AuthorMartin Hladík

Soon it will have been two years. Each day then I snorkelled in the Red Sea trying to see (and possibly also take a photo of) as many animals as possible. Every evening I wrote a note about what interested me the most. Hawksbill sea turtle, a huge school of mackerel, dugong… Only one day – 18 October 2021 – I had not written anything. But now I was unexpectedly reminded of this very day through the iNaturalist network.

That day I was already returning to the shore when I saw a strange object just below the surface of the water. First, I thought that it was a piece of plastic, but immediately I realized that it could be some kind of organism. So, I took one photo and in the evening I uploaded it to iNaturalist. Unfortunately, its artificial intelligence extraordinarily had not offered me any hint at all, so my photo remained without any identification.

This has finally changed now. The marine biologist, Alejandro Escánez, from the University of Vigo in Spain, identified it as the eggs of diamond squid.

Once more: S-q-u-i-d!

Of course, my schoolboy years immediately jumped in my head, when I devoured Jules Verne’s Twenty Thousand Leagues under the Sea:

“But hardly were the screws loosed, when the panel rosed with great violence, evidently drawn by the suckers of a poulp’s arm. Immediately one of the arms slid like a serpent down the opening, and twenty others were above. With one blow of the axe Captain Nemo cut this formidable tentacle, that slid wriggling down the ladder.”

Although Jules Verne writes about a poulp, the memorable engravings by Alphonse de Neuville and Édouard Riou depict a squid; not to mention the fact that Verne himself referred to a story of the corvette Alecton, which tried to hunt down a two-ton giant squid in November 1861 (this was probably a huge overstatement, however, the truth is that this mysterious squid can reach truly fascinating proportions).

In the case of my observation, it was not the eggs of the giant squid, but the significantly smaller diamond squid; however: How often do you come across a clutch of such a strange, downright iconic creature?

“My” diamond squid can measure over one meter without the tentacles, so it is no little thing either. Moreover, it is remarkable in other ways, such as by its clutch. The female lays it by paired oviducts and at the same time she excretes a secretion, which connects them in a helix into phosphorescent tube with a diameter of ten to twenty centimetres and length of up to two metres. This twisted cylinder can contain tens of thousands of eggs – and when a diver very rarely comes across it, immediately wild speculations arise about what it could have been. At the same time, however, the record of each such a clutch is a valuable proof of the presence and reproduction activity of diamond squid in the area.

So in summary: The identification of the object on my almost two-year-old photo, confirmed also by a specialist in cephalopods, really pleased me and improved not only one, but several of my days.

Miroslav Bobek

The male common wombat Cooper and his mate Winkleigh are the only wombats in the Czech Republic. Photo by Oliver Le Que, Prague Zoo

The beautiful weather at the end of summer offers ideal conditions for visiting the Prague Zoo. In addition to the usual guided feedings, the Prague Zoo has also prepared a special program for the following Saturday and Sunday afternoons (i.e. September 16 and 17) among the inhabitants of the Darwin Crater: devils, wombats, kangaroos and kangaroos.

Walk right among the kangaroos and their babies through the walk-through exhibit in the Darwin Crater. Photo by Petr Hamerník, Prague Zoo

The program of weekend afternoons with the “protopods” at the Prague Zoo, in Darwin’s Crater:

14.00 meeting at the wombats

14.30 feeding the kangaroos in the walk-through exhibit

15.00 feeding of birds from the bush and wetlands

15.30 feeding of kangaroo rats

16.00 feeding of bear-like devils

Australian and Tasmanian collections will be on sale on both afternoons Prague Zoo with a special discount.

As part of the busy program, visitors can come and watch food specialists feed kangaroo rats. Photo by Petr Hamerník, Prague Zoo

Václav Šálek, ČTK

A three-day wine festival, or vinobraní, has just taken place in the Moravian town of Znojmo. Highlights included a “march of John of Luxembourg”, complete with fire show.

Source

Photo: Prague 3

The annual Vinohradské vinobraní festival is taking place in Prague 3 this Friday and Saturday. The event, which has a curated theme each year, is celebrating the wines of Bohemia and Moravia, highlighting the rich wine making history in Czechia. Just before it began, I spoke to one of the event’s coordinators, Jiří Hannich.

What’s to be expected this weekend at the wine festival?

“The festival is a very popular and traditional event in Prague 3. This year is the 27th anniversary of the festival, and every year we try and give the festival a theme. For example, last year it was an Austro-Hungarian monarchy theme, so wines from the former monarchy were presented. This year, we’re spotlighting wines from Bohemia and Moravia. We want to support domestic wine makers and show that we have something to be proud of in this area in the Czech Republic. There will be about 31 wineries at the event during both days on Friday and Saturday.”

Why is it important to showcase that Czech wine is something to be proud of, especially to those who maybe aren’t from Czechia and are just visiting or are foreigners living here?

“Wine making and drinking wine has a tradition in the Czech Republic, and also it’s connected with Vinohrady where the festival is. The name ‘Vinohrady’ roughly translates to royal vineyard, and it’s named this because the area used to be covered in vineyards dating back to the 14th century, so we like to remember this tradition through this event.”

Read the rest here.

Author: Amelia Mola-Schmidt

Photo: Silvie Mikulcová, Czech Radio

The Venus of Petřkovice, a statuette from the late Stone Age period believed to be 23,000 years old is currently being exhibited at the site where it was first discovered in the Ostrava district of Petřkovice 70 years ago. The unique item, which is the only “slender Venus” ever discovered in Europe, will be on display until Sunday.

Along with the clay statue of the Venus of Věstonice, the Petřkovice Venus is considered one of Czechia’s most unique examples of prehistoric art. The headless female torso was carved from hematite during the Upper Palaeolithic period. However, its age is not the only thing that makes it so special, explains Ján Hlobil from the Mining Museum in Landek Park in Ostrava:

“It is unique above all because it is the only slender Venus found in Europe. It is 4.6 centimetres tall and represents a young woman who was probably in the early stages of pregnancy.

“The statuette was discovered in July 14, 1953 during archaeological research initiated by the Institute of Archaeology of the Academy of Sciences and led by Mr. Bohuslav Klíma.”

Upon its discovery, archaeologists thought the head of the statue had broken off. Only later did they discover from the shape of the material that it was most likely the artist’s intention.

See the rest here.

Author: Ruth Fraňková

Photo: Lucie Heyzlová, Czech Radio

The government has earmarked major investment for Terezín, site of the Czech lands’ biggest WWII Jewish ghetto, and Josefov, another 18th century garrison town. The project is based on two aims – preservation and development.

Terezín, known as Theresienstadt in German, was established in the 18th century as a military fortress town by Emperor Joseph II. He named it after his mother, the Empress Maria Theresa, and it was intended to serve as a defence against invasions from Prussia.

During World War II the Germans turned the town north of Prague into a Jewish ghetto. Over 30,000 Jews died at the transit camp itself, while nearly 90,000 prisoners were later murdered at Nazi extermination camps.

