AuthorMartin Hladík

Photo: Marion Galard, Radio Prague International

Welcome to a special holiday edition of Czechast, brought to you by Radio Prague International. Today, we’re diving into the heartwarming and festive world of Christmas celebrations. In this episode, we’ll explore the rich traditions and customs of Christmas in the Czech Republic, as well as how Czech and Moravian communities in the United States keep their heritage alive during this joyous season.

Czechs have a saying: “Láska prochází žaludkem”, which I suppose is closely mirrored by the English saying, “The way to a man’s heart is through his stomach.” And since Christmas is a celebration of love, we simply cannot ignore the delights on our festive tables, be it here in Czechia or in the Czech communities across the Atlantic.

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Author: Vít Pohanka

Photo: Zrní

The Czech band Zrní this year released their seventh studio album Široko daleko (Far and Wide) to positive reviews.

The respected alternative rock band formed in Kladno near Prague in the early 2000s and released their first record in 2009. Four of the band are named Jan (Unger, Fišer, Juklík and Caithaml), while the fifth member is an Ondřej (Slavík).

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Unsold Christmas trees will delight animals between December 27 and 29. The elephants get them for all three days, always at 1:15 p.m. Visitors will be able to watch how they cope with them from the lookout near the wolf enclosure. In the photo, the youngest member of the herd, the three-year-old elephant Lakuna. Photo by Oliver Le Que, Prague Zoo

ADMISSIONS FOR JUST ONE CROWN AND AN EXTRA BONUS AT THE ANIMALS

On Christmas Day and both Christmas holidays, children under 15 will have entry to the Prague Zoo for 1 CZK.

Then, on New Year’s Day, all Prague residents will be able to prove themselves with a Lítačka card or application.

Starting today until December 26, people can bring edible gifts to the animals. Apples, carrots or unsweetened dry bread are welcome.

During the holidays, visitors to the Prague Zoo can also look forward to a traditional animal giveaway – from December 27 to 29, selected species will receive unsold Christmas trees.

How do gorillas, elephants or even parrots deal with them?

In addition, scouts brought the Light of Bethlehem to the Prague Zoo. This is now available to visitors at the main entrance until Christmas Day.

Below you will find a schedule of all special guided animal feedings and encounters from Christmas Day to New Year’s.

The carnivorous residents of the Prague Zoo will also enjoy the “animal treat”, although they will have to make the Christmas enrichment more attractive with meaty content. Pictured is a five-year-old female nutmeg bear devil. Photo by Oliver Le Que, Prague Zoo

24. 12. Christmas Day at the Prague Zoo

• 10:00 a.m. feeding of Cape grebes – African House
• 10.30 feeding of giant and red-necked kangaroos – Darwin Crater
• 11.00 feeding of Humboldt penguins – Penguin Pavilion
• 11.00 a.m. meeting at the Brazz cats – Reservation Dja
• 11.15 a.m. meeting at the African brush tusks – Reserve Dja
• 11.30 meeting with lowland gorillas – Dja Reserve
• 12.30 meeting with the Nubian giraffes – African House
• 13.15 meeting with the Indian elephants – Elephant Valley
• 1.30 p.m. South African sea lions training – sea lion exhibition in the lower part of the zoo

25. 12. The first Christmas holiday at the Prague Zoo

• 10:00 a.m. feeding of Cape grebes – African House
• 10.30 feeding of giant and red-necked kangaroos – Darwin Crater
• 11.00 feeding of Humboldt penguins – Penguin Pavilion
• 11.00 a.m. meeting at the Brazz cats – Reservation Dja
• 11.15 a.m. meeting at the African brush tusks – Reserve Dja
• 11.30 meeting with lowland gorillas – Dja Reserve
• 12.30 meeting with the Nubian giraffes – African House
• 13.15 meeting with the Indian elephants – Elephant Valley
• 14.00 feeding of common wombats – Darwin Crater
• 14.30 meeting at the bear-like devils – Darwin Crater
• 15.30 feeding of short-tailed nutcrackers – Indonesian jungle

26. 12. The second Christmas holiday at the Prague Zoo

• 10:00 a.m. feeding of Cape grebes – African House
• 10.30 feeding of giant and red-necked kangaroos – Darwin Crater
• 11.00 feeding of Humboldt penguins – Penguin Pavilion
• 11.00 a.m. meeting at the Brazz cats – Reservation Dja
• 11.15 a.m. meeting at the African brush tusks – Reserve Dja
• 11.30 meeting with lowland gorillas – Dja Reserve
• 12.30 meeting with the Nubian giraffes – African House
• 13.00 meeting at the big turtles – Pavilion of the big turtles
• 13.15 meeting with the Indian elephants – Elephant Valley
• 14.00 feeding of common wombats – Darwin Crater
• 14.30 meeting at the bear-like devils – Darwin Crater
• 15.30 feeding of short-tailed nutcrackers – Indonesian jungle

The animal supply will please the animals not only in the enclosures, but also in the heated pavilions. E.g. in the Dja Reserve, visitors will be able to watch gorillas with trees from a comfortable auditorium. Pictured is a seven-year-old male lowland gorilla, Ajabu. Photo by Oliver Le Que, Prague Zoo

27. 12. Animal donation: commented handing over of saplings

• 10.30 meeting with Cape honeyeaters – Africa up close
• 12.45 meeting with Manchurian leopards – Northern Forest
• 13.15 meeting with the Indian elephants – Elephant Valley
• 2:00 p.m. meeting with cats and dogs – Reserve Dja
• 2.30 p.m. meeting with maned spiders – Rock massif (mountain ungulates)
• 15.00 meeting with Central American experts – Water World and Monkey Islands

28. 12. Animal donation: commented handing over of saplings

• 10.30 meeting with Cape honeyeaters – Africa up close
• 11.00 a.m. meeting at the white-tailed deer – Water World and Monkey Islands
• 12.45 meeting at the Ussuri tigers – Northern Forest
• 13.15 meeting with the Indian elephants – Elephant Valley
• 2:00 p.m. meeting with cats and dogs – Reserve Dja
• 14.30 meeting at the bear-like devils – Darwin Crater
• 15.00 meeting with lowland gorillas – Méfou Center (old gorilla pavilion)

29. 12. Lottery for animals: commented handing over of saplings

• 10.00 a.m. meeting at nestors kea – Rákos’ pavilion
• 10.30 meeting with Cape honeyeaters – Africa up close
• 11.00 a.m. meeting at the northern talapoins – Dja Reservation
• 12.45 meeting with the chabrak hyenas – hyena exhibition opposite the Elephant Valley
• 13.15 meeting with the Indian elephants – Elephant Valley
• 2:00 p.m. meeting with cats and dogs – Reserve Dja
• 2.30 p.m. meeting with maned spiders – Rock massif (mountain ungulates)
• 15.00 meeting at the hangman’s lemurs – Lemur Island

December 30 and December 31. End of the year at the Prague Zoo

• 10:00 a.m. feeding of Cape grebes – African House
• 10.30 feeding of giant and red-necked kangaroos – Darwin Crater
• 11.00 feeding of Humboldt penguins – Penguin Pavilion
• 11.00 a.m. meeting at the Brazz cats – Reservation Dja
• 11.15 a.m. meeting at the African brush tusks – Reserve Dja
• 11.30 meeting with lowland gorillas – Dja Reserve
• 12.30 meeting with the Nubian giraffes – African House
• 13.00 meeting at the big turtles – Pavilion of the big turtles
• 13.15 meeting with the Indian elephants – Elephant Valley
• 14.00 feeding of common wombats – Darwin Crater
• 14.00 meeting at the reptiles – Pavilion of beasts and reptiles
• 14.30 meeting at the bear-like devils – Darwin Crater
• 15.30 feeding of short-tailed nutcrackers – Indonesian jungle
• 15.30 feeding of Indian gharials – Chambal (only on Sunday 31 December)

People can bring gifts for animals in the form of carrots, apples or unsweetened dry bread to the main entrance to the Prague Zoo from today until December 26. Donors arriving on Christmas Day will also receive a small reward from representatives of the zoo for a gift for the animals. Photo by Petr Hamerník, Prague Zoo

1. 1. New Year at the Prague Zoo

• 10:00 a.m. feeding of Cape grebes – African House
• 10.30 feeding of giant and red-necked kangaroos – Darwin Crater
• 11.00 feeding of Humboldt penguins – Penguin Pavilion
• 11.00 a.m. meeting at the Brazz cats – Reservation Dja
• 11.15 a.m. meeting at the African brush tusks – Reserve Dja
• 11.30 meeting with lowland gorillas – Dja Reserve
• 12.30 meeting with the Nubian giraffes – African House
• 13.00 meeting at the big turtles – Pavilion of the big turtles
• 13.15 meeting with the Indian elephants – Elephant Valley
• 1.30 p.m. South African sea lions training – sea lion exhibition in the lower part of the zoo
• 14.00 feeding of common wombats – Darwin Crater
• 14.30 meeting at the bear-like devils – Darwin Crater
• 15.30 feeding of short-tailed nutcrackers – Indonesian jungle

Photo: Barbora Navrátilová, Radio Prague International

Bijan Sabet became US ambassador to Czechia in early 2023. Since then Mr. Sabet has become a familiar face in Prague, meeting top Czech officials and military top brass and hosting events with various civil society groups. In a wide-ranging interview, the successful tech investor speaks about his connection to Joe Biden, experience as an early backer of Twitter and training in the art of diplomacy, as well as more personal matters such as his interest in photography and how owning a dog is the “fastest friendship maker” in Czechia.

See the rest here.

Author: Ian Willoughby

You can also read our interview with H.E. Mr. Sabet in our previous issue.

Photo: Radek Petrášek, ČTK

A model of Trosky Castle – one of the dominant features of the Bohemian Paradise region – was made from a ton of ice in a single day this weekend with the help of saws and chisels.

Source: ČTK

Photo: René Volfík, iROZHLAS.cz

President Petr Pavel has called on Czechia’s government, who have been taking a battering in the ratings for some time, to seek help with their communication skills. But is it actually possible to sugarcoat austerity policies that leave voters with less money in their pockets? I spoke to Anna Shavit, a political marketing expert who teaches at Charles University.

“It’s a very interesting situation when the president actually sort of openly criticises the government on the communication aspect; it certainly is very new in this country.

“But it also shows in the case of President Pavel that he sort of understands that people might actually either be having a difficult life or feeling that, predominantly, they’re not doing that well.

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Author: Ian Willoughby

Photo: Barbora Navrátilová, Radio Prague International

Octobriana is the name of a Soviet-era comic superheroine, who originated from a major literary hoax spread by Czech artist Petr Sadecký. Sadecký, who emigrated from Czechoslovakia in the early 1970s, claimed it was the work of Soviet dissidents. In fact, he commissioned the work from two Czech artists Bohumil Konečný and Zdeněk Burian, who never got full credit for their work. The superheroine, sporting a red star on her forehead, gained unexpected popularity, appearing in various comic adaptations all over the world.

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Author: Ruth Fraňková

Following the government resolution of August 16, 2023 on the schedule for the migration of central state administration bodies to the unified state domain gov.cz on December 18, 2023, the domains of the website of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and all embassies abroad will be transferred.

Czech diplomacy is thus one of the first state administration bodies to switch to a single domain for state websites and e-mail addresses. The current domain mzv.cz will remain functional for some time and the domain mzv.gov.cz redirects the user.

The key advantage of a unified domain is high cyber security and legal certainty wherever the state communicates with citizens. Based on the website address, the user will be able to make sure that he is on the official website of the office.

Not only from abroad, but also in the Czech Republic, there are known cases where fraudsters tried to imitate official websites or ensure redirection from them to another domain. These phishing attacks and attempts will be easier to detect thanks to the gov.cz domain, and it is assumed that the number of frauds will decrease as a result of the transition to a unified state domain.

A single domain for state websites increases credibility and friendliness even for foreign partners. The idea of a state domain gov is not new, similar to the Czech Republic it is used in, for example, Belgium, Estonia, Croatia, Poland or the United Kingdom. At the same time as the address of the website of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and embassies will change on December 18, 2023, the e-mail addresses of employees and individual departments will also change. However, in the interest of maintaining continuity in communication, existing e-mail addresses with the domain @mzv.cz will remain functional and ensure the delivery of e-mails to new mailboxes with the domain for another 10 years, i.e. until December 17, 2033.@mzv.gov.cz

In the case of e-mail addresses of employees of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and embassies of the Czech Republic, the underscore between the first and last name was removed and replaced with a period (e.g. the current address jan_novak@mzv.cz will be newly jan.novak@mzv.gov.cz). The word “embassy” has been removed from the e-mail addresses of embassies (e.g. the current address of the Embassy of the Czech Republic in Bratislava bratislava@embassy.mzv.cz will be bratislava@mzv.gov.cz). The syntax of e-mail addresses of departments of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has also been simplified.

