Public Prize, for which people can vote online. Like the laureate of the main prize, the winner of the Public Prize will also be presented at a gala evening to be held on May 18, 2026 at the UMPRUM Technology Center.

Last year, the Olga Havel Award was awarded to Lukáš Kroupa, who himself lives with a severe physical handicap and has dedicated his life to helping others and sports for people with disabilities. The Public Award was awarded to Hana Petrová, who inspires with her approach to life and determination to help people with visual impairments.

The nomination form is available on the website www.cenaolgyhavlove.cz, where interested parties can also find further information about the Olga Havel Award and its previous laureates.

Committee of Good Will – Olga Havel Foundation

The Committee of Good Will has been operating since 1990, when the foundation was founded by Olga Havel, the first wife of the President of the Czech Republic, Václav Havel. The foundation continues to build on this legacy. It helps those who cannot take care of themselves due to their adverse health and social conditions. It strives to develop education, spiritual values, human rights and other humanistic values. Thanks to the support of individual and corporate donors, the foundation contributes to health and compensation aids, supports helping organizations and students with health or social disadvantages. During its existence, the Committee of Good Will – Olga Havel Foundation has already helped 32,000 organizations and individuals with an amount of more than a billion crowns.

Releasing bison into the acclimatization pen. Photo Emil Khalilov, WWF

European bison from Prague Zoo and Olomouc Zoo have arrived in Azerbaijan. They will strengthen the reintroduced population in the Shahdag National Park. The original four females have now become five, while waiting for the transport, which was delayed due to the risk of foot-and-mouth disease, a Prague cow gave birth to a calf. The transport, which was organized last week by Tierpark Berlin and the German branch of the World Wildlife Fund (WWF), was the largest of its kind. A total of eighteen animals headed to the foothills of the Greater Caucasus: twelve bison from German, Austrian, Hungarian, and Czech zoos, and six from the Rothaargebirge mountains.

“The cooperation of zoos is irreplaceable. Without it, we would not be able to carry out such projects, let alone even think about them. I am glad that the Czech Republic has its mark on this international initiative, one from us from Bohemia and one from our colleagues from Moravia. In addition to the actual transport of animals, we are also contributing to raising awareness of zoos as key institutions for nature conservation,” says Barbora Dobiášová, curator of ungulate breeding at Prague Zoo.

The selection of specific individuals was in charge of the coordinator of the European Breeding Program (EEP) for European bison, who is based in Berlin. The age, health and genetic suitability of each candidate played a role in particular. The animals were transported to the German capital in 2024, where they had the opportunity to get to know each other before the trip. The Berlin Zoo then coordinated the air transport from Frankfurt to Baku on a Boeing 777F cargo plane and their land journey by trucks to the Shahdag National Park.

“Before such a transport, every step – from selecting the animals and carrying out medical examinations to preparing and carrying out the journey itself – requires expertise in veterinary medicine, wildlife management and logistics,” explains Tierpark Berlin’s zoological director Christian Kern. “We accompany the bison the entire time until they arrive safely in the national park.”

A look into the face of one of the three transported bulls. Photo Emil Khalilov, WWF

The bison were released into an acclimatization pen on Wednesday last week, where they will now get used to the local conditions. After that, they will head out into the wild, i.e., into the local vast deciduous forests. Shahdag National Park was established in 2006 and, with 130,000 hectares, is the largest in Azerbaijan and the entire Caucasus. The reintroduction center is located at its eastern tip and was established in 2018.

The following year, the “Return of the Bison to the Caucasus” project began, as part of which 64 bison have already been transported to Azerbaijan. What’s more, they are successfully breeding there. Last year alone, nine cubs were born there, bringing the total number of these ungulates to around 90 in Shahdag. The aim of the project is to create a self-sustaining population of bison in their original habitat. The Caucasus was the last refuge for the bison a century ago.

“The return of the bison after a century is of special importance to our region. Local communities, schools and visitors are getting involved in our work and experiencing first-hand how ecosystems work and the role endangered species play in them,” explains Zeynab Khalilova, project manager at WWF Azerbaijan.

The bison have survived to this day only thanks to zoological institutions. After they were wiped out in the wild in the first third of the 20th century, European experts founded the International Society for the Conservation of the European Bison. Its first output was the European Bison Stud Book. At that time, it was the first studbook of a wild animal species in the world (it is interesting that the second in order was the book for the Przewalski’s horse in 1959). Its first edition, published in the 1930s, registered the last 56 living individuals. Since then, the bison population has been increasing.

The first steps of the bison herd in the acclimatization pen. Photo Emil Khalilov, WWF

In 1952, bison were released into the Białowieża Forest and their successful return to the wild continued in a number of European countries. They currently live in ten European countries. In total, there are over 2,800 bison in the wild. Another several thousand live in game reserves, fenced pastures and zoos. On the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species, the bison currently has the European status of “near threatened”.

Prague Zoo has been breeding bison since 1948. Since then, over a hundred cubs have been born here. In addition to the Troja area, people can also see them in the enclosure in Prague’s Dolní Počernice from October. In the past, Prague Zoo has provided bison for reintroduction, not only to strengthen the Caucasian population, but also to the Bieszczady National Park in Poland.

A new series of meetings “Women who move business” with the subtitle “Business on the move: New challenges and solutions” started at the premises of the Ministry of Industry and Trade. The project was created in cooperation with the Chamber of Commerce Prague 1 and the organization Business & Professional Women Czech Republic (BPWCR), with the support of the Ministry of Industry and Trade. The host of the opening meeting was the 1st Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Industry and Trade Karel Havlíček, who emphasized the importance of cooperation between men and women in business and the public sphere in his speech.

“In all the professions where I worked, I had strong women by my side. The path does not lead through quotas, but through stories, explanations and natural cooperation. Women often tend to be more focused on results and stability, while men take more risks. This combination works very well in a team,” said Havlíček.

The main organizer of the series of meetings “Women who move business”, BPWCR President Eva Primus Kovandová, who is also the director of the office of the board of directors of the Chamber of Commerce Prague 1, explained that the aim of the series is to open a dialogue on the current challenges of the Czech business environment and to strengthen the role of women as entrepreneurs, leaders and innovators.

“I would like to thank all three organizations that supported this series of meetings. Improving the status and salary of women is a goal that will bring about the achievement of a fair working environment, while at the same time creating many new possibilities and perspectives for development for companies and making them attractive to both potential employees and customers,” said Primus Kovandová.

Equal opportunities strengthen the economy

The debate focused on the topic of equal opportunities and diversity. The owner of D.C.G. Consulting Group, Miroslava Křivánková, drew attention to their direct impact on the performance of the economy.

“Supporting equal opportunities is not a cost. It is an investment with a demonstrable impact on the profit, innovation and competitiveness of the Czech Republic. Without the involvement of women and other underrepresented groups, we will not be able to maintain the performance of the economy in the long term,” emphasized Křivánková.

Her words were also confirmed by Beáta Petrušová, who works as Senior Advisor to the CFO at Generali CEE Holding. “Equal opportunities are not a benefit for us, but a prerequisite for long-term sustainable performance. The difference in remuneration between men and women for 2024 is below one percent,” described Petrušová.

In other sectors and companies, however, gender equality in remuneration is still far from a given. Women’s salaries in the Czech Republic still lag behind men’s by about a fifth, which is a much worse result than the European Union average. The participants in the discussion agreed that change for the better needs to be worked out on many levels.