Though today home to a Holocaust memorial, Terezín has fallen into increasing disrepair in recent times, a state that has been highlighted by international media reports.

But now the Czech government is taking action to rectify the situation, pledging to invest around CZK 3 billion in Terezín and another 18th century fortress town, Josefov in East Bohemia.

See the rest here.

Author: Ian Willoughby, Source:Český rozhlas

A delegation of the Czech Republic led by President Petr Pavl will take part on September 17-22 in the high-level week within the 78th session of the UN General Assembly in New York. Minister of Foreign Affairs Jan Lipavský will also be a member of the delegation.

The goal is to present the Czech Republic as a reliable partner in the world that supports the reform efforts of the UN towards effective multilateralism in the 21st century. The main theme of the high-level week, which will be attended by the heads of the UN member states, will be the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Throughout the negotiations, the Czech Republic will advocate for the support of Ukraine and the punishment of Russia for launching a war against Ukraine. Other important topics will be climate change, UN reform, respect for rights in the digital environment or international cooperation in response to pandemics.

In this context, the speeches of the President of the Republic in the general debate of the UN General Assembly, at the Summit on Sustainable Development Goals (SDG Summit) and at the open meeting of the UN Security Council on the situation in Ukraine will be crucial.

The presence of senior statesmen will be used by the president and the minister of foreign affairs to meet with a wide range of bilateral partners and representatives of international organizations. Among other things, the topics of the meeting will be the sharing of the Czech position on Russian aggression in Ukraine and the presentation of the newly announced Czech candidacy for the UN Security Council for the period 2032-33.

Last but not least, the negotiations will be an opportunity to commemorate the 30th anniversary of the Czech Republic’s membership in the United Nations as the successor state of Czechoslovakia, which was one of the co-founders of this organization. On this occasion, a gala dinner will be held in the Czech National Building in New York on September 20 under the auspices of President Petr Pavel and Slovak President Zuzana Čaputová.

Among the most important events, Mr. President will actively participate in the following: The SDG Summit will take place on 18-19 September. It is the flagship event of the week at a high level. Its goal is to mobilize support for achieving the goals of sustainable development. Performance is expected at the level of heads of state and government. The Czech President will speak on the morning of September 18 on behalf of the Pathfinders group of states (a group of 46 countries promoting the implementation of Sustainable Development Goal No. 16 – peace, justice and strong institutions). With its active participation, the Czech Republic shows the importance of achieving the goals of sustainable development, even in the light of the complicated security and economic environment.

The opening of the general debate of the 78th session of the UN General Assembly will take place on 19 September. The President of the 78th session of the UN General Assembly, Dennis Francis (Trinidad and Tobago), chose the topic “Rebuilding trust and reigniting global solidarity: Accelerating action on the 2030 Agenda and its Sustainable” for the general debate Development Goals towards peace, prosperity, progress and sustainability for all”. The heads of delegations of all states will speak in the debate. The President of the Republic will deliver a national speech on the first day of the general debate on September 19.

During the high-level week, an open debate of the UN Security Council on the situation in Ukraine is also convened on September 20. The debate will be led by the prime minister of Albania, which will chair the UN Security Council in September, and a number of world statesmen will speak at it. Ukraine is to be represented at the level of President V. Zelensky. The President of the Republic will speak for the Czech Republic.

Photo: Elena Horálková, Tschechischer Rundfunk

Vašo Patejdl, who recently passed away at the age of 68, was a leading Slovak singer, keyboardist and songwriter. He co-founded the legendary Slovak group Elán and is considered to be one Czechoslovakia’s biggest hit-makers. In today’s edition of Sunday Music Show, you can listen to some of his best-known songs.

See the rest here.

Author: Ruth Fraňková

The Czech Parliament has approved a bill which would allow additional voluntary overtime for workers in the healthcare sector of up to 1000 hours per year. The decision has provoked an outcry from doctors, with some threatening to stop working overtime altogether.

Although the newly approved bill touches on several areas affecting the work of doctors, the part that has sparked controversy is a stipulation increasing the amount of voluntary overtime that they are allowed to work. Critics point out that the regulation allows the number of overtime hours medics work per year to roughly double – up to 832 hours for doctors and 1000 hours for paramedics.

The law was passed despite opposition from young doctors, who called on politicians on Monday to reject the bill. Martin Kočí, the chairman of the Association of Young Doctors, told Czech Radio last week that long hours affect the ability of doctors to do their jobs properly.

“It is impossible to imagine that any person would be able to stay focused and work continuously for 26 hours straight. That is simply impossible. There are jobs where you simply can’t do more than 12 hours.”

A survey on the mental health of doctors conducted by the association revealed that 70 percent suffer from exhaustion, 46 percent from burnout, 37 percent from psychosomatic problems, 33 percent from anxiety disorders, 28 percent from depression, 20 percent from abuse of alcohol, medication or drugs, and 17 percent from post-traumatic stress disorder.

See the rest here.

Authors: Anna Fodor, Tomáš Pancíř, Sources:iROZHLAS.cz,ČTK

Photo: ČT24

Writer Milan Kundera was one of the most famous sons of the South Moravian regional capital. Best known for his novels weaving intricate tales of love, politics, and exile, Kundera has been celebrated throughout his career for his unique narrative style, philosophical depth, and keen insights into the human condition.

Kundera was born on April 1, 1929, in Brno, Czechoslovakia. As a student in the late 1940s and early 1950s, he became a member of the Communist Party and wrote poetry in admiration of the then-Soviet dictator Joseph Stalin. He later left the party and regretted the errors of his youth.

His works were intimately tied to the political and cultural milieu of his homeland. Novels such as “The Unbearable Lightness of Being” and “The Book of Laughter and Forgetting” provide profound commentary on the nature of love, memory, and the human experience within the complex historical and political landscapes of Central Europe, especially during the era of Soviet influence.

See the rest here.

Author: Vít Pohanka

Photo: Ian Willoughby, Radio Prague International

Set up by eager but wholly inexperienced young music fans, Prague’s Radio 1 was the first non-state station in Czechoslovakia after the fall of communism. Decades later, the story of the station – which is still going strong – is the subject of a colourful new book, Radio 1: Life in the Ether, by Jana Kománková, one of its longest serving DJs. We spoke on the eve of its publication.

What is your own association with the station? When did you start working for Radio 1?

“I started in 1993. I was working for a music magazine that had a guest show each week on the air, and I was really happy to be able to go there. I think the others were sort of tired going to the Radio, so they happily let me go.

“And once I was in I sort of got some shifts covering somebody else’s shift and I just stayed.”

When was the station first set up? It was the first ever non-state radio station in Prague after the fall of communism?

“It began in 1990. First it was a pirate station. A bunch of students got hold of some equipment for broadcasting and they asked for the possibility to broadcast legally, but since it was very shortly after the Velvet Revolution there wasn’t a law that would enable the starting of a radio station.

See the rest here.

Author: Ian Willoughby

Photo: Magdalena Hrozínková, Radio Prague International

Museum Kampa, an institution best-known for the works of František Kupka and other leading Czech modern artists, first opened its doors in 2003.