Domain migration is a process that unfortunately also involves unwanted errors. We therefore welcome notification of any broken web or email address by sending a message using this link

Photo: Zdeňka Kuchyňová, Radio Prague International

Moravia-Silesia is a region more known for its industrial past than its pretty scenery. But in fact it boasts mountains, natural beauty and castles in addition to its industrial attractions. Check out some of its landmarks in our photo gallery.

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Photo: Moravian Library Brno, public domain

The Čapek brothers, Karel Poláček, and Ferdinand Peroutka – these were just some of the prominent contributors to Lidové noviny, a leading Czech daily in interwar Czechoslovakia.

The first issue of Lidové noviny came out in the Moravian city of Brno 120 years ago, on December 16, 1893. Like other newspapers of the time, it had a morning and evening edition. By mid-1920, a branch editorial office was established in Prague, making the local daily one of the country’s most influential newspapers.

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Photo: Anaïs Raimbault, Radio Prague International

If you need to get from Prague’s district of Žizkov to neighbouring Karlín, there is no faster way than to walk, or cycle, through the Žižkov Tunnel. The 303-metre pedestrian shortcut, which also houses a nuclear shelter, was fully completed exactly 70 years ago, on December 19, 1953.

The tunnel connecting the districts of Žižkov and Karlín opened to the public already in 1951, but it was not fully completed until two years later. It is approximately 4.5 metres wide and 3.4 metres tall, and if you go from the direction of Žižkov, it runs slightly downhill. It is also curved so once you reach the middle, you cannot see the entrance or the exit.

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Authors: Ruth Fraňková, Anaïs Raimbault

Mokosh by Jitka Uhříčková, Photo: FAMU

The game design programme at Prague’s Film and TV School (FAMU) has only been around for two years, making it one of Europe’s oldest film school’s newest Master’s degrees.

Before the game design degree was launched at FAMU, there was no university programme in Czechia that combined the artistic and technical aspects of game development. As a master’s degree programme, it brings together people from various fields and backgrounds, including from areas like computer science but also less predictable ones such as philosophy and art. No prior programming knowledge is necessary – “The most important thing is showing that you want to make games and have the talent to make them,” says Michal Berlinger, who teaches the course.

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Author: Barbora Navrátilová

Photo: Jana Káninská, Czech Radio

One of the many Czech Christmas traditions is the burning of incense cones, known as Františeks, which originated in the Ore Mountains on the Czech-German border more than 300 years ago. A small workshop in Roztoky u Křivoklátu has been producing the scented charcoal cones for over twenty years.

For many Czechs, the scent associated with Christmas is that of burned scented charcoal cones, or Františeks. The tradition originated in the Ore-Mountains in the north-west of the country and dates back to the 1700s. Its roots, however, are much older, going back to the use of frankincense in Catholic liturgy.

While the Germans call it Räucherkegel, literally a smoking candle, the origin of the Czech name František or little Francis, is less clear. It is interpreted as a variation of the English frankincense, derived from the Latin incēnsum, but it could also refer to its shape reminiscent of a Franciscan monk’s hood.

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Authors: Ruth Fraňková, Magdalena Hrozínková

Photo: Ondřej Surový, Art for the City/Prague City Gallery

Artists in Czechoslovakia produced a number of objects made from polyester fiberglass between the 1950s and 1980s. While many of these artworks have survived to this day, they are in urgent need of repair. Experts from the Czech Technical Engineering are now looking for ways to preserve them.

Polyester fiberglass is a fairly lightweight and durable material that can be painted and glazed to look like stone, porcelain, bronze or marble. In Czechoslovakia, the material became popular in the late 1950s, first as a temporary replacement of more exclusive materials. Gradually, it established itself as a material in its own right.

A number of fiberglass resin statues were made throughout the 1960s and 70s as part of the deal to fund artwork for public spaces. You can still come across them at housing estates, parks and in front of public buildings.

Despite their durability, many of these objects are falling apart due to time and weather conditions. Experts from the University of Chemistry and Technology in Prague are now looking for ways to repair the statues made from the otherwise very durable plastic.

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Authors: Ruth Fraňková, Eva Kézrová

Photo: Skupina D

Drones have become a weapon of key importance in the war in Ukraine. Russia has clearly understood this and is reportedly ramping up its wartime production by converting prisons and schools into drone factories. In order to help the Ukrainian army keep up, a new Czech NGO is trying to raise money to deliver 10,000 drones to the country.

Although many charitable organisations to support Ukraine exist in Czechia already, according to Chief of the Army General Staff Karel Řehka, who is the patron and honorary chairman of the new NGO Skupina D (Group D), this one is unique in that it knows precisely what the Ukrainian army needs and can respond accordingly.

See the rest here.

Authors: Anna Fodor, Kateřina Gruntová, Source:iROZHLAS.cz

Photo: Tumisu, Pixabay, Pixabay License

Czechs have become accustomed to shopping online, chatting online, choosing their holidays online and increasingly also self-diagnosing online. The number of people googling health related issues has risen steeply since the Covid pandemic and doctors are warning about the risks involved.

Earache, rash or chronic back pain. Thousands of Czechs go online every day to find out what’s wrong with them, seek reassurance from those who have experienced similar symptoms and get advice on what they can get for it at their local chemists.

A recent survey suggests that 95 percent of Czechs have gone on the internet for medical advice for themselves or close family members and 52 percent of people regularly consult health issues online.

Most often they turn to the internet because of unusual symptoms they have noticed -and close to half of the respondents polled said they check online whether they need to see a doctor if they are having difficulties. According to the survey, people under 30, residents of larger cities and women are more likely to seek advice online.

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Authors: Daniela Lazarová, Vojtěch Bidrman

Photo: Hana Kožušníková, Pizzeria Da Pietro

Ten years ago, Petr Soukal set out to open a business selling speciality food items imported from Italy. After the success of the store in his hometown of Plzeň, Soukal decided to open the first location of Da Pietro, a pizzeria specializing in Neapolitan style pies, in Prague. Two weeks ago, the second location of Da Pietro opened its doors in Prague’s Vinohrady district. I was curious about how this Czech native fostered such a passion for Italian cuisine, and stopped by the pizzeria to find out more.

“It was exactly ten years ago, I was deciding what I wanted to do. I already loved Italy and Italian food, so it was my idea to open a little shop with Italian foods in Plzeň. Ten years ago, I opened this shop in Plzeň, and I started to go to Italy every month to purchase products. I found my small suppliers and wine makers, and I would take things back to Plzeň.

“After two years, a friend of mine told me that I should open a pizzeria in the shop, but I really knew nothing about pizza. After some time, I thought ‘why not’, and decided we should open a Neapolitan pizzeria, because no one was making it in Plzeň at the time. My friend and I went to Naples and tried famous pizza across the area, and after two months I went to Naples to learn how to make pizza.”

See the rest here.

Author: Amelia Mola-Schmidt

Radio Prague International has prepared a selection of articles on Christmas traditions for you.

See them here.

Photo: Organization for Aid to Refugees

Hall 17 at Prague’s Holešovická tržnice will be home to a Ukrainian-Czech themed Christmas market this Sunday, aiming to promote collaboration between the two cultures, and support artisans from both countries. To learn more about the event, I spoke with coordinator Soňa Spěváková.

“There is a combination of Czech and Ukrainian vendors, who will sell their own handmade products. But it’s not just this, there will also be a lot of workshops for adults and kids, and also a Ukrainian singer and band who will be playing during the day.”

I’m curious why you think these events that promote Czech-Ukrainian collaboration are important?

“Our aim is to bring two cultures together. Czech and Ukrainian culture actually has a lot in common, and we wanted to show the public that Ukrainian vendors are just as skilled as Czech ones, and that we are all the same people living on this planet.”

See the rest here.

Author: Amelia Mola-Schmidt

Photo: Michal Růžička, TIC Brno

Czechia’s second-largest city, Brno, has been announced the winner of the European Capital of Christmas 2024 award. All cities and towns in the 27 EU member states are eligible to participate in the competition, as well as Andorra, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Monaco, Norway, Switzerland and United Kingdom, so taking the crown is no mean feat. I spoke to Hana Bánovská from TIC Brno, the city’s tourist information centre, about what it took to get the title.

See the rest here.

Author: Anna Fodor

Photo: Body–Soul–Patient/Youtube

The freshly released Czech documentary Body-Soul-Patient maps new teaching methods at the 2nd Faculty of Medicine at Charles University aimed at improving medical students’ communication with patients. But are Czech doctors really lacking when it comes to bedside manner? I discussed this issue, and much more, with the film’s director, Jindrich Andrš.

How did your latest project Body-Soul-Patient come about?

“I wanted to make a film about medical students for a very long time, actually. When I went to study film 10 years ago, I already had it as one of my main topics, because I’m from a family of doctors.

“I was interested in the moment when a medical student is starting to think like a doctor, or starting to feel the weight and the responsibilities it has.

“So I wanted to capture this kind of moment. And when they told me at Charles University that they would like to make a film, I was very happy that I could start working on this topic.”

See the rest here.

Author: Ian Willoughby

The cub was born on the last day of November and is eager to give birth. Palawan porcupines, unlike other porcupine species, usually give birth to a single young. Photo by Petr Hamerník, Prague Zoo

A baby Palawan porcupine was born at the Prague Zoo. Visitors can comfortably observe the two-week-old addition and both of its parents in the warmth of the Indonesian Jungle Pavilion. The young is valuable for breeding – this endemic of the Philippine island of Palawan is the only species of Old World porcupine that is listed on the Red List of Threatened Species. Hunting and deforestation are behind its declining numbers.

“The birth of a cub is great news also because out of only nine zoos that keep this species in Europe, we are one of two where a cub was born this year. The reason for joy is also the fact that we did not have too high hopes for the birth of another healthy offspring from our older, already deserving female,” says curator of mammals Pavel Brandl.

In addition to mother’s milk, the little porcupine also showed interest in solid food in the form of a varied mixture of vegetables. Photo by Petr Hamerník, Prague Zoo

This is the tenth cub of this species born here since the beginning of breeding in 2015. In addition, all nine previous ones were successfully bred. Later, the Prague porcupines strengthened or even established breeding in other zoos. The current cub also has good prospects – the mother is taking excellent care of him and, according to the breeders, the little rodent has already shown an interest in solid food in addition to sucking his mother’s milk.

Visitors will find the cub near the exit of the Indonesian Jungle Pavilion. The mother and cub stay near the glass near the visitor areas, so these days it is possible to observe them breastfeeding or getting close to each other. Photo by Petr Hamerník, Prague Zoo

The Palawan porcupine inhabits Palawan, Philippines, and several smaller surrounding islands. It is one of the smallest porcupines in the world, adult animals usually do not weigh more than 5 kg. As an island species with limited occurrence and gene pool, it is unfortunately threatened by hunting and loss of natural habitat. Its numbers are decreasing, which is why, according to the IUCN, it is currently classified as vulnerable on the Red List of Threatened Species.

Photo: Lenka Žižková, Radio Prague International

A church that opened in Prague’s Žižkov district in the 1920s is about to get a whole new purpose. Now called Žižkostel, from January it will serve as a community centre, creating a new hub where people from various backgrounds can gather, receive help, and hopefully, bring new life to the building.

Tucked into Prague’s Žižkov neighbourhood on the corner of Náměstí Barikád is a bright yellow building that was once the site of a church attended by locals in the area. But today, the former religious site is being converted into a community space. Táňa Vozková, a therapist and coordinator at the community centre, hopes it will become a thriving place for the local community to gather, as she explained while guiding me through the building’s newly renovated main hall.

“The space was built in 1924, and at the time about 300 people came to the church every week, now, it’s about 30 people. We would really like to use this space not only for the church, we want to host workshops here, and also we host therapy here. We do therapy for couples and families. We also plan to host concerts and theatre.”

See the rest here.

Author: Amelia Mola-Schmidt

Photo: See-Saw Films

One Life, a biopic that shows how Sir Nicholas Winton saved 669 mainly Jewish children from Czechoslovakia on the eve of World War II, recently received its UK premiere. Meanwhile, some of the now elderly people that the Englishman rescued feature in a new photography exhibition in London. I discussed it, and the movie, with Sir Nicholas’s grandson, Laurence Winton.

“I’ve seen the film One Life three times now and it hasn’t lost its emotional punch. It’s hard for me personally to be objective about it, because it’s based on my mother’s book. “It’s a very personal story: seeing my grandparents come to life in front of my eyes and have all these conversations that I never would have seen.

“I grew up knowing so many of the kinder, the rescued children, that they’re sort of extended family for me. But I think it’s a brilliant film. I think they’ve done an excellent job.

“They’ve been very loyal to the accuracy of the story, of the facts. But it also gets across Nicky’s character and his values and some of his family context: why he did what he did, his own political awareness, which enabled him to sort of see coming what Hitler was planning to do.

See the rest here.

Author: Ian Willoughby

Photo: Filip Jandourek, Czech Radio

Czechia has another entry on the prestigious UNESCO World Intangible Cultural Heritage list, having succeeded with the nomination for its handmade glass production. The nomination was submitted together with France, Finland, Germany, Hungary, and Spain.