“The gender pay gap is not just a question of numbers, but of the personal responsibility of each of us. Real change comes from the cooperation of women and men, open dialogue and positive examples from practice. Generation Z sees equality more naturally, and it is all the more important to support this change,” pointed out Aneta Martíšková, Corporate Affairs & CSR Director of Edenred CZ.

Less administration, more space for business

The participants agreed that one of the key steps to support business is reducing the administrative burden. As part of the final commitments, it was announced that a new portal for entrepreneurs will be launched in the near future, which will significantly facilitate orientation in the business environment. The possibilities of simplifying the maintenance of journey books for sole traders and small entrepreneurs were also discussed.

One of the main topics of the discussion was also the adaptability of companies in a rapidly changing economic and technological environment. Beáta Petrušová, who works as Senior Advisor to the CFO at Generali CEE Holding, emphasized that the ability to respond to change must go hand in hand with strategic management. According to her, even a period of uncertainty can be a good time to invest in development and efficiency.

“Adaptability in 2026 means reacting quickly, but making decisions wisely. Change should not be chaos – it should happen where it has a real impact. Processes should not change only in a crisis. The biggest mistake is made by fast-growing companies that underestimate their importance. Changes need to be planned before the crisis, not during it,” explained Petrušová.

About the project:

The “Women Who Move Business” series creates an open platform for sharing experiences, inspiring examples and concrete solutions across the business environment. The organizers want to connect businesswomen, managers, public administration representatives and the professional community and help build an environment that supports fairness, innovation and cooperation.”

About BPWCR:

The goal of the public benefit company Business & Professional Women CR (BPWCR) is to support the professional growth of women at all levels and strengthen their economic independence. Through its projects, it contributes to the protection of women’s rights and overcoming barriers, while emphasizing education and personal development. Key tools include mentoring, networking, and the presentation of female role models.

BPWCR’s vision is to increase the share of women in decision-making roles, minimize the gender pay gap, and improve the full use of women’s talents. Other key international projects in which BPWCR participates include, for example, the UN Global Compact Women’s Empowerment Principles project and the Academy for Women Entrepreneurs.

www.bpwcr.cz

www.equalpayday.cz

TEDxUNYP returns to Prague on Saturday, March 7th, bringing international speakers to the Prague Congress Centre for a one day event focused on how we connect in a changing world.

The 2026 edition introduces the theme “Currents of Connection”, focusing on the often unseen forces that shape how people connect — with each other, with technology, and with the systems that influence daily life. Through stories and ideas drawn from leadership, innovation, psychology, education, and public life, the event will explore what connection really means in a world that is constantly shifting.

The English-language event will bring international speakers to Prague, including Adam Radcliffe, a British Guinness World Record-holding adventurer whose experiences range from trekking through remote jungles and living with hunter-gatherer communities to rowing 3,500 miles across the North Atlantic. He will be joined by Stephen Oommen, flying in from the United States, a former Managing Director at Microsoft and Accenture, who will share insights on how trust and human relationships shape meaningful professional connections.

The programme will also feature voices closer to home. Tereza Hrbková, co-founder and COO of Citymind, will speak about how cities and public institutions can build trust as artificial intelligence becomes part of everyday decision-making. She is joined by Ivana Šedivá, a board member and mentor at Google for Startups and former CMO at companies including Johnson & Johnson, Tesco, and McDonald’s, bringing a global leadership perspective on how questioning and curiosity drive better decisions.

Speakers will tackle questions many organisations and individuals are grappling with right now — from how leadership is changing, to how language shapes belonging, how AI is reshaping identity, why burnout is becoming global, and what education means for the future of democracy.

“We live in a world that’s more connected than ever, yet many people feel more disconnected than before,” said Amit Grinvald, Lead Organiser of TEDxUNYP. “Currents of Connection is an invitation to slow down and notice the forces shaping how we relate — to question what’s pulling us together, what’s pushing us apart, and what kind of connections we actually want to build.”

TEDxUNYP has become a platform for bringing global perspectives to Prague while creating space for meaningful dialogue within its international community. The one-day event will feature live talks alongside opportunities for attendees to connect with speakers and one another throughout the programme.

Tickets for TEDxUNYP 2026 are now available, with limited capacity.

More information and tickets can be found at GoOut.

Photo: Suspilne Ukraine

In a special episode of Czechast, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky speaks openly about the war with Russia, peace talks, and the role Czechia plays in supporting Ukraine. In an exclusive interview for Czech Radio, conducted by Josef Pazderka, Zelenskyy reflects on military cooperation, energy security, and difficult questions facing European societies. The conversation offers a rare insight into how Ukraine’s president sees Czechia — and Europe — at a decisive moment in history.

See more here.

Author: Vít Pohanka

Photo: Jan Beneš, Czech Radio

Stanislav Přibyl, the current bishop of Litoměřice, has been appointed the new Archbishop of Prague. The 54-year-old bishop, who chose the episcopal motto Pax vobis –has said he wants to bring people together in an increasingly troubled world.

“I am filled with a sense of gratitude, above all gratitude to the Lord God that he has chosen me, an ordinary person, for service.

See more here.

Author: Daniela Lazarová

Photo: Kateřina Cibulka, Czech Radio

After two decades in Czech public media and years spent in Brussels, Filip Nerad, now working at Globsec Policy Institute, offers a long-term view of Czechia’s position inside the EU and NATO. In an interview for Czechast, he discusses the country’s growing credibility in Europe, the challenges posed by the new government, and persistent Czech euroscepticism. He also turns to a lighter theme, explaining how Belgian beer culture reveals sides of Europe no summit ever could.

Filip Nerad has seen Czechia’s relationship with Europe from multiple angles.

See more here.

Author: Vít Pohanka

Photo: OKD

After nearly two and a half centuries, hard coal mining in the Czech Republic has come to an end. The final mining shift surfaced from the ČSM mine in the Ostrava–Karviná coal basin late on Sunday night. A symbolic last cart of coal will be brought to the surface on Wednesday.

After nearly two and a half centuries, hard coal mining in the Czech Republic has come to an end.

See more here.

Author: Ruth Fraňková

Photo: Vít Šimánek, ČTK

Czech interest in this year’s Academy Awards will centre on Mr. Nobody Against Putin, a Danish-Czech production nominated in the Best Documentary Feature category. The film contains footage shot surreptitiously by a teacher, Pavel “Pasha” Talankin, who wanted to expose war propaganda in schools in Russia. Talankin had no choice but to flee his native country before the documentary’s release and is now based here in Czechia. Radovan Síbrt is one of Mr. Nobody Against Putin’s two Czech producers – and I spoke to him just days after it also earned a BAFTA nomination.

How and when did you get involved in this project?.

See more here.

Author: Ian Willoughby

Photo: Michal Sladký, iROZHLAS.cz

The annual Ride of the Kings has a new king: ten-year-old Marek Dacík. Continuing a remarkable family legacy, Marek is the 100th historically documented king in the town of Vlčnov.

The annual Ride of the Kings is one of the most celebrated folk customs in the Czech Republic.

See more here.

Photo: Patrik Uhlíř, ČTK

The Nesyt salt marsh, covering almost seven hectares, lies on the edge of the Pálava Protected Landscape Area, established 50 years ago. It is home to many attractive bird species such as blue tits and Bohemian waxwings.

See more here.

Photo: Hannah Vaughan, Czech Radio

On Sunday, tens of thousands of people gathered on Prague’s main squares to support President Petr Pavel amid his dispute with Foreign Minister Petr Macinka (Motorists’ Party) over his refusal to appoint Filip Turek environment minister. The dispute intensified last week after the presidential office released messages sent by Macinka threatening the president with “consequences” for opposing the nomination.