Britain’s Guardian has ranked Museum Kampa among the top 10 best little-known museums in Europe. This would not have been the case if it were not for the enormous efforts of the patron and art collector Meda Mládková. Thanks to her, the museum in the Sova’s Mills building right by the Vltava on Prague’s Kampa, has become one of Prague’s important cultural institutions.

See the rest here.

The case of Leopold Hilsner, a Jewish vagrant convicted in 1899 for the ritual murder of a Christian girl, may be on the path to re-examination. It is the first time since 1900 that a review of the case has been ordered in an effort to reopen Hilsner’s infamous trial, which sparked a huge wave of anti-Semitism at the time.

The murder of the 19-year-old seamstress Anežka Hrůzová took place near Polná in South Bohemia, on March 29, 1899. The body was found three days later with a deep cut to the neck, although there was allegedly only a small amount of blood at the scene of the crime.

Easter that year coincided with the Jewish holiday of Passover, and talk of a ritual “blood libel” killing immediately started. Although there were other suspects, the investigation concentrated on Leopold Hilsner, a 22-year-old simple-minded Jewish vagrant. He was arrested without any incriminating evidence due to mounting public pressure and an anti-Semitic press campaign.

He confessed to the charge of murder and named his accomplices while in prison, after fellow inmates told him doing so would save his neck. Hilsner was released from prison shortly before the end of the First World War after serving 18 years of a life sentence, following a pardon by the Austrian Emperor.

See the rest here.

Author: Ruth Fraňková

A new survey from Eurostat indicates that no fewer than 48 percent of Czechs do not eat a single serving of fruits or vegetables every day. What does this mean for individuals – and for the country’s health care system? I discussed the implications of these findings with nutrition expert Dr. Eliška Selinger.

“Of course the implications are on health of people, because the consumption of fruits and vegetables are very important for our bodies, they contain a lot of vitamins, minerals and fibre. We know very well that a low consumption of vegetables and fruits is tightly connected to a higher risk of developing cardio-vascular diseases, diabetes, or different kinds of cancer. There is quite a high risk amongst the Czech population for these diseases, and we are sure that this sort of behaviour costs us a lot of money and impacts the quality of life and health.”

What are the barriers that prevent Czechs from consuming these important food groups? Is it the cost of these items, or is this a lifestyle choice linked to traditional foods?

“It’s a combination as it always is with these complex topics. The traditional Czech diet does not include many vegetables, it’s meat with dumplings or rice. People just don’t learn how to cook vegetables properly or how to involve them in their diet. Often people need to re-educate themselves on how to involve these foods. As always in public health, we know very well that our environment shapes our choices. This is an issue with the diet here in Czechia because vegetables are expensive, and often veggie meals in restaurants and canteens are the most expensive meal on the menu, so you have to be able and willing to pay for it. Very often it’s not only the cost, but in some places there isn’t even a vegetarian option on the menu. We need to pay more attention to our environment.”

See the rest here.

Author: Amelia Mola-Schmidt

Photo: Dublin-Smart-Tourismn from anywhere

Dublin City Council has launched a new augmented reality map that allows users to access a virtual map of the city on their mobile device. The feature can be accessed via the existing Dublin Discovery Trails app.

‘DiscovAR Dublin’ is hailed as a first for Ireland and uses new open Google Maps technology to create an interactive 3D map.

Users can be “transported into the city” to learn more about the history and significance of locations such as the Guinness Storehouse, EPIC – the Irish Emigration Museum, and 14 Henrietta Street.

“DiscovAR offers a new way for visitors and locals to experience the capital city,” said Jamie Cudden, Smart City Lead, Dublin City Council.

“Through our Smart Dublin programme, we are always thinking about how we can embrace new technologies to enhance how people engage with our city.

 ”This app through its immersive AR technology is a new and fun way to explore the city’s culture and history and we see huge potential to expand this.”

Netflix approach

The project is a collaboration between Dublin City Council, Smart Dublin and Virgin Media Business alongside Peel X, which developed the feature for the Dublin Discovery Trails app.

The app – which launched in January 2023 – is part of a larger ‘smart tourism’ strategy to invest in digital technology to improve the visitor experience.

“The app was built on an augmented reality platform called Unity,” Barry Rogers, Head of the Dublin City Tourism Unit, told Cities Today.

“Initially when we designed the app, its core purpose was for a digital heritage trail ‘Doors into Docklands’, which launched in January 2023.

“Essentially the app is a platform – it’s similar to the way that online streaming services like Netflix work, where you’ve got a platform and then multiple features on that platform. Now it’s a much bigger platform with more trails, and the augmented reality map feature.”

Read the rest here.

In the first half of this year, diesel vehicles made up a larger proportion of new cars sold in Czechia than in any other EU country. While in the rest of the EU, sales of diesel cars have been steeply declining over the past few years, in Czechia the proportion has steadfastly remained at around one-quarter since 2019.

Across the EU, the share of new cars sold so far this year that were diesel was only 14.52 percent, down from 44.4 percent in 2017. Meanwhile, in Czechia that proportion has remained relatively unchanged over the same period, declining slightly from 37.69 percent and hovering around 25 percent since 2019.

So why are diesel cars so comparatively popular in Czechia? Some car owners, like Oldřich Růžička, see clear advantages.

“With my old petrol cars, I always had problems with the spark plugs and cables. Since I’ve had a diesel car, that doesn’t happen and I wouldn’t want any other type of car. It has better acceleration and a bigger range.”

See the rest here.

Authors: Anna Fodor, Daniel Zach, Sources:Český rozhlas Plus, Centrum dopravního výzkumu

Covid-19 has been back in the news cycle in recent weeks, with cases on the rise across the world. On Monday, Health Minister Vlastimil Válek urged Czechs to get their Covid booster and flu vaccines, with priority being given to those in vulnerable groups. To get a better understanding of the picture here in Czechia, we spoke to molecular geneticist Dr. Jan Pačes.

“So far the numbers are very low, yet they are all rising. What we can predict is that in one month, the number of infected people will grow. Like with the flu, at some point it will become too much, and then it would be a good idea to start taking some protective measures. The issue is, even if you get Covid and you have no symptoms or very mild symptoms, you can still get long Covid. It looks like people are not protected against long Covid even after the second or third infection, you can still get it. Long Covid is something that can make your life much harder, you can lose smell, get some physiological and psychological problems like brain fog. Covid is not an easy disease that we can just forget about.”

While the number of infections are currently low, tracking new Covid-19 cases here in Czechia is not easy, and little is known about the impact of new variants such as Pirola and Eris, says Dr. Pačes.

“During summer, the numbers of new infections, hospitalizations and deaths dropped very low. But we do not have the exact numbers, because Covid-19 is no longer a disease that has to be reported, so we do not have much information.”

When it comes to the efficacy of vaccines against new variants, the information available now points to certain shots being more effective than others.

See the rest here.

