AuthorMartin Hladík

According to the Gender Equality Index, the share of women among the members of the boards of directors of the largest listed companies and supervisory boards in the Czech Republic is only 21%. Compared to EU countries, the Czech Republic is thus in 20th place. Together with a 17.7% pay gap against women, we are among the worst on the European continent. At the seventh meeting of the signatories and supporters of the Women’s Empowerment Principles (WEPs) with the subtitle Equality Means Business, the main focus was on why change is so slow and difficult to implement and how to convince those who can accelerate change.

The panel discussion was led by Radmila Pinkavová Jirkovská, who recently took on the role of European coordinator of WEPs.

The meeting took place on Thursday, January 25 at the Embassy of Romania and was attended by 11 female ambassadors working in the Czech Republic. In her welcome speech, Ambassador of Romania Antoaneta Barta said: “Equality in business, as in other sectors, is a goal that has not yet been achieved. According to statistics, less than 30% of leadership positions are held by women worldwide. This is despite many studies that show positive results of equality on productivity, profitability, and innovativeness of businesses. The main causes of this situation are gender stereotypes and mentality, which lead to differences between the sexes in the labor market, differences in the remuneration of women and men, unequal involvement in various sectors of the economy and society.‟

The ambassador pointed out that in view of these facts, Thursday’s refusal to ratify the Istanbul Convention by the Senate is a very bad signal for those who strive to eliminate violence against women. She emphasized that “equality should not only be promoted by women, on the contrary”, and therefore it is important that the Women’s Empowerment Principles are also supported by men, especially those in top positions.

You can find out what was said at the panel discussion and other information about the Women’s Empowerment Principles in the attached press release ( in Czech ).

Photo : Michaela Danelová, Czech Radio

The Czech government has confirmed its decision to rely on nuclear power as the main source of energy for the future. At a press briefing in Prague on Wednesday the cabinet announced plans to expand the Dukovany tender to four nuclear reactors instead of one.

Wednesday’s press briefing in Prague brought a number of surprises. First, the cabinet said it was seriously considering the possibility to build four nuclear reactors in the coming years instead of one, and second it announced that the hot favourite in the Dukovany tender – the US company Westinghouse – was out of the running. Industry and Trade Minister Jozef Sikela explained why.

See the rest here.

Author: Daniela Lazarová, Sources:Český rozhlas,Česká televize

Today at the Castle, President Petr Pavel met with two dozen young people from various fields to jointly plan the connection of the activities of the president and young people for the year 2024. The President listened to the group’s initiatives, which professionally calls itself the Youth Council, and discussed with it key topics of youth generation and possible events where he could open these topics.

“I welcome that most of the initiative comes from your side, because otherwise it wouldn’t make much sense. We can accommodate where possible. I don’t want the cooperation to be just formal, to take a photo at the round table, but also to have concrete content,” said President Pavel at the beginning of the meeting.

At the meeting with the president, representatives of the young generation talked about topics such as mental health, rape, the euro, housing affordability, education reform, the Istanbul Convention, or the shooting at the FF UK. This year, the plan includes regular meetings of the Youth Council with the president and KPR representatives, as well as various forms of involvement of President Pavel in individual events.

Photo: National Museum

Palaeontologists have discovered that the jaw of a prehistoric animal, found a few years ago near the town of Valeč in the Karlovy Vary region, belongs to a hitherto unknown species of mammal. The unique find is the oldest evidence of a cat-like animal in Europe.

The left lower jaw of the creature was discovered in 2017 during a geological survey by National Museum palaeontologist Boris Ekrt and his colleague Lucia Kunstmülerová from Charles University. On closer examination, it turned out to be a previously unknown species, Fejfarictis valecensis, named after the respected Czech palaeontologist and populariser of the field, Professor Oldřich Fejfar, and the place the fossil was found.

The jaw was found in rock strata dating to the mid-to-late Palaeogene period, i.e. 33 to 34 million years ago – a period from which not many beasts of prey have been found in Europe. Following several years of research by specialists from the Czech National Museum, Charles University’s Faculty of Natural Sciences, the Czech Geological Survey and the French University in Poitiers, the jaw was found to belong to a very early member of the suborder Feliformia, a group of animals consisting of “cat-like” animals, including today’s large and small cats, hyenas, and mongooses.

See the rest here.

Author: Anna Fodor, Source:ČTK

Following days of filibustering, the lower house on Thursday approved a government proposal to allow postal voting for Czechs living abroad. The governing coalition wants the bill, which faces two more readings in the lower house, approved in time for the 2025 parliamentary elections. I spoke to political scientist Petr Just about its significance and its chances of winning approval.

“I think the chances are quite high since the ruling coalition has a comfortable majority in both parliamentary chambers, and this is an electoral law which must be approved by both chambers equally. There is no possibility for the lower chamber to override the veto of the upper chamber since electoral laws have a special status. Since the government has a comfortable majority in both chambers, it’s very likely that the law will be adopted in time for the 2025 general elections and be used for the first time by Czechs living abroad.”

See the rest here.

Author: Amelia Mola-Schmidt

Source: IPR Praha

The final design for the new Vltava Philharmonic was recently revealed. Danish design studio Bjarke Ingels Group won the bid for its vision of the modern music hall in May 2022, and has now developed it into a detailed architectural study. The space will naturally be home to the Prague Symphony Orchestra and the Czech Philharmonic, but it will also serve as a public space. I spoke with Monika Habrová, Project Manager of the Vlatava Philharmonic Hall, to learn more.

Other than a music venue, how else will the space at the Vltava Philharmonic be used?

“Apart from the music, which of course is the main component, the building will be used for its educational spaces. In the building, there will be a creative hub, which will have a classroom, a musical library and a school hall. It’s designed as a space for students and kids to come and learn.

“The space will also be used for leisure. There will be two restaurants on the top of the building, one called the City View Bistro, and a fine dining restaurant. Another important destination will just be the building itself. The roof and terraces will offer new viewpoints of the city, so it will definitely be a destination for people.”

See the rest here.

Author: Amelia Mola-Schmidt

One Life is a British biographical drama film directed by James Hawes based on the true story of a British aid worker Nicholas Winton.

He made efforts to save a group of Jewish children from Czechoslovakia just before the beginning of World War II.

The main roles in the film were played by Anthony Hopkins and Johnny Flynn as Sir Nicholas Winton.

Winton’s daughter requested that Hopkins should play her father. Winton’s son praised Hopkins’ portrayal of his father.

In supporting roles: Helena Bonham Carter, Jonathan Pryce, Lena Olin, Romola Garai, and Alex Sharp.

Filming took place in London and Prague.

The world première at the Toronto Film on September 2023, and London Film Festival.

Picture released it in the Czech Republic on 1st February 2024.

Photo: Czech Television

Today’s edition of Sunday Music Show is dedicated to Eva Olmerová, whom many consider to be the greatest Czech jazz singer of all time. Olmerová, who was born 90 years ago last Saturday, has been labelled by critics as “our own Bessie Smith”. Her enormous talent and potential was never fully realized due to political persecution and personal problems, but her popularity has lasted to this day.

See the rest here.

Photo: Radio Prague International

Czech scientists recently discovered what is believed to be the country’s oldest beech tree. Growing in a forest in Krušné Hory near the town of Horní Jiřetín, the tree witnessed the ascent of the Habsburg dynasty to the Czech throne, and is estimated to be at least 470 years old.

The sapling of the beech tree started to grow on a wooded slope near the Jezeří Castle around the time when Ferdinand I was crowned King of Bohemia, making the Habsburgs the most powerful reigning dynasty in Europe.

The oldest beech tree was discovered by researchers from the Department of Forest Ecology at the Czech University of Life Sciences. The fact that it was found in a production forest in Krušné Hory, in the close proximity of a brown coal mine, took them by surprise, says researcher Vojtěch Čada.

See the rest here.

Author: Ruth Fraňková

Illustrative photo: René Volfík, Czech Radio

The Czech health sector is currently short of around 3,000 registered nurses. What makes things worse is that a third of the country’s nurses are now over the age of 60 and are due to retire within the next ten years. Hospital heads are ringing alarm bells and calling for action from the government.

Daria Hrabánková is head nurse of the internal medicine clinic at the Prague Faculty Hospital. Although the work of a head nurse is demanding, her biggest headache is planning the shifts for the week ahead. The lack of nurses is an ever-present concern.

“We are currently addressing the shortage of nurses by closing hospital beds. And I try to rotate nurses within the clinic wherever they are needed. I might send them from one ward to another, so as to temporarily saturate an urgent need there. If that can’t be done, then there is no other option but to close beds”.

See the rest here.

Authors: Daniela Lazarová, Vojtěch Tomášek, Source:Český rozhlas

Photo: Jan Schejbal, Czech Army

Czechia has just signed an agreement with the United States to buy two dozen F-35 advanced fighter jets. The procurement is seen as significantly boosting the Czechs’ military capabilities and integration with NATO and represents the largest defence contract ever signed by the country.

On Monday morning the Czech minister of defence, Jana Černochová, and the US ambassador to Prague, Bijan Sabet, put pens to paper on a memorandum of understanding on the biggest defence contract signed by Czechia in its history.

Under the deal, rubberstamped by the Prague government last September, Czechia is set to receive 24 fifth-generation F-35 stealth fighter jets at a cost of CZK 150 billion crowns.

See more here.

Author: Ian Willoughby, Source:Česká televize

The National Gallery Prague (NGP) presents the exhibition schedule for 2024. Visitors can look forward to seeing the work of Michelangelo and other masters here for the first time, in collaboration with the Musée du Louvre.

An exhibition devoted to the theme of solidarity and the role of art in times marked by conflict will open in the Trade Fair Palace.

In the spring, the Kinsky Palace will welcome an unconventional project dedicated to the phenomenon of hockey.

The main event of the autumn season will be a show of Czech artists in interwar France. NGP is also preparing a Czech presentation at the 60th Art Biennale in Venice with the support of the Ministry of Culture.

This year’s exhibition plan reflects the institution’s development concept, which was approved by the Ministry of Culture, the founder of the NGP. The concept emphasizes, among other things, the creation of a safe and stable environment for the development of artistic projects. With its dramaturgy, the NGP devotes itself to expanding the European canon of history by Czech art. “Our dramaturgy until 2026 focuses on the themes of solidarity, Czech exile art, the representation of women in the history of art, or issues of the environmental crisis. In addition, the digitization of our collections is underway and we are making strategic investments such as building a new depository in Jinonice, which NGP urgently needs,” outlines CEO Alicja Knast.

The gallery’s key goals include expanding knowledge about the collections through basic research and multidisciplinary projects, the results of which are presented in the form of publications and exhibitions. As was the case, for example, with last year’s most successful exhibition Brandl: The Story of the Bohemian, which attracted over fifty thousand visitors.

In total, almost 434,000 visitors visited the NGP’s collection exhibits and short-term exhibitions last year, which is 15% more than in 2022. The number of Friends Club members is also growing, reaching almost five thousand. More than 46,000 children and adults visited NGP’s educational and public programs in 2023.

For more information you can read the document attached ( in Czech).

Photo: Barbora Navrátilová, Radio Prague International

Welcome to the Faces of Czech Music, the podcast where we introduce you to the fresh musical talent the country has to offer. On our first episode, we speak with musician, composer, producer, and DJ, Ondřej Mikula – better known as Aid Kid. Aid Kid is one of the country’s most popular electronic musicians – but as we discovered in this conversation, he’s so much more than that. From his collaboration with the Czech Radio Big Band musicians, to his work on the soundtrack for the 2022 film Arvéd, the introspective Aid Kid is a great example of a musician unbound by genre.

See the rest here.

Authors: Amelia Mola-Schmidt, Petr Dudek

Photo: X of Chemis

A Czech artist who goes by the name Chemis has recently unveiled a mural in Prague’s Smíchov neighbourhood. The artwork is in collaboration with Doctors Without Borders, and focusses on the civilians who are affected and injured by war, and pays tribute to the doctors working to save them. I met with Chemis to discuss the mural and the meaning behind it.

“The mural is in Smichov on quite a busy road. It’s a collaboration with Doctors Without Borders, an organization here in Czechia. They asked me if I would do a mural based on the work that they do, and I chose the topic of surgeries and the aftercare of war related injuries – bombs, gunshots, and things like that. The mural took half a year to plan and two weeks to make.”

See the rest here.

Author: Amelia Mola-Schmidt

Photo: Luděk Peřina, ČTK

Colourful masks, folk dances and pig-killing feasts attract crowds of people to the streets and signal the approach of Czechia’s masopust (Mardi Gras) celebrations, traditionally followed by a 40-day fasting period before Easter. Ash Wednesday, which marks the end of Mardi Gras, falls on 14 February this year.