“Long live Pavel!” echoed through Old Town Square, Wenceslas Square, and surrounding streets, filled by an estimated 90,000 people.

See more here.

Author: Hannah Vaughan

Photo: Jolana Nováková, Czech Radio

Seventy years ago, a technical operation took place in Prague that had no precedent in Czechoslovakia at the time. The small Baroque Chapel of St. Mary Magdalene beneath Letná Hill was meant to be demolished to make way for an enormous Stalin monument. In the end, it was saved by being relocated, making it the first building in the country to be preserved in this way.

The Chapel of St Mary Magdalene stands on the banks of the Vltava river, not far from the centre of Prague.

See more here.

Photo: Archive of the Pilsen Philharmonic

Less than a year after the establishment of the regional Pilsen Radio station, a 32-member orchestra was founded in February 1946. It was named the Pilsen Radio Orchestra. The ensemble is one of the predecessors of today’s Pilsen Philharmonic.

The orchestra made its first public appearance on 16 April 1946, performing works by Antonín Dvořák and Vítězslav Novák under the baton of its first chief conductor, Gabriel Vágner.

See more here.

Photo: Profimedia

Around one fifth of Czech children and adolescents aged nine to fifteen spend more than five hours online every single day. This is according to a new survey conducted by the Czech Statistics Office (ČSÚ).

The survey, which included nearly 84,000 pupils from 1,100 schools across the Czech Republic, focused on students in years four to nine of primary schools and the lower years of grammar schools.

See more here.

Author: Hannah Vaughan

Photo: Prague Castle Guard

The Prague Castle Guard is looking to take on new recruits and has relaxed its long-standing selection criteria. For many years, only candidates between 178 and 188 centimeters tall were eligible to serve. The new height range is more tolerant.

The Prague Castle Guard is a specialized military unit with over 100 years of history.

See more here.

Author: Daniela Lazarová

The Good Will Committee – Olga Havel Foundation has launched a public collection Light and Heat for Kiev, which responds to the dramatic deterioration of the humanitarian situation in Ukraine during this winter. The goal of the collection is to ensure the operation of Save Ukraine centers in Kiev and its surroundings.

During blackouts, these places provide children and families with safety, warmth, light, food, and the opportunity to stay connected to the world.

Russia’s ongoing and intensifying attacks on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure are causing long-term power, heating, and water outages at a time when temperatures are falling well below freezing. “Winter without electricity and heat is not just a matter of discomfort. It poses a real health risk and further trauma for children and vulnerable families.

With this collection, we want to help keep the places that literally decide today whether people will have somewhere to warm up and feel safe in operation,” says Monika Granja, Director of the Committee of Good Will – Olga Havel Foundation.

The Save Ukraine centers in Kyiv, Irpin, and Hatny currently operate as places of psychological and social support. During power outages, people find heated spaces, the opportunity to prepare hot meals, charge mobile phones, use emergency shelters, or take shelter during air raids. Hundreds of children and adults depend on their operation every day.

The funds raised from the Light and Heat for Kiev collection will be used exclusively for urgent and critical needs, in particular to provide alternative energy sources (generators, charging stations, power banks), heating and fuel for the operation of the centers during long-term outages, equipment for emergency overnight stays and shelter (beds, sleeping bags, thermal blankets), the ability to prepare hot meals even without electricity, basic lighting and safety in the dark.

“The President of the Czech Republic visited Kiev in recent days. In these difficult times, such visits are more important than words can express. It is a great honor for us to have friends who are not afraid to come to Ukraine, join us in person, and show solidarity even when the war continues. Please accept our sincere gratitude for the unwavering support and friendship of the Czech Republic,” said Dariia Bolgar, a representative of the Save Ukraine organization, commenting on the wave of solidarity.

The Light and Heat for Kiev collection is intended for the coming winter months, when the situation is most critical. Every day without help increases the health risks and endangerment of children who have already been deprived of a sense of security by the war.

People can support the Light and Heat for Kiev collection through the Committee of Good Will – Olga Havel Foundation on https://www.darujme.cz/

Committee of Good Will – Olga Havel Foundation

The Committee of Good Will has been operating since 1990, when the foundation was founded by Olga Havel, the first wife of the President of the Czech Republic, Václav Havel. The foundation continues to build on this legacy. It helps those who cannot take care of themselves due to their adverse health and social conditions. It strives to develop education, spiritual values, human rights, and other humanistic values. Thanks to the support of individual and corporate donors, the foundation contributes to health and compensation aids, supports helping organizations and students with health or social disadvantages. During its existence, the Committee of Good Will – Olga Havel Foundation has already helped 32,000 organizations and individuals with the amount of 984 million crowns.

A summary of the key points from the recent address by the President of the Republic of Kazakhstan Kassym-Jomart Tokayev.

 In his remarks, President Tokayev presented a package of constitutional and institutional reforms aimed at modernizing the state system and strengthening long-term political stability, including proposals to formalize the transfer of presidential powers, establish the position of Vice-President, and move towards a new constitutional model to be endorsed through a nationwide referendum.

Factsheet on President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev’s Speech at the National Kurultai

Overview

On 20 January 2026, President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev addressed the National Kurultai (Congress) held in Kyzylorda, outlining a new stage in Kazakhstan’s political development, alongside priorities in foreign policy, economic governance and digital transformation.

In his speech, President Tokayev presented a package of constitutional and institutional reforms aimed at modernising the state system, clarifying governance architecture and strengthening long-term political stability. Central to the address were proposals to formalise presidential succession rules, establish the position of Vice President, and transition to a fundamentally new constitutional model following a national referendum.

The President also addressed Kazakhstan’s foreign policy posture in a changing global environment, reaffirming a balanced, pragmatic and interest-driven diplomacy, as well as economic integration priorities, food security concerns, and the strategic importance of digitalisation and artificial intelligence for national competitiveness.

President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev’s Speech

Key Points

Foreign Policy in a Changing Global Environment

• President Tokayev noted that international relations are undergoing profound changes, marked by declining trust, erosion of international law, and rising global militarisation.
• In this context, Kazakhstan’s foreign policy must remain balanced, cautious and firmly anchored in national interests.
• He stressed that diplomatic decisions carry long-term consequences and must be made with professionalism and restraint.
• Diplomacy, he said, should function as a tool for compromise rather than confrontation, reinforcing Kazakhstan’s role as a predictable and responsible international actor.

Human Rights, Rule of Law and Civic Responsibility

• President Tokayev reaffirmed Kazakhstan’s commitment to building a rule-of-law state, emphasising that legal reform must go hand in hand with the strengthening of civic responsibility and national self-awareness.
• He highlighted the impact of the 2022 constitutional reforms, including the establishment of the Constitutional Court, the creation of cassation courts, and the granting of constitutional status to the Human Rights Commissioner (Ombudsman), as key steps in strengthening the protection of citizens’ rights.
• The President noted that reforms to administrative justice and judicial procedures have improved citizens’ and entrepreneurs’ ability to defend their lawful interests before the courts.
• Tokayev stressed that the principle of “Law and Order” applies equally to all.
• He reiterated the state’s obligation to protect the rights, freedoms, dignity and security of all citizens.

Additional Key Points of Significant Interest

Introduction of the Office of Vice President

• President Tokayev proposed the establishment of the position of Vice President, to be appointed by the President with the consent of Parliament.
• The Vice President would represent Kazakhstan internationally, engage with Parliament, work with domestic and foreign organisations, and perform duties assigned by the President.
• These responsibilities would be explicitly enshrined in the Constitution, providing legal clarity and institutional stability.
• The President stressed that this reform is intended to strengthen governance coherence, not dilute presidential authority. Kazakhstan will continue to function as a presidential republic.