Author: Amelia Mola-Schmidt

Photo: Juan Pablo Bertazza, Radio Prague International

This coming Saturday, Prague’s Olšany Cemetery will be hosting a somewhat unusual one-day music festival called Mezi hroby or Between the Graves. The aim of the event is to raise money for the restoration of neglected graves that have a special artistic, historical or architectural significance, but also to invite members of the public to adopt them. I discussed these goals with one of its organizers, architect Filip Ditrich:

“We wanted to help restore some old graves in our cemeteries, in particular here in the Olšany Cemetery. Some of them are really big and expensive to renovate, so we decided to organize a benefit concert to help raise the money for it.

“The second reason is to show the public that cemeteries are not just burial grounds. They are places where you can sit and contemplate and they can also serve to host special cultural events. So I hope our event is the right way to show this.”

Can you tell us more about the program for adoption of graves? When was it established and how does it work?

“The programme has been running for more than five years. Currently we have some 520 graves available for adoption, not only here at the Olšany Cemetery, but also in other cemeteries that the Prague Cemeteries and Funeral services is in charge of.

“Some 307 of them have already been adopted, but we are still looking for people who will be willing to take care of the remaining ones.”

See the rest here.

Author: Ruth Fraňková

The film ‘Brothers’, a retelling of the Cold War story of the controversial Mašín brothers, has been selected by the Czech Film and Television Academy as the Czech Oscar nominee for 2024. Written by top Czech screenwriter Marek Epstein, the film dramatises the events surrounding the Mašín brothers forming an armed resistance group and escaping from communist Czechoslovakia to West Berlin, a topic which remains divisive to this day.

Josef and Ctirad Mašín went down in history after they and Milan Paumer, another member of their armed resistance group, managed to evade capture and escape to West Berlin in 1953. They are regarded by some as heroes, but many others consider them to be cold-blooded murderers, as they killed six people as they fought their way out of the country.

The film that dramatises these events was directed by a distant relative of the brothers, Tomáš Mašín, who says he finds the heroes-or-villains debate somewhat redundant.

“That is a question generated long ago in the communist era – the communists created this black-or-white view. So I refuse to answer on principle – I won’t say yes or no.”

See the rest here.

Authors: Anna Fodor, Martin Hrnčíř, Kristina Roháčková, Source:iROZHLAS.cz

New official data shows that one in 10 babies being born here in Czechia have a non-Czech mother. This shift in demographics points to the increasing role that immigration is playing in shaping the population. I spoke to Michaela Němečková, who works for the Czech Statistics Office, about these developments.

“The increasing share of non-Czech mothers is closely connected with the continued increase of foreigners in the Czech Republic. It’s also closely connected to the increase of mixed nationality marriages, the share of marriages where at least one member of the couple has a citizenship other than Czech rose from nine percent to 12 percent over the last ten years. Regarding non-Czech mothers, the Czech Statistical Office has been collecting data since 2012, and over this period the percent of non-Czech mothers has been increasing, namely 5.3 percent in 2012, to 9.4 percent in 2022. This year, the preliminary share of the first half of the year is already higher, it’s about ten percent.”

Are there any specific nationalities that are driving this increase?

“For the whole period since 2012, there has been three countries where women form the majority of non-Czech mothers: Slovakia, Ukraine, and Vietnam. Till 2021, the most non-Czech mothers were Slovak, but in 2022, it’s Ukrainians. There has been a large increase in the number of mothers with Ukrainian nationalities of new-borns last year, it rose from 1800 to 3,600. This was connected partly due to the increase of refugees from the war in Ukraine. This year, the situation has not changed, Ukrainian mothers are driving these high numbers of non-Czech mothers in the first half of this year. There were almost 500 more live births with Ukrainian mothers. The Ukrainian mothers compose more than two-fifths of all non-Czech mothers of new-borns. On the other hand, the number of Slovak and Vietnamese mothers has decreased.”

See the rest here.

Author: Amelia Mola-Schmidt

After dropping for three consecutive years, the number of suicides in Czechia increased in 2022. Over 1,300 Czechs took their own life last year and the increase was most significant in younger age groups. I discussed the alarming development with Alexandr Kasal from the National Centre for Mental Health:

“Compared to the last three years, when the numbers were mostly stable or only slightly increasing, the 2022 increase was about 6 percent. This might be a wake-up call for the Czech system of mental health care and experts in suicide prevention. It is true that if we compare it to a longer period, the numbers were higher back then. Still, it is quite alarming.”

So what are the main reasons behind the growing number of suicides here in Czechia?

“Well, as for any individual suicide death, the reasons are usually quite complex, so we don’t have a clear answer to this. However, some of the factors behind the increase in 2022 is that it is still just a few years since the Covid-19 pandemics. Also, the Russian aggression in Ukraine has definitely had an effect on the whole society.”

See the rest here.

Author: Ruth Fraňková

Photo: Michaela Říhová, ČTK

Prime Minister Petr Fiala has just launched a plan he says will help modernize the Czech economy in key fields – and make the country a European hub within the next 10 years. But what are the chances of his Restart Czechia programme actually having a lasting impact?

The prime minister was upbeat when he unveiled his new vista for the economy in a presentation at a business forum named Czechia at a Crossroads – and highlighted key areas of focus for the coming decades.

“Transport, energy infrastructure, nuclear power, lithium, chips and trends in information technology. These are six concrete fields that have enormous potential to change our country. Therefore a major part of our strategic investment must go into those very areas.”

Petr Fiala has dubbed this programme Restart Czechia and says it should also help cut red tape, boost confidence and improve the education system. All of this should make the country a key European hub within a decade.

See the rest here.

Author: Ian Willoughby

The head of the Office of the President of the Republic, Jana Vohralíková, decided to split the position of press spokesperson for the President of the Republic and director of the Department of Communications into two separate positions.

The reason for the adopted changes is the currently large amount of implemented agenda connected with the high workload of the current director of the communication department. Markéta Řeháková was offered the position of spokesperson for the president of the republic, which she accepted.

At the same time, we are announcing that Linda Jozwiak Kopecká is leaving the position of Director of the Cabinet of the President of the Republic, following the planned changes related to Linda Jozwiak Kopecká’s job title. Part of the decision was also consideration of another job offer outside the Office of the President of the Republic.

“I thank both of them for the work done and I wish them much success in their professional and private lives”, added Jana Vohralíková.

Photo: Petr Zmek

The President of the Republic, Petr Pavel, distributed the unused funds for the election campaign between social, health, and other public benefit organizations. Among a total of seven organizations based primarily in structurally affected regions distributed almost 2,350,000 crowns equally.

The funds were distributed among the following organizations: Charita Hlučín, Charita Most, Klubíčko Cheb, z.s., Linka bezpeči, z.s., Foundation fund Modrá rybka, Hope for all, z.s. and Res vitae, z.s.

President Pavel wants to cooperate more with the regions and help regions that suffer from structural problems within the Czech Republic and are often overlooked. In his earlier personal visits to these regions, he was interested in particular problems of local citizens, and opportunities for development or strengthening of social cohesion. Therefore, the president chose five of the seven gifted organizations from the Karlovy Vary, Moravian-Silesian, and Ústí regions. The other two then work in Prague. Each organization was donated more than 335,000 crowns.