The art of glass making has a centuries-old tradition in Czechia, dating back to medieval times. The first glass furnace was lit in Bohemia in 1376 and by the 17th century, a major glass industry was founded in the north of the country, around the town of Jablonec nad Nisou, but also in the regions of Zlín and Vysočina.

Despite industrialisation, handmade glass production has survived to this day. More than 5,000 glassmakers, cutters, engravers, painters, jewellery manufacturers and designers work in glassworks, family workshops and studios across the country and their hand-crafted products are sought after all over the world.

See the rest here.

Author: Ruth Fraňková

Photo: Petr Sznapka, ČTK

Some 77 Tatra trucks gathered in Ostrava at the weekend, setting a new Czech record. The greatest rarities among the Tatras assembled, including some from Slovakia and Poland, were a 1971 Tatra 138 and an orange Tatra 148.

Source: ČTK

Photo: Roman Vondrouš, ČTK

The official funeral mass for Karel Schwarzenberg took place with state honours in St. Vitus Cathedral at Prague Castle on Saturday afternoon. The roughly two-hour ceremony, which began at noon, was attended by hundreds of guests from the worlds of politics, culture, and the nobility.

Mr. Schwarzenberg’s funeral mass was officiated by Prague Archbishop Jan Graubner, with a sermon delivered by Catholic priest and theologian Tomáš Halík. Czech President Petr Pavel gave a short eulogy, in which he said that Czechia had lost a great figure of modern history and that he would be sorely missed.

“He loved his homeland and of all the paths he could have taken, he chose the path of service to the Czech Republic. Even when he couldn’t live here, he supported this country,” the president said, referring to the more than four decades during Communist rule that Schwarzenberg lived in exile with his family in Austria.

See the rest here.

Author: Anna Fodor, Source:ČTK

Exhibitions and permanent expositions of Prague Castle will be half price for visitors during the Christmas holidays. People can use the 50 percent discount from December 22, 2023 to January 1, 2024. This applies to the entrance to the tour circuit, which includes the Prague Castle Picture Gallery, the Prague Castle Story exhibit, and the Castle Guard exhibit. For half the entrance fee, interested parties can also see the exhibition Windows of the St. Vitus Cathedral in the Imperial Stables.

Photo: Anton Kajmakov, Radio Prague International

Ostrava has – or at least it did until pretty recently – a reputation for being ugly and polluted. Formerly known as the “steel heart” of the Czech Republic, it was a centre of mining and heavy industry for two centuries. After its plants and collieries shut down following the Velvet Revolution, for a while it looked like Ostrava might suffer from the urban decay that many former mining and industrial towns underwent once they lost the industries that had made them rich and employed so many. But that’s not what happened. Instead, Ostrava underwent a fairly rapid transformation, both economically and culturally.

See the rest here.

Authors: Anna Fodor, Patrik Rozehnal, Romana Kubicová, Daniela Lazarová, Libor Kukal, Sources: iROZHLAS.cz, Radio Prague International

The traditional watch seller Hodinářství Bechyně is one of the long-term supporters of the National Gallery Prague. One of the rarest paintings in the gallery’s collections, the Feast of the Rosary by Renaissance master Albrecht Dürer (1471-1528), is the main motif of its new campaign, which begins in December. the aim of the campaign is not only to emphasize the joint partnership but the shared principles, which are the love of art and the respect for the masterwork not only of the painters but also of the people who take care of the works of art.

Championship takes time

Dürer painted a painting called The Solemnity of the Rosary in 1506 commissioned by German merchants for the church of San Bartolomeo in Venice. It depicts the scene of an ideal gathering of the Rosary Brotherhood. This is a landmark work, depicting the transformation of German Gothic art into the Renaissance period. The masterful processing of the image proves that German painting was able to achieve the qualities of the renowned Venetian painting.

The creation of a phenomenal work took time, as did its restoration. “Championship takes time” is also the slogan of the Hodinářství Bechyně campaign. The restoration itself will be very demanding, as the defects in the painting appear on the surface of one-fifth of the entire painting.

Restoration of the work

This is one of the most demanding and complicated restoration projects in the Czech Republic. In the project’s first phase, previous restoration surveys will be comprehensively revised and analyzed, supplemented by the latest scientific methods. Subsequently, the concept of the restoration intervention will be created.

The methodology of the restoration procedures will be consulted at the international level through a commission composed of leading specialists from the ranks of restorers and art historians.

Although the restoration work is planned for five years, this does not mean that the important work will be lost from the eyes of the cultural public for that long. Those interested will be able to learn about the key moments of the restoration process on an ongoing basis, among other things, in the form of guided tours.

“Our interest is for the NGP brand to be even stronger, and at the same time we would like to contribute to education and increase the aesthetics of public space with our campaign,” said Lenka Bechyňová, manager of Hodinářství Bechyně, about the campaign.

The Solemnity of the Rosary: A History

Regardless of the price, the important art collector – Emperor Rudolf II wanted to get the rosary ceremony. He also bought the painting in 1606, 100 years after it was created, and had it brought to Prague wrapped in carpets over the Alps. However, the journey of the painting to the National Gallery in Prague was certainly not straightforward, and it was reflected in the current state of the painting.

Albrecht Dürer

Dürer was one of the greatest artists of his time. He boldly combined the thorough and technically bravura approach of the German medieval master with lightness, generosity and bright colors, i.e. the characteristics characteristic of Venetian Renaissance painting. He was the first German artist to write about his life, the first to treat self-portraits as a separate genre, he brought watercolor and printing to artistic and technological perfection at an early stage, and the first in what is now Germany to draw nudes based on living models. Here, too, he was the first to support his work with art-theoretical treatises, thus giving an insight into the creative process and the ideas behind his works.

National Gallery Prague

The Prague National Gallery presents the great names of Czech and world art from the Middle Ages to the present day. With its activities and collections, which are comparable to important world galleries, it welcomes 700,000 visitors annually.

The National Gallery Prague cooperates with many foreign institutions and presents unique exhibitions in the Czech environment: Rembrandt, French Impressionism, František Kupka, Alberto Giacometti, Gerhard Richter and many others. For example, you can currently visit the exhibition Petr Brandl: The Story of a Bohemian in the Valdštejnská jízdárna.

Watchmaker Bechyně

We are Hodinářství Bechyně, a Czech family company that started to build a modern tradition of representing prestigious brands in the Czech Republic. We represent high-quality German and Swiss watch brands, including their service. We were the first to obtain a representation of the Rolex brand in our country. We also deal with buying and selling vintage watches. Watches are our passion and joy. Over the years, many customers have become our friends. We are united not only by our love for the world of watches, but also by shared values. What matters to us is customer satisfaction. With us, buying a watch is more than just a purchase, we are happy to introduce you to the fascinating world of quality and beauty.

__________________________________________________________________

Opening hours
Tuesday–Sunday 10 a.m.–6 p.m
every first Wednesday of the month 10–20 h

The President of the Republic, Petr Pavel, received the credentials of the new ambassadors to the Czech Republic on Friday, December 8, 2023 at Prague Castle:

H.E. Mr. Claudio Javier Rozencwaig, the new Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Argentine Republic based in Prague,

HE Mr. Stephen Muribu, the new Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Republic of Uganda based in Berlin,

H.E. Mrs. Editha Antoinette Itoua, new Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Republic of the Congo based in Berlin.

Photos from the ceremony 8.12. 2023 (source: photo Office of the President: Zuzana Bönisch)

Photo: Jiří Matějů, Český rozhlas

It will have been 30 years next fall since Czech rock band Lucie released their now-iconic album Černý kočky mokrý žáby (Black cats, wet frogs). To celebrate the anniversary, the popular 90s band played three exclusive concerts this autumn in České Budějovice, Brno and Prague, where they performed the entire album live from start to finish. The Prague concert took place on Thursday this week in the O2 arena.

See the rest here.

The Czech Republic has links with India going back to long before both countries won independence. In this programme, in our occasional series In Their Own Words, we draw from our archives to look at Czech-Indian connections – through music, literature, geopolitics and even yoga.

See the rest here.

Author: David Vaughan

Photo: Hangar 13

Studio Hangar 13, formerly Illusion Softworks, is behind the successful Mafia saga in which players become power-hungry gangsters. The developers take inspiration from period images of cities or cars, but never copy their exact appearance. The games also feature Czech events or artefacts.

“People still talk about the original Mafia and still play it. That’s also our big success,” says Roman Hladík, general manager of Hangar 13.

See the rest here.

Author: Barbora Navrátilová

Text : M. Zisso  picture – Vaclav Pavlas

Germany has long held the 1st place in the number of foreign tourists visiting the Czech Republic. “A total of 178,891 Germans arrived at domestic hotels in August this year, which was 9% more than last year and even 13% more than in August 2019, before the Coronavirus pandemic. Among the foreigners who visited the Czech Republic, guests from Germany won an imaginary gold medal, they were the most,” says František Reismüller, director of the Czech Tourism Center – CzechTourism.

Natural monuments, gastronomy, castles, and sustainable travel. These were the themes of this year’s Czech-German cross-border campaign Ahoj Nachbarn! – Hallo sousede!, meaning ‘Hello neighbor!’ in the funny mix of respective languages. “We focused primarily on sustainable tourism. Cross-border travel concerns not only attractive border areas, but also other regions of both countries,” says Jan Pohaněl, head of the German Tourist Office for the Czech Republic.

We are enjoying the special German atmosphere of the Christmas markets, we loaded the car for a short trip with our two dogs, who are happy to travel around and off to Regensburg, about 2 a 2-and-a-half-hour drive from Prague.

We took a hotel room in the city center “Hotel Goldenes Kreuz”. Great location, even with a few parking spaces in the yard. The staff was very friendly, and the room was big and clean. The hotel is friendly to pets.

Exploring this beautiful city, visiting St. Peter Cathedral and Basilica of the Nativity of our Lady Regensburg, and stopping at almost all the Christmas markets on the way. Great atmosphere delicious food and hot wine.

We visited a few years ago, just before the Covid time the Regensburg market at the St. Emmeram’s Palace, the residence of the princely “Thurn und Taxis” family. It was something special. With very high expectations we walk to the palace to enjoy this year’s market. A long line at the entrance to pay almost 10 Euro entrance fee. With such a high entrance fee our expectations were even higher than before.

I must say I was very disappointed, the charm of the place disappeared, there was no special activity for the entrance fee we paid, just the same stands with food, beverages, and presents like at the other Christmas markets in the city that are for free and less crowded.

We had a very nice traditional German dinner at “Gravenreuther” ( pictures attached ). Dogs friendly and good service.

It was still early evening, just a few minutes after 8 pm, we wanted to have a few more drinks at the Christmas markets around. Then we found out they were closing at 8 pm. Walking around we saw a nice place to have a drink. “Orphee” – it’s a French restaurant with very special food, but we were full and tasted only the dessert menu: Crepe “Ballett” with Chocolate and nuts, served “flambe”, “Pavlova” cake, Crème Brulee and Mousse au Chocolate. It was a great end of the evening.

The next morning after a nice breakfast at the hotel we plan to do some shopping at the Donau-Einkaufszentrum, the biggest mall in Regensburg. We were very disappointed when we found out that Dogs are NOT allowed in like at other shopping centers in Germany.

We will travel again to Germany our neighbor beautiful country.

Ahead of next year’s European elections, mayors from over 200 large cities are calling with one voice for a new alliance to bring Europe into the urban century.

In a manifesto launched today, mayors in the Eurocities network cite recent challenges and propose future initiatives to help cities achieve climate neutrality, increase digital innovation while protecting digital human rights, and overcome social issues, such as the housing crisis, the integration of migrants and promoting health living.

“It is clear that a better Europe starts in cities,” says André Sobczak, Secretary General of Eurocities. “In recent years, cities have taken action to protect local people from the harsh effects of the cost of living, energy and Covid-19 crises, while also providing jobs, shelter and solidarity to refugees fleeing Russia’s war in Ukraine.”

“With 75% of people now living in cities, the next European Commission must create a strategic alliance with mayors to harness the vision and transformative power of city governments to develop strong, effective EU policies that will ensure a green, just and prosperous future for local people.”

In the Eurocities manifesto – A better Europe starts in cities – mayors call on European leaders to:

• Appoint an Urban Envoy in the European Commission to oversee all initiatives for cities and urban areas.
• Commit to at least a 90% net reduction in greenhouse gas emissions by 2040. They also demand EU support for cities to implement local adaptation plans for resilience against the extreme effects of climate change.
• Foster partnerships between local authorities and industry to successfully implement a European Green Deal Industrial Plan that benefits people through jobs and skills.
• Increase the ambition of the European Pillar of Social Rights and involve cities in its implementation.
• Support efforts to tackle Europe’s digital divide through a common EU tool for monitoring, measuring and comparing local and regional performances.
• Invest in reinforcing local administrations’ technical and administrative capacity and ensure more direct access to EU funding.