Clear Constitutional Rules for Presidential Succession

• President Tokayev underscored the importance of unambiguous constitutional regulation of presidential succession.
• In the event of early termination of a presidential term, presidential elections must be held within two months, ensuring that any head of state comes to power exclusively through elections.
• He described this principle as fundamental and non-negotiable, reinforcing Kazakhstan’s commitment to electoral legitimacy and political predictability.

Transition to a New Constitutional Model and Strengthening Checks and Balances

• Tokayev stated that the reforms launched in 2022, together with upcoming initiatives to be submitted to a national referendum, mark a transition away from the 1995 constitutional model toward a fundamentally new political system.
• Public endorsement of these reforms, he said, would lead to a renewal of the political system and strengthen long-term stability.
• He noted that 26 laws have already been adopted based on proposals from previous National Kurultai sessions, demonstrating the forum’s growing institutional relevance.
• It is proposed that the appointment of members of the Constitutional Court, Supreme Audit Chamberand Central Election Commission be carried out exclusively with the consent of Parliament.
• Parliament would also receive the power to elect all judges of the Supreme Court upon nomination by the President, marking a significant step in strengthening checks and balances between branches of power.

Reconfiguration of Parliamentary and Advisory Institutions

• The proposed reforms include a move toward a unicameral parliament (to be called “Kurultai”), designed to streamline legislative processes and governance efficiency.
• The new Parliament is proposed to consist of 145 deputies, with up to three deputy speakers and no more than eight standing committees, prioritising efficiency and professionalism over numerical expansion.
• Deputies will be elected exclusively on a proportional basis, strengthening the institutional role and responsibility of political parties. Deputies will be elected for a five-year term, with a revised three-stage legislative procedure: conceptual approval, amendment approval, and final adoption of laws.
• A new Khalyk Kenesi (People’s Council) would be established, assuming key functions of the Assembly of the People of Kazakhstan in the areas of interethnic and interfaith harmony.
• The People’s Council would also:
• Develop proposals to improve domestic policy
• Promote and explain matters related to state ideology
• Be granted the right of legislative initiative
• Organise the Congress of Leaders of World and Traditional Religions and other major humanitarian forums
• The reforms also envisage the abolition of certain administrative structures supporting the current Parliament, the elimination of the post of State Counsellor, and adjustments to the Presidential Administration to better reflect practical governance needs.

Digitalisation and Artificial Intelligence as Strategic Priorities

• President Tokayev emphasised that digitalisation and artificial intelligence are reshaping global realities, reducing the importance of population size and rewarding countries that adapt quickly.
• Kazakhstan, he said, has chosen a path of accelerated digital and AI adoption across all sectors of the economy and public administration.
• At the same time, he cautioned that technology alone cannot compensate for weak governance.
• Effective digital transformation requires streamlined management processes, improved organisational culture, and modern public-sector management practices.

Infrastructure for the Future Digital Economy

• Tokayev highlighted the need to build a strong infrastructure base to support a future digital and energy-intensive economy.
• President Tokayev proposed enshrining in the Constitution the institutional and legal foundations of digitalisation, reflecting its growing impact on daily life and fundamental rights.
• He called for the early designation of zones for high-capacity data centres, equipped with:
• Reliable power supply
• Advanced cooling systems
• Robust physical and cyber security
• These measures, he said, are essential for Kazakhstan to remain competitive in emerging digital industries and global value chains.
• President Tokayev stressed that only states that successfully digitise and integrate their history and culture into global digital civilisation will retain agency.
• The President supported the creation of a national digital repository of memory and knowledge, (National Digital Heritage), aimed at systematising archival materials, museum collections, scholarly research and works of art in digital form.

Cultural and Spiritual Development

• President Tokayev emphasised that cultural and spiritual development is a strategic priority of state policy, noting that the success of political and economic reforms depends on the transformation of public consciousness and the strengthening of national values.
• He highlighted large-scale plans to develop cultural infrastructure, modernise museums, theatres and libraries, and support the creative industries.
• The President underscored the importance of promoting Kazakhstan’s cultural and historical heritage internationally, including through UNESCO mechanisms, noting Kazakhstan’s strong standing in the number of elements inscribed on UNESCO’s Intangible Cultural Heritage list.
• He stressed the need to deepen scholarly research into Kazakhstan’s history and civilisation, including the publication of a seven-volume academic history of Kazakhstan, and the organisation of international conferences on the Golden Horde and Turkic civilisation.
• He also linked cultural policy to digital transformation, stressing that only states that successfully digitise and integrate their cultural heritage into the global digital space will retain agency in the modern world.

The collection point will be at the main entrance to the zoo. Photo Oliver Le Que, Prague Zoo

The Prague Zoo has prepared a special event for schoolchildren for the autumn holidays. Every child under 15 who hands in their old mobile phone for recycling at the main entrance will receive entry to the zoo on Friday, January 30 for just one crown.

The mining of rare metals, such as niobium and tantalum, which are crucial for the production of mobile phones, contributes to the deforestation of Central African forests. Their reuse reduces the pressure on the local inhabitants – including pangolins, elephants, and gorillas. In addition, the Prague gorillas will have a special program on Friday.

Demonstration of the meaning of recycling old phones. Photo Petr Hamerník, Prague Zoo

In addition to the above, recycling mobile phones also reduces the amount of electronic waste, which can release toxic substances into nature when decomposed in a landfill. Last but not least, for each mobile phone handed in, the Prague Zoo will receive 10 CZK from the company Remobil and another 10 CZK from the company Asekol to the collection account, helping them survive. From these funds, support will be provided for the protection of lowland gorillas in Cameroon, where Prague Zoo has been running the Wandering Bus project for the fourteenth consecutive year.

Special feeding of lowland gorillas will take place on Friday in both pavilions. The first to receive enrichment will be the gorilla family group in the Dja Reserve pavilion, led by the silverback male Kisumu (pictured). Photo Petr Hamerník, Prague Zoo

On the occasion of Friday’s event, gorillas at Prague Zoo will receive gifts. At 10 a.m., a family group with cubs in the Dja Reservation pavilion will share the new enrichment, and at 3 p.m., a male group inhabiting the Méfou Center will be delighted. The accompanying program in the Dja Reservation African Class will also show interested parties how to recycle mobile phones in practice, while the children will be entertained and educated by thematic game stations.

More information can also be found at https://remobil.cz/mobiljakovstupenka/ 

Source: Kristýna Marková, Radio Prague International

Radio Prague International is celebrating 90 years since the launch of international broadcasting this year. To mark the anniversary, it has prepared a new series of QSL cards, which are among the most distinctive visual artefacts linked to the tradition of shortwave radio.

To this day, Radio Prague International has preserved the decades-long tradition of issuing QSL cards—postcards sent to listeners to confirm reception reports.

See more here.

Author: Klára Stejskalová, Ruth Fraňková

Photo illustrative: RebeccasPictures, Pixabay, Pixabay License

Over the past five years, total fertility rate in Czechia has fallen from 1.83 to below 1.3 children per woman. While declining fertility is a trend shared by most countries of comparable wealth, the drop in Czechia is among the steepest – fifth worldwide. What lies behind it? What has Covid-19 got to do with it? And what has changed since the 1990s? Radio Prague International spoke with sociologist Martin Kreidl to find out.