Source: ČTK

Photo: Štěpánka Budková, Radio Prague International

In recent years Ed Ley has won fans on social media for his in-depth research into the streets of the Czech capital. Indeed the Englishman has already explored the stories of all the streets of Pragues 2 and 3 in daily postings on Twitter/X – and is now halfway through the city centre Prague 1. How did he get started? And what are some of the most remarkable facts he has turned up? I discussed these questions and much more with Ed Ley at our studios.

Where are you from, and what do you do, Ed?

“I’m from the UK. I was born in London and grew up in Brighton, but I live in Prague.

“And I work in development aid, so essentially I work for a firm where we review projects which are financed by international donors, such as the EU, the UN and national governments. So rather interesting.”

See the rest here.

Author: Ian Willoughby

One of the most eye-catching of a raft of proposals from the government’s economic council is to give Czech bosses more flexibility in hiring and firing, including redundancies without stated grounds. But how much would this radical idea, backed by Finance Minister Zbyněk Stanjura, actually benefit the economy? I asked UK-based economist Tomáš Dvořak.

“In its core, it’s not a bad proposal, because we do have a problem with labour market flexibility.

“But having read the set of proposals from the economic council, this would probably come as my last priority. It’s not something I think is desperately needed at the moment.”

See the rest here.

Author: Ian Willoughby

St. Brigid’s Day celebrates Ireland’s only female patron saint on February 1 and most people will be familiar with the popular tradition of making crosses in St Brigid’s honour. From 2022 it’s an official holiday in Ireland.

On this day the Embassy of Ireland in the Czech Republic as part of the celebration of St. Brigid’s Day, organize an event “Leading Irish and Czech women in Business” at the residence of Ambassador H.E. Mr. Alan GIBBONS.

The main speakers were Sonia Deasy – founder and Managing director of Irish cosmetic company Pestle & Mortar and Hana & Lenka Reuterova, Owner and Managing director of IDC Food.

Ambassador H.E. Mr. Alan GIBBONS welcomes the guest with a very interesting speech about women’s rights in Ireland.

More details in our next printed magazine.

Photo: Czech Foreign Ministry

A memorial was held at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Prague in advance of International Holocaust Remembrance Day.

On Thursday afternoon the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Prague held a memorial commemorating International Holocaust Remembrance Day (which falls on January 27) and the 80th anniversary of the liberation of the Auschwitz-Birkenau concentration camp. Minister of Foreign Affairs Jan Lipavský, Ambassador of the State of Israel Anna Azari, and Ambassador of the United States of America Bijan Sabet were among those in attendance. Perhaps the most moving moment of the memorial was a talk given by Holocaust survivor Dita Krausová. Born in 1929 in Prague, Krausová and her family were deported to Terezín ghetto in November of 1942. After surviving the Holocaust, she and her husband emigrated to Israel. In a speech given by Minister Lipavský, he expressed the urgency to “defend and shape a democratic world in which we can live in peace and freedom, and which we can pass on to future generations.”

Source

Exotic pearls, attractive destinations across continents, and the most eye-catching tourist attractions in the Czech Republic. This will be presented by domestic and foreign exhibitors at the international tourism and regional tourism fair HOLIDAY WORLD & REGION WORLD, which will take place from March 15 to 17 at the PVA EXPO PRAGUE exhibition center. In Letňany, there will also be an accompanying program full of interesting things for experts and the general public.

As part of HOLIDAY WORLD, visitors will see exhibits from popular as well as completely new destinations and areas, such as the Italian island of Elba, popular Croatia with its attractions, Slovenia, but also more distant destinations such as Peru, Indonesia, and, for the second time, Japan. After a longer hiatus, he returns to Letňan Sri Lanka.

REGION WORLD will offer the most comprehensive exhibition of tourist locations, trends, and news from the territory of the Czech Republic. There will be inspiring exhibits including all vacation tips, a portfolio of tour offers around our country, as well as overviews of attractive places in individual regions. The Moravian-Silesian Region became the partner region for 2024.

Meeting of experts

The first fair day on March 15 will be dedicated to the professional public in the field of tourism, for which an attractive accompanying program has been prepared.

The 12th edition of the conference and educational platform Forum of Tourism, organized by the CzechTourism agency, dealing with current and future tourism challenges that fundamentally affect foreign and domestic visitors to the Czech Republic, will not be missed. From last year’s theme of sustainability, the conference will move to ESG (Enviromental, Social, and Corporate Governance), the program will also include a panel discussion regarding active and spa tourism and their current trends. On the same day, the 5th edition of MBM Tourism Prague will take place, with the possibility of personal business meetings with professionals. For the third time, the prestigious Grand Prize of Tourism 2023/2024 will be awarded at PVA EXPO PRAGUE, which is a competition announced by the communication agency COT Group. The competition will take place in the categories of Best Tourist Product, Innovative Marketing Communication, Best e-project, and Best Sustainable Project.

The region of my heart was voted on last year by Czechs in a poll organized by the editors of the Kam v Českú portal in cooperation with ABF, a.s. held under the auspices of the Association of Regions of the Czech Republic. Those interested can vote for their favorite location HERE until the end of February. The winners will receive their prizes during the accompanying program on the first day of the international fair.

HOLIDAY WORLD & REGION WORLD takes place in conjunction with the 15th edition of the motorhome and caravan exhibition FOR CARAVAN and the 7th edition of the boat and water sports exhibition FOR BOAT.

You can find more information at www.holidayworld.cz.

Photo: René Volfík, iROZHLAS.cz

The names of three Czechoslovak ice hockey players will be used to mark the streets in a new housing development in Prague by real estate company Penta. The players, who were Olympic medal winners in the 1940’s in Czechoslovakia, were jailed without trial by the communist party in 1950.

A new housing development near Prague’s Radlice and Jinonice neighbourhoods called Nová Waltrovka will honour the memory of three Czechoslovak ice hockey players who were persecuted and jailed by the communist regime. Penta, the real estate company behind the new development, has selected players from the 1948 Czechoslovak national team who won an Olympic silver medal as the namesakes of two streets and the central square in the new district.

Augustin Bubník, Vladimír Kobranov, and Václav Roziňák are those who will be commemorated, and Martin Lánský, public relations manager at Penta, told me more about their story.

See the rest here.

Author: Amelia Mola-Schmidt

The Committee of Good Will – The Olga Havel Foundation (VDV) will award the thirtieth annual Olga Havel Award this year. The prestigious award goes to a person who, despite his or her health handicap, helps others. Candidates for this year can be nominated by the public via the online form on the website www.cenaolgyhavlove.cz from February 1 to April 1, 2024. The award ceremony will take place on May 27 in Prague.

“The Olga Havlová Award was first announced by Olga Havlová in 1995 to honor people with health disabilities who selflessly help others despite their handicap,” says Monika Granja, director of the Goodwill Committee – Olga Havlová Foundation. “During thirty years, we have met the destinies of exceptional people who have become an inspiration to overcome obstacles for others,” adds M. Granja.

The first Award ceremony took place on May 5, 1995 in the Liechtenstein Palace in Kampa. Mrs. Olga Havlová personally presented the award to Jana Hrdá. After 1990, Mrs. Jana Hrdá, who was completely paralyzed after a spinal injury, together with other wheelchair users founded the Prague Organization of Wheelchair Users and started organizing personal assistance courses for the independent lifestyle movement in the Czech Republic. She won the right to take care of her two children and, with the help of friends, gradually organized her life in her home. She participated in the implementation of the reform of social services in the Czech Republic.

A jury appointed by the foundation’s board of directors will decide who will become this year’s prize winner and receive Olbram Zoubek’s bronze sculpture “Encouragement”. Since 2017, VDV has also been awarding the Public Prize as part of the Olga Havel Prize, the winner of which can be voted for online. Like the winner of the Olga Havlova Prize, the winner of the Public Prize will be presented at a gala event that will take place on May 27 in the newly renovated Art Nouveau Fant building of the Main Railway Station in Prague.

Last year, Filip Pšenčík received an award for his efforts to help build barrier-free housing for people with medical disabilities. As a self-sufficiency assistant at the Wheelchair League in Brno, he advises clients on the selection of compensatory aids and modifications to their housing. During his tenure, a training apartment was completed at the organization’s headquarters, serving not only clients to practice living independently but also for training personal assistants and volunteers. Heřman Volf became the recipient of the Public Prize.

Candidates for this year can be nominated by the public via the online form on the website www.cenaolgyhavlove.cz from February 1 to April 1, 2024.

Photo: Adrienn Vigyinszki, archive of Václav Šulista

Václav’s story is one of transition and adaptation; from leading a team in a pharmaceutical corporation to embarking on an entrepreneurial path with his own consulting business. Apart from his professional achievements, Václav has been serving as the Czech Honorary Consul in Basel for several years.

Václav’s background is profoundly Czech: born in České Budějovice in South Bohemia, he went on to study analytical chemistry in Prague. And it was there in 1986, that he met his future wife: a young Swiss lady on a visit. They became pen-friends and romantically fell in love when Václav had to do his military service in still Communist Czechoslovakia. They got married two days after the Berlin Wall fell in 1989 and the whole of Eastern Europe including Czechoslovakia was seized by a revolutionary wave.

See the rest here.

Author: Vít Pohanka

Czechia’s score in Transparency International’s annual Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI) has hardly improved at all over the last eight years. While its position in the 2023 ranking remains the same as the year before, it still scored well below the EU average. I spoke to Marek Chromý, head analyst at Transparency International’s Czech branch, to find out why.

First of all, I’m curious how the CPI is calculated – isn’t corruption, by nature, something that usually happens secretly, behind closed doors? How do you get the data from all these different countries in order to be able to calculate it?

“You are right – corruption, in order to be successful, has to remain hidden – thus, it’s impossible to measure it. That’s why Transparency International developed the Corruption Perception Index, as it aims to score and rank countries based on how corrupt a country’s public sector is perceived to be by experts, academics, journalists, business executives and so on.

See the rest here.

Author: Anna Fodor

Photo: Václav Vojtěch, ‘Námořníkem, topičem a psovodem za jižním polárním kruhem’, 1932

Ninety-five years ago, Václav Vojtěch, geography teacher, scientist and polar explorer, became the first Czech to reach Antarctica together with an American expedition.

Václav Vojtěch was born in 1901 in the town of Skřivany, east of Prague, and as the son of a forester, loved adventure and the great outdoors from an early age. He studied history and geography, and as an editor of Czechoslovak Radio he was able to visit Paris. There, he saw a film about the race to the South Pole between Norwegian Roald Amundsen and British adventurer Robert Scott and became obsessed with the notion to reach the South Pole himself. Eventually, after many attempts and rejections, he was able to join an expedition to Antarctica led by the American Admiral Richard Byrd. Vojtěch was twenty-seven, and although he participated in the expedition only as a gunner on a supply ship and later as a waiter, on January 27, 1929 his lifelong dream came true. That day he stepped onto the shore in Ross Sea’s Whale Bay on the coast of Antarctica.

See the rest here.

Source: Český rozhlas

Who doesn’t want to look younger? Now it’s much more easy and closer to you.

Official Hydrafacial center was newly opened in Prague city center. The center serves as a training center for clinics and cosmetic that work with Hydrafacial, and also provides this care to the general public.

Hydrafacial is a complete non-invasive device skin treatment said Renata Sičáková. She has been active in the field of healthcare, intensive care, dermatology, and cosmetics for over twenty years. During that time, she worked both with patients in the Czech Republic and abroad, as well as in the distribution of medical devices and cosmetics. Together with her husband, MUDr. Michal Sičák, operates a network of dermatological clinics, Derma Medical Clinic.

It uses patented vortex technology, which enables better dermabrasion and deeper penetration of active substances into the skin than conventional cosmetics. Treatments can be individually tailored to clients according to the needs of their skin. Care involves several steps. First, the skin is prepared with dermabrasion and peeling. It is then perfectly cleaned. The skin prepared in this way is infused with active substances. The result is perfectly clean, healthy, hydrated, and rejuvenated skin.

Hydrafacial is recommended by world leaders in aesthetic dermatology and cosmetics, such as plastic surgeons Dr. Paul Nassif and Jennifer Lopez.

Photo: Pavel Halla, Czech Radio

Vysočina can proudly boast that it has more UNESCO World Heritage sites than any other Czech region. It is an area of peaceful rolling hills and rural idyll, so don’t come if you like big city life – its largest urban settlement is home to only 50,000 people. But its towns and villages, though small, tend to offer rich cultural programmes and tight-knit communal life, as I found out when I braved the January cold to go there.

You would be hard-pressed to find a person with deeper roots in the Vysočina region than local journalist Vít Pohanka, whom you may know as the host of Czechast. His family has lived in the area around Žďár nad Sázavou going back as far as the 15th century – but the majority of Žďár’s 20,000 or so inhabitants are actually much newer transplants, he says.

See the rest here.

Author: Anna Fodor

Photo: Czech Foreign Ministry

Since Russia began its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, pilots have been unable to complete the required training necessary for their certification. In response to this, the Czech government has announced its support of a new project bridging the Czech Technical University and the National Aviation University in Kiev, where 20 Ukrainian students will train in the Czech air space and get their pilot certification.