The unused funds of President Pavel’s election campaign will be used to help children who have found themselves in a crisis or threat and cannot remain with their families for various reasons, to support the education of children of disadvantaged people and single parents as well as these persons and the parents themselves, and on linking formal and informal education within the Strategy of the Education Policy of the Czech Republic until 2030+. The donation will also be used by prevention and crisis workers, organizers of leisure activities for young people handicapped or health and social workers providing home care to clients. In this way, President Pavel decided to support demanding professions providing the necessary help and care to vulnerable people and their families.

The Law on the Election of the President of the Republic imposes the obligation to distribute surplus campaign funds to the president; the amount of funds and their specific distribution is then entirely at the choice of the elected president.

Photo: Prague Sounds

Prague Sounds is hosting a special concert at Vladislav Hall at Prague Castle in collaboration with the Prague Philharmonia, Czech Philharmonic, and Kyiv Symphony Orchestra – as well as the Prague Philharmonic Choir this Sunday. The music to be performed is Benjamin Britten’s War Requiem, based on poetry written by Wilfred Owen, a British war poet who was a victim of World War I. I spoke to the Programmer of Prague Sounds, Guy Borg about the upcoming performance and its significance.

I want to start by asking you about the significance of the music being performed at the concert this Sunday – it’ a piece by Benjamin Britten, can you tell me a bit about it?

“Britten’s War Requiem was written between 1961 and 1962 as a tribute to those who had fallen in war. It was first performed in one of the British cathedrals that was heavily bombed during the Second World War. The piece is a source of meditation on war, a tribute to the victims, and also a call of hope and it’s certainly against the barbarity of war.”

See the rest here.

Author: Amelia Mola-Schmidt

Photo: Maria Hammerich-Maier, Radio Prague International

Czechia holds the unusual distinction of having the most organs per capita in the world, with about 10,000 of them to the country’s roughly 10 million inhabitants, meaning there is one organ per 1,000 people. This edition of our Sunday music show brings you a selection of organ music performed by Adam Viktora, who is the organiser of the Czech Organ Festival currently taking place around the country.

The 17th edition of the Czech Organ Festival offers approximately 70 concerts of powerful music played on a variety of organs throughout the country, from the bustling capital of Prague to small village churches. The instruments, dating from the 17th to the first half of the 20th century, are very diverse, ranging from the large and famous to the rare and historic.

The concert repertoire is always tailored to the specific organ it is being played on, as each instrument is unique and has its own unmistakable sound. Baroque pieces are ideal for a baroque organ, while a romantic instrument is best suited to a romantic repertoire, says Adam Viktora.

See the rest here.

Author: Libor Kukal, Source:www.ceskevarhany.cz

Photo: Matthieu Berroneau, Czech Academy of Sciences

Scientists in Czechia have discovered a new species of mammal. The greater white-toothed shrew migrated to the country from North Africa and has become the 90th mammal species recorded in Czechia. Scientists say it was most likely driven to this territory by global climate change.

The greater white-toothed shrew is a small mammal resembling a mouse, with a long pointed snout and tiny eyes. However, unlike the mouse, it is carnivorous, feeding mainly on invertebrates, but occasionally also on small rodents and amphibians.

The small mammal was discovered in the Cheb region by experts from the Academy of Sciences last autumn, while collecting samples of house mice in the Cheb region in the westernmost part of the country.

See the rest here.

Author: Ruth Fraňková; Karolína Burdová

Photo: Michaela Danelová, Czech Radio

After years of legal disputes, the City of Prague and the descendants of Art Nouveau painter Alfons Mucha have finally reached agreement over ownership rights to Mucha’s famous Slav Epic. The two sides have agreed to cooperate in creating a centre where the cycle of paintings will be displayed.

The Slav Epic is a monumental work of Czech painter Alfons Mucha in which he traces the history of the ancient Slavs. Mucha, who regarded the cycle of 20 huge canvasses as his lifetime achievement, dedicated the series of paintings to the City of Prague in 1928 on condition that a suitable venue was provided to showcase them.

To this day, however, Prague City Hall has not been able to find a suitable location and the fate of the Slav Epic became the focal point of a drawn-out legal battle between the Czech capital and the descendants of the painter.

See the rest here.

Author: Ruth Fraňková

Photo: archive of Veronika Láníková

Just a few minutes away from Charles Bridge, overlooking the picturesque Old Town square, lies GOMA, or the “Gallery of Modern Art ” as it calls itself in English. Having just opened earlier this year, it has bold plans to become a “living space” in the city. For now, however, it may be described as a little bit of Český Krumlov in Prague, exhibiting the works of one of the town’s prominent modern artists – Miroslav Páral.

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Author: Thomas McEnchroe

Photo: Ian Willoughby, Radio Prague International

Next Saturday, Sparta Prague will take on city rivals Slavia Prague in the women’s edition of the most fiercely contested derby in Czech football. In goal for the hosts will be 24-year-old Sydney Schneider, who just weeks ago was at the Women’s World Cup in Australia and New Zealand with the Jamaican national squad. Ahead of the derby at Sparta’s 19,000 capacity Letná stadium, I spoke to Schneider at a club facility in the Prosek district.

Could you please tell us something about yourself – you’re on the Jamaican national team, but you’re from New Jersey?

“Both of my grandparents on my mom’s side, so both of her parents, were born in Jamaica and then they moved to the States. They had my mom and then she had me – so that’s how it can be possible.”

See the rest here.

Author: Ian Willoughby

Wife of the President of the Republic, Eva Pavlova started the new school year at Jindřichov Elementary School and Kindergarten. She welcomed the first-graders, to whom she presented a children’s book “From the Diary of the Blue-eyed Cat” and small gifts. “We will try to make sure that you have a good time in this country, that you do well, and that you enjoy school. It’s nice to be in such a nice school.

I used to go to kindergarten here, I went to school over the hill. I lived here for 18 years, I created many friendships,” said Eva Pavlová to the children.

She then met with the school director, teachers, school staff, and the mayor of Jindřichov. “I would like to thank the mayor of the village of Jindřichov and the school director for their kind welcome and at the same time for the hard work that they do here,” said Eva Pavlová.

She choose to go to school in Jindřichov for the reason that it is located in a structurally affected region.

During a visit to Jindřichov, she met her ex-teacher and classmate.

Photo: Archive KPR

At the invitation of President Olena Zelenská’s wife, Eva Pavlova attended the third summit of first ladies and gentlemen in Kyiv on Wednesday, September 6, 2023. Diana Nausediene, the first lady of Lithuania, Ales Musar, the first gentleman, came to Kyiv with her of Slovenia, Sirie Karis, First Lady of Estonia, Tamara Vucic, wife of the Serbian President, Anna Hakobyan, wife of the Prime Minister of the Republic of Armenia and Juraj Rizman, partner of the President of the Slovak Republic. Other first ladies and gentlemen joined in remotely. Special guest was Antony Blinken, Secretary of State of the United States of America. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyi also spoke at the summit.