Last year, the United Nations reported that global fertility rates are in “unprecedented decline.

See more here.

Author: Hannah Vaughan

Photo: Naoki Morita, AFLO/Profimedia

With the Winter Olympics in Milan just around the corner, we’re taking a closer look at some of Czechia’s biggest medal hopefuls. One of the brightest new stars is speed skater Metoděj Jílek, just nineteen years old and already a newly crowned long-distance World Cup champion.

For many years, Czech speed skating was almost synonymous with one name: Martina Sáblíková.

See more here.

Author: Ruth Fraňková

Photo: Radek Šrettr Úlehla, CAMP

The 1990s were a period of optimism following the fall of communism in Czechoslovakia. The country underwent a rapid crash course in capitalism, and its sudden shift was also reflected in its architecture. Today, 1990s buildings are often mocked for their excess and perceived lack of taste. A new book and exhibition, DEVADE, aim to challenge that judgement. But has enough time passed?

To find out, Radio Prague International spoke with Štěpán Bärtl, Head of CAMP.

See more here.

Author: Hannah Vaughan

Photo: Václav Hodina, PKF – Prague Philharmonia

The Prague Philharmonia performed at Carnegie Hall, one of the world’s most prestigious concert venues, marking its return to the United States after several years. Conducted by Emmanuel Villaume, the concert offered not only a showcase of European repertoire but also a moment of direct encounter with American audiences, whose openness and diversity Villaume sees as central to the U.S. concert experience.

For any European orchestra, a concert in the United States carries a particular weight — and a performance at Carnegie Hall more so than anywhere else.

See more here.

Author: Vít Pohanka

Photo: Petr Hejna, DPP

In January 2006, the Škoda 14T tram, nicknamed the “Porsche” because of its design by Porsche Design, made its debut in Prague. Today, two decades later, these controversial vehicles are an unmistakable part of the streets of Prague.

When the first 14T appeared on the tracks, expectations were high: a modern, partially low-floor tram with a capacity of 270 passengers and a futuristic look.

See more here.

Photo: Andy Paradise, BBC Proms

Conductor Jakub Hrůša has become a pop star of Czech classical music. In this episode of Sunday Music, he takes us on a journey through Richard Strauss’s Lieder, spanning nearly seventy years of the composer’s creative life. Hrůša – here not only conducting but also accompanying on piano – works in harmony with soprano Kateřina Kněžíková to guide us from Strauss’s youthful early songs to the deeply reflective ‘Vier letzte Lieder,’ composed near the end of his life.

Recorded live at Prague’s Rudolfinum with the Bamberger Symphoniker, the album ‘Richard Strauss: Vier letzte Lieder & Songs with Piano – Tag und Nacht’ (Supraphon, 2024) captures Strauss’s extraordinary gift for musical intimacy, lyrical beauty, and nuanced emotional expression.

See more here.

Photo: Wikimedia Commons, public domain

Peasants have long been sidelined in history books. Jakub Beneš, Associate Professor at UCL’s School of Slavonic and East European Studies in London, seeks to restore them to the historical narrative, focusing on the area of the former Austro-Hungarian Empire. In his new book, he reveals the overlooked peasant movements and revolutions that shaped the politics of the first half of the 20th century. In an interview with Radio Prague International, he explains why this underrepresented perspective is so compelling and draws possible parallels with the present.

Until 1918, the Czech lands formed part of the Habsburg Monarchy, ruled from Vienna.

See more here.

Author: Hannah Vaughan

Photo: Kateřina Cibulka, Czech Radio

In a new episode of Czechast, the podcast in English about all things Czech, former Czech NATO ambassador Jakub Landovský reflects on Ukraine, NATO and Europe’s hard lessons. Drawing on his own experience inside the Alliance, he speaks openly about disillusionment, strategy and power. He also looks back at 1989 and explains where he still finds hope today.

Jakub Landovský does not believe that good intentions alone can protect international order.

See more here.

Author: Vít Pohanka

Source: Adept

Miloš Forman Square in central Prague is set for a major transformation. This week, city officials announced the winner of an international architectural competition for the site at the end of Pařížská, Czechia’s most expensive street, near the Vltava riverbank. The redesign will be led by the Danish studio ADEPT.

The winning design by Danish studio ADEPT was announced at a ceremony at Prague’s Center for Architecture and Metropolitan Planning, known as CAMP.

See more here.

Author: Ruth Fraňková

Photo: Jan Salač, Tomas Bata University in Zlín

Scientists from the Faculty of Technology and the Centre of Polymer Systems at Tomas Bata University in Zlín are developing an advanced model of the human small intestine. The main goal behind this effort is to replace animal testing in developing new drugs.

In cooperation with the Institute of Biophysics of the Czech Academy of Sciences, researchers in Zlin aim to create laboratory-grown tissue that closely mimics the real small intestine and could help drug development and research into intestinal diseases without the need for animal testing.

See more here.

Author: Daniela Lazarová

Photo: Lukáš Kaboň, Deník / Czech Press Photo

An image capturing a miner at work has won the main prize at this year’s Czech Press Photo competition. Photographer Lukáš Kaboň was awarded for documenting life underground as the country’s last operating hard coal mine approaches closure. The lifetime achievement award went to veteran documentary photographer Viktor Kolář.

The winning photograph of Czech Press Photo 2025 shows a miner in the ČSM-Sever mine in Stonava, in the Moravia-Silesia region, which is due to cease operations at the end of this month.

See more here.

Author: Ruth Fraňková

Source: Gufex

In just over two weeks, the 2026 Winter Olympic Games will get under way in northern Italy. The Czech Republic is pinning its hopes not only on its skiers, snowboarders and speed skaters, but also on its ice hockey team. Hockey fans will be interested to learn that the pucks used at the Games are made in the Czech Republic – in a small town in Moravia.

The family-run company Gufex, based in Kateřinice, is no newcomer to puck production.

See more here.

Author: Hannah Vaughan

Photo: PKF Prague Philharmonia/Morris Media

This week, Prague Philharmonia embarks on a concert tour of the United States, performing in six cities across the American Southeast before culminating its journey at New York’s legendary Carnegie Hall. Ahead of the opening concert in Florida, RPI spoke with the orchestra’s chief conductor, Emmanuel Villaume, about the tour and the upcoming Carnegie Hall debut.

“Tours are always extremely important for any orchestra, and US tours are very special for European orchestras.

See more here.

Author: Ruth Fraňková

Photo: Muzeum hlavního města Prahy

Štvanice Winter Stadium, designed in 1932 by functionalist architect Josef Fuchs, was the first arena in Czechoslovakia with an artificial ice surface. It hosted the country’s first-ever ice hockey world championship win in 1947, as well as the first televised hockey game in 1955.

The first game ever played at the Štvanice Winter Stadium was on 17 January 1931, when LTC Praha faced Canada’s Manitoba University Graduates.

See more here.

Foto: Langley, M.C., Škrdla, P., Kmošek, M. et al. Engraved Limestone Block from Švédův stůl Cave, Czech Republic, 2026 / ARÚ AV ČR /

Czech scientists have announced an extraordinary discovery in the Moravian Karst in South Moravia. Inside one of the region’s caves, they found a rare engraving of a horse — an image created around 15,000 years ago, at the very end of the last Ice Age, when people still lived in and around caves.

An international team of archaeologists, led by researchers from the Institute of Archaeology of the Czech Academy of Sciences, uncovered the engraving in the Švédův stůl Cave.

See more here.