On Tuesday afternoon at the Czech Technical University (CTU), Czechia’s Minister of Foreign Affairs Jan Lipavský announced a new project being funded by the state – a program in which young Ukrainian transport pilots are trained in Czechia. The training program is in collaborations with CTU and the National Aviation University in Kiev (NAU). Minister Lipavský explained.

See the rest here.

Author: Amelia Mola-Schmidt

The main communication topic of Czech tourism for the next two years is Active tourism. The key campaign of the CzechTourism agency Unexpected Wellbeing will show how to exercise, relax, and rest while traveling. It follows on from the original and imaginative visual of Unexpected Traditions from 2023, which was appreciated by experts, and moves the theme of active tourism into a non-traditional form tuned in cooperation with the regions. With a common goal not only with the Ministry for Regional Development: to attract as many travelers as possible to the Czech Republic from all over the world.

Tourism is of fundamental importance for the domestic economy. It contributes 95 billion crowns to the GDP and provides 214,000 jobs, which means that every 25th Czech Republic works there. * (*Source: Czech Statistical Office, data for the year 2021) Tourism has the largest share of employment in the Karlovy Vary Region, Prague, and South Moravian Region, and GDP in the Karlovy Vary Region, South Bohemia, and Prague.

“The importance of tourism for the Czech economy is unquestionable. It has a positive impact on the development of regions, prevents their depopulation, and supports investment opportunities. The benefits of tourism need to be brought closer to people – thanks to it, the infrastructure of basic and accompanying services has been built in many regions. We want the Czech Republic to be an attractive destination not only for tourists but also for investors and entrepreneurs. Therefore, one of the first things we did at the Ministry of Regional Development at the beginning of the year was to allocate 200 million crowns to support tourism. In two calls, we will support the equipment of tourist routes, the development of navigation and information systems in destinations, the modification of cross-country ski routes or environmentally friendly transport in tourist regions, and marketing activities,” says Deputy Prime Minister for Digitization and Minister for Regional Development Ivan Bartoš.

Active tourism is a global trend, where everyone is trying to “get people out of their chairs”. The Czech Republic has all the prerequisites for this: the best system of tourist signage in the world, a great tradition of sports and outdoor activities, and high-quality world-renowned spas that are also on the UNESCO list.

“The good news is that we managed to negotiate about 27 million CZK more for tourism this year than last year. The budget of the CzechTourism agency increased to CZK 400 million compared to last year’s roughly 373 million. In this way, we will be able to strengthen the visibility of the Czech Republic abroad and at domestic events,” says František Reismüller, director of the Czech Tourism Office – CzechTourism, adding: “Money naturally plays a very important role in how individual countries manage to attract guests from abroad. Although in the first three quarters of last year, mass accommodation facilities in the Czech Republic were visited by almost 2.3 million more tourists than in 2022, approximately 17.4 million, more than half of them were domestic travelers. There were 10.2 million of them, while 7.2 million foreigners came to us. At the same time, foreign tourists spend more than residents on trips to and around the Czech Republic. Germany, Poland, Slovakia, the USA and Great Britain were the most creditworthy markets for the Czech Republic from the 1st quarter of 2022 to the 3rd quarter of 2023. It is there, but not only, that we want to target our biggest campaigns this year.”

The new communication concept of the Czech Tourism Board’s 2024 and 2025 Unexpected Wellbeing campaigns is based on the idea that the Czech Republic is de facto one big spa. There is such relaxation, beautiful nature, and rich culture that even if you spend your vacation in the Czech Republic actively relaxing, you feel like you are in a spa. And so each one easily sports activity becomes an unexpected spa procedure. The visuals, which were primarily created in English, have slogans (claims) such as “unexpected steam room” for a photo of a cyclist in the fog, “unexpected pedicure” for a photo of bare feet walking on rocks in the forest or “unexpected aromatherapy” for a group of people walking across a blossoming meadow. In addition to the campaigns, CzechTourism is also planning a whole range of other activities.

“Of course, our biggest B2B event aimed at buyers and representatives of travel agencies from all over the world and domestic experts and entrepreneurs in the tourism industry will take place again this year under the name Czechia Travel Trade Day. It is held in a different regional city every year. Last year’s very successful one in Brno, on which we worked intensively with the Center for Tourism – South Moravia and the statutory city of Brno, was attended by 74 buyers from 23 countries around the world, and 1,800 individual B2B meetings took place over two days. We are preparing this year’s so-called TTD for April 29 and 30 in Hradec Králové, it will be the 7th edition,” says František Reismüller, director of the Czech Tourism Office – CzechTourism, adding: “In addition, we will continue to develop our destination portals Visit Czechia and Kudy and Nudy, which last year recorded the highest number of visitors in history – VC more than 2.4 million, KzN more than 28 million visits. In general, it is clear that digitization and tourism are inextricably linked.”

“We are also preparing a new approach to the registration of accommodated tourists. Imagine not having to fill out lengthy paper forms when visiting an accommodation facility. Instead, we are entering the era of digital tourism, when a single digital place will be used to register tourists in our accommodation facilities. At the Ministry for Regional Development, we are working on an amendment that will reduce the administrative burden and adapt the tourism industry to new technologies. We will have data in real-time, which will benefit not only our ministry but also the foreign police, the statistical office, and the municipalities themselves. Each mayoress will see how many tourists they currently have in their cadastre and how much money they will get into the budget in fees thanks to them. These can then be used, for example, to develop infrastructure,” says Deputy Prime Minister for Digitization and Minister for Regional Development Ivan Bartoš and adds: “This revolution in accommodation records naturally also includes tourists who use online accommodation platforms. Every visitor to our country will be required to register, in accordance with the European Union regulation currently being discussed by the European Parliament. Modern times demand modern solutions – we will not stand by, but will meet them.”

In 2024, the further involvement of artificial intelligence (AI) in the Kudy z nudy and Visit Czechia portals should also be analyzed in order to facilitate the work of users. On/s Kudy z nudy will continue to create thematic landing pages and conclude data alliances so that it is possible to use high-quality external data sources. Currently, CzechTourism, among other things, is helping to implement a project of the Ministry of Culture in the context of the 200th anniversary of the birth of Bedřich Smetana. Not only thanks to this composer, the year 2024 is known as the Year of Czech Music, in which a whole series of events will take place in connection with classical music, information about which can already be found on a special signpost.

At KzN, people can also familiarize themselves with the upcoming news of 2024, sports events and what domestic spas are planning this year. And the Czech Tourism Office, in cooperation with partners, is also preparing the Tourism Forum, which will be part of the HOLIDAY WORLD & REGION WORLD 2024 fairs in March, the presentation of the Czech Republic at foreign fairs, various events under the banner of the Czech Convention Bureau, etc.

Photo: Film Europe

The annual SCANDI film festival, curated by Prague’s Edison Filmhub, showcases the best of contemporary Nordic cinema. For this year’s edition, Academy Award and two-time Cannes winning Danish director Bille August is in attendance to promote his latest work, The Kiss. I caught up with him ahead of the film’s screening.

Back in 2015 you said that the more Nordic cinema is, the more popular it’s become, and that staying true to that genre has brought much success. Do you still feel the same way today?

“I think film in general has become more international in the sense of the storytelling. What I think is unique about Nordic films is the way of storytelling, but also the light, the way we live with the dramatic changes of seasons. In the winter it’s cold, it’s almost a monochromatic world with snow everywhere, and the lack of ability to meet others because of the cold, but in the summer, all emotion comes out and it’s very colourful. I think these changes have a big impact on the way we live and our culture.”

See the rest here.

Author: Amelia Mola-Schmidt

At the beautiful Morzin Palace, where the Romanian Embassy is located, we celebrated the Culture Day of both Romania and the Republic of Moldova. The event was hosted by H.E. Mrs. Antoaneta Barta, Ambassador of Romania, and H.E. Mr. Alexandru Codreanu, Ambassador of the Republic of Moldova.

The cultural program included a team of very talented International ballet dancers from Romania and Moldova.

On a personal note: I was born in Romania. As a child, I remember my older sister dancing as a ballerina. She was extremely talented, and what I remember most was her dancing as the dying swan in Saint-Saëns’ “Le Cygne”, from Carnival of the Animals. These memories came rushing back to me, watching Ballerina Alina Nanu performing this ballet.

Thank you very much for such a great cultural event.

Photo: René Volfík, iROZHLAS.cz

Many Czechs have been shocked by a case in which a man got only a suspended sentence for raping his minor stepdaughter – after a court expert said the violations, which went on for two years, had not greatly impacted her. Following the verdict, the victim repeatedly attempted suicide. I discussed the case with Lucie Hrdá, a lawyer and women’s rights campaigner.

“We should rethink mandatory training for judges in victimology and the psychology of victims, and to do mandatory training… not only mandatory, it should also be something that they need to do before they can ask for a promotion.

“And I also expect Czech society to call for [ratification of] the Istanbul Convention. Because we really need and this is something that could help us and prevent other decisions like this.”

See the rest here.

Author: Ian Willoughby

On January 25, 2024, the Speaker of the Chamber of Deputies, Markéta Pekarová Adamová, led a parliamentary delegation on a two-day working trip to the United Kingdom. In London, she held talks with the Speaker of the British House of Commons, Sir Lindsay Hoyle, about support for defiant Ukraine. She then discussed Czech-British relations with the Speaker of the House of Lords, Lord McFall of Alcluith. The delegation also had on its agenda, among other things, the resumption of the activities of the Friends of the Czech Republic group in the British Parliament, a meeting with the “Winton children” and a debate with Czech university students.

The Speaker of the Chamber of Deputies of the Parliament of the Czech Republic, Markéta Pekarová Adamová, visited the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland at the head of a parliamentary delegation. In the House of Commons, she first negotiated with her British counterpart, Sir Lindsay Hoyle.

“Our countries have long-term very similar views on several foreign policy topics. It concerns both the situation in Ukraine, and the role of Russia, but also the area of cybercrime and hybrid threats, or the observance of basic human rights and freedoms in the world. Our common values brought us even closer together when a brutal war instigated by the dictator Putin returned to Europe almost two years ago. It is our common interest and fundamental civilizational obligation not to let Putin win in Ukraine,” said the Speaker of the Chamber of Deputies, Markéta Pekarová Adamová, after the meeting.

The parliamentary delegation consisting of the chairman of the inter-parliamentary group of friends of the Czech Republic – Great Britain Ondřej Lochman and member of the same group Aleš Juchelka also met with the chairman of the House of Lords Lord McFall of Alcluith. They also took part in the official launch of the renewed activity of the group of friends of the Czech Republic in the Parliament of the United Kingdom.

“I very much welcome the revival of this group given the intensity of our mutual cooperation, the shared values of parliamentary democracy, and the historically strong ties between our countries and legislatures. Our strong bilateral ties at as many levels as possible are indispensable and irreplaceable in the post-Brexit era,” added the speaker of the House of Representatives, Markéta Pekarová Adamová.

The work program also included a stop at the former headquarters of Czechoslovak military intelligence in Porchester Gate or a meeting with the “Winton children” Lady Milena Grenfell-Baines and Lord Alfred Dubs. They, along with almost seven hundred other girls and boys, were rescued from occupied Czechoslovakia in 1939 by the English humanist Sir Nicholas Winton.

Last but not least, there was also a debate with Czech university students and teachers working at prestigious British universities.

“Czech-British relations are excellent. Not only at the political level but also in the area of investments and mutual trade, where the mutual balance reaches pre-covid values again. Our cooperation also flourishes in the field of science and research or cultural life. No less important is that mutual interpersonal contacts also thrive. Approximately 80,000 Czech citizens live in the United Kingdom, and approximately 9,000 citizens of the United Kingdom live in the Czech Republic. This is an extremely promising investment for the development of our relations in the future as well,” concluded chairwoman Markéta Pekarová Adamová.

Photo: Michaela Danelová, iROZHLAS.cz

On this day 55 years ago, Sándor Bauer and Josef Hlavatý emulated Jan Palach’s sacrifice and set themselves ablaze in protest of the Soviet occupation.

Just a day later, two people followed Jan Palach’s example. The first was Sándor Bauer, a 16-year-old boy from Budapest, who set himself on fire outside the city’s Hungarian National Museum. Holding two national flags in his hands, he protested against the Soviet occupation of Hungary and Hungarian participation in the occupation of Czechoslovakia.

Later on the same day, a 25-year-old brewery worker from Pilsen, Josef Hlavatý, doused himself with kerosene, burning to death on the city’s Dukla Square. In his own words, he was protesting against the “Russian occupiers”.

See the rest here.

Photo: Paul-Henri Perrain, Radio Prague International

People passing through Prague’s Můstek metro station should find their commutes considerably brightened by some fresh greenery that has been placed there. A new six-metre-wide installation that extends from floor to ceiling contains around 30 plants growing in a smart greenhouse.

See the rest here.