“Now more than ever, the future of Europe and its prosperity depends on the involvement of local governments,” says Burkhard Jung, President of Eurocities and Mayor of Leipzig.

“As momentum builds towards next year’s pivotal European elections, cities must have a central role in the EU decision-making process, leading the way on major challenges such as climate action.”

Photo: Ian Willoughby, Radio Prague International

This weekend will mark 130 years since Czech composer Antonín Dvořák’s famous “New World Symphony” premiered at Carnegie Hall in New York City. The symphony was written during Dvořák’s time as director of the National Conservatory of America from 1892-1895, and documents his journey to America, while also expressing the longing he experienced for his home country. In the months leading up to the world premiere of the New World, the Dvořák family spent the summer of 1893 in a small town called Spillville in Iowa, where the composer also wrote other works. The Billy Clocks museum, which stands to this day in Spillville, commemorates their stay with musical paraphernalia.

See the rest here.

There are many reasons why people travel. One of them is important personalities and works related to them. In the Czech Republic, among other things, classical music has a long and rich tradition. It transcends the borders of the country and attracts tourists from all over the world. For example, to the Bohemian-Moravian border in the Pardubice region, to which one of the most important domestic composers, Bedřich Smetana, naturally belongs. On March 2nd 2024, it will be 200 years since he was born. It can therefore be expected that Smetana will be visited even more than before. Not only to Litomyšl, where he comes from, and where it will be possible to visit his native apartment again.

East Bohemian Litomyšl significantly influenced the artistic journey of Bedřich Smetana. It is held in the city every year international music festival Smetanova Litomyšl, which is considered one of the most important cultural events in the Czech Republic. The atmosphere of the event is enhanced by the exceptional locations of Litomyšle, whose castle grounds are on the UNESCO cultural heritage list. Classical music concerts are held at the castle and in the adjacent gardens, in sacred spaces, in Smetana’s house, etc.

“The Czech-Moravian border in the Pardubice region is a very specific area where the cultural influences of both historical countries intertwine. Here, traditional folk music mixes with classical music, attracting visitors looking for an authentic cultural experience. This is of key importance for the Czech economy, because according to the World Tourism Organization, cultural tourism is one of the fastest growing segments of the tourism industry, accounting for 40% of tourism. On average, 40% of foreign guests come to the Czech Republic in the context of cultural heritage,” says František Reismüller, director of the Czech Tourism Center – CzechTourism, adding: “According to our Institute of Tourism, 440,545 people came to hotels, boarding houses and apartments in the Pardubice region this year from January to September travelers, of which there were almost 385,000 residents and approx. 56,000 foreigners. Not only because guests from abroad spend roughly 3 times as much as Czechs on trips to the Czech Republic, it is also important to continue to attract foreign tourists. Currently, the 3rd part of this year’s main Unexpected Traditions campaign is running in various countries around the world. It focuses on winter and will continue until January next year. It can be seen by people in Germany, Poland, Slovakia, Great Britain, the USA, the Netherlands and Sweden, and the theme is ski slopes, cross-country skiing and Christmas.”

At Christmas, people are usually closer to each other and return home. Here, too, a connection with Bedřich Smetana is offered, among his the most famous works include the six-volume cycle of symphonic poems “My Homeland”. The symbol of Czech national feeling and music as a means that appeals to people from all over the world are recognized throughout the Czech Republic. In addition, the year 2024 is designated as the Year of Czech Music. During it, a number of events will take place where the Czech musical heritage will be presented. The Pardubice Region perceives the given area very intensively.

“Places associated with Smetana, such as our Litomyšl, are popular tourist destinations where you can experience the life and work of this composer first hand. Although the city is known primarily for its Renaissance castle with unique sgraffito decoration, which was entered on the UNESCO list in 1999, you can follow in the footsteps of Bedřich Smetana to many corners,” says the director of the East Bohemia Destination Company, Alena Horáková, adding: “Whether it is a covered Smetana footbridge with a lift, which recently won the Czech Prize for Architect or regional museum, which also manages Bedřich Smetana’s birthplace. It is now being reconstructed so that it can once again welcome visitors on June 8, 2024 and provide an authentic experience of a period domestic environment, including the possibility to perceive the author’s work in peace and multimedia. And the castle is connected to this important composer, where, among other things, concerts are held as part of the Smetanova Litomyšl festival.”

Events commemorating the anniversary of Bedřich Smetana will take place in 2024 throughout the Czech Republic and around the world. Among other things, the composer spent several years in his youth in Gothenburg, Sweden, where he worked as a music teacher and conductor and thus contributed to the development of Swedish musical life. It can therefore be expected that he will be remembered in Scandinavia as well. The upcoming digital archive of Bedřich Smetana’s works, which will facilitate access to scores and letters, can help with this.

“Litomyšl is one of the most beautiful cities in the Czech Republic with a unique genius loci. A wonderful view of the local castle and the castle hill is offered by the viewpoint between the towers of the Church of the Finding of the Holy Cross, and lovers of gastronomic experiences will also enjoy themselves in the original Litomysl restaurants and cafes,” says the director of the Czech-Moravian Border Destination Company Jiří Zámečník, adding: “We must not forget on Polička and another composer who is from our region – Bohuslav Martinů. He is also visited a lot, in addition to the permanent exhibition, the city museum there is currently showing the exhibition Dresses Made by Martinů, which introduces visitors to the changes in clothing during the less than 70 years of this composer’s life. You can also visit the birthplace of Bohuslav Martinů in the tower of the church of St. Jakub. In addition, concerts and festivals are held in Polička every year, which attract classical music lovers, and this will be the case in 2024 as well.”

Next year, the most significant news of the Czech-Moravian border will probably be the opening of new premises of the already mentioned Renaissance castle in Litomyšl, which is undergoing extensive reconstruction. In addition to completely restoring the roof, which was in a state of disrepair, and restoring the sgraffito facade, the UNESCO site will also open up a modern visitor center and new exhibits. They will focus on the architecture of the castle and the castle theater and the unique collection of historical backdrops. Year-round operation of the castle, which until now was closed from November to March, will be of great benefit to tourism in the region even outside the main tourist season. From next fall, tourists will be able to visit Bedřich Smetana’s birthplace, the castle cellar with Olbram Zoubek’s sculptures and the wax Heart for Václav Havel, and the Church of the Finding of the Holy Cross. In addition, he will offer a new fun game for children, which, in addition to the temple, will also introduce other important places on the castle hill.

Photo: Office of Czech Government

Delegates from around 200 countries gathered in Dubai over the last two weeks for the annual United Nations Climate Change Conference, this time billed as COP28. As the end of the conference approached, countries struggled to find an agreement that would satisfy all, and many were unhappy even after the deal was pushed through. What is Czechia’s view, and will the agreement change anything for the country?

See the rest here.

Authors: Anna Fodor, Jan Kaliba, Source:Český rozhlas

Photo: Masaryk University Brno

Czech archaeologists have announced a unique discovery. A team of experts from Brno have unearthed a bronze belt buckle from the early Middle Ages, depicting a snake devouring a frog-like creature. The find could shed more light on people’s spiritual life in the pre-Christian era, of which we know very little.

The extraordinary discovery of a bronze belt buckle dating back to the eighth century was made by archaeologists from Masaryk University in Brno near the town of Břeclav in South Moravia. It is the same site where an animal rib with an inscription engraved in ancient Germanic runes was recently discovered.

See the rest here.

Author: Ruth Fraňková

Source: ČT24

Thirty five years ago, then French president Francois Mitterrand met with a group of Czech dissidents, led by Václav Havel.

Mitterrand was the first French president to visit Prague since the collapse of the Austro-Hungarian Empire. He set down a firm condition for the visit- that Czechoslovakia’s communist leaders would allow him to meet with dissidents.

Mitterrand made public this condition in an interview for Czechoslovak Radio on the eve of his visit. “I will meet with various representatives of your society, including representatives of public life and including members of the opposition. I will express myself freely and with the respect due to the state and the people,” the French president said.

See the rest here.

Source: Český rozhlas

Photo: René Volfík, iROZHLAS.cz

The travelling ‘Bond in Motion’ exhibition, which features original items from the sets of James Bond movies going all the way back to the 1960s, has come to Prague from Brussels, where it was a huge success, receiving over 100,000 visitors. Displaying 75 means of transport driven, flown or ridden by Bond in the series, many of the exhibits bear the authentic marks and traces of the stunts they featured in during filming.

Few things say ‘James Bond’ more than the iconic modes of transportation he used to get around in the movies, and this exhibition has them all: cars, motorcycles, boats, planes, helicopters – even the cello case that Timothy Dalton used as a sleigh in the legendary scene with Maryam d’Abo in the 1987 movie The Living Daylights.

Meg Simmonds, Archive Director at Eon Productions Ltd, the company that has produced all 25 official Bond films, says that for her, the Bond cars encapsulate many of the qualities that have made the franchise successful.

See the rest here.

Authors: Anna Fodor, Alžběta Havlová, Source:iROZHLAS.cz

Photo: Pavel Blatný, Czech Radio

The Czech Society for Ornithology has announced that the Bird of the Year for 2024 is the black redstart. Although the small sooty-coloured passerine bird is a common species in this part of the world, its migration behaviour has started to change as a result of the climate crisis. I spoke to one of our leading ornithologist Petr Voříšek:

“Black redstart is a common species, usually in urban areas, but also in the mountains. It is originally a species typical for hilly or stony slopes in the open landscape. The cities and villages and towns resemble that kind of habitat, so the black redstart is a nice example of a species benefiting from landscape urbanisation.”

“The bird is more or less the size of a house sparrow. Its colour is a combination of black and grey, and the male is a bit more colourful, with an orange tail. What’s interesting about this species is that young males are very similar to the females. This is the way to reduce the competition. They simply pretend they are females and they are not attacked so aggressively by older males.”

See the rest here.

Author: Ruth Fraňková

On Sunday, December 3, the Prague Zoo will light its Christmas tree on the Veselovského meadow. Visitors can look forward to a parade, nativity scene, Christmas carols performed by a children’s choir, as well as special guests – actor Ondřej Vetchý and a dance couple from the ongoing StarDance competition series of pastry chef Josef Maršálk and his dance partner Adriana Mašková.

From 3:30 p.m., entry for visitors will be a symbolic 50 CZK.

The meeting for the parade to the tree will be at 4:30 p.m. at the Education Center. Throughout the day, there will also be traditional Advent workshops focused on making your own Advent wreaths and Christmas decorations. Production takes place in hourly blocks from 11 am, 12 pm, 1 pm and 2 pm. Due to capacity reasons, it is necessary to order in advance on the zoo’s website: https://www.zoopraha.cz/aktualne/akce-v-zoo-praha/14451-adventni-dilny-3..

Main program:

4:30 p.m. Meeting point for the procession to the tree from the Education Center on Veselovského louka
16.50 Christmas carols performed by the Osmikvítek children’s choir
17.00 Welcome and Christmas greetings from the director of the Prague Zoo, Miroslav Bobek, and an interview with actor Ondřej Vetchý, confectioner Josef Maršálek, and dancer Adriana Mašková
17.15 Lighting of the Christmas tree
17. 20 Christmas carols performed by the Osmikvítek children’s choir

Visitors to the Prague Zoo will be able to admire a mature Caucasian fir tree and a themed nativity scene, to which a new animal will traditionally be added.

Photo by Oliver Le Que, Prague Zoo

Photo: National Museum in Prague

Some 135 years ago, on November 28, 1888, the 22-metre skeleton of a fin whale went on show in Prague, the first chance the city’s citizens had to experience such a sight.

In 1885 natural scientist Antonín Frič, the head of the zoological and paleontological collections of the Museum of the Kingdom of Bohemia (today’s National Museum), was interested in buying the skeleton of a fin whale caught off the coast of Norway.

The institution didn’t have the financial wherewithal for such a purchase, so Frič and his brother raised the funds via a public collection.

See the rest here.

Author: Klára Stejskalová

Photo: Ian Willoughby, Radio Prague International

Jazz pianist and composer Emil Viklický, who has just turned 75, has led his own groups as well working with some major domestic and international names in the genre: Ema Olmerová, Iva Bittová, Bill Frisell, Miroslav Vitouš and many more. He even did a project with Václav Havel. Viklický, originally a maths graduate, is known for his connection to folk music and has also worked in the modern classical field and composed operas and film and TV scores. The Czech jazz great spoke about his colourful career on a visit to our studios.

I presume pretty much all jazz pianists must begin as children doing classical piano? Was that your case?

“In a way, yeah, because there was a piano at home – a grand piano. So I was banging on it.”

See the rest here.

Author: Ian Willoughby

Photo: Michal Šafařík, iROZHLAS.cz

It might be a mutually beneficial arrangement: installing solar panels in fields where agricultural production takes place could help both the crops and electricity production. A team from Mendel University is testing out the idea in a vineyard in Moravia.

In a field in South Moravia, farmers are planting around 1500 Donauriesling and Rhine Riesling grapevines. But this is no ordinary vineyard. Above the vines rises a metal structure on which solar panels are installed.