Author: Ruth Fraňková, Zdeňka Kuchyňová

Photo: Vít Pohanka, Radio Prague International

Malá Strana is one of Prague’s most visited neighbourhoods and very much part of the beaten track. But behind its busy streets lies a network of stairways that lead away from crowds and into calmer, more intimate spacesand take you suddenly off the beaten track.

Malá Strana’s steep terrain has shaped how people move through it for centuries.

See more here.

Author: Vít Pohanka

Photo: Patrik Uhlíř, ČTK

January and February are traditionally the months when universities across the Czech Republic hold open days. The University of Defence in Brno was no exception, offering prospective students the chance to explore courses and get hands-on experience with available military equipment.

See more here.

Photo: NFA

Few Czech silent films are as renowned as Erotikon, directed by Gustav Machatý in 1929. The intimate romance, provocative for its time, has now been digitally restored and will receive a major new premiere on Tuesday. The screening will feature the Prague Radio Symphony Orchestra performing a newly commissioned score by Jana Vöröšová. The restoration, led by the National Film Archive, was made possible by the combined efforts of its team. Radio Prague International spoke with Matěj Strnad, head of curation at the Archive.

Eroticon is one of the gems of Czech silent cinema and Czechoslovak film history in general.

See more here.

Author: Hannah Vaughan

Photo: Michal Fanta, SOČR

This Friday, the Czech Radio Symphony Orchestra celebrated a major international success in Paris, where it received the Diapason d’Or de l’Année award for its triple album of the complete symphonic works of Bedřich Smetana. The award, presented by critics from the French classical music magazine Diapason and the radio station France Musique, was accepted at the Théâtre des Champs-Élysées by the Director General of Czech Radio, René Zavoral.

The album was recorded over two and a half years under the direction of the orchestra’s chief conductor, Petr Popelka, who also works with the Vienna Symphony Orchestra.

See more here.

Author: Ruth Fraňková

Photo: Ian Willoughby, Radio Prague International

Bet Orten studied fashion photography in London after a stint as an assistant to a well-known celebrity photographer in New York. But for the last decade and a half Orten, whose Instagram profile describes her as a “female photographer taking pictures of other females”, has been living here in her native Prague. We spoke at our studios ahead of an exhibition she has coming up in the Czech capital this spring.

Where does the name Bet Orten come from?.

See more here.

Author: Ian Willoughby

Photo: Jan Bachorík, Czech Radio

Exactly 120 years ago, in 1906, the Austro-Hungarian Empire began systematically registering motor vehicles, requiring the few car owners in the Czech lands — then still part of the Empire — to display a clearly visible registration plate.

One of the best people to explain the origins of number plates is Martin Leška, chairman of the Association of Friends of Number Plates, which brings together enthusiasts and collectors.

See more here.

Author: Hannah Vaughan, Ľubomír Smatana

Photo: Tereza Cedidlová, Cech Radio

One of Prague’s most picturesque squares – Námestí míru – was the selected site for a wedding scene in Netflix’s upcoming series The Age of Innocence, an adaptation of the famous novel by American writer Edith Wharton. Its shooting this week attracted a crowd of onlookers.

A section of Prague’s Naměstí míru square went back in time this week.

See more here.

Author: Daniela Lazarová

Photo: Lukáš Kaboň, Deník / Czech Press Photo

An image capturing a miner at work has won the main prize at this year’s Czech Press Photo competition. Photographer Lukáš Kaboň was awarded for documenting life underground as the country’s last operating hard coal mine approaches closure. The lifetime achievement award went to veteran documentary photographer Viktor Kolář.

The winning photograph of Czech Press Photo 2025 shows a miner in the ČSM-Sever mine in Stonava, in the Moravia-Silesia region, which is due to cease operations at the end of this month.

See more here.

Author: Ruth Fraňková

Photo: Dominik Jůn, Radio Prague International

Czech type designers have become significant players in the field of global typography – the design of glyphs and letterforms, better known as fonts. As Dominik Jůn discovered, this field of artistic graphic design is also strongly linked to Czech history and national identity.

As with any field of human endeavour, Czech type design has its own list of key people that have built up this unique profession – names such as Vojtěch Preissig, Oldřich Menhart, Ladislav Sutnar and František Štorm.

See more here.

Author: Dominik Jůn

On Wednesday, January 14, 2026, the President of the Republic, Petr Pavel, received the credentials of the new ambassadors extraordinary and plenipotentiary at Prague Castle:

H.E. Mr. Ruslan Abashidze, new Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Georgia, based in Prague;

H.E. Ms. Theresa Adjei-Mensah, new Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Republic of Ghana, based in Prague;

H.E. Mr. Kairat Abdrakhmanov, new Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Republic of Kazakhstan, based in Prague.

Photo: Národní památkový ústav, CC BY-NC-ND 3.0 CZ

Snowfall on Friday transformed much of the Czech Republic into a winter wonderland. While the mountains are drawing visitors for winter sports, historic sites also take on a special charm at this time of year. And judging by last year’s figures, interest in Czech heritage sites is clearly on the rise – so which castles and chateaux are the most popular, and which can be visited year-round?

Heritage sites managed by the Czech National Heritage Institute (NPÚ) welcomed around 4.

See more here.

Photo: Vít Pohanka, Radio Prague International

One of the best ways to experience Prague off the Beaten Track is not on foot, but from a tram. Line 22 crosses the city from Bílá Hora to Hostivař, passing castles, squares, and residential districts along the way. Seen from street level and in motion, Prague reveals itself as a lived-in city, not just a collection of sights.

Most visitors experience Prague on foot — climbing hills, crossing bridges, ticking off landmarks.

See more here.

Author: Vít Pohanka

Illustrative photo: Miloš Turek, Radio Prague International

As of January 1, 2026, Czechia introduced a new amendment to its Criminal Code, placing communism on the same legal footing as Nazism. So, what does the law actually prohibit? Why was it adopted, and how does it reflect Czechia’s understanding of its past? I discussed these questions and more with historian and First Deputy Director of the Institute for the Study of Totalitarian Regimes Kamil Nedvědický.

Starting in the new year, Czech law criminalizes the promotion and endorsement of communist ideology.

See more here.

Author: Jakub Ferenčík

Photo illustrative: ilovetattoos, Pixabay, Pixabay License

Getting a tattoo may leave a lasting mark not only on your skin, but also on your immune system. This is the conclusion of a groundbreaking international study involving researchers from the Biology Centre of the Czech Academy of Sciences. The research shows that commonly used tattoo pigments can influence immune function, trigger inflammation and even alter the effectiveness of certain vaccines.

Immediately after a tattoo is applied, pigment particles do not remain confined to the skin.

See more here.

Author: Hannah Vaughan

Photo: Andy Paradise, BBC Proms

Czech conductor Jakub Hrůša has been named Artist of the Year for 2026 by the International Classical Music Awards. Often described as the “Oscar of classical music,” the honour recognises his exceptional international career and his work with leading orchestras.

The jury of the International Classical Music Awards, made up of editors-in-chief of leading music magazines and representatives of major cultural institutions, praised Hrůša’s ability to combine a deep understanding of musical scores with intense expression and a clear artistic vision.

See more here.

Author: Ruth Fraňková

Photo: Jolana Nováková, Czech Radio

Celebrations of regional folk music and dance take place around Bohemia, Silesia and Moravia each year, drawing hundreds of admirers. And while the tradition is only brought out on special occasions, the good news is that those charmed by their vibrant appeal can learn to dance them like a pro!

A defining feature of folk dances, which emerged during the 17th and 18th centuries, was that they were not taught in any formal way.