Authors: Anna Fodor, Tereza Bartůňková, Source:iROZHLAS.cz

Photo: Mystify / YouTube

Many music videos have been made in Prague over the decades. But perhaps the best known of all is the 1988 video for Never Tear Us Apart by the Australian group INXS. But why Prague? And how did the recording go in the still communist city? Director Richard Lowenstein looks back on a video shoot for the ages.

Sweeping shots of still unspoiled Prague. Charles Bridge, Old Town Square, even a saxophone player in the Old Jewish Cemetery. The video for INXS’s huge hit single Never Tear Us Apart – which delivered indelible images of the city to millions via MTV – has it all.

Thirty-six years later, its director, Richard Lowenstein, explains how the famous rock band ended up in the Czechoslovak capital.

See the rest here.

Authors: Ian Willoughby, Juan Pablo Bertazza

The President of the Republic, Petr Pavel, agreed with the head of the Office of the President of the Republic, Jana Vohralíková, to be relieved of her duties

The President of the Republic, Petr Pavel, agreed with the head of the Office of the President of the Republic, Jana Vohralíková, to be relieved of her duties. The reasons for her departure are personal.

The President of the Republic praised the work of the chancellor: “Jana Vohralíková did an excellent job during the extremely difficult time of the beginning of the presidential mandate and the building of the office. She was able to bring professionals into leadership positions, set up the organization and functioning of the entire team. My big thanks to her for that. I would be delighted to continue to use her experience or recommendations and stay in touch with her. The door to the Castle will be open.’

Jana Vohralíková will be replaced by Milan Vašina, who is one of the top managers in the country. Since 2007, he managed Slovakian T–Mobile and since 2011 he was the general director of T–Mobile ČR. He is currently the Executive Director of the Aspen Institute.

Read the interview with Jana Vohralíková from a few years ago :

“Having a job as a REWARD”

https://www.czechleaders.com/interviews/jana-vohralikova-2

Photo: Zuzana Jarolímková, iROZHLAS.cz

The Czech Senate rejected ratification of the Istanbul Convention in a hotly contested vote Wednesday night. The treaty, which Czechia formally signed in 2016, seeks to prevent, prosecute and eliminate domestic violence. So why have Czech politicians rejected it? I spoke to political scientist Jiří Pehe.

“I think part of the decision of the Senate is tied to what I would basically call disinformation.

“There have been a lot of attempts by people who defend the so-called traditional family, and traditional values, to depict the Istanbul Convention as something that could affect the standing of the family, traditional values and so on in the Czech Republic.

“Unfortunately it seems that a critical mass of senators decided to support this.

“They ignored the fact that the Istanbul Convention is already ratified in most Western European countries and that the Czech lawmakers will not find anything new there.

See the rest here.

Author: Ian Willoughby

On Wednesday 24th January 2024 at the beautiful Augustine Hotel, took place the opening of Helena Laisztner Kroftova exhibition “Colors of Woman 3D” – 35 years of living art.

The event was under the auspices of Terezie Radomerska – Mayor of Prague 1, with many distinguished guests, Ambassadors, media, models, and Helena friends.

We attached just a few pictures to this news article. More details and pictures are in our Spring printed magazine.

On the last Saturday of January, 28 years will pass since the departure of the founder of the Goodwill Committee — the Olga Havlova Foundation (VDV). A memorial meeting at the Havel family tomb in the Vinohradský cemetery with a symbolic lighting of a candle for Mrs. Olga will take place on Friday, January 26, from 2 p.m. Olga Havlova’s legacy will be remembered by the chairman of the board of directors of the foundation Vojtěch Sedláček and its director Monika Granja, the sermon will be delivered by parish priest Miroslav Erdinger. The commemorative event will be musically accompanied by the Besharmonie student choir.

“With a candle for Olga Havlová, we will continue to the year 2023, during which we organized many extraordinary events and projects under the banner of the campaign “Olga is here with us” on the occasion of Olga’s 90th birthday, which she did not live to see,” said VDV director Monika Granja. “For example, we continued with the planting of Olga Havel’s Trees, and we planted the symbolic ninetieth tree in Jelení kopá with the presidential couple Petr and Eva Pavlov. Over 100 commemorative and benefit events took place across the country,” adds the director.

Many partners and important personalities were involved in the commemorative year. Aneta Langerová in collaboration with Jakub Zitek, at the request of the foundation, composed a Song for Olga in honor of Olga Havel, which became the imaginary anthem of the year. Based on the photographs of Bohdan Holomíček and Ondřej Němec, directed by Martin Dušek, a cartoon video spot “Olga is here with us” was created, which was shown by Czech TV and selected cinemas throughout the Czech Republic. It was animated by Martin Máj, the illustrations were created by Adéla Marie Jirků. Her author’s drawing, a portrait of Olga Havlová and an illustration of trees were also the basis for a printed sheet of stamps with additional printing, which was published by the Czech Post in cooperation with the foundation. The year-long collection with the symbolic name Gift for Olga raised more than 860,000 crowns to help those in need.

The “Olga is here with us” campaign was a continuation of the foundation’s activities in the spirit of Olga Havel’s legacy. Even in 2023, the organization focused mainly on helping people with health and social disadvantages. From programs to support the elderly, the dying, and people at risk of social exclusion, the foundation supported 173 organizations with the amount of 7.9 million crowns. It contributed to the purchase of wheelchairs, hearing aids, and other compensatory aids and to movement therapies for 330 people with a medical disadvantage. Throughout the year, she supported 112 disadvantaged students with scholarships and involved 163 high school students in the “Give a Heart” call to help the needy. VDV, in cooperation with the OSF Foundation and the Scout Institute, continued to administer the Active Citizens Fund program, the aim of which is to strengthen civil society in the Czech Republic.

Photo: Štěpánka Budková, Radio Prague International

At a conference marking the 20th anniversary of Czech membership in the EU, the country’s top officials highlighted the numerous advantages of belonging to the alliance. One thing they were unable to agree on was the prospect of euro adoption.

While Czechia’s former sister state Slovakia adopted the euro in 2009, Czechs have been reluctant to relinquish their national currency: the crown. Past references to the country’s commitment to adopt the euro were made in a hazy manner, as something that was in the pipeline at some point in the future.

At the start of this year, the subject was raised by President Petr Pavel, who urged the government to act on this matter. On the 20th anniversary of Czech EU membership and with European elections looming, it was inevitable that the country’s top politicians should make their stand on this issue known and it revealed that, all in all, only two of the smaller parties in government are in favour of setting a time frame for euro adoption.

See the rest here.

Author: Daniela Lazarová, Sources:Český rozhlas,ČT24,ČTK

Photo: Kateřina Šulová, ČTK

This year’s celebrations of the 20th anniversary of Czechia’s accession to the European Union kicked off on Monday with a conference marking the country’s two decades of membership. It was the first in a series of events that will take place throughout 2024.

Czechia officially joined the European Union on May 1, 2004, but the first in a series of events highlighting the anniversary, a conference entitled “20 Years of Making Europe”, took place at Prague’s Liechtenstein Palace already this Monday.

Speaking at its opening, Prime Minister Petr Fiala said that during the two-decades of EU membership, Czechia has repeatedly proven itself to be an honest and reliable partner to the other member states:

“We have proven, over the 20 years of our membership, that we can do the right thing in crises, that we are ready to show solidarity with the weak.

“I think both of these facts are visible today, when the EU and the whole of Europe are coming to terms with the consequences of Russian aggression, with a war raging close to our borders.”

See the rest here.

Author: Ruth Fraňková

Photo: archive of Jean Svoboda

Imagine knowing little to nothing about your roots, your lineage shrouded in the mists of time and distance. This was the reality for Jean Svoboda, an Australian with a Czech father and Latvian mother. Despite being born and raised down under, Jean’s heritage whispered tales from far-off lands, tales she knew she had to uncover.

See the rest here.

Author: Vít Pohanka

Photo: Blanka Mazalová, Czech Radio

A valuable book from the early 16th century, which went missing from the Olomouc Archbishopric more than 80 years ago, was recently rediscovered. The postil, or a set of comments on Biblical texts, was officially handed over this week by the Italian police, who seized it at an auction in Trieste last year.

The lost and found 16th century book, which disappeared from the Olomouc Archbishopric in the 1940s, contains interpretations of New Testament epistles and gospels that were read at Mass during the liturgical year. Its editor was an unknown Dominican, William of Paris, who died in 1485.

The copy in question was published in Basel in 1518. It is lavishly decorated with woodcuts by a local artist and bound in brown leather adorned with a blind-print of the Crucifixion. How it got from Basel to Olomouc is also a bit of a mystery, says archivist Štěpán Kohout:

“We know that it was in the hands of a Bohemian Protestant who wrote down notes in the margins, some with a strongly anti-Catholic tone. Then it somehow came into the hands of the Olomouc priest David Pipper of Jáchymov, who was also the chapter librarian, and he donated the book to the library.”

See the rest here.

Authors: Ruth Fraňková, Blanka Mazalová

Scientists from Masaryk University in Brno set out on Wednesday on their 20th expedition to the Johan Gregor Mendel Polar Station on Antarctica’s James Ross Island. The 16-member team includes climatologists, geologists, but also two filmmakers. I discussed the goals of this year’s mission with Daniel Nývlt, head of the Czech Antarctic Research:

“The main aim is still the same: a long-term monitoring of climate and a complex evaluation of marginal Antarctic geo and ecosystems. We carry out long-term monitoring of local glaciers, permafrost and active layer, and also the deglaciated areas where numerous lakes and streams evolved. We also do microbiological research and the research of local biota, which is present in deglaciated areas of James Ross Island.”

See the rest here.

Author: Ruth Fraňková

The two-week-old female is the first addition to the group of gorillas living in the Dja Reserve pavilion. At the same time, she is also the granddaughter of the legendary gorilla Moji. She became the first ever bred gorilla in the Czech Republic, and her story can thus continue thanks to the new cub. Photo by Miroslav Bobek, Prague Zoo

The baby lowland gorilla, which was born at the Prague Zoo on January 2, Duni, is a female. The director of the Prague Zoo, Miroslav Bobek, told media representatives. The gender was determined based on a special blood test performed at the Research Institute of Veterinary Medicine.

The public will now have the opportunity to choose a name for the cub from ten suggestions made by children from the area of the real Dja Biosphere Reserve in Cameroon, Central Africa.

“Yes, it’s a female!” said the director of the Prague Zoo, Miroslav Bobek. “And a lot of people were clear about that even before our announcement today. When I did two polls on different social networks about the gender of the baby gorilla, both came out roughly 2:1 in favor of female. The discussion posts also showed a firm belief that it was a female. Father’s Wish Thoughts? Perhaps. But I do not think that. I’m sure some people just recognized it. The little gorilla’s face has ‘girlish’ features that many of us perceive, even if only subconsciously. It wouldn’t be surprising. Gorillas are perhaps extremely close to us in all respects. As I say, they’re just slightly different people.’

The gender was confirmed based on a special examination in which DNA was isolated from the umbilical cord blood and umbilical cord.

“First, we isolated DNA from the placenta and umbilical cord. Here, we subsequently exposed the polymerase chain reaction with special primers, that is, with the help of those primers, we amplified the section located on the Y chromosome, which carries a gene called SRY – it determines the male sex,” explains Professor Jiří Rubeš from the Research Institute of Veterinary Medicine in Brno. “We then used the DNA for gel electrophoresis, which determined whether the gene was there or not.

Prague Zoo decided to reach out to children from the area of the real Dja Biosphere Reserve in Central African Cameroon, who participated in the Roaming Bus project, to come up with name suggestions for the female gorilla. The public will then choose the final name from them. Photo by Oliver Le Que, Prague Zoo

So when we discovered the absence of this gene, it was clear that it was a female. In the case of his presence, on the other hand, the cub would be male.”

With the knowledge of the gender, nothing stands in the way of choosing a name for the baby. Prague Zoo asked children who live in the vicinity of the Dja Biosphere Reserve in Cameroon, where the zoo has been running the educational project Wandering Bus for over 10 years. These children took a trip on the Wandering Bus and thus became guardians of the gorillas and the entire ecosystem there.

Starting tomorrow (19.1.2024), the Czech public can choose the winner of the poll from ten proposals in the local Badjoué dialect on the website idnes.cz.

“The little female gorilla is not only the result of the great work of the breeders at the Prague Zoo, but also the decision to build a new pavilion at the Reserve Dja. Without him, it would not be possible to continue breeding these critically endangered primates, and for a long time the only group of gorillas in the whole of the Czech Republic would live without the possibility of breeding. Everything went smoothly and now we are looking forward not only to the granddaughter of the iconic Moja, but also to the next cub that will be born in the spring,” said in her speech the deputy mayor of the City of Prague for the environment Jana Komrsková.

The baby gorilla is enjoying good health and her mother Duni is increasingly allowing other members of the group to approach the cub, especially the female Kijiva. The seven-year-old male Ajabu continues to be the most curious member. He regularly sits with Duni and the cub and tries to establish contact with him. People can watch these interactions from the comfort of a large auditorium in the warmth of the pavilion. The best time is when feeding around 10 a.m. and then again after 3 p.m.