Generally, solar panels in Czechia are not installed in fields where crops grow. But this is an experiment in agrovoltaics – a portmanteau of agriculture and photovoltaics (the conversion of light into electricity) – using the same area of land to obtain both solar energy and agricultural products, which could help farmers with energy self-sufficiency.

At the moment, legally speaking, solar panels cannot be installed on agricultural land in Czechia. To get around this legislative hurdle, the team of scientists from Mendel University. in cooperation with experts from the private sector. are planting their vineyard in an unusual place, says Pavel Kotásek from the Moravian oil company.

See the rest here.

Authors: Anna Fodor, Michal Šafařík, Source:iROZHLAS.cz

Photo: Salvation Army

The Salvation Army in Czechia operates year round, providing various services to those experiencing homelessness in the country. Since the colder temperatures have started this week, the organization is expecting an increase in demand from its clients, as director of social services at the Salvation Army Jitka Klánová explained to me.

“Even though this year has been considerably warmer than last season, we can see that our services are in high demand. For example, last month at our day centre in Prague, we had between 150 and 160 visitors every day. Now in November that the temperatures have dropped, we see that every day we provide services for 200 to 230 people, so the numbers are rising, and the temperatures have not even dropped below zero.”

See the rest here.

Author: Amelia Mola-Schmidt

Prague’s Main Train Station is in for a quite stunning transformation. A Danish studio has just won the competition to overhaul it, with a design that includes a huge wooden, canopy-like structure at the front of the check-in building.

At Prague’s CAMP architecture centre on Monday evening, the Danish architectural studio Henning Larsen was announced – from a shortlist of three – as the winner of a competition to remodel what it calls Prague Central Station.

It will see a major overhaul of both the main station building itself and the surrounding area. The most striking change will be a large, open wooden structure stretching from the check-in building over part of the adjacent park, whose grim reputation earned it the nickname Sherwood.

See the rest here.

Author: Ian Willoughby

Photo: Jiří Šeda

The English-language Metro Comedy Club in Prague’s Žižkov neighbourhood has become a haven for expats and Czechs in the city who want to stop by for a laugh. I caught up with its leading artist Kristýna Haklová to talk about the club, and her comedy journey.

“I am the co-founder of Metro Comedy Club in Žižkov. We are the first purposefully built stand-up comedy club in the Czech Republic, and we cater mainly to expats. Most of our shows run from Wednesday-Saturday and are in English. We host a lot of comedians from the local scene, but also travelling comedians from all over.”

Wow, incredible. So it’s the first club stand-up comedy club in Czechia?

“Traditionally in the Czech speaking or Czech language stand-up scene, there is no comedy club that would just have stand-up comedy as its main thing, or let alone only thing. There is one being built in Ostrava that will open soon. But in Prague we are pretty unique in that way.”

See the rest here.

Author: Amelia Mola-Schmidt

Photo: Michal Kamaryt, ČTK

Czech Prime Minister Petr Fiala received his Slovak counterpart Robert Fico on Friday. Mr. Fico, who is in Prague for his first official foreign visit since his election, told reporters that the two countries have similar views on most issues, with the exception of arms deliveries to Ukraine.

Among the topics discussed by the Slovak and Czech prime ministers were energy, transport, security and defence. Speaking at a press conference after the meeting, Mr. Fico said Slovakia was fully committed to EU and NATO membership and was ready to fulfil its obligations.

He also welcomed Mr. Fiala’s readiness to call a meeting of the Visegrad Four countries after the formation of the new Polish government, adding that the current format of the V4 is stalled.

The two politicians agreed on continuing the tradition of joint meetings of the Czech and Slovak governments. The next join session is due to take place in Prague in the spring of next year.

See the rest here.

Author: Ruth Fraňková

Over 200 elderly people volunteer in 130 kindergartens around Czechia in an NGO programme that aims to bridge the generation gap by having the old read to the young. And it appears to be mutually beneficial for young and old alike.

Bringing together the youngest and oldest generations is the main aim of this programme organised by the non-profit organisation Mezi námi (Between Us). The programme has proven enormously successful with both young and old, but since it started in 2015, it hasn’t always been plain sailing – particularly when the covid pandemic hit, as Tereza Tichá, head of the Brno branch of the programme, describes.

“Our program in Brno was in danger of falling apart. We had about 15 volunteers there at the time, which shrunk to about seven. People were afraid, kindergartens were afraid and not very interested in participating.”

See the rest here.

Authors: Anna Fodor, Lucie Fotrová, Source:iROZHLAS.cz

November 25, 2023 – Speaker of the Chamber of Deputies Markéta Pekarová Adamová and President of the Senate Miloš Vystrčil visited Ukraine. Together with high-ranking representatives of other European parliaments, at the invitation of the Speaker of the Ukrainian Parliament, Ruslan Stefanchuk, they took part in a solemn meeting commemorating the anniversary of the Ukrainian famine. Last year, the Chamber of Deputies already adopted a resolution commemorating the genocide committed by the Stalinist regime against the Ukrainian population. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyi also received the participants of the meeting in Kyiv.

Speaker of the Chamber of Deputies Markéta Pekarová Adamová and President of the Senate Miloš Vystrčil visited Kyiv today at the head of a parliamentary delegation. They attended a commemorative meeting on the occasion of the 90th anniversary of the famine in Ukraine at the invitation of the Chairman of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine, Ruslan Stefanchuk.

“What happened here in 1932 and 1933 was nothing more than an attempt to eliminate the Ukrainian nation. It was not the first or last time in history that the Russians tried to achieve this cynical goal. I am proud that both chambers of the Czech Parliament clearly and openly called the Holodomor what it really was – an act of genocide of the Ukrainian nation,” said the speaker of the Chamber of Deputies, Markéta Pekarová Adamová, in her contribution to the Ukrainian legislature.

The Chamber of Deputies, which together with its chairwoman was represented in Kyiv by the Chairman of the Security Committee Pavel Žáček, already adopted a resolution in April last year to commemorate the genocide of the Ukrainian nation during the famine organized by the Stalinist regime. An artificially created famine took place in the early 1930s in parallel with an intensive Russification campaign and repression of Ukrainian elites. According to the data of the Ukrainian Famine Museum, there were up to seven million people in the territory of the then Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic and another three million Ukrainians living in other regions of the Soviet Union.

“The war that is still going on is another attempt to liquidate the Ukrainian nation. However, it is also an attempt to break the spirit of the entire democratic community. All of us present here and the nations we represent have a moral obligation to do our utmost for our victory. The alternative is the victory of dictatorship, destruction, and hatred. In this context, I would like to express my admiration for the brave Ukrainian people. It is they who bear the heaviest part of the burden of responsibility for the future of a free Europe, and we must not stop supporting them in every possible way in their efforts,” added the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Markéta Pekarová Adamová.

The participants of the day-long commemorative meeting, which included, among others, legislators from Belgium, Finland, Ireland, Poland, and Estonia, were also received by the President of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelenskyi. “Mr. President and Chairman Stefančuk repeatedly expressed their thanks for all the Czech-Ukrainian cooperation to date, as well as for the recently successfully organized parliamentary summit of the International Crimean Platform in Prague,” concluded Chairman Markéta Pekarová Adamová.

On November 28, 2023 – The Speaker of the Chamber of Deputies, Markéta Pekarová Adamová, spoke at the influential Berlin international conference on foreign policy, the Berlin Foreign Policy Forum. In her contribution, she focused on the current changes and challenges of the world order and appealed for the continuation of coordinated support for Ukraine’s defense against Russian aggression. She ended her working trip around Germany with a meeting with federal legislators.

The Speaker of the Chamber of Deputies of the Parliament of the Czech Republic, Markéta Pekarová Adamová, spoke in a panel debate as part of the professional international conference Berlin Foreign Policy Forum. The debate focused on urgent foreign-political issues related to current changes in the international order.

“Steps that we previously considered impossible in our conditions were accomplished within a few months. We managed to significantly reduce our dependence on Russian raw materials. We also began providing Ukraine with sophisticated weapons systems and an unprecedented amount of financial aid. No less important is that the EU has decided to grant Ukraine and Moldova the status of a candidate country and that the accession process in the Western Balkans has been accelerated after long years of stagnation,” said the Speaker of the Chamber of Deputies, Markéta Pekarová Adamová, in her contribution.

Since its establishment in 2011, the Berlin Foreign Policy Forum has become one of the most influential platforms in the field of foreign policy. Every year, it brings high-ranking politicians, government representatives, diplomats, academics, and journalists to the German capital to discuss foreign policy challenges for Europe.

“However, after the initial success, we seem to be running out of steam. I fear that we have become somewhat complacent and have begun to believe that the conflict in Ukraine is manageable and no longer poses an existential threat. As a result, we are not supplying as many weapons and ammunition as the resisting Ukrainians need,” said the speaker of the House of Representatives, Markéta Pekarová Adamová, and added: “I returned from Kyiv a few days ago. The situation is really serious there. We witnessed the most massive drone attack since the beginning of last year’s aggression. Ukrainians urgently need our support – political, financial, and military. This is where Germany, the Czech Republic, and other like-minded countries in the region should coordinate and set an example for everyone else.”

At the end of her two-day working trip to Germany, the speaker of the House of Representatives also met with a group of legislators from the Bundestag of the Federal Republic of Germany.

Photo: René Volfík, iROZHLAS.cz

Czech President Petr Pavel is among the 28 most influential people who will co-determine the character of Europe in 2024, according to the Brussels-based website Politico, which describes him as a hawk on Russia and China, a supporter of Ukraine and promoter of NATO enlargement. Others in the top 28 are French President Emmanuel Macron, Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny and Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban. I asked political scientist Vladimíra Dvořáková how she perceives the Czech president’s listing.

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Photo: Urbanstructure.xyz

When one thinks of art, the first place the brain goes is not typically finance, specifically NFTs, or blockchains. But a new exhibit called Urban Structures, featuring the work of Czech artist Vratislav Pecka, also known as PosterLad, is merging the two. Twenty-five posters, all featuring famous Czech architectural landmarks, will become a unique NFT, where the buyer also becomes part-owner of the art, and generates income from each additional sale of the actual poster. I spoke to two of PosterLad’s collaborators, Jan Svoboda and Martin Ježek, ahead of Wednesday’s opening.

[Jan] “He’s inspired by the Bauhaus style, and works a lot with shapes, and also Warhol Style pop art, these two things together really shape his work. PosterLad is actually my friend from childhood, we met ten or 15 years ago and recently we discussed making some NFT’s. We thought about architecture, because I am originally an architect. PosterLad was previously based in the Netherlands, and he wanted to come back to Prague. So we decided we would combine Bauhaus style, pop-art, and Czech architecture; these are the basics of the exhibition.”

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Author:Amelia Mola-Schmidt

Prague’s Motol hospital, the largest healthcare facility in the country, is working on introducing a voicebot to assists patients with their phone inquiries and even manage their medical schedules. The voicebot, which will speak in 60 languages, should help take the pressure off overburdened medical staff.

Whether we like it or not, Artificial Intelligence will increasingly become part of our lives. One area where it might be useful is the chronically understaffed medical sector.

Patients calling Prague’s Motol University Hospital to ask about their planned surgery or reschedule their appointment may soon be confronted with an artificial voice.

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Authors: Ruth Fraňková, Karolína Burdová

A region that got rich on coal and steel and nowadays attracts visitors to its industrial monuments and mountains. It is also the birthplace of Sigmund Freud and Leoš Janáček.

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Author: Vít Pohanka

Photo: Czech Television

He started his career working for the Czech News Agency, or ČTK, as we Czechs call it, first as a regional correspondent in Central Bohemia, later in the central newsroom. In the early 1990s, after the Velvet Revolution that saw the fall of Communism in Czechoslovakia, Ivan was selected as a correspondent in London.

Here, he continued his journalistic endeavors, bringing insightful reporting to Czech audiences through his work with Czech Public Television in London. His reports from this vibrant city offered a unique perspective to his audience back home, bridging cultures and communities.

In the latter part of his career, Ivan Kytka joined the Czech Section of the BBC World Service, a prestigious platform where, I am proud to say, I was his colleague for a few years. In 2006, however, the BBC World Service made a significant shift in its broadcasting strategy, which included the closure of several language services, including the Czech Section.

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Author: Vít Pohanka

Photo: Bronislava Janečková, Czech Radio

The Queen’s Court and Green Mountain Manuscripts, discovered in the early 19th century, were considered seminal texts during the Czech National Revival. Thought to provide evidence of the earliest medieval writing in the Czech language, they were regarded as founding texts for the nation and acquired an almost sacred status. It was only 70 years later that they were shown to be fakes – although the people generally regarded to have been the forgers never confessed to writing them.

Recently I spoke to David L. Cooper, Associate Professor of Slavic Languages & Literatures at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign and the author of a new book, The Czech Manuscripts: Forgery, Translation, and National Myth, which explores the controversy surrounding the manuscripts from a fresh perspective.