See more here.

Author: Daniela Lazarová

Photo: Metoděj Vlach Aviation Museum

The Metoděj Vlach Aviation Museum in Mladá Boleslav has a new exhibit: a replica of the Kuňkadlo sport aircraft. It was built by designer Juraj Tinka and donated to the museum. The original aircraft was constructed 100 years ago by brothers Bohumil and Vladimír Šimůnek in 1925.

The Šimůnek brothers became interested in aviation at the very beginning of the First World War, initially focusing on building model aircraft.

See more here.

Photo: Česká obec sokolská

Marie Provazníková ranks among the most outstanding figures of modern Czech history. As the head of Sokol, an Olympic coach, and a pioneer of women’s physical education, she managed to resist both Nazism and Communism.

She was born in 1890 in Prague’s Karlín district.

See more here.

Photo: Věra Hájková, Czech Radio

A treasure trove of more than a thousand rare books has been returned to the monastery library of the Association for the Preservation of the Monastery of St. Francis of Assisi in Votice. The books were taken away 75 years ago, and for many years their whereabouts were unknown.

The Association for the Preservation of the Monastery of St.

See more here.

Author: Jakub Ferenčík

Photo: Oto Bernad

Women in the South Moravian town of Lednice have created a new online collection documenting more than one hundred traditional woollen shawls known as vlňáky. Once a common part of winter folk costume in the Podluží region, these scarves survive today mostly in family collections.

Vlňáky, or woolen shawls, are a traditional part of women’s folk costume, especially in Moravia.

See more here.

Author: Ruth Fraňková

Photo: Česká televize

In the deep forests of the Vysočina region, in the unassuming village of Tři Studně (Three Wells), Bohuslav Martinů composed one of his most lyrical works. Two small forest springs – Barborka and Vitulka – inspired the composer to create the cantata Otvírání studánek (The Opening of the Wells), which celebrates 70 years since its premiere this year.

Martinů visited Tři Studně in 1938 at the invitation of his pupil and muse, Vítězslava Kaprálová.

See more here.

Photo: Petr Znachor, Czech Academy of Sciences

Visitors to the Lipno Reservoir in South Bohemia witnessed something unusual at the end of last year. The ice on the lake turned green, a striking sight in the middle of winter. The cause was an unexpected build-up of cyanobacteria trapped beneath the frozen surface.

Cyanobacteria are a common sight on Czech ponds and reservoirs, particularly in the summer months.

See more here.

Author: Ruth Fraňková

Photo: Vít Pohanka, Radio Prague International

In this episode of Prague off the Beaten Track, we head to Baba, a rocky plateau just north of Hanspaulka. Built in the 1930s as a model housing exhibition, the Baba villa colony combines functionalist architecture with sweeping views over Prague. From here, even the city’s most familiar landmarks appear — just from angles most visitors never see.

At first glance, Baba feels like a natural extension of nearby Hanspaulka.

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Author: Vít Pohanka

TEDxUNYP returns to Prague on Saturday, March 7th, bringing international speakers to the Prague Congress Centre for a one day event focused on how we connect in a changing world.

The 2026 edition introduces the theme “Currents of Connection”, focusing on the often unseen forces that shape how people connect — with each other, with technology, and with the systems that influence daily life. Through stories and ideas drawn from leadership, innovation, psychology, education, and public life, the event will explore what connection really means in a world that is constantly shifting.

The English-language event will bring international speakers to Prague, including Adam Radcliffe, a British Guinness World Record-holding adventurer whose experiences range from trekking through remote jungles and living with hunter-gatherer communities to rowing 3,500 miles across the North Atlantic. He will be joined by Stephen Oommen, flying in from the United States, a former Managing Director at Microsoft and Accenture, who will share insights on how trust and human relationships shape meaningful professional connections.

The programme will also feature voices closer to home. Tereza Hrbková, co-founder and COO of Citymind, will speak about how cities and public institutions can build trust as artificial intelligence becomes part of everyday decision-making. She is joined by Ivana Šedivá, a board member and mentor at Google for Startups and former CMO at companies including Johnson & Johnson, Tesco, and McDonald’s, bringing a global leadership perspective on how questioning and curiosity drive better decisions.

Speakers will tackle questions many organisations and individuals are grappling with right now — from how leadership is changing, to how language shapes belonging, how AI is reshaping identity, why burnout is becoming global, and what education means for the future of democracy.

“We live in a world that’s more connected than ever, yet many people feel more disconnected than before,” said Amit Grinvald, Lead Organiser of TEDxUNYP. “Currents of Connection is an invitation to slow down and notice the forces shaping how we relate — to question what’s pulling us together, what’s pushing us apart, and what kind of connections we actually want to build.”

TEDxUNYP has become a platform for bringing global perspectives to Prague while creating space for meaningful dialogue within its international community. The one-day event will feature live talks alongside opportunities for attendees to connect with speakers and one another throughout the programme.

Tickets for TEDxUNYP 2026 are now available, with limited capacity.

More information and tickets can be found at GoOut.

Visitor numbers at heritage sites managed by the Czech National Heritage Institute (NPÚ) rose year-on-year last year.

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Author: Hannah Vaughan

In 2025, sales of new passenger cars in the Czech Republic rose by 7.

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Author: Hannah Vaughan

Photo: Archive of Cynthia Paces

Cynthia Paces is the author of Prague: The Heart of Europe, which traces the city’s fascinating history from the 10th century to the modern era. The US historian also has strong personal ties to the city, from which the Pačes family were forced to flee after the 1948 Communist takeover of Czechoslovakia.

Please tell us about your own background and your own family’s story.

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Author: Ian Willoughby

Photo: Shutterstock

Czechia is in for a musical onslaught in 2026 the likes of which it has not seen in a long time. Prague, Hradec Králové and Vizovice will welcome hard-rock legends, metal icons, pop-punk stars and unique projects linking music with gaming culture. Fans have plenty to look forward to – and tickets for many of the concerts are already on sale.

The Masters of Rock festival in Vizovice will welcome Marilyn Manson – a controversial artist known for concerts that balance between chaos and perfect control – provocative visuals, a dark atmosphere and an unforgettable experience.

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Photo: Petra Hajská, Prague Spring Festival

For this week’s Radio Prague Sunday music show, we are presenting one of the musical highlights of 2025: the 80th Prague Spring International Music Festival, featuring Smetana’s My Country—the pinnacle of the Czech classical music calendar and marking its eightieth edition.

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Photo: Marek Hensl, Czech Radio

Winter coats roads and bridges with salt, and when mixed with moisture, it slowly and relentlessly eats away at metal structures. Scientists at the Institute of Physics of Materials of the Academy of Sciences are trying to combat this. In their laboratories, they subject steel to extreme stress, monitor its failure, and develop new metal alloys designed to last longer, whether on bridges or in space.

Jan Klusák from the Institute of Physics of Materials of the Academy of Sciences shows an ultrasonic pulsator used for testing material fatigue.

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Author: Jakub Ferenčík

Photo: Hana Řeháková, Radio Prague International

Jiří Viktor Daneš is a name many Czechs may not recognize today. He was a geographer, explorer, and diplomat who set out for Australia in 1920 as Czechoslovakia’s very first consul on the continent. During his travels across Australia, and later through the Pacific, Japan, and Canada, he took thousands of photographs—capturing landscapes, people, and everyday life along the way.

To start off, who exactly was Jiří Viktor Daneš?.