Photo: Petr Veber, Czech Radio

Gustav Mahler, one of the greatest composers of the early 20th century was born in Vysočina Region, also known as the Bohemian-Moravian Highlands. Mahler’s birthplace in the village of Kaliště now serves as a guesthouse, restaurant, and concert venue adorned with the composer’s images and artworks.

Czechs like to think of themselves as a nation of musicians. While it’s challenging to gauge the musicality of over 10 million individuals, one undeniable fact is that this country has produced several globally renowned composers. Among them, Leoš Janáček and Antonín Dvořák are perhaps the most celebrated. Yet, there’s another luminary with roots in Czechia who gained fame far beyond its borders: Gustav Mahler.

See the rest here.

Author: Vít Pohanka

Photo: CES on-line/Centrální evidence sbírek muzejní povahy

Born in 1874, Josef Suk was known as one of the great Czech lyricists of the late 19th and early 20th centuries. He was one of Antonín Dvořák’s favorite pupils, and also became personally close to his mentor – so much so that he married his daughter, Otýlie, in 1898.

What followed were some of the happiest years of Suk’s life. The couple had one child, a son, also named Josef, that same year.

But the second half of his life was marked by tragedy. Over the span of 14 months in 1904 – 1905, not only did Suk lose his mentor, Dvořák, but also his wife. Otýlie died of heart failure aged 27 in 1905, a year after her father. These events inspired Suk’s Azrael Symphony, named after the Angel of Death.

The first half of his life and career was markedly more cheerful. In his youth, Suk followed in the tradition of the Romantic composers. As well as Antonín Dvořák, he also learned from Johannes Brahms, whose influence can be clearly seen in his Symphony in E major, which he composed in 1899, a year after his marriage to Otýlie.

See the rest here.

The 2024 Ice Hockey U18 Women’s World Championship is underway in Switzerland, and Czechia is on track to play for a medal for the first time since 2014. But the response from some Czech observers, has been far from supportive for the professional athletes dressing for their country. Two time bronze medal winner for the Czech women’s national ice hockey team Blanka Škodová posted a tweet about her thoughts on the response these young athletes have been getting, sparking a discussion around how female hockey players are treated. I spoke with Škodová about her thoughts on the matter.

I want to start by asking you what exactly you’ve been observing in regards to the online comments about the women’s U18 championship?

“I was not expecting much of this when I posted it on Twitter. I only meant to use my small platform to express my frustration over these comments, and I wanted to point them out. A few people reached out to me saying what a great initiative it was, and how they could support the statement too, and that really showed me that it was the right time to speak out. I really just couldn’t take it any longer, because I can’t imagine how these girls feel about it.”

See the rest here.

Author: Amelia Mola-Schmidt

Photo: Václav Šálek, ČTK

Skaters took to the frozen surface of the Baťa Canal in the Hodonín region at the weekend. Some played ice hockey on the frozen waterway while others skated several kilometres between villages and other spots along the canal.

Source: ČTK

Photo: Prague 6

The first specialized center for victims of sexual violence in Czechia is due to open in Prague on Monday. The facility will offer victims psychological support and assistance, as well as short-term accommodation enabling them to take stock of their situation in peace.

The PORT center was established by the ProFem organization, which helps victims of domestic and sexual violence. The head of the organization, Jitka Poláková, says that a facility offering shelter and comprehensive support has been desperately lacking in this country.

“According to the results of our latest research, which has yet to be published, 20 percent of Czech women have experienced rape. This comprehensive help center is a pilot project and we hope that in due time other such centers will be created around the country.”

See the rest here.

Author: Daniela Lazarová, Source:Český rozhlas

On Thursday 18.1.2024 at Prague Castle, President Petr Pavel welcomed several dozen representatives of the Integrated Rescue System who intervened in the case of a shooter at the University’s Faculty of Arts Karlovy on December 21 last year.

He met with police officers, doctors and paramedics, firefighters, as well as psychologists and interventionists. The President primarily wanted to thank them for their commitment on the day of the tragic event, but also to talk to them about what their work entailed.

“I am extremely appreciative of the fact that you did everything in your power and in accordance with the applicable rules. I want to thank you all and at the same time wish you never to do this again they did not have to participate in the intervention,” said President Pavel to those present at the beginning of the meeting.

The meeting was also attended by the Director of the Regional Directorate of the Police, Petr Matějček, the Director of the Fire Rescue Service, Vladimír Vlček, and the Director of the Prague Rescue Service, Petr Kolouch.

foto: Tomáš Fongus

On Monday, January 15, 2024, President Pavel started a three-day trip to the Middle East in Israel. The trip was planned for a long time, President Pavel received the invitation to Israel shortly after his election as president. He started his visit with a meeting with the President of Israel, Yitzchak Herzog , with whom he talked about the security situation in the country and assistance to Palestinian civilians. Due to the long-term strategic partnership between the two countries, business cooperation and the future of relations were also a big topic.

“I am happy to say that the Czech Republic considers Israel not only a friend but also a strategic partner. We stand in solidarity with your right to fight terrorism and defend your population, but at the same time we care about civilian victims, because civilians on both sides have the same right to be protected, and that is why we are concerned about the level of humanitarian aid and access to humanitarian aid,” said President Pavel after meeting with President Herzog. President Pavel also met with the Speaker of the Knesset, Amir Ochana, and with the member of the war cabinet and the chairman of the National Unity Bloc, Benny Gantz, who served as the alternate prime minister in 2020-2021. He also held talks with current Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. At the press conference, President Pavel announced that the Czech Republic has decided to send a total of ten million crowns for humanitarian aid, five million for aid to Palestinian civilians, and five million for Israeli medical organizations.

President Petr Pavel met with the families of the kidnapped hostages in the presence of Minister of Foreign Affairs Israel Katz and visited the Austrian Pilgrimage Hospice at the Holy Family in Jerusalem.

The second day of the official visit to Israel was started by the President of the Republic, Petr Pavel, on his way to the Erez military base, which was affected by the terrorist attacks of October 7 last year. He met Lt. Col. Amnon Shefler here. The main topic of the meeting was the distribution of humanitarian aid to Gaza.

After that, the president of the republic discussed with the leadership of the Israel National Cyber Directorate, among other things, the cyber dimension of the war. The meeting was accompanied by the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding in the field of cyber cooperation, which was signed by the director of NÚKIB, Lukáš Kintr, on behalf of the Czech side.

“The signing of this memorandum places us in an elite group of states that deal with cyber security at a top level. Here, too, we had the opportunity to see how dramatically cyber attacks have increased since October 7, not only against Israeli institutions but also against other states that express support for Israel in any way. I am glad that I could see it with my own eyes, because I can get a real picture not only of the situation related to humanitarian aid, but also of the situation related to cyber security, and therefore the security of all of us,” said the President of the Republic after the meeting at the press briefing.

President Pavel also addressed the topic of cyber security in the afternoon during a tour of the cyber security operations center.

In parallel with the program of the President of the Republic, the program of the business delegation accompanying him on the state visit was also taking place, including, for example, representatives of the Union of Industry and Transport of the Czech Republic, the Association of Manufacturers and Suppliers of Medical Devices, the Association of Companies of the Czech Railway Industry, the Institute of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry or cyber security companies CyWeTa.

The President of the Republic continued his trip to the Middle East on Wednesday, January 17, 2024, flying from Israel to Qatar. The main point of his agenda was a meeting with Qatari Emir Tamim bin Hamad Sani in his palace. The topic was the role of Qatar in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, but above all the cooperation between the two states, for example in the fields of energy, defense, and tourism.

“Qatar is one of the countries in the region with which it is important to have a dialogue because they are able to moderate sensitive issues and are inclined to have individual states communicate more with each other and try to find common solutions, which is definitely in our interest,” said President Pavel at the press briefing after the meeting.

President Pavel also met with Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defense Khalid bin Mohammad Al Attiyah.

He visited the traditional marketplace in Doha and at the Czech embassy, which has been operating in the country since 2022, he met with Czech compatriots who have been living in Qatar for a long time.

foto: Zuzana Bönisch

Photo: Czech Television

Palach Week, which occurred 10 months before protests that toppled Czechoslovakia’s Communist regime, began 35 years ago, on January 15, 1989. The demonstrations were brutally suppressed – but still signaled a growing willingness to reject the regime.

What became known as Palach Week, the most significant street protests in Czechoslovakia prior to the Velvet Revolution, began on Sunday January 15, 1989.

The initial aim was to commemorate the self-immolation of student Jan Palach in central Prague exactly two decades earlier.

Co-organisers Charter 77 had announced in advance their intention of laying flowers in tribute to Palach. The Communist authorities duly banned the event – and were waiting, says historian Jan Adamec.

See the rest here.

Author: Ian Willoughby

Photo: Martina Schneibergová, Radio Prague International

Participants of talks on developing a peace formula for Russia’s war on Ukraine met in Davos last Sunday and President Zelensky subsequently asked Switzerland to organize a high-profile peace conference on the drawn-out conflict. I spoke to Czech Deputy Foreign Minister Jan Marian, who represented Czechia at the Davos talks, to find out how much progress was made and whether the prospects for peace have improved.

See the rest here.

Author: Daniela Lazarová

Photo: Czech Foreign Ministry

Prague has been hitting back at propaganda launched after Czechia recently refused a Russian “summons” to the UN Security Council. With the social media campaign “Pro-Kremlin Fairy Tales”, the Czech Foreign Ministry is using humour to highlight the absurdity of Russian claims, combining storybook images with biting commentary. Karel Smékal, head of communications at the ministry, explains.

“This particular campaign is reacting to a number of preposterous statements from the Russian side that we noticed in the last couple of weeks.

“Of course, when those statements appeared the first, principal reaction that Czechia had, and has, is the official one, made by official diplomatic statement.

“But since in the last weeks we noticed that Russian propaganda has taken aim at Czechia in several cases we felt that it would be OK to also react in a maybe slightly non-traditional way.

See the rest here.

Author: Ian Willoughby

Photo: Jaroslav Winter, Broumov Monastery

A copy of the Shroud of Turin, venerated by some as the believed burial shroud of Jesus Christ, was discovered at Czechia’s Broumov Monastery a quarter century ago. The rare artefact is now held at a different monastery, at Prague’s Břevnov, while a replica is on show today in Broumov.

The work was discovered in January 1999 in a wooden box behind a stucco wreath in a church in the Broumov Monastery by its then administrator.

According to a Latin inscription on the rectangular strip of cloth, it was donated in 1651 by the Archbishop of Turin, Julius Caesar Bergiria, to the abbot of the Church of St. Nicholas in Prague’s Old Town (and later archbishop of Prague), Matouš Ferdinand Sobek from Bílenberk. He dedicated it to Broumov Monastery.

See the rest here.

Photo: Barbora Němcová, Radio Prague International

Karel Janovický a Czech-born composer, pianist and broadcaster, died last week in the United Kingdom at the age of 93. Janovický escaped from communist Czechoslovakia in 1949 and settled in London, where he worked for the BBC and headed the station’s Czechoslovak section in the 1980s.

Karel Janovický, whose real name was Bohuš František Šimsa, left Czechoslovakia in October 1949 with his future wife Sylva, following the Communist takeover in February 1948.

He continued his studies in England, graduating from the Royal College of Music and eventually started working for the BBC. He spoke about it in an interview for Radio Prague in 2008:

“It took a long time for me to get some freelance work for the BBC at the beginning, and then I got into the gramophone department of Radio 3, which was the classical music station – in 1964 in fact – so it was quite late in the day. Before then I earned my living as a freelance musician, composer, teacher.”

See the rest here.

Author: Ruth Fraňková

Photo: Petra Hajská, The Czech Philharmonic Orchestra

Renowned Czech conductor Jakub Hrůša granted an interview to the Czech Centre New York just before conducting the first of his three concerts with the New York Philharmonic and violinist Hilary Hahn.

How many times have you actually played with the New York Philharmonic?

“I’m performing with the New York Philharmonic this week for I think the fourth or fifth time. It’s always a great experience. The New Yorkers are an extremely technically equipped orchestra, which also has a very vigorous and lively sound, their concerts always have a lot of ‘juice.’

“However, we also fit each other very well personally. The ensemble has become much younger in recent years, and I can say from my experience that they are very open to both new repertoire and new ideas in pieces that they have played countless times. Simply put, working with them is very creative, freeing and personally satisfying.

See the rest here.

Author: Miroslav Konvalina

Farewell to the General Manager of Hilton Prague Michael Specking and Welcome to his successor, Ryan Gauci

On January 10, 2024, The Hilton Prague celebrated a memorable farewell event for its esteemed General Manager, Michael Specking, who was retiring after nearly 17 years at Hilton Prague.

The event brought together ambassadors, clients, business partners, and other special guests to bid him farewell and welcome the new General Manager, Ryan Gauci.