The main topic of the summit was mental health and the effects of war on the mental health of the population of the attacked country and other states.

“The war in Ukraine strongly affected the whole world. It has affected our lives, values, and economy. In the Czech Republic, we provide shelter to 350,000 Ukrainian war refugees, mostly women, children, and the elderly. Our children are getting to know Ukrainian peers in schools, we work with Ukrainian colleagues and follow the events in Ukraine in the media. We all hope that this painful war will soon end and the process of “restoration” of the wounded souls and the devastated country will begin, “Eva Pavlova said in Kyiv.

Photo: Archive KPR

A fierce battle is expected in the lower house this week over a government-proposed austerity package aimed at reducing the steep deficit in public finances. A recent poll by Generali Investments indicated that 81 percent of Czech citizens are concerned about its impacts on their finances. I spoke to Prague-based economist Lukáš Kovanda about whether this fear is grounded.

Could explain what changes the austerity package will bring and whether Czechs are right to be concerned about them?

“The package contains a number of tax hikes, and people are concerned that with tax hikes their living standards would worsen. These new taxes could add up on top of worsening living standards that have taken place because of high energy prices and inflation – this is the worst it’s been in the Czech Republic in the last 30 years. Many people are facing the worsening of their economic situations, accompanied by a huge decline in real wages – it’s the worst in the history of the Czech Republic since 1993. Now this consolidation package has brought some factors that may worsen their living standards. So this why they are sceptical about this package.”

See the rest here.

Author: Amelia Mola-Schmidt

We’ve heard of electric vehicles, but how about hydrogen powered cars? A group of five students from the Prague British International School are taking their design to Las Vegas to compete in a grand prix race with cars from over 20 countries. The vehicle took five months for the team to construct and will race over six hours at the tournament. I spoke with one of the students from the project, 17-year-old Jacek Chmiel about the process of designing the car.

For our listeners and myself included who may not know what a hydrogen powered-cell car is, can you explain this to us?

“Of course! It’s a fuel-cell electric vehicle – that’s a bit of a mouthful, so it’s much easier to call it a hydrogen car. The hydrogen is passed through a fuel cell to generate electricity. That is because of the chemical properties of hydrogen, you can pass it through a special membrane to generate electricity, and that is used to power a battery that powers a motor. The battery is there because the motor while accelerating draws a lot of power, and to give the car a lot more agility, it goes through a battery, and that’s how the hydrogen charging mechanism works.”

See the rest here.

Author: Amelia Mola-Schmidt

Photo: Barbora Němcová, Radio Prague International

Czech highways and first-class roads are dotted with illegal billboards. For over twenty years now the authorities have been engaged in a cat and mouse game with their owners who frequently move them from place to place. A new amendment to the road law, due to come into force next year, should put an end to that.

Since the 2017 approval of a law banning advertising billboards from the sides of all motorways and first class roads, close to five thousand such illegal billboards have been removed from roads around the country. And municipalities, towns and regions say that, despite the legislation, the struggle to deal with visual pollution, particularly close to cities, has not got any easier. Michal Šebek, deputy mayor of České Budějovice says those putting them up are always a step ahead.

See the rest here.

Authors: Daniela Lazarová, Matěj Vodička, Source:Český rozhlas

Photo: archive of Czech Radio

One of the founding fathers of the nation, a pillar of Czechoslovak diplomacy and statehood, Edvard Beneš was destined to serve his country as president in the most turbulent years of the 20th century.

Edvard Beneš was one of the co-founders of independent Czechoslovakia, working for the creation of the common state of Czechs and Slovaks from abroad, together with Tomáš Garrigue Masaryk and Milan Rastislav Štefánik.

He was the first and longest-serving foreign minister of Czechoslovakia, holding the post from 1918 to 1935 through ten successive governments, one of which he headed himself from 1921 to 1922.

When President Tomáš Garrigue Masaryk retired in 1935, Beneš succeeded him as Czechoslovak president.

He served as the country’s president from 1935 to 1938, and again from 1939 to 1948.

See the rest here.

Photo: archive of University of Defence

A new programme at Prague’s Charles University is to give students credits for training with the Active Reserve, the Czech Army’s equivalent of the National Guard in the US. What is the idea behind the scheme? And doesn’t it represent a certain militarisation of society? I spoke to the programme’s initiator, Jan Kofroň of the Institute of Political Studies at the Faculty of Social Sciences.

“We live in a relatively dangerous moment in our national history, in the history of Central Europe. And I think the defence of the Czech Republic, and our nation, if you like, is quite important.

“We know that typically younger people do not want to serve as much as we would like – or as the Czech Army or Czech society would like. So what we are trying to achieve is to provide some small benefit to those who have decided to take care of the defence of the Czech Republic.

“I don’t think that somebody would go into the Active Reserve just because of a few credits. But I think is a way to show that we appreciate their efforts, and that we are well aware that their service is of value for the broader society.”

See the rest here.

Author: Ian Willoughby

Photo: Vít Šimánek, ČTK

An international 10km race, bringing together runners of all performance levels and offering a unique atmosphere, was held in central Prague at twilight on Saturday.

Source: ČTK

Little chap Tika is exactly one year old today. The cub of the critically endangered species is thriving and visitors can watch its cute grins and frolics in the outdoor enclosure on these sunny days. Photo by Petr Hamerník, Prague Zoo

Today it is twelve months since a Central American Mexican carp cub was born at the Prague Zoo. The little primate, who was later named Tiko, thrives and spends days in front of visitors on the Monkey Islands. At the same time, it is one of the most significant additions to the Prague Zoo. Only one other institution in Europe is successfully breeding the critically endangered subspecies of these monkeys.

“Tiko’s first birthday and he makes us happy. He is still drinking breast milk, but he is already trying to taste vegetables. She is boldly moving away from her mother Talula more and more and further. However, as soon as something startles him, he whistles, and that morning his mother runs to save him, to whom he cuddles,” says chief primate keeper Martin Vojáček.

Tiko uses his long tail not only when climbing branches as a belaying rope for a climber, but at the same time he also uses it to watch over his mother Talula – so in this case it is more about parental supervision. Photo by Petr Hamerník, Prague Zoo

Baby monkeys are closely tied to their mothers, just like other New World primates, such as ring-tailed monkeys and monkeys. Unlike old-world monkeys – gueres or marsupials – in whose groups several other “aunties” willingly take care of their offspring, people see little Tik almost exclusively by Talula’s side.

“People can watch the little guy’s fun games almost anytime. Mornings and early afternoons are best, but due to their daily activity and general tenacity, there is practically always something happening on the island. From the point of view of visitors, they are thus a very attractive species,” adds Martin Vojáček.