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Author: Anna Fodor

Photo: Vít Šimánek, ČTK

A green jacket worn by Václav Havel during key moments of the Velvet Revolution sold at auction in Prague at the weekend for CZK 2.76 million. The starting price for the garment, which for instance he had on during a mass demonstration at Letná Plain on November 25, 1989, was CZK 200,000.

Source:ČTK

Photo: Warhorse

With over five million copies sold worldwide, Kingdom Come: Deliverance has a fan base literally all over the globe. Many of its fans come to Czechia to seek out landmarks they know from the game. For Warhorse, the most important thing is the accurate depiction of historical events, places, and clothing as well as the knightly battles. “I think the most important thing in our game is the freedom we offer our players,” says Martin Klíma, executive producer of Warhorse Studio.

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Author: Barbora Navrátilová

Photo: Roman Lunin, People in Need

A recent survey by the Kantar.cz agency indicates that Czechs’ support for Ukraine in the war with Russia is slowly waning. According to the results, 51 percent of Czechs are no longer in favour of continued military support for the country, up from 36 percent just over a year and a half ago. To learn more about what’s behind the dwindling support , I spoke with Petr Drbohlav, director for Eastern Partnerships at the charity NGO People in Need.

“People in Need launched an appeal in response to the Russian invasion of Ukraine back in 2022, and there was an enormous, unprecedented response from Czech society. We were able to fundraise more than 90 million Euros since then, and there were some points when there was increased societal interest in the conflict, around autumn and winter 2022, when the large scale attacks on Ukraine were happening.

“Another example of increased interest was when the Kakhovka dam breach happened earlier this year. But now we can see that the interest in the appeal has disappeared. It’s not all because of war fatigue, although I am sure that’s a part of it, but it’s also other events happening elsewhere – be it the Azerbaijan takeover of Nagorno-Karabakh, or the Hamas-Israel conflict.”

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Author: Amelia Mola-Schmidt

Photo: Czech Television

Petr Čech, the 41 year old former goalkeeper for Chelsea and Arsenal, had his debut Sunday night with the ice hockey club the Belfast Giants. Čech had more than 600 appearances in Premier League football before changing sports to ice hockey and playing goalie for the fourth tier club the Guildford Phoenix’s in 2019. František Kuna, sports reporter at Radiožurnál told me more.

“He was in the net five or six years ago in Brno, there was an exhibition game for the final game of Martin Havlát’s career, and Petr Čech was somewhere in Great Britain in the morning for football, and then came to Brno in the evening for the hockey game. I saw him for the first time in hockey equipment, without his classic football helmet. I was really surprised when he stood up in the net and looked like a man who has been doing the sport for many years. Maybe not as good as the guys who have been doing it for longer at the professional level, but I really didn’t expect that he could do it at the professional level in Great Britain.”

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Author: Amelia Mola-Schmidt

Photo: Post Bellum

The Czech Radio sound archives are among the richest in the world and through them we can travel in time to many moments in Czech and Czechoslovak history. This is the first of two special programmes in our series In Their Own Words that take us back to the dramatic year of 1968. The year began with hope, with the reforms of the Prague Spring, but these were brought to a bitter end by the Soviet-led invasion in August of the same year. Hundreds of archive recording bring the drama of that year to life.

The reforms of the Prague Spring did not happen overnight. The political thaw began at the beginning of the 1960s, bringing with it as sense of openness and optimism. This was reflected in many fields of cultural life, including radio.

The satirical cabaret of Prague’s Semafor Theatre featured quite regularly on the airwaves. As the political atmosphere relaxed, the two stars of the cabaret, jazzmen and actors Jiřý Suchý and Jiří Šlitr found their way onto the cultural mainstream. Despite several risqué jokes at the expense of the regime – in the sketch featured here another famous member of the Semafor team Miroslav Horníček jokes that he will only use foreign words if he is paid in hard currency – Czechoslovak Radio was quite happy to broadcast Semafor’s New Year’s Eve show on December 31, 1967. The show includes an amusing rendering of Strangers in the Night by Jiří Šlitr, sung in deliberately dreadful English.

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Author: David Vaughan

Bates’s snakehead is a new addition to the Prague Zoo’s snake collection. There is only a very limited number of individuals in European breeding and at the same time many people interested in its breeding. Getting a young couple is all the more valuable. Photo by Petr Hamerník, Prague Zoo

In the Prague Zoo, the rarely bred Bates dogs can now be seen. These snakes, emerald green on top and lemon yellow on the bottom, inhabited the Terrarium pavilion.

A delicate species native to the Amazonian lowlands, it boasts the proportionally longest teeth among non-venomous snakes. His likeness with the inhabitant of the neighboring exhibit, an unrelated green python that comes from the opposite end of the world, is also fascinating. At the Prague Zoo, visitors can now see this phenomenon – the so-called convergent evolution – with their own eyes.

“The male is called Uatuma and the female is called Coari. It is a young couple, whose acquisition from an experienced herpetologist is extremely valuable for us,” says reptile breeder Vojtěch Víta. “We planted the terrarium exclusively with such types of plants that are also found in the natural habitats of these canids in the Amazon. It is an arboreal species of snake, so visitors will definitely find our pair in the branches at the top of the exhibit.”

When moving from the background of the zoo to the pavilion, it was appropriate to measure and weigh the dogs. It is advisable to limit the handling of such conservative species of snakes to a minimum, therefore every suitable situation should be used for the control inspection. Photo by Petr Hamerník, Prague Zoo

They got their bizarre name from the famous Swedish naturalist Carl Linnaeus, the creator of traditional botanical and zoological nomenclature. Based on the shape of the head and fangs, which resemble those of a dog, he called the first described canine with the species name caninus (= canine), which later became the Czech generic name.

The species name “Bates” was given to this attractive species in honor of the British biologist Henry W. Bates, who was the first to draw attention to the mimicry of non-poisonous animals that resemble poisonous species in their appearance in order to deter enemies. Even the Bates’ sardine is a good example of this. In its appearance, it imitates the poisonous bush beetle Bothrops bilineatus.

Probably the most remarkable fact that visitors will notice when walking through the Terrarium in the lower part of the zoo is the already mentioned figure with a green python in the neighboring terrarium. Although dog-heads inhabit South America and the latter in northern Australia and New Guinea, to the layman’s eyes they are indistinguishable.

The figure with the green python (right) is remarkable. Not only the appearance or the environment they inhabit are similar, but also the way of life and even the typical elliptical resting position. Photo by Petr Hamerník, Prague Zoo

“The two species are separated by 70 million years of separate evolution, yet they are similar not only in appearance but also in their way of life. Adaptation to almost the same environment or food caused an almost identical development. We call this phenomenon convergent evolution, and it can be seen to varying degrees in other animals as well: for example, in armadillos and crustaceans or our hedgehogs and Australian sea urchins,” explains Víta.

While the green python is a relatively commonly bred species in zoos and hobby farms, Bates’s pythons are now exhibited by only three other institutions in the entire EU, besides the Prague Zoo.

Photo: Lukáš Hurník, Czech Radio

The renowned Czech jazz pianist and composer Emil Viklický turns 75 on November 23. In connection with that milestone, a folk-based LP he brought out in the early 1990s is being re-released.

After earning a degree in maths in Czechoslovakia, Olomouc-born Viklický got into the Berklee College of Music in Boston in the latter half of the 1970s. Since his return to Prague the keyboard maestro has led his own groups and collaborated with a vast number of Czech and international musicians, including guitarist Bill Frissel.

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Photo: Festival svobody/Gymnázium Jana Nerudy

How should you teach children about the tumultuous events of 1989 in a way that conveys the enormous gravity of what happened without being too heavy-handed? And how much do kids nowadays actually know about it? Is it even still relevant? To find out, I spoke to some Czech teenagers and teachers about their thoughts, knowledge and experiences surrounding November 17.

“We do a lot of talking and the teachers really care about what we think, what interests us and what we want to know about the topic. A lot of the time we have articles that we talk about and analyse. It’s not really about memorising, it’s more about talking. I really like it that way, because I think history is not about memorising dates, but really having all the connections between things.”

18-year-old Emma talking about her experience of learning about the events surrounding November 17, 1989, forever imprinted into Czech history as the date that the Velvet Revolution began, eventually bringing down the totalitarian regime that had held onto power for over 40 years. At her prestigious grammar school, Gymnazium Jana Nerudy in Prague’s affluent Mala Straná district, the students engage with, discuss and debate the topic, even bringing in their own particular interests, as confirmed by her classmate, Tobiáš.

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Author: Anna Fodor

Photo: Zuzana Bönisch

Prague hosted a summit of the presidents of the countries within the Czech presidency of the Visegrad Group countries. In addition to President Petr Pavel, Slovak President Zuzana Čaputová attended the meeting, Hungarian President Katalin Nováková and Polish President Andrzej Duda. The main topics of the meeting were the strengthening of contacts between the citizens of the V4 countries, the use of the International Visegrad Fund, and joint infrastructure projects, such as high-speed railways.

The Czech Presidency of the V4 began on July 1, 2023 and will last for one year. Its motto is “V4 for citizens”. It follows on from the Slovak presidency and its efforts to return to the roots of Visegrad cooperation.

“Even if the opinions of V4 representatives change over time, we remain neighbors and our task is therefore to cultivate good neighborly relations. Although we may have different opinions on many issues, it is important that we know each other’s positions and know where the intersections are for our cooperation and where not. This summit was also important in that,” said President Pavel at the joint press conference of the four heads of state.

Photo: Zuzana Bönisch

The presidents also discussed the V4+ projects, which target the countries of the Western Balkans, the Eastern Partnership, and the consequences of Russia’s military aggression against Ukraine. On ways of supporting Ukraine presidents and female presidents debated at a joint lunch.

“The Czech Republic, Slovakia, Poland, and Hungary are located in the center of Europe. Naturally, we also solve similar geopolitical issues. Russian aggression affects us all. Support for Ukraine is therefore essential for our security. At the same time is a naturally human step. Russia must bear responsibility for the human lives lost and the damage done in Ukraine. We must therefore resolutely continue to provide comprehensive support to Ukraine and its citizens,” said President Pavel.

After freezing Russian state-owned property on Czech territory, Czechia is now pushing for restrictions on movement for Russian diplomats within the Schengen space. Prague argues that Russian agents working undercover as diplomats greatly benefit from the EU’s borderless zone.

The government’s new security strategy clearly points to Russia and its imperialist ambitions as the biggest security threat for Czechia in the present day. And the country’s diplomacy has consistently moved to curb Russian influence on Czech territory in cutting Czechia’s dependence on Russian crude oil and gas, enforcing EU and national sanctions against individuals and companies linked to the Putin regime and defending itself against the hybrid war that Russia is waging against Western democracies.

Last week the government announced its decision to place another legal entity on the country’s national sanctions list – a Russian company, which is in charge of managing Russian assets abroad. The move is to guarantee that income generated by the company in this country will not be used to finance the war in Ukraine, and Czech Foreign Minister Jan Lipavský says he would like to see such a move implemented across the EU.

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Authors: Daniela Lazarová, Jan Bumba

New research from the HateFree Culture group indicates that over the last ten years, Czech attitudes towards minorities living in the country have improved, especially towards Roma people. But while many Czechs are now ready to accept Romanies as co-workers, they stop short of welcoming them into the family circle, a symptom of the persisting ‘us’, and ‘them’ mentality that HateFree Culture chairman Lukáš Houdek explained to me.

“Roma have been one of the most negatively perceived groups in society in the Czech Republic for a long time. Even in 2015 during the refugee crisis when hate towards Muslims was quite high amongst Czechs, the Roma were still the most hated group in society. I think it comes from the history – because Romanies have always been perceived negatively because of their social and living conditions, and because they often lived on the side-lines of society and were socially excluded.

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Author: Amelia Mola-Schmidt

Photo: Dark Bark Drama

Prague’s D21 theatre will be hosting a special event on Wednesday night: three original radio plays, performed live on stage with actors accompanied by music and sound effects. One of the people behind the project, produced by Dark Bark Drama and Radio Tuna, is Prague-based British writer and director Steen Agro.

“I am a Brit living in Prague who has had a long fascination with radio ads and radio stories since the BBC production of the Hitchhiker’s Guide, which I listened to as a kid. I eventually ended up becoming a feature director and screenwriter, and right before the pandemic, I had the idea to create a live radio event, but Covid got in the way.

“A few years after that, I met up with Spencer Derr, a Californian living here in Prague, who along with Kierstan Devoe and Olga Mikulska, had set up something called Dark Bark Drama, a non-profit company that works with a creative writing group of playwrights in Prague.

“They were actually doing a script in hand performances, with a couple of actors sitting on stage with the script in hand and reading it, performing the work that way. I went to see a couple of their shows and I thought it was pretty similar to what I had in mind having actors in front of mics. So I approached Spencer and he said: let’s try that, so that’s what we did.”