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Author: Ruth Fraňková

Source: Florenc21

Florenc21 is Prague’s largest urban renewal project. It’s taking a neglected brownfield along a major road and transforming it into a green walkable neighborhood. Launched through an international urban design competition in 2021, the project was shaped by architectural competitions from more than 160 teams, resulting in designs by 15 architectural offices. I spoke with Luboš Križan from the Prague Institute of Planning and Development (IPR) about the project’s vision and its transformation of the site.

Let’s start with the vision behind the Florenc 21 project.

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Author: Jakub Ferenčík

Photo: Hannah Vaughan, Radio Prague International

Bohem Brewery is a London-based Czech brewery that does more than just brew authentic Czech lager. It also runs two pubs and a taproom, all with a wider mission in mind: to teach Britons what good lager can taste and look like.

I visited one of Bohem’s pubs, the Nicholas Nickleby in North London, to meet the people behind the beer.

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Author: Hannah Vaughan

Photo: Evan Agostini, ČTK / AP

Time magazine has named Tomáš Cihlář, a Czech virologist at the US biopharmaceutical company Gilead, among the 100 Most Influential People of 2025, alongside biochemist Wesley Sundquist of the University of Utah. Their work focuses on developing drugs that protect against HIV.

Today, access to antiviral medications can turn an HIV infection, including AIDS, from a fatal disease into a chronic condition.

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Author: Hannah Vaughan

Photo: Vít Šimánek, ČTK

Thanks to freezing temperatures, Czechs are enjoying the winter season not only in the mountains. Ideal conditions for winter fun can also be found in Prague’s parks, for example in Stromovka.

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Photo: Petra Hajská, Pražské jaro

When Antonín Dvořák conducted the Czech Philharmonic’s very first concert on January 4, 1896, few could have foreseen that it was an orchestra destined to become one of the symbols of Czech culture.

Standing on the podium of Prague’s Rudolfinum that evening was Antonín Dvořák himself—the greatest Czech composer of all time—conducting a programme made up exclusively of his own works.

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Author: Klára Stejskalová

Photo: Jolana Nováková, Czech Radio

Hanspaulka is the focus of a new episode of Prague off the Beaten Track, now part of the podcast Czechast. This quiet Prague 6 neighbourhood is known for its interwar villas, famous artists and intellectuals, and a strong sense of place. Today, it remains one of the city’s most rewarding areas for slow walking and architectural discovery.

Perched above the Šárka valley and the bends of the Vltava, Hanspaulka feels far removed from the busy centre of Prague.

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Author: Vít Pohanka

Photo: public domain

The Symphony No. 9 in E minor, “From the New World, popularly known as the New World Symphony, was composed by Antonín Dvořák in 1893 when he was director of the National Conservatory of Music of America. It premiered at New York’s Carnegie Hall in 1893, getting a triumphant reception. It has since become one of the most famous symphonies of all time, an integral part of the repertoire of symphony orchestras and conductors the world over.

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Photo: Jaroslav Ožana, ČTK, Profimedia

The Wallachian Open-Air Museum in Rožnov pod Radhoštěm marked the 100th anniversary of its founding in 2025 with a record-breaking celebration. A total of 1,449 people wearing traditional folk costumes gathered in Masaryk Square in late June, making the Czech Book of Records.

The 100th birthday anniversary of the Wallachian Open-Air Museum in Rožnov pod Radhoštěm attracted people from around the country –both those who have roots in the region and those who have a love for folk traditions.

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Author: Daniela Lazarová

Photo: Jan Kolský, GHMP

An exhibition devoted to activist art is currently underway at Prague’s Municipal Library. Organised by City Gallery Prague, it explores Czech activist art of recent decades in dialogue with international movements such as Black Lives Matter, Me Too, or Fridays for Future.

Public protests against violations of civil rights or environmental destruction often take the form of artistic performances.

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Author: Ruth Fraňková

Photo: Tomáš Adamec, Czech Radio

Commemorating exactly fourteen years since the death of former president Václav Havel, candles and flowers are laid in remembrance – not only of a president, but also of an artist, playwright, dissident, and public figure. Havel has come to symbolise the fall of communism in Czechoslovakia in 1989, in which he played a key role. Yet, political analyst Jiří Pehe, who served as Havel’s advisor and knew him well, argues that his legacy goes far beyond this and is increasingly important today.

“I think that what comes to mind today is his legacy, because he fought for a lot of things which are currently endangered, human rights, human dignity, global responsibility.

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Author: Hannah Vaughan

Photo: René Volfík, iROZHLAS.cz

Precisely ten years ago, the Paris Agreement was adopted by a record 195 parties – a moment of relief and euphoria for Stéphane Crouzat, who was among the architects of the landmark deal and is now France’s ambassador to Czechia. What does he make of Czechia’s stance on climate change ten years on from the Agreement?

In 2015, at COP21 in Paris, the Paris Agreement was adopted as a legally binding pact.

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Author: Hannah Vaughan, Jan Kaliba

Illustrative photo: geralt, Pixabay, Pixabay License

In 2025, Czechia ranked as the world’s sixth-best performing economy, according to The Economist. But did it really perform that well? In my interview with Vladimir Vano, Chief Economist at Wealth Effect Management, I asked him what factors contributed to The Economist’s favorable ranking of the Czech economy, how artificial intelligence might affect the country, and much more.

Czechia ranked as the world’s sixth-best performing economy this year.

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Author: Jakub Ferenčík

Photo illustrative: Profimedia

The debate over mobile phones in Czech schools has moved from the margins to the mainstream. One of the voices shaping this discussion is lawyer Jan Vobořil, who supports the parental initiative “Cell-less Childhood” (Dětství bez mobilu) and argues that banning phones at school is both realistic and beneficial.

The initiative does not call for rejecting technology outright.

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Author: Vít Pohanka

Photo: Jaroslav Svoboda, ČTK

A magical evening took place at the pilgrimage Church of St. John of Nepomuk on Zelená Hora in Žďár nad Sázavou. Dozens of worshippers honoured St. Lucy’s feast with songs and prayers, celebrating her name, which comes from the Latin word for “light.”

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Illustrative photo: Sharon Drummond, Flickr, CC BY-NC-SA 2.0

New data on alcohol addiction treatment reveal stark regional differences. Most Czechs undergoing treatment for alcohol addiction come from eastern, northern, and central Moravia. The districts of Vsetín, Zlín, Jeseník, Kroměříž, and Přerov are particularly critical, with more than 300 people undergoing treatment per 100,000 inhabitants.

Alcohol addiction treatment in Czechia is unevenly distributed, with the eastern part of the country bearing the heaviest burden.

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Author: Jakub Ferenčík

Photo: Ludmila Opltová, Czech Radio

Fragments of some of Brno’s best-known buildings are about to travel hundreds of kilometres to Britain. They’re headed for a Liverpool cemetery, where they will become part of a new memorial to Ernst Wiesner, a leading architect of interwar Brno.

The Villa Stiassni, the Villa Neumark, the headquarters of Czech Radio Brno, and the Morava Palace are all landmark buildings of interwar Brno — and all were designed by architect Ernst Wiesner.

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Author: Ruth Fraňková, Tomáš Kremr

Photo: Ondřej Tomšů, Radio Prague International

The statue of 82 children in Lidice, which commemorates the destruction of the Central Bohemian village by the Nazis in 1942, is set to undergo a major restoration in the next five years. The Lidice Memorial has now presented what the renovation will involve and how the work will be carried out.

The memorial, dedicated to the 82 children murdered by the Nazis in the summer of 1942, is the work of academic sculptor Marie Uchytilová.

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Author: Ruth Fraňková