The bald spot at the end of the tail serves the graspers for an even better grip on the branches. With a bit of exaggeration, the unusually long tail can thus be described as the fifth limb. Photo by Petr Hamerník, Prague Zoo

Currently, people will find a group of five in the exhibition. In addition to Tiko and his parents – the dominant couple, which consists of a male Benji and a female Talula – it is inhabited by Tiko’s three-year-old sister Tianna and an unrelated female Petula. Prague Zoo is the most successful European breeder of this critically endangered subspecies – a cub is born here regularly roughly every three years since 2007, while breeding began in 2005.

Chapanis are generally characterized by a prehensile tail, which is more like a fifth limb. Thanks to this, their name can be translated from Spanish or English as “spider monkey”. The Central American Mexican Capybara is an arboreal primate and therefore suffers mainly from deforestation in its homeland. According to estimates, their population has fallen by an alarming four-fifths over the past three generations.

Tiko is already trying to taste solid food. In addition to vegetables such as carrots, spinach, tomatoes and cucumbers, unlike most other primates, chimpanzees also regularly receive fruit – apples, pears or peaches.

Photo by Petr Hamerník, Prague Zoo

Photo: Olga Vasinkevič, Radio Prague International

The Svatá Hora Basilica near Příbram, 60 km south-west of Prague, is one of the most famous Roman Catholic pilgrimage sites in Czechia. The early Baroque complex was built on a site where miracles attributed to the Virgin Mary are said to have occurred.

The first attested miracle on the site occurred in June 1632, when a certain Jan Procházka is said to have regained his sight. More than 4500 miracles are recorded in the church’s chronicles, each meticulously recorded with its own serial number and the year in which it occurred. Thanks to its reputation for miraculous healing, Emperor Ferdinand II and his son, who eventually succeeded him as Emperor Ferdinand III, visited the site in 1634 and twice more in 1646.

See the rest here.

Author: Klára Stejskalová, Source:Český rozhlas

At the moment, there is no limit in Czechia to the amount of times somebody can donate their egg and sperm cells for assisted reproduction. But the government wants to change that with a centralised register of donors that they hope will stop overzealous individuals and inadvertent inbreeding.

Many were shocked by the recent fertility scandal that rocked the Netherlands: the case of Jonathan M, a 41-year-old man suspected of fathering more than 550 children through sperm donations. He was taken to court by a foundation protecting the rights of donor children and was ordered to stop donating.

But, it turns out, there is nothing to prevent a similar situation happening in Czechia. At the moment, there is no upper limit to the amount of times a person can donate egg or sperm cells, and no records are kept of previous donations. Moreover, clinics are under no obligation to share any information about donors with each other.

See the rest here.

Authors: Anna Fodor, Vít Kubant, Source:iROZHLAS.cz

Photo: archive of Chi Xiao Mian

Nestled just off of the Jiřího z Poděbrad square in Vinohrady is the newly opened Chi Xiao Mian restaurant, where owner Gong Xuewen brings a taste of her hometown’s unique cuisine to residents and visitors of Prague. Her mission: to break down people’s stereotypes of Chinese food. I caught up with Xuewen to discuss the restaurant, and started by asking why she chose Prague to open her business.

See the rest here.

Author: Amelia Mola-Schmidt

Photo: Pilsner Urquell

Radegast has designed and created their first environmentally friendly lager, a limited edition brew called “Futur”.

Radegast brewery has developed a new beer that is made using EWA technology, which can extract water out of extremely dry and hot environments – bringing attention to the water insecurity issues being faced worldwide. The technology can extract 35 litres of water a day, even from the driest climates in the world.

The beer, a bitter lager titled “Futur”, is about twice as bitter as a standard Czech lager. It’s also limited edition, being produced in small batches, so it will only be available to sample at Radegast Days, happening on August 26th in Nošovice, or you can enter in the company’s social media competition to win some bottles of the environmental brew.

See the rest here.

Photo Source: KPR

In Prague on August 29, 2023,at the invitation of the President of the Republic, Petr Pavel, the President of the Republic of North Macedonia Stevo Pendarovski and his wife Elizabeta Gjorgievska, came to the Czech Republic for an official visit.

According to the Office of the President of the Republic, the reason for inviting the President of North Macedonia was mainly to support the country’s pro-European orientation. The Czech Republic has long supported the integration of countries of the Western Balkans into European and transatlantic structures. It wants to prevent the destabilization of the region, either as a result of ethnic tensions or the growing influence of China and Russia. The Czech Republic also appreciates North Macedonia’s approach to the Ukrainian crisis, its supply of arms and military material to the attacked country.

In recent years, the two countries have cooperated mainly in solving security and migration issues, with North Macedonia being one of the main transit countries during the migration crisis.

When the fight against illegal migration represents a buffer zone in front of the external border of the European Union, thus helping to strengthen the security of member countries with its activities. In this context, Czech police officers are deployed in the country, serving as part of the Frontex agency.

The goal of the visit of the president of North Macedonia is also a trade promotion.

The presidential couple began their visit at Prague Castle in front of the Honorary Unit of the Castle Guard. This was followed by the introduction and meeting of the members of the national delegations, an entry in the memorial book Prague Castle, exchange of gifts, and private meeting of the presidential couples.

Eva Pavlová and Elizabeta Gjorgievská visited the Cathedral of sv. Víta Václava a Vojtěcha, the Old Royal Palace and the South Gardens of Prague Castle.

At the press conference, President Petr Pavel emphasized:

“The Balkans was and is a territory that is a crossroads of various influences. And it is important for us that this region remains safe. The Czech Republic supported Macedonia’s entry into NATO and today supports its efforts to join the European Union. North Macedonia is in the Balkans migration path, we have a common interest in solving illegal migration, which is why more than 1,800 Czech policemen and policewomen took turns on its territory to help protect the border against illegal migration.”

Photos from the visit of the President of the Republic of North Macedonia will be available on www.hrad.cz.

Photo Source: KPR

According to him, the security of the Czech Republic has three prerequisites: relations with its neighbors, membership in the EU and NATO, and a prosperous Ukraine

On August 29, 2023 the President of the Republic Petr Pavel received the heads of the Czech Republic’s embassies abroad at Prague Castle. The meeting takes place every year on the occasion of the meeting of ambassadors, to which he invites them to Prague Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Czech Republic.

In President Pavel in a speech he outlined his vision of how he would approach foreign policy. He appreciated that after a long time, the highest constitutional officials have agreed on the need to strive for a unified and predictable Czech foreign policy.

President Pavel sees three basic prerequisites for the security of the Czech Republic. “In the modern world, which is based on values, the will and right of the stronger must not prevail. No one can take away from the current crisis, the feeling that manipulation and violence to advance one’s own interests pays off,” he said. Therefore, support for Ukraine will continue to be a part of all his negotiations. He emphasized that Russia’s victory cannot be allowed. For the most reliable guarantee of long-term peace in Eastern Europe

The president considers a prosperous and democratic Ukraine that will be fully integrated into the Euro-Atlantic community.

He identified problem-free relations with neighbors as the second prerequisite for the security of the Czech Republic. He highlighted the above-standard ties with Slovakia. In terms of size and strength, it is considered it to be the most important European partner Germany. He also mentioned the importance of regional formats, for example, the so-called Visegrad Four.