The evening unfolded in the mystical ambiance of “Alchemist’, filled with enchantment, time travel, and captivating performances. The highlight of the evening was the symbolic passing of the key, as Michael handed it over the Ryan.

Michael expressed his gratitude for the support and collaboration of the Hilton Prague team, guests, and partners throughout his time in Prague.

Ryan addressed the gathering with enthusiasm and gratitude. He shared his excitement about the opportunity to lead the flagship Hilton Prague into a new chapter aiming to continue the hotel’s tradition of providing exceptional services and memorable experiences.

Adding to the significance, Hilton representatives Mr Dominique Piquemal, VP Luxury Operations EMEA, and Mr. Ben Bengougam SVP HR EMEA took the stage. They expressed appreciation to Michael for his contributions and extended a warm welcome to Ryan, wishing him all the best in his new role.

Czech scientists have developed a system that uses artificial intelligence to detect shooting and the type of weapon used. In a critical situation, the acoustic detector can provide the police with essential information in a matter of seconds.

The tragic shooting at Charles University has sparked a heated debate on Czech gun ownership legislation. It has also raised the question of safety measures that could help minimize the risk and help the crisis response to such incidents in the future.

Scientists from the Faculty of Electrical Engineering of the Czech Technical University in Prague are now working on a new type of acoustic gun detector. While a device of this kind has already been used for some time, their detector is the first to use neural networks to identify the type of weapon that was used to fire a shot, says Jakub Svatoš from the faculty’s Department of Measurement:

“The uniqueness of this system is the use of neural networks to identify the calibre of the weapon that fired the shot. It differs from other systems in that, in addition to detecting and locating the shooter, it can also determine with a high probability what type of weapon was fired.”

See the rest here.

Authors: Ruth Fraňková, Martina Mašková

Photo: Technologie hlavního města Prahy

A replica of a famous clock tower that used to stand outside Prague’s Florenc metro station for nearly four decades has returned to its former location. The original steel structure from the mid-1980s had degraded beyond repair due to extensive corrosion and had to be removed in 2020.

The clock tower, called Radio Clock, designed by academic sculptor Rudolf Svoboda in 1985, shows the time in a number of ways, including a world time board indicating time in ten world capitals, says art curator Agáta Hošnová from the Prague City Gallery:

“It’s a 12-meters-long vertical sculpture that carries a round clock of very simple design. The clock is embedded in one of the two vertical towers that are kind of reaching towards the sky.

“What I think is the most interesting element of the sculpture is situated in its lower part. It’s an old analogue flip clock that shows different real times from around the world.”

See the rest here.

Author: Ruth Fraňková

Photo: Facebook profile Saša jede

A four-year old Czech girl called Zara made headlines earlier this month when she reportedly became the youngest female to reach the base camp of Mount Everest, along with her father and seven-year-old brother. The overall length of the expedition to and from the base camp was around 270 kilometres, with an elevation gain of more than 20,000 meters.

See the rest here.

Author: Ruth Fraňková

In the first part of our video series on Czech Music Greats, we introduce one of the best-known names in Czech classical music – Antonín Dvořák.

Antonín Dvořák is known worldwide for his New World Symphony, but without doubt, one of his much loved works is his Symphony No. 8 in G major.

Dvořák’s Symphony No. 8 is cheery and lyrical and draws inspiration from the Bohemian folk music that the composer loved.

In it, the composer kept the typical format of a symphony in four movements, but structured them in an unusual way. All movements show a remarkable variety of themes and improvisation.

See the rest here.

Authors: Barbora Navrátilová, Lukáš Hurník

Photo: Ian Willoughby, Radio Prague International

Iran-born Kaveh Daneshmand moved to Prague to study film a decade and a half ago and has been based in the city ever since. Alongside his own filmmaking projects, Daneshmand heads the Írán:ci festival of Iranian cinema. On the eve of this year’s edition, I asked him how his homeland manages to produce great films despite severe restrictions – and whether he could ever imagine returning to the Islamic country.

Could you please tell us something about your background? Where did you grow up?

“I grew up in Iran. I was born in Karaj, which is a city close to Teheran. When I was 10 my family moved to Teheran, so I spent most of my teenage years and then university years in Teheran.

“Then when I was 28 I moved to Prague to study filmmaking – and since then I’ve been living in Prague.”

See the rest here.

Author: Ian Willoughby

Photo: Vít Pohanka, Radio Prague International

Why and how did a young woman from Brno find her new home in Britain? How does this impact her sense of nationality and identity? Does she feel more British or Czech? That’s what I ask Leona Merclová who lives on a canal boat in England and works on a shore bird awarness project.

As I record this episode, we’re experiencing what we call “holomráz” in Czechia — literally translated as “bare-frost.” It’s characterized by low winter temperatures well below freezing point but with very little or no snow at all. However, looking at the pictures and videos sent by my guest today from England, you might be forgiven for thinking it’s spring. You can look them up on the Radio Prague International YouTube channel. I put a short video there where Leona Merclová introduces herself.

See the rest here.

Author: Vít Pohanka

Photo: Amelia Mola-Schmidt, Radio Prague International

Twenty-five-year-old Raymi Britto had no intention of starting up an Instagram account that would garner thousands of followers when he first moved to Prague eight years ago. But today, the Italian native reaches audiences from local Czechs, to expats living in the country with his funny videos documenting his life and experiences as an Italian living in Czechia. He came by our studio to talk about the account, how he learned Czech, and how he’s observed Prague change since he first landed here nearly a decade ago.

I’m a big fan of your Instagram account. I’ve been following you since I first moved to Prague. I noticed two flags in your Instagram bio, one is Italian, the other I didn’t recognize. Can you tell me a bit about your background?

“It’s probably the Peruvian one you didn’t recognize! My father is Peruvian. I was born in Milan, Italy, but my father is Peruvian, my mother is Italian. I was still raised with two languages – Spanish and Italian, which luckily are quite similar. I’d say I don’t feel Peruvian, because I didn’t grow up in that world – but it’s still a part of me, so I like to represent it.”

See the rest here.

Author: Amelia Mola-Schmidt

Pýchavka before the first large veterinary intervention last autumn. Photo Miroslav Bobek

I started calling her Pýchavka (Puffball). Pýchavka with y, although for a spiny animal, Píchavka would be more suggestive. (Píchavka is derived from the verb píchat, which means to prickle in English). But in the first video taken by the camera her spines were hardly noticeable, and she really reminded me more of a puffball mushroom than anything else. So – Pýchavka. Our first successfully bred short-beaked echidna puggle.

With the exception of a break of several years we have had echidnas in Prague Zoo for seventy years. They are truly remarkable animals, and although at first glance they may resemble overgrown hedgehogs, in reality they are monotremes, mammals which display many reptilian features. For example, they lay eggs. Breeding echidnas in captivity is, however, extremely difficult – and now we also have succeeded in our zoo.

Pýchavka hatched around mid-December 2022 and left her mother’s poach at the beginning of February 2023. However, I did not break the silence about her existence until New Years Eve, when she was more than a year old (counting from her hatching from the egg). There was a good reason for this. We have had an unfortunate experience with the preceding echidna puggle, which we called Vrána (Crow). It died in November 2021, when it was eight months old. As happens with echidnas in human care, it did not make the transition from mother’s milk to solid food.

After all, the same fate almost hit Pýchavka. She started losing weight during summer. In mid-June she weighed 1,319 grams, and only 1,000 at the early October. It was obvious that something was wrong. Therefore, after consultations with experts from San Diego Zoo, our colleagues put the puggle to sleep, X-rayed and examined her. Her digestive track was full of sand, and she suffered from coccidiosis. She had to be fed through a tube under anaesthesia and given antiparasitic drugs. Of course, it is easy to write it, but much harder to do it… And this extraordinarily demanding procedure had to be repeated four times! The puggle’s weight dropped as far as to 870 grams, however, step by step it was possible to get rid of the sand in her digestive track and suppress the coccidia infection. In the end – after several month without eating by herself! – her appetite came back, and she started gaining weight.

At the last weighing Pýchavka had already 1,605 grams. Her breeding was successful only thanks to an extraordinary effort of her keeper David Vala, the vet Roman Vodička and the curator Pavel Brandl. I think, they are the ones who should chose her final name.

Every year the Canadian Chamber of Commerce in the Czech Republic organizes a traditional Gala Dinner. Is a wonderful opportunity to meet both familiar faces and new people and to network informally in the exceptional atmosphere of the Four Seasons Hotel.

Delicious food and Sicilian wines make this a truly enjoyable event and bring people together in a natural way.

This year the Gala Dinner will take place on Tuesday 20.2.2024 with a special performance by the children´s vocal group Kroky Dobra.

A baby lowland gorilla was born to a female Duna at the Prague Zoo on January 2 shortly after nine o’clock in the evening. It is the first ever baby gorilla born in the new pavilion of the Dja Reserve. If all goes well, the Prague Zoo will have one more cub in three months. The Kijivu female is also pregnant. Photo by Miroslav Bobek, Prague Zoo

More than a week after birth, the cub is thriving, Duni is proving to be a great mother, and the gorilla group is calm. Therefore, it is now possible to waive the measures where visitors could not watch the gorillas directly at the glass of the exhibition, and the use of cameras and cameras with large lenses was prohibited.

“The reason for these measures was the fact that Kisumu’s leading male sometimes reacts very negatively to cameras and cameras, and we didn’t want there to be unrest in the group,” said Prague Zoo director Miroslav Bobek. “Now we see no reason for these restrictions, but I appeal to visitors to respect the instructions of our staff.”

Duni allows the other females to observe the young only from a distance. The breeders explain this by saying that the bond between Duni and the other females is not as strong as, for example, in the case of the half-sisters Shinda and Kijivu, who have known each other practically all their lives – in the past, they used to borrow little Ajabu from each other already a week after his birth. Photo by Petr Hamerník, Prague Zoo

Even on these frosty days, it’s a good time to come and see Duna’s cub. The generous visitor area of the Dja Reservation offers enough space, warmth, and comfort for a long and pleasant stay. In addition, there is a new entrance directly at the Dja Reservation, where buses of line 234 from the Nádraží Holešovice stop, as well as lines 235 and 236 in the direction from Bohnice, stop.

Photo: Ondřej Wolf, Czech Radio

A 7,000-year-old well found in Czechia’s Pardubice region six years ago will soon be on display as part of an archaeological exhibition at the Museum of East Bohemia. The wooden well, which has been in the care of restorers for the last few years, is, according to analyses, the oldest wooden man-made object in the world.

The discovery of the Neolithic well on the site of a planned motorway in 2018 caused much excitement, with experts already suggesting then that it may be the oldest wooden structure ever found in Europe. This was confirmed a couple of years later by dendrochronological and radiocarbon dating analyses, which showed that the prehistoric wooden structure was not only the oldest known such object found in Europe, but indeed anywhere in the world, dating back to 5,256 or 5,255 BCE.

The well uses building techniques that archaeologists had previously assumed had only appeared later, during the Bronze Age, and the level of technical skill is impressive, says restorer Karol Bayer.

See the rest here.

Authors: Anna Fodor, Naďa Kubínková, Source:Český rozhlas

Vysočina, sometimes known as the Czech Highlands, lies in the very centre of the country, where Bohemia meets Moravia. The country’s fifth largest region is famous for its untouched natural beauty, clean environment and numerous historical monuments, three of which are UNESCO listed World Heritage Sites.

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Author: Vít Pohanka

Photo: Magdalena Hrozínková, Radio Prague International

The sad truth is that more wild animals are kept in private ownership in Czechia than in zoos – often illegally and in very poor conditions. Until now there has been a problem finding places to put animals that are rescued from such situations, but Tábor Zoo hopes a new enclosure it is building will provide the solution.

Tigers kept in cages that are too small for them with hardly enough space to turn around in, or pumas hungry and malnourished due to a lack of appropriate food – unfortunately, this is all too often the reality for large wild animals, very often big cats, that are kept by private breeders and owners in Czechia. Caring for such animals is not easy – in addition to the space required, there are huge sums needed for food, veterinary care and enclosures, not to mention the significant amount of bureaucracy involved, as many of these animals belong to species that are endangered and therefore require special permits. Many enthusiasts therefore try to circumvent the regulations, says Evžen Korec, the head of Tábor Zoo.

See the rest here.

Authors: Anna Fodor, Jan Kopřiva
Source: iROZHLAS.cz

Photo: Patrik Salát, Czech Radio

This past week, Czechia has seen temperatures drop below -20 degrees in the north of the country, while Prague expects to see a low of -11 by mid-week. The extreme cold has a profound impact on vulnerable groups, specifically those who are unhoused, who turn to organizations like the Salvation Army for help during the winter months. I spoke with the director of social services at the Salvation Army, Jitka Klánová to learn more about what the organization is doing to keep people warm.