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Author: Ruth Fraňková

Photo: European Commission

EU countries will have to implement a directive that requires firms to disclose the salaries of employees by 2025. The move is intended to improve gender equality, and aims to eliminate gaps in wages between men and women. While some welcome the new legislation, it has been met with some pushback here in Czechia. I spoke with Anna Kotková of the Gender Studies Centre in Prague to learn more about the legislation and its potential impacts.

“I think that this new EU directive is a good tool to make employers focus on pay transparency, especially with the same positions. In the Czech Republic, we have a pay gap of 10 or 11 percent for the same positions, which is not good, because there is no objective reason to pay women less for the same work, so we definitely welcome this tool.”

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Author: Amelia Mola-Schmidt

Photo: Khalil Baalbaki, Czech Radio

The New Stage of the Czech National Theatre opened to the public on November 20, 1983 with a performance of Josef Kajetán Tyl’s The Strakonice Bagpiper.

The Brutalist-style building was designed by architect Karel Prager, who is also responsible for what is now the New Building of the National Museum, formerly the Federal Parliament.

The massive glass cube, which is placed right next to the neo-Renaissance National Theatre, has always sharply divided public opinion, with many people criticising it for lacking respect for its environment.

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Photo: Stanislav Heloňa, ČTK

A Christmas market has already started on the square Horní náměstí in the Moravian city of Olomouc. A 14-metre high tree towers above the stands and other attractions.

Source: ČTK

The number of children who require mental health intervention is on the rise here in Czechia. Forty percent of ninth graders show moderate signs of depression, and last year data from the Institute of Health indicated that there were over 4,000 hospitalizations of patients under the age of 19 in acute beds, almost twice as many as 10 years ago. Jana Karasová, a reporter with iRozhlas.cz who has covered this story, explained the situation to me

“For a long time, we have known that in the Czech Republic there is a shortage of psychiatrists, but what has happened in the last few years, is that there has been an increase in patient numbers, especially when it comes to teenagers and children. Finally, this year we have the first survey of the well-being of ninth graders, and it proved that every third teenager or ninth grader would benefit from professional support or help, and that 40 percent of them have signs of depression or anxiety.

“When it comes to the numbers of psychiatrists in hospitals but also in ordinary care, there are new numbers released by the office of Czech health information. It counts not only the number of every individual doctor, but also how these doctors are employed. Even though we see that there could be about 150 doctors focussed on psychology for children and teenagers, when we look at the employment numbers, there are only about 74 of them.”

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Author: Amelia Mola-Schmidt

Speaker of the Chamber of Deputies Markéta Pekarová Adamová visited members of the human rights and educational organization Memorial. After their ban on activities in the Russian Federation, they found refuge in the Prague residence of the Speakers of the House of Representatives last fall. From there, they continue their professional work and plan other related activities.

On Tuesday 21.11.2023 the Speaker of the Chamber of Deputies of the Parliament of the Czech Republic, Markéta Pekarová Adamová, visited representatives of the renowned historical, educational, and human rights organization Memorial. They have been working in the House of Representatives villa since last fall. Memorial has a long-term professional focus on research into the Soviet repressive system and its current reflection. Because of its activities, it was banned by the Russian authorities and its members faced persecution, bullying, and severe persecution in their homeland.

“Researchers from Memorial systematically contribute to illuminating the dark sides of the past and present of the Russian totalitarian regime. Their work was even awarded the Nobel Peace Prize last year. Our doors are still open, literally,” said the Speaker of the Chamber of Deputies, Markéta Pekarová Adamová.

Up to eight employees of the organization currently work in the building of the First Republic functionalist villa from the 1930s in Prague’s Ladronka. The period of use of the premises was originally agreed upon with the leadership of the Chamber for six months. Concerning mutual interest, it was then extended after their expiration. The Memorial organization has committed to cover the costs of using the facility, most of which are energy and maintenance expenses. On the other hand, the object as such is provided to them free of charge.

“I am really glad that the villa of the Presidents of the House of Representatives, which has been uninhabited for a long time, has found a really meaningful use and has become a second home for those who are helping to build Russian civil society from exile,” added the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Markéta Pekarová Adamová.

“Thanks to our stay here, we manage to expand the Memorial’s museum collection. For example, last week I had the opportunity to acquire a unique violin handmade in the gulag, which the descendants of its author took to Dresden, from where we obtained it after five years of negotiations,” said Irina Ostrovskaja, the Memorial’s archivist and documentarian, during the meeting.

“Recently, we managed to publish several books, for example, a collection of documents about the surveillance of Andrei Sakharov by the KGB or a narrative catalog of our exhibition about women in the Gulag. This is also the result of the fact that we have the opportunity to devote ourselves fully to our work thanks to this background in Prague,” added Boris Bělenkin, director of the Memorial library.

“A huge thank you goes to Markéta Pekarová Adamová for her generous offer for the Memorial, which was not completely taken for granted at the time of the Russian war against Ukraine. Our Russian colleagues are aware of this, and I am personally pleased, for example, by the recent meeting of Memorial human rights activists with their Ukrainian counterparts. This took place in the Prague residence. Such meetings are very rare, although the need for them is great. In addition to the Speaker of the Chamber of Deputies, I would also like to thank my colleagues from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of the Interior, who since last year have been welcoming the stays of Russian civil and human rights activists in the Czech Republic,” concluded Štěpán Černoušek, chairman of Gulag.cz and Memorial ČR.

Photo: Eva Kézrová, Czech Radio

Scientists in Prague have been measuring the amount of dust that enters people’s lungs on a busy road in the city centre. To do that, they used a special mobile cell incubator with actual human lung cells. The results confirmed that traffic pollution poses a serious threat to human health.

Exposure to air pollutants is associated with all kinds of health problems, including asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease or lung cancer. It also affects other organs, including the central nervous system, resulting for instance in an increased risk of Alzheimer’s disease.

To see what happens to human lungs when exposed to traffic pollution, Scientists from the Institute of Experimental Medicine of the Czech Academy of Sciences carried out measurements on a busy road in Prague’s district of Holešovice, where more than 90,000 cars pass each day.

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Authors: Ruth Fraňková, Eva Kézrová

According to national statistics, as many as 14% of Czech children experience domestic violence directly or indirectly at some point in their lives and many are left permanently scarred. Shockingly, experts say it often takes up to six years for a child experiencing domestic violence to get help. And when they do, the support network is not what it should be.

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Authors: Daniela Lazarová, Lucie Korcová

Photo: Vít Šimánek, ČTK

Former dissident and Charter 77 signatory Jiří Gruntorád is on the fourth day of his hunger strike outside the seat of the Czech government in Prague. He is calling for the labour and social affairs minister, Marian Jurečka, to resign over his treatment of ex-dissidents who now live on extremely small pensions.

Jiří Gruntorád is particularly upset about a letter that a fellow former dissident, Karel Soukup, received from the labour ministry, rejecting his request for a pension recalculation that would have allowed him to receive the nationwide average pension. In it, Soukup was allegedly advised to try applying for additional social benefits. Gruntorád says that Soukup receives a monthly pension of CZK 6000 (about EUR 250).

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Authors: Anna Fodor, Jana Karasová,

Sources: ČTK,Český rozhlas

Czech-produced Hot Chip Challenge crisps are marketed as extremely hard to consume. Now domestic authorities have halted sales of the chili pepper-based product, following alarm bells in other EU states.

Single Hot Chip Challenge crisps are sold in coffin-shaped boxes and come with taglines such as Have you got what it takes? and Can you handle the heat?

Consumers receive rubber gloves for handling the crisps, which resemble scorched nachos, with some posting videos of themselves taking on the “challenge” on social media.

Indeed, the producers’ own website features promo videos depicting young men clearly suffering after popping the uncommonly hot snack in their mouths.

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Author: Ian Willoughby

Photo: Jan Brzobohaty

Czechia is home to some of the best ice hockey players who have played the game. From Dominik Hašek to Jaromír Jágr, the legacy the country has with the sport is enduring, in fact a Czech player just broke the NHL record for the hardest slap shot to date. But in recent years Czechia has also become home to players from abroad, who come to play in the nation’s top leagues. Among those international players are Canadians, and the Extraliga team the Kladno Knights have three of them on their current roster. I was curious about how these players got here in the first place, and took a trip to Kladno to find out more.

When you think of hockey, it would be hard not to think of Canada, the so-called ‘first nation’ of the sport. But if one thing is for certain, it’s that Czechs equally love the game and have a deep and rich history with it, just like the northern nation where the game was invented and popularized.

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Author: Amelia Mola-Schmidt

“On the occasion of the 34th anniversary of the Velvet Revolution (17 November 1989) The Embassy’s staff of Georgia to the Czech Republic gathered together with the Ambassador of Georgia to the Czech Republic, H.E. Ms. Tea Maisuradze to honor the Czech culture and the democratic values that the students of the revolution fought for.

The Embassy’s staff would like to remember all the students who played a key role in the fall of the communist regime in Czechoslovakia.

To symbolically honor them and the Czech culture, they dressed in folk costumes that represent a fragment of the Czech national culture.

On this day, we would like to pay tribute to all those who fought for freedom and democracy 34 years ago. After all, precisely these shared values symbolize the Czech-Georgian friendship already for 30 years.” Said H.E. Ms. Tea Maisuradze the Ambassador of Georgia to the Czech Republic.

Photo: Hangonit

Hangonit Studio is a one-man studio, founded by Vladimír Kudělka, who views his games as art. His two games Rememoried and Afterglitch are connected by the themes of parallel worlds, dreams, with the players floating through virtual environments.

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Author: Barbora Navrátilová

Photo: Luděk Peřina, ČTK

The Czech national soccer squad secured qualification for next year’s European Championship on Monday with a 3:0 win over Moldova. However, the celebrations were rather dampened when coach Jaroslav Šilhavý announced live on television that he was stepping down.

While still on the pitch after Monday evening’s game, the Czech football team coach Jaroslav Šilhavý said live on TV that he and his staff were quitting.

The 62-year-old said the pressure on him had been enormous – and sometimes beyond his comprehension.

The news rather took the sheen off what had been a successful night for the Czechs. They needed to secure at least one point against Moldova in their last Euro 2024 qualifying game but took all three, with a 3:0 win in Olomouc.

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Author: Ian Willoughby

Photo: Youtube / Czech Radio Plus

Timothy Garton Ash was in Prague last week, presenting the Czech version of his latest book Homelands: A Personal History of Europe. While he was here, the UK historian, who spent time in this region when communism was collapsing, took part in events marking the anniversary of the start of the Velvet Revolution. And Mr. Garton Ash also spoke to Jan Bumba of Czech Radio, about those dramatic times – and where Europe is headed today.

We are meeting in Prague in mid-November. At this time 34 years ago, Czechoslovakia was going through historic changes. The vast majority of people were happy to get rid of the Communist regime. Nevertheless, today there are many who tend to remember the ‘70s and the ‘80s as the “good old times”. Why do you think this is happening?

“The Velvet Revolution, which I witnessed at first hand, thanks to Václav Havel in Laterna magika, was such an extraordinary, magical moment, and the beginning of what I call the ‘post-wall’ period, the period after the fall of the Berlin Wall. And it was a very, very good period in European history.

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Authors: Jan Bumba, Ian Willoughby

Photo: Vít Pohanka, Radio Prague International

Canadian by birth, Don Sparling found a new home in Brno. Among other things, he explains why he prefers living in the second Czech city rather than the capital Prague.

Don Sparling first came to what was then Czechoslovakia when the Communist government was trying to reform itself, introducing the so-called “socialism with human face” in the process that became known as the Prague Spring of 1968. Don was a student of English Literature at Oxford University in Britain at that time. Curious about what would happen to the country after the Soviet-led invasion crushed the reform process, he later applied for a teaching job at a state language school and spent several years in Prague. But he found a wife and new home in Brno, the second largest city in the country.

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Author: Vít Pohanka

In the last episode we heard emeritus professor of Masaryk University in Brno Don Sparling. Among other things, he mentioned why he left Prague for Brno and that he considers the Czech Capital to be very “self-centered”. I agree and I also think that foreigners who come to Czechia often make the mistake of staying in Prague only. There are many other interesting and fascinating places and Brno is certainly one of them.

The best known Czech brand name is undoubtedly Pilsner Urquell. Budweiser (sold as Czechvar in the United States and some other countries) is probably the second most prominent. The fame of these two brands outshines many other lagers and other types of beer brewed all over Czechia. And that is a shame, because there is so much more to discover for any beer-loving visitor to this country. Brno with its Starobrno lager is no exception in this respect.

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Author: Vít Pohanka

The French travel most often in Europe, making 80% of their trips there. The Czech Republic is very interesting for them, last year more than 213 thousand French tourists came to domestic hotels, apartments, and pensions. Even if the numbers before the COVID-19 pandemic have not yet been reached, the potential to attract the French to the Czech Republic is offered. They like local gastronomy, new places, and interesting programs and activities. The inhabitants of France are, in the best sense of the word, hedonists, individualists, and people who bet on certainty. They want to enjoy traveling to the fullest.