The temperatures in Prague have dropped quite suddenly in what has been a relatively mild winter. Are you seeing an increased demand at the Salvation Army for your services with this cold snap?

“Yes definitely, more and more clients are coming to use our services, especially the low threshold ones like day shelters and night shelters. The Salvation Army and other organizations are part of a winter humanitarian measures program that is provided by the municipality of Prague every winter from December to the end of March. These days, with the low temperatures, we can see an extra demand in all these extra humanitarian services that are opened for these four months of the year.”

See the rest here.

Author: Amelia Mola-Schmidt

Photo: Jan Langer, Czech Television

Following the publication of my previous episode on the name “Czechia”, I received a brisk reaction from a vehement proponent of the name in international forums Professor Pavlínek who teaches goegraphy in Prague and Omaha, Nebraska. He was not happy about some of the formulations and we debate what “grinds his gears”.

In this special episode of Czechast you will be able to hear Professor Pavlínek’s reservations and objections. To provide context for our recorded conversation, which is in English, it’s worth noting that we spent about two hours in a friendly and honest discussion, conversing in both Czech and English. The following recording has been edited for brevity and clarity, but rest assured, this has not altered the tone or meaning of my questions or Professor Pavlínek’s answers.

But since professor Pavlínek divides his time between Czechia and the US, we did not talk just about the name of this country. First, I inquired about how he balances his teaching responsibilities between Prague and Omaha, Nebraska.

Source

Author: Vít Pohanka

Photo: Sony Music

Depeche Mode, Rammstein, Ed Sheeran or Sting, these are just some of the famous names due to perform in Czechia in 2024. In this year’s first edition of Sunday Music Show, you can have a listen to some of their biggest hits.

Among the first big names to appear in Prague is the legendary Depeche Mode. They will perform at the city’s O2 Arena on February 22 and 24 as part of a tour for their new album called Memento Mori. On March 4, the British singer-songwriter James Blunt, who will perform at Prague’s Forum Karlín within the tour for his new album Who We Used to Be.

See the rest here.

Photo: René Volfík, iROZHLAS.cz

Monty Python fans around Czechia took to the streets this weekend for a bit of fun marking their 11th annual get-together.

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Reconstruction work at the Masaryk Railway Station in Prague got underway on Thursday. The reconstruction will involve building a platform above the track, providing better connection with Florenc metro and bus station and adding two more tracks to the current seven.

The redevelopment, which is expected to cost some CZK 3.4 billion, is due to be finished in 2027. The construction was officially launched on Thursday afternoon by Transport Minister Martin Kupka, head of the Railway Administration Jiří Svoboda and Prague City Hall representatives.

Masaryk railway station is the oldest railway station in the capital, with up to 30,000 passengers passing through every day. After the reconstruction of the line from Prague to Kladno and Václav Havel Airport in Ruzyně, the station will be the starting point of the railway to the airport.

Photo: e-Sbírky, Národní muzeum, CC BY-NC-ND 4.0

Olomouc-born Eliška Junková is regarded as one of the most extraordinary drivers in Grand Prix motor racing history. Although her career was cut short by the tragic death of her husband, a fellow racer, she achieved a remarkable amount in only five years, winning several events and becoming the first woman to ever compete in the infamous Targa Florio, beating 25 other top drivers in the process.

Born Alžběta Pospíšilová to a locksmith as the sixth of eight children, Junková was nicknamed “smíšek” at an early age for her ever-present smile. She had a taste for adventure and in her youth already developed a desire to travel the world, which led her to learn languages and subsequently get a job at a bank at the age of 16.

Her job not only allowed her to travel abroad to France and Gibraltar, but also to meet Čeněk Junek, the man who would later become her husband and introduce her to the world of competitive motor racing. Čeněk had a passion for the high-performance automobiles of the day, and began competing in races in the early 1920s, bringing Eliška, whom he had married in 1922, along with him.

See the rest here.

Authors: Anna Fodor, Daniel Ordóñez

As the twinkling lights of the 2023 holiday season fade into cherished memories, you might find yourself already dreaming about where the festive spirit will take you in 2024. For many travelers, the allure of exploring new destinations during the holidays is irresistible. It’s a time to experience the warmth of different cultures, discover how the festive season is celebrated around the globe, and create new memories. Whether it’s the joy of a white Christmas in a snowy wonderland, the excitement of vibrant holiday markets, or the serenity of a tropical escape, each destination offers its own unique blend of traditions, celebrations, and enchanting atmospheres. So, let your imagination wander to corners of the world where the magic of the holidays awaits, and read on for our recommendations for unforgettable holiday adventures.

The allure of the road less traveled

By choosing lesser-known destinations, you avoid the tourist crowds. This allows for a more relaxed and intimate experience, where you can truly soak in the atmosphere and spirit of the place. These destinations offer a deeper cultural immersion. You’re not just an observer but become part of the local way of life, even if just for a short while. Off-the-beaten-path destinations also often preserve the most authentic and unique holiday traditions. Whether it’s a centuries-old festival or a local custom, these experiences are as genuine as they are unforgettable.

Exploring less-visited destinations also aligns with responsible and sustainable travel practices. It helps distribute tourism benefits to places that might not usually receive them, supporting local economies and communities.

Discovering hidden holiday gems

Now, as you ponder where to venture for the 2024 festive season, let me introduce you to some extraordinary destinations. Each offers a unique way to celebrate the holidays, away from the typical tourist trails, and promises an experience that is both unique and memorable.

Rovaniemi, Finland

Rovaniemi, the official hometown of Santa Claus, is a true winter wonderland. In December, the city is enveloped in a thick blanket of snow, transforming it into a scene straight out of a Christmas card. The days are short, with a mystical twilight hue, but the darkness is often illuminated by the mesmerizing Northern Lights. The main attraction is Santa Claus Village, where you can meet Santa himself, cross the Arctic Circle, and send postcards from Santa’s official post office. The village is adorned with festive decorations and filled with the spirit of Christmas. You can also enjoy reindeer sleigh rides, husky safaris, and snowmobile tours.

See all the destinations here.

Author: Kristin Winkaffe

Every year, a small number of Czech foundations help bright and talented young people to study abroad at some of the world’s most prestigious universities. As well as the huge financial obstacle that these top schools present, especially to international students, the admissions procedures are notoriously tough, not to mention the additional cultural and linguistic obstacles for foreign applicants. But attending an internationally-renowned institution can be a game-changer for them.

Nina Formánek Jaganjacová has an impressive CV – born in Bosnia but raised in Prague, at 34 she is the author of a book about cancer and the founder of Sifty, a non-profit organisation that provides education and raises awareness around health. But she says she couldn’t have done all that without her Master’s degree from The London School of Economics (LSE), one of the UK’s most prestigious universities.

“I don’t think I could have, actually. Because after LSE I went to work in the health sector at the European Commission in Luxembourg, and the name of LSE and institutions like it is something that really gives you credit and everything that goes with it. They view you as someone who is capable. I always felt like it’s a bit of a pre-selection for all these big international organisations.”

See the rest here.

Author: Anna Fodor

Photo: Barbora Slezáková, Czech Radio

The ethnographic ensemble Formani was established twenty years ago by local folk music enthusiasts. Based on historical records, they compose music, create their own choreographies and sew costumes, helping to preserve the folk traditions of the Pardubice region, east of Prague.

Twenty years ago the Koutek family in Slatiňany decided they would take their love of folk music and traditions outside of the closed family circle and aside from their own enjoyment of singing and dancing would do something to preserve the region’s traditions for future generations.

They established the ethnographic ensemble Formani and use their talent to the full to document and maintain the folk traditions of their region. Based on historical records, they compose music, invent choreographies and sew costumes for their performances.

See the rest here.

Authors: Daniela Lazarová, Barbora Slezáková

Photo: Little Mehrin Museum

A new exhibition at the temporary Moravian Jewish Museum in Brno highlights some of the city’s houses that used to belong to Jewish owners before being confiscated by the Nazis and tells the stories of eight families who lived in them

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Author: Ruth Fraňková; Tomáš Kremr

Czechia and Poland violate the EU election law as their national laws do not enable citizens of other EU countries to join Czech, respectively Polish political parties, preventing them from running in local or European elections, the Court of Justice of the European Union Advocate-General, Jean Richard de La Tour, said on Thursday.

According to the European Commission, which turned to the European Court of Justice in June 2021, this entails discrimination on grounds of nationality. The executive claims Czechia and Poland are the only two EU countries where such restrictions apply.

While Mr. La Tour backed the European Commission’s position, his view may not coincide with the ruling of the court.

Photo: Kateřina Ayzpurvit, Radio Prague International

The spooky-looking gargoyles of the past that we know from horror films, castle tours and The Hunchback of Notre Dame, weren’t purely decorative. They also served a function – to get rid of wastewater. But 250 years ago, things changed.

Gargoyles, taking the form of human vices, animals and dragons, can be seen on castles and chateaux all over Czechia, including on St. Vitus Cathedral. Their original purpose was to drain wastewater, which could otherwise cause floods, through pipes coming from their mouths that aimed the water as far as possible from the building.

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Source:ČTK

Photo: Děti úplňku

An event called Night of Dignity took place outside the Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs on Monday afternoon with the aim to draw attention to the poor system of care for people with mental disabilities. It was established in response to a horrific real-life story.

Dorota Šandorová, a 37-year-old woman with a severe mental disability, died on the night of January 6 three years ago. Her caregiver straddled her, brutally twisted her arms behind her back and pushed full force against her chest until she fell unconscious and suffocated. The court initially convicted the perpetrator of murder, then reclassified the act as negligent homicide.

The event called Night of Dignity, which is now in its second year, wants to commemorate Dorota Šandorová’s memory and to make sure that such a thing never happens again. It also wants to draw attention to the challenges faced by people with mental disabilities and those who care for them.

See the rest here.

Author: Ruth Fraňková

Illustrative photo: Czech Television

Close to two years after the Russian invasion, Ukraine is now the most mine-contaminated country globally since World War II. The EU is actively helping the demining effort and Czechia is one of the countries that have offered to train Ukrainian experts in the field.

The Russian invasion has led to 30% of Ukrainian land currently contaminated by landmines and other explosives. Even as the war continues, the priority is to return as much land to civilian use as fast as possible, enabling people to return to their homes and communities and restart economic activities in the area.

The EU is helping to tackle this challenge and is providing more than EUR 110 million to support the effort. Lithuania has been tasked with assembling a coalition of countries to help demine Ukraine. The mission will operate on territories liberated from Russian occupation and EU members have been invited to take part in, train or equip the demining effort – as they see fit. Last year, Czechia was one of 12 countries to join the “demining coalition”, alongside Finland, Iceland, Norway, Sweden and Denmark, among others.

See the rest here.

Author: Daniela Lazarová, Sources:Novinky.cz,Český rozhlas

Photo: Czech Television

In 2016, “Czechia” emerged as the official short, one-word geographical name promoted by the Czech government. This name has seen international adoption in organizations such as the United Nations and the European Union, yet it continues to evoke mixed feelings among the people it represents and observers abroad.

Vít Pohanka, the host of Czechast, admits:

“At first, I thought I would research and prepare just a brief overview of the process that led the Czech government and official institutions to select “Czechia” as the best one-word name for this country. But then I realized that it is difficult, if not impossible, to explain why so much time and energy was spent on a seemingly simple task, without understanding the historic context. Where did the name “Bohemia” come from? Why are the Bohemians called “Češi” in their native tongue and “Czechs” in English? And why do many people in the eastern parts of the country, called Moravia and Silesia, tend to be so unhappy about the name “Czechia”? It just led me deeper and deeper into history, which I try to at least outline in the first part of this episode.”

In the second part, Vít talks to Jiří Preis, geographer at the University of West Bohemia. Crucially, he also serves as the Vice President of the Czech Geographical Society. He followed the discussions about the introduction of Czechia from the proverbial front row seat and he brings in an impartial and non-political perspective.

See the rest here.

Author: Vít Pohanka

Almost as many foreign tourists as guests from the Czech Republic arrived at domestic hotels last November. This follows from an analysis by the Institute of Tourism based on data from the Czech Statistical Office. While 587,517 foreigners stayed in hotels in the Czech Republic, there were 559,337 residents. This was a total of 1,146,854 guests, which – if we compare last November with the same period in 2022 – means 15% more travelers. And compared to November 2019, i.e. before the coronavirus pandemic, only 2% fewer tourists.

Last November, the largest number of guests came to domestic hotels from Germany (116,723, +9% year-on-year). This was followed by the Slovaks (58,274, year-on-year +12%), the British (39,523, year-on-year +50%), the Poles (32,509, -6% year-on-year) and the Americans (31,685, year-on-year +37%). Except for Poland and Ukraine, foreign tourists from the TOP 10 arrival countries of the Czech Republic, if we take last November and November in 2022, increased.

Italians (31,275, +55%), Ukrainians (19,547, -8%), French (18,502, +17%), Spaniards (18,347, +62%), and Austrians (18,118, +17%),” says František Reismüller, director of the Czech Tourism Office – CzechTourism, and adds: “In the TOP 10 arrival countries of the Czech Republic, Spaniards and Italians increased the most year-on-year. Overall, however, tourists from Asia have started traveling significantly more, which is related to the direct air routes that have been put into operation. Approximately 9x more Taiwanese arrived (16,622 vs. 1,904) year-on-year. 3x more guests from Saudi Arabia (2,015 vs. 748) and approx. 2x as many Koreans as in November 2022 (17,902 vs. 7,288). Now we can expect that together with the new flights, on which we are intensively working with Prague Airport and Prague City Tourism as part of the Touchpoint project, there will be an increase in visitors from abroad.”

Although last November the number of guests in domestic hotels abroad almost equaled those from the Czech Republic, if we compare the situation with the period before the coronavirus pandemic, i.e., in November 2019, foreigners arrived by 15% less, residents by 18% more. The largest drop in the number of travelers concerned Russia (-93%), Israel (-81%) and China (-80%).

“From our analysis, it is clear that there are still fewer guests of good standing from abroad than before the coronavirus pandemic. More specialized offers of hotels, restaurants, and other services, i.e. so-called luxury tourism, can help to change this – in addition to the mentioned direct air connections. The global “luxury travel” market, which was estimated at less than 2 trillion USD in 2022, should increase by 6% in the long term,” says Petr Janeček, head of the Institute of Tourism of the Czech Tourism Office – CzechTourism.

“In this context, domestic spas and wellness centers have great potential. In addition to the fact that last year we intensively participated in the success of the ESPA European Spa and Balneology Congress, which took place in Karlovy Vary, in cooperation with the destination agency Živý kraj, we also implemented a campaign to support this area in the Czech Republic. And spas, along with active tourism as an option for active rest, are the main communication topic of Czech tourism this year. Everyone can choose and enjoy our spas in the spirit of world trends,” concludes Veronika Janečková, director of the product management, research and B2B cooperation department of the Czech Tourism Office – CzechTourism.

Information on the number of tourists in domestic hotels by individual month and country, including a comparison with the years 2019, 2020, 2021 and 2022, can be found at https://tourdata.cz/data/navstevnost-v-hotelech-2023-vs-2019-2022/.

H.E. Mr. Claudio Javier Rozencwaig, Ambassador of the Argentine Republic in the Czech Rrepublic and Mr. Jiří Kozák, Deputy Minister for Foreign Affairs of the Czech Republic.

The centenary of the establishment of Czech-Argentine diplomatic relations took place in Prague on Monday 8th January 2024.

The First Deputy Foreign Minister Mr. Jirí Kozák and the Ambassador of the Argentine Republic H.E Mr.Claudio J. Rozencwaig delivered wreaths at the T. G. Masaryk Memorial and met at the Czernin Palace with representatives of the state administration, education, culture, commercial and other areas.

The wreaths of the Argentine Embassy in the Czech Republic and the flowers from Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Czech Republic in front of the statue of Tomáš G. Masaryk at Hradčanské náměstí , Prague.

A century ago, Argentine Plenipotentiary Minister Gabriel Martínez Campos presented his credentials to the first Czechoslovak President Tomáš Garrigue Masaryk, marking the beginning of a relationship that has evolved and flourished in several areas.

The Czech Republic and Argentina have been working together for 100 years to strengthen their bilateral relations. Many decades of cultural, educational, and commercial exchanges have built a deep mutual understanding. Both countries also share democratic values and support a rules-based international legal order, human rights, and the rule of law.

H.E. Mr. Claudio Javier Rozencwaig, Ambassador of the Argentine republic in the Czech republic and Mr. Jiří Kozák Deputy Minister for Foreign Affairs of the Czech Republic with the wreaths for the commemoration of 100 years of diplomatic relations between both countries.

Today, the relations have reached a stage of institutional maturity, evidenced by frequent and fruitful meetings. To highlight a recent example, in 2022, Buenos Aires hosted the fourth meeting of the Vice-Ministerial-level Political Consultations Mechanism. In the same year, Argentina hosted Vice Minister for Extra-European Affairs, Economic, and Development Cooperation, Mr. Martín Tlapa, and Secretary of State Miroslav Stashek in January and March respectively.

Diplomatic Corps and other distinguished guests from the cultural, political, academic, scientific, commercial, sports and press fields.

In the context of this significant anniversary, both foreign ministries and embassies are preparing a joint agenda of events that will promote cultural expressions, high-level political meetings, economic and trade promotion activities, scientific and educational exchanges, among other areas of mutual interest.

H.E. Mr. Claudio Javier Rozencwaig, Ambassador of the Argentine Republic in the Czech republic and Mr. Jiří Kozák, Deputy Minister for Foreign Affairs of the Czech Republic during their speeches.

Photo: Nadace Neuron

Czech and Slovak archaeologists have announced a major discovery. An expedition to the Guatemalan jungle, which took place last summer, discovered the remains of a Mayan city, which is almost three thousand years old. I discussed the discovery, which could shed more light on the rise and fall of one of the world’s oldest civilizations, with one of the members of the team, archaeologist Sara Polak:

“I think the most important thing is to put the discovery into context. A Czechoslovakian expedition has been going to the area of Petén, which is a northern Guatemalan jungle, for approximately 15 years, so there was already a kind of a rich understanding of the area.

“Obviously, as you get talking with the locals, who are also working on the local digging site, you get a hunch that there might be something else in the jungle, which in many ways was the centre of the Maya civilization in the pre-classical period.

See the rest here.

Author: Ruth Fraňková

Photo: Ondřej Hájek, ČTK

Sparklers, which were over 70 years old, were recently discovered by museum workers in Ústí nad Labem while cleaning out an apartment. They were fully functional and were made by the DRUTEP cooperative, which has been producing traditional New Year’s Eve props since 1951.

Source

Photo: Michal Krumphanzl, ČTK

Life in Czechia came to a standstill at midday on Saturday, December 23, as the nation held a minute of silence in memory of the victims of Thursday’s tragic shooting incident at the Faculty of Arts in Prague.

Bells tolled around the country, flags were flown at half-mast and many people stopped in their tracks at midday in a show of respect for those slain in Thursday’s shootings. Even Prague’s busy international airport stopped operations to observe a minute of silence for the 14 lives senselessly cut short.

The usual Christmas bustle was visibly muted and many Czechs headed for the impromptu memorials sites outside Charles University’s main building, the Faculty of Arts and other places around the country at which the sea of candles and flowers has been growing by the hour.

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Author: Daniela Lazarová

Photo: Svatopluk Klesnil, Olomouc’s Palacký University

“We provide a lot of music for little money,” says Jaroslav Miller, a prominent Czech historian, academic and now deputy minister of education. He is not your typical politician; his extensive background in academia sets him apart. For seven years, Jaroslav served as the rector, or president, of Palacký University in Olomouc, one of the Czech Republic’s leading universities. His impressive academic journey includes postgraduate studies at Oxford University, being honored twice as a fellow of the prestigious German scientific Alexander von Humboldt Foundation, and he’s also a former Fulbright Fellow at Georgia College and State University in the United States. As a visiting professor at the University of Western Australia in Darwin, he has a special affinity for this part of the world.

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Author: Vít Pohanka

Photo: Barbora Kvapilová, Czech Radio

The Infant Jesus of Prague, one of the most venerated statuettes in the Roman Catholic world, is known to millions of believers the world over. Painter and dress designer Markéta Melenovská is one of the artists behind its rich hand-made wardrobe.

The Church of Our Lady Victorious in Prague is one of the most visited pilgrimage sites in Czechia, home to the Infant Jesus of Prague – a revered figure in the Roman Catholic world. The 49cm tall statuette, which originated in Spain and was brought to Bohemia by Marie Manrique de Lara y Mendoza, portrays Jesus as a child, or more specifically, as a young king or prince. In one hand he holds a small globe the other hand is raised in blessing.

Millions of people from all over the world have made the journey to Prague to pray to the Infant Jesus. Many say their prayers are answered and take away a copy of the Infant Jesus for their local church.

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Authors: Daniela Lazarová, Barbora Kvapilová
Source: Český rozhlas

Festive Christmas Receptio in the Atrium Lobby

On Wednesday December 20, 2023 Hilton Prague and Hilton Prague Old Town organized the 25th edition of the annual Christmas Charity Concert featuring the Karlovy Vary Symphonic Orchestra and soloist Jiří Stivín, conducted by Maestro Debashish Chaudhuri.

Charity Cheque Hand Over

The Christmas spirit was brought by the International Ladies Chamber Choir Viva Voce with a special guest, Charlottka Hrubá, a talented pianist from the Nadace Terezy Maxové Dětem foundation.

Charity Cheque hand over to Tereza Maxova Detem Foundaton

The evening was presented by Michael Specking, General Manager of Hilton Prague together with Czech actor Markéta Hrubešová.

Michael Specking, General Manager of Hilton Prague, Marketa Hrubesova, Presenter

The event was held in support of the Tereza Maxová Dětem Foundation, adopce.com project, whose Marketing & Operations Manager Petra Zapletalová took over a cheque amounting to CZK 100,000 from Michael Specking, General Manager of Hilton Prague, Tanya Podgoretska, General Manager of Hilton Prague Old Town, David Lesch, CEO of AV Media, and Vlastimil Vyskočáni, Director of Business Segment at ČEZ ESCO, main partners of the concert.

International Ladies Choir Viva Voce

Special thanks also go to the partners of the concert, especially the main partners – AV Media, ČEZ ESCO and Gesto Computers.

Debashish Chaudhuri, Conductor

Jiri Stivin, Soloist

Karlovy Vary Symphonic Orchestra

Photo: Jiří Němec, Radio Prague International

Gyms, swimming pools, ice skating rinks, football and tennis courts and other sports venues have opened their doors to visitors for free this week! The annual event which is now in its 15th year, aims to promote a healthy lifestyle.

Within the annual Week of Free Sports, organized by the Prague municipality, Prague residents can visit sports facilities in the capital free of charge from Monday, December 25, till Sunday, December 31.

People can choose from more than three dozen sports clubs and venues to workout, swim, skate, play football, table tennis or badminton.

See the rest here.

Author: Daniela Lazarová
Source: Český rozhlas

Photo: Česká televize, ČT24

In his Christmas address to the nation, Prime Minister Petr Fiala said the country had seen two hard years, but 2024 would bring a turn for the better. He said that thanks to a policy of fiscal discipline the soaring deficit in public finances had been brought under control.

Addressing the nation on St. Stephen’s Day, Prime Minister Fiala first touched on the tragic shooting at the Faculty of Arts that has been very much in people’s minds over the holidays. This Christmas, he said, had been like no other.

“We were all badly shaken by the brutal attack at the Prague Faculty of Arts. Throughout Christmas, our thoughts have been with the families and friends of those directly affected by it. We have prayed and continue to pray for the victims, for the injured and for strength to those who must come to terms with this terrible tragedy. For many this was the saddest Christmas ever”.

Mr. Fiala said that, in the face of this tragic event, it was important to remember that Christmas is a time of hope. Despite all the tragedies surrounding us, it is important for people to believe that good will defeat evil, that better times will come after hard times, the prime minister said, emphasizing that hope is the very essence of Christmas.

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Author: Daniela Lazarová
Source: Český rozhlas

Photo: Prague archbishopric

Paradoxically for an atheist country, it is Baby Jesus, not Santa, who brings the Christmas presents in Czechia. And very many people attend Christmas mass. So how is it with Czechs and religion? Why are so few Czechs believers? What are the challenges ahead of the Catholic Church and has it managed to overcome the years of communist oppression? Those are some of the questions I discussed with Roman Catholic priest Vojtěch Eliáš. Sitting in the parish house in the Prague district of Chvaly where he now serves, I began by asking how he found his calling.

“It was during communist times, and at that time it was very risky because to be a priest you did not only need to be accepted by the Church but by the government and the public authorities as well. In those days, many priests were only accepted by the Church, but they did not have permission to serve from the government. So, possibly, that inspired me as well, the fact that I might have to serve the people clandestinely.”

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Author: Daniela Lazarová

Photo: Czech Radio

For the past few years, the Czech Radio Endowment Fund has organised a project called ‘Santa’s Grandchildren’ that turns ordinary people into guardian angels and Christmas fairies, granting the wishes of elderly people in retirement homes. Although many people mistakenly think that it is only a Christmas event, the project actually continues to raise money and bring joy to the elderly all year round, not just at Christmas.

Helena Kocourová was six years old when she met the first president of Czechoslovakia, Tomáš Garrigue Masaryk. Now a venerable woman of 99, she got her wish this year through Santa’s Grandchildren of meeting another Czech president – the current head of state, Petr Pavel. In a visit to Ms. Kocourová’s retirement home in Mníšek pod Brdy that not even the staff knew about beforehand, President Pavel and his wife Eva surprised the nonagenarian in what she described afterwards as the best present she had ever received.

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Author: Anna Fodor