This and other information were part of the export workshop organized by the Czech Tourism Office – CzechTourism. Among other things, it was heard at the event that the French have more vacations than in other countries of the world and are among the creditworthy tourists. They prefer an interesting program and accommodation in four-star hotels for a low price. 30- to 50-year-old residents of France go on trips the most, and they prefer transport by airplanes.

“Even though the French most often go to Prague here, they are gradually discovering the regions as well. Last year, in addition to our capital, South Moravian and Pilsen regions were the most visited. According to the NMS Market Research 2021 survey, in addition to Prague, the Czech Republic is also associated with landscape, culture, castles, beer, history, monuments and beautiful architecture,” says František Reismüller, director of the Czech Tourism Office – CzechTourism, adding: “This year in the 3rd quarter, French tourists, with a total of 67,500 arrivals, placed 12th in the list of countries from which most foreigners come. From July to September 2023, they spent almost 172 thousand nights in the Czech Republic, with the average length of stay of one guest from France being 3.54 days. On average, the French spent 2,432 CZK per person per day traveling to the Czech Republic last year.”

That is why the 1st and 2nd wave of this year’s main campaign of the CzechTourism agency Nečekáné tradice – Unexpected Traditions was focused on France. In the Czech Republic, last year and this year, French television often filmed – for example, TF1 reported on Crystal Valley, ARTE programs on Czech gastronomy in Invitation au voyage producers, marketplace and landscape. And it was ARTE television that recently started broadcasting documentaries about Czech gastronomy with the words: “The soup is the grunt and the meat is the plug”. You can find the first report from footage 32:08 on Invitation au voyage – Bretagne / Éthiopie / Thailande – Regarder le documentaire complet | ART.

“When luring the French to the Czech Republic, one must, among other things, remember the more demanding requirements of French guests regarding language skills, which of course plays a role in choosing a destination. Although guests from France speak English more often than before, the undeniable advantage is simply the destination where they are able to communicate with them in their language. This is not the only reason why we are not slacking off in our activities, as far as French-Czech relations are concerned, this autumn was also very busy,” says Markéta Dianová, Director of the Foreign Office of the Czech Tourism Headquarters – CzechTourism for France, and adds: “In October, together with the Czech Embassy and nine partners prepared the presentation of the Czech Republic at the IFM TOP RESA tourism trade fair in Paris. Furthermore, at IPT UNESCO, we presented domestic UNESCO monuments from the Giant Mountains to Rautis in Poniklé to Žďár nad Sázavou. And we are currently preparing events for the French focused on traditions, including Christmas, and presentations of places where congresses, conferences, fairs, exhibitions or events for employees can be held in the Czech Republic.”

And next year? The traditional Czechia Travel Trade Day event, directed by CzechTourism, which will take place in Hradec Králové, should not miss French buyers, representatives of travel agencies, and the media. And not only the French will be treated to a workshop on the topic Discover Central Europe, which is jointly prepared by the foreign offices of the Czech Tourism Headquarters for France, Poland, and Slovakia. Last but not least, they will be very important – in the spirit of the main communication theme of 2024, which is “active tourism” – the Summer Olympic Games in Paris. In connection with them, the Olympic festival will take place at Lake Most.

Photographed by Jana Trojanová

Travel tips, calendar of events, or thematic specials of the Kudy z nudy portal, which is operated by the Czech Tourism Office – CzechTourism. Starting this school year, pupils, teachers, and school visitors have all this available on the ÁMOS vision touch panels. The interactive information board, where everyone can choose what they are interested in, is currently used by almost 350 schools throughout the Czech Republic with a total of 190,000 pupils.

Large-scale touch panels located in corridors or in school information centers now routinely display timetables, substitutions, event plans, or menus from the school information system—also class meetings, clubs, or photos from school events. With the 2023/24 school year, articles, photos, videos, etc. from one of the largest tourist portals in Europe, Kudy z nudy, are also being taken over.

“Children, teachers, parents, and others spend a large part of their lives in school. In addition to the necessary education, they also get inspiration there on how to move on with life or what to do in their free time. This is where the great potential of our Kudy z nudy portal, which is full of up-to-date travel tips and everything related to it, says the director of the Czech Tourism Center – CzechTourism František Reismüller and adds: “Interest in travel tips is continuously growing, since this year from January to October, the portal recorded more than 24 million visits, which is 3 million more than for the whole of last year. It has more than 100,000 registered users and has sent out more than 3 million e-mails with a regular newsletter so far this year. We will be very happy if the availability of the unique Kuda z nudy on panels in schools leads to the fact that students, teachers and everyone who visits schools automatically start taking it as a guide for travel and leisure activities.”

ÁMOS information panels within the non-financial partnership with Kudy z nudy enable, among other things, that the user can, for example, choose events only in his region or the type of activity he is interested in. That way, he can get inspired on how to spend his free time and where to go.

“We piloted the connection of the ÁMOS information panels with the Kudy z nudy portal in schools on September 3 this year. The test run lasted one month and, among other things, it showed that there is a lot of interest in this new content of ÁMOS. Everything officially started in full swing on October 2, 2023. After more than a month, we can say at this moment that children, teachers, and school visitors liked the Where to go on a trip button. The number of visitors is in the order of thousands and has increased by 15% month-on-month, which is a very good result compared to other interesting interactive elements for pupils,” says Inpublic CEO Richard Prajsler and adds: “We are happy that together with the CzechTourism agency we are succeeding in achieving the goal , which we set out to do. In other words, to inspire and motivate the young generation to discover interesting places in their region. ÁMOS is a unique information panel that takes communication with students to a new level. Modern technologies make the work of schools easier, save printing and also paper consumption. And last but not least, they inspire other activities.”

Cooperation with the Kudy z nudy portal was also possible due to the educational role of touch information panels. Thanks to the tourist website, those who look at it on the panels will learn, for example, what cultural, sports or socially beneficial activities they can perform.

This coming Saturday, Czechs all around the country will be celebrating Saint Martin’s Day, which falls on November 11. On this day, Czechs traditionally sample the season’s first wine and sit down to a feast of roast goose, dumplings and cabbage.

The tradition of Saint Martin’s festivities, the Czech equivalent of the Beaujolais celebrations, dates back to the Middle Ages and has become hugely popular in recent years.

Back in the reign of Charles IV, it marked the symbolic end of the farming season, when labourers received their pay. It was also the time when the first bottles of wine produced that year were opened.

According to a Czech saying, Saint Martin’s Day is also the day that brings the first snow to the country. While weather forecasters say that is unlikely to happen this year, most Czechs will definitely not miss the opportunity to sample the season’s first wine.

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Author: Ruth Fraňková

Photo: Ken Howard, Metropolitan Opera

Since its premiere in 1901, Antonín Dvořák’s most famous opera Rusalka has been staged all over the world. Some of its most recent productions have been quite unorthodox, portraying the water nymph as a prostitute and a heroin addict.

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Photo: Bohemia Interactive

Bohemia Interactive is behind the world-famous Arma series, set in a wartime environment. In their next game, the player fights against zombies. However, the company has a broad portfolio and also offers a game for children in which they can learn the basics of programming and development thanks to the game mechanisms. “We don’t primarily make games, we make game worlds. And our worlds are very often inspired by the Czech Republic, its history, culture and even language,” says Marek Španěl, the studio’s CEO.

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Author: Barbora Navrátilová

Photo: René Volfík, iROZHLAS.cz

Speaking at a security conference in Prague, President Petr Pavel expressed deep concern regarding the disruption of the world order and the increasing assertiveness of revisionist powers and terrorist groups. He said the democratic world must unite in defence of its values and do everything possible to prevent existing conflicts from spreading.

Addressing a Diplomacy and Security Conference at Czernin Palace, President Pavel said global security was deteriorating and the world has become a less safe and less predictable place for all.

“Existing conflicts continue deepening and new ones are breaking out. Frozen conflicts are thawing in the Caucasus and the wave of military coups in African countries, especially in the Sahel, is causing increasing concern. The explosive potential of the current crisis in the Middle East, sparked by Hamas’ barbaric attack on Israel, is evident above all else.”

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Author: Daniela Lazarová

Photo: René Volfík, iROZHLAS.cz

The Czech government has moved to freeze Russian state-owned property on Czech territory by placing the company that manages these assets on its national sanctions list. The foreign minister said Prague would strive to get this measure approved across the EU.

Czech Foreign Minister Jan Lipavský on Wednesday announced the government’s decision to place another legal entity on the country’s national sanctions list – a Russian company, which is controlled by the Russian presidential administration and is in charge of managing Russian assets abroad. The move should guarantee that income generated by the company in this country will not be used to finance the war in Ukraine, Mr. Lipavský said.

“This company controls and operates a vast amount of Russian state-owned property in the country, predominantly real estate in Prague and Karlovy Vary, which generates significant financial income. As of this moment the company’s assets are frozen and its commercial activities are illegal, as is any attempt to evade the sanctions.”

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Author: Daniela Lazarová, Source:Český rozhlas

Photo: Peter Turnley, public domain

The 1989 Velvet Revolution, ending over four decades of Communist one-party rule, spelled seismic change for Czech society. Words like restitution and lustration became common parlance in the early 1990s, as the transition to democracy was accompanied by a legal reckoning with the past. But how effectively was justice served in that period? How successful was the rehabilitation of political prisoners, many of whom had suffered greatly under the recently departed Communists?

One man who has studied these questions in great depth is Roman David, a Czech sociologist and expert on transitional justice based in Hong Kong. Indeed Mr. David, who was himself a 21-year-old student in 1989, carried out sociological surveys of both ex-political prisoners and former party members and collaborators for his book Communists and Their Victims: The Quest for Justice in the Czech Republic.

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Author: Ian Willoughby

A gift voucher for an annual ticket is an ideal Christmas present for supporters of the Prague Zoo and its frequent visitors. Photo of the Prague Zoo

Prague Zoo is launching the sale of gift vouchers for annual tickets as well as an electronic version of this season ticket.

Newly, those interested can conveniently arrange it from their computer or mobile phone. The same is the case with the mentioned vouchers, which can be given to loved ones and left to their discretion.

The menu includes all available categories in electronic form: children’s, student, family, and others.

Another advantage of the electronic season ticket is that the user can track how many entrances to the zoo he still has left on his mobile phone.

The gift voucher is practical in that it can be printed from the comfort of your home. The recipient will then exchange the voucher for an annual pass on their first visit to the zoo.

Electronic tickets and gift vouchers in all available tariffs can be purchased via the Prague Zoo e-shop at: https://vstupenka.zoopraha.cz/

A team of researchers and doctors from Ostrava recently demonstrated the presence of microplastics in human amniotic fluid for the first time ever. Prior to this study, it had always been assumed that the placenta would prevent any such particles from reaching the foetus, but the presence of microplastics was confirmed in nine out of ten women in the study. To understand the significance of this finding and what it could mean for the health of babies and expectant mothers, I spoke to Ondřej Šimetka, one of the study’s authors.

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Author: Anna Fodor

Photo: Petr Hudec, Národní památkový ústav

In 2022, Prague welcomed more than six million tourists to the city, but other parts of the country, regions in Moravia in particular, struggle to lure in visitors. CzechTourism is trying to change this by focussing campaigns on other parts of the country, and CEO Frantisek Reismuller told me more about them.

“Especially before Covid, tourism in Prague was quite strong. Our strategy was to get people into the lesser-known Czech regions, and of course get them to stay longer in Czechia.”

Looking back at the statistics from last year, six million tourists visited Prague alone in 2022 – but do other regions, let’s take Moravia as an example, have a harder time attracting visitors?

“I would say the Moravian part of the Vysočina region is a little bit less visited, which is a pity because it’s a really beautiful place. There is a different structure of tourists in Moravia. South Moravia is definitely more visited by foreigners, and it’s one of the hottest regions of Czechia. The northern part of Moravia is more visited by Czechs.”

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Author: Amelia Mola-Schmidt

The city of Olomouc lies in the eastern province of Moravia. The sixth biggest city in Czechia with a population of about 100,000 – Olomouc is home to countless historical landmarks and one of the 17 UNESCO sites in the country. Not only a historically important city, but today a very international one, as Palacký University attracts thousands of internationals from all corners of the earth to learn and study in Moravia.

I took a trip to Olomouc to learn more about its history, and speak with some of the international students who are shifting the landscape of the city.

It’s a chilly autumn morning, and the bright sun lights up the colours of the red and yellow leaves on the trees as my train cruises through the Moravian countryside. The train, bound for the Moravian city of Olomouc, jerks into the station. I hop off, eager to catch the next tram headed in the direction of the historic centre.

To my surprise, the trams move incredibly slowly in Olomouc, nothing like the zip of the number 9 in Prague. But as my day begins to unfold, and as I meet the locals in the city, I realise the speed of the trams is indicative of the way of life in Olomouc – slightly slower in pace, not as rigid in schedule, a more laissez-faire attitude than what I’m used to in the nation’s capital.

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Author: Amelia Mola-Schmidt