After the withdrawal of Great Britain from the European Union, he considered it necessary to diligently search for coalitions across the continent in the Baltics, in Scandinavia, and among other medium-sized countries.

According to President Pavel, the third clear prerequisite for a strong and secure Czech Republic is the membership of the Czech Republic in the European Union and the North Atlantic Alliance. Among the closest allies is the United States of America.

The President also mentioned the relations with the countries of the Western Balkans and with the states of the so-called Associated Trio, i.e. Ukraine, Moldova, and Georgia, which need a helping hand in connection with their interests in integration into the Euro-Atlantic area. “The enlargement of the European Union is increasingly proving to be not only a geopolitical priority but an existential issue,” he said.

President Pavel wants to intensify relations with the community of geographically more distant democratic states. According to him, the Czech Republic has important allies not only in the Euro-Atlantic area but also in the Indo-Pacific.

He also wishes for a much more honest dialogue with the countries of the so-called Global South.

The president promised to work to support economic diplomacy. According to him, the Czech Republic should continue the tradition of support in the field of human rights.

The President emphasized that the fulfillment of his vision requires a unified and stable foreign policy and public trust in foreign policy.

Meetings of the heads of embassies of the Czech Republic abroad are convened by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Czech Republic regularly, usually at the end of the summer. Representatives of the Černín Palace speak at the several-day meeting.

Photo: Zuzana Jarolímková, Czech Radio

The Ukrainian foreign minister, Dmytro Kuleba, paid a brief working visit to Prague on Monday for talks on further Czech assistance to Ukraine, the abduction of Ukrainian children to Russia and preparations for the third Crimea Platform Summit due to take place in Prague in October. During his visit, he granted Czech Radio an exclusive interview.

How important is the Czech Republic among Ukraine’s supporters?

“Top of the top. There is a group of countries that support Ukraine more than anyone else and Czechia definitely belongs to this group. We are extremely grateful. Our cooperation is perfect and we understand that the people of Czechia and the government of Czechia realize that what is at stake in Ukraine is also of vital importance for the security and prosperity of Czechia. So it is a very natural alliance.”

So you say that that is the reason why the Czech Republic and the Czech government are so determined to help Ukraine…

“Yes, I think the reason is the future. Because you understand that without Ukraine’s victory you will be facing much bigger problems caused by Russia. This is why Ukraine must win. But, also, let us be frank, because of history. There is a bill that Czechia and Ukraine have to settle with Russia – all the damage that Russia and its predecessor, the Soviet Union, inflicted on our nations.”

See the rest here.

Authors: Filip Nerad, Daniela Lazarová

Photo: Lenka Žižková, Radio Prague International

The Czech government has decided in favour of regulating, rather than banning, the sale of kratom, CBD or HHC products. A proposed bill to that effect would create a new legal category of “psychomodulating substances” which would be sold to adults only, under strict conditions.

HHC, CBD and kratom have become increasingly popular of late with sales outlets and vending machines now available virtually in every bigger town and city. The Health Ministry had been ringing alarm bells, demanding a ban on the sale of these products, with the possibility of dispensing psychoactive substances in small quantities on prescription.

However, largely driven by the arguments of the Pirate Party, the government decided to take a more benevolent approach and allow their sale under strict conditions that would enable the state authorities to monitor the quality of these products and register sales outlets.

See the rest here.

Authors: Daniela Lazarová, Pavlína Nečásková, Source:Český rozhlas

Photo: CAMP

The Centre for Metropolitan Planning (CAMP) in Prague is hosting their first annual Archirun, an event spotlighting the iconic architectural work of Karel Prager who was born 100 years ago. The run will take joggers on a tour across the city, where they will stop at the buildings Prager designed to learn about their history, which at times is seen as controversial. I spoke with Štěpán Bärtl, head of CAMP, about what’s in store for Saturday, and why we should remember the work of Prager.

“Prager is one of the most famous architects of the 20th century. The reason why CAMP is remembering him and pushing this topic is because CAMP itself is housed in one of his lesser famous buildings called the Prager’s Cubes. We not only wanted to remember that, but also the other important buildings within the centre of Prague, and combine it with running. We came up with this idea to do a run through all the famous buildings by Karel Prager.”

See the rest here.

Author: Amelia Mola-Schmidt

Photo: Tomáš Černý, Czech Radio

The Czech band Sto Zvířat has been on the scene for over thirty years. Last week it lost its frontman and co-founder Jan Kalina.

The Czech band Sto Zvirat (Hundred Animals) was founded in 1990 soon after the fall of communism in Czechoslovakia. During the four decades of communist rule people had little access to Western music and tapes of Western hits were smuggled into the country, rerecorded and passed from hand to hand among trusted friends. Inspired by bands like Madness, The Specials or The Selecter, Sto Zvirat was like a breath of fresh air in post-1989 Czechoslovakia. It popularized the then almost unknown genres of ska and rocksteady, and later also reggae and swing.

See the rest here.

Author: Daniela Lazarová, Source:Český rozhlas

Police statistics indicate a year-on-year increase in reported cases of domestic and sexual violence in Czechia. The police registered 430 cases of domestic violence last year, while this year, there were 274 cases in the first six months alone. I spoke to Branislava Marvánová Vargová, head of the government committee for the prevention of domestic violence, to find out what is behind the statistics.

What do these figures actually mean? Do they mean that domestic and sexual violence is on the rise, and if so, why? Or is it just that more people are reporting it?

“That’s a good question, because if we’re talking about administrative data, like police data, for example, we know that the number of cases which are reported is really just the tip of the iceberg in terms of prevalence of domestic violence. So it’s difficult from these numbers to say that the number of cases is rising.

“I would say that there are more cases being reported, or that a higher number of cases being reported are qualifying as a crime of abuse of a person living in the same dwelling. Because there might be a higher number of reported incidents, but they may not necessarily be classified as a criminal act.”

See the rest here.

Author: Anna Fodor

Photo: Czech Television

One of Czechia’s most important Roma leaders, Karel Holomek, has died at the age of 86. An activist, politician and journalist, Mr. Holomek was involved in the foundation of the national Museum of Romani Culture and numerous other key initiatives.

The Roma news website Romea broke the news that Karel Holomek had died on Sunday at the age of 86, describing him as one of the most important members of the country’s Romany community.

Holomek was a man of many activities. In an interview with the Memory of Nations project, he recalled one of them: distributing samizdat literature in the late communist period.

“I found myself among a group of people who were distributing those books. People knew that as a construction site manager I had a service car, and drove from site to site. They knew that was perfect for distributing samizdat, including the magazines Svědectví and Listy, and that I could get it to technical experts. Which I did.”

Holomek also founded a Roma rights organisation, the first in Czechoslovakia, in the1980s. But it was after the fall of communism that he really came into his own.

See the rest here.

Author: Ian Willoughby

In Prague on August 31 The wife of the President of the Republic organized a round table at Prague Castle dedicated to the capacity and personnel problems of providing primary care for children and adolescents in the Czech Republic.

Eva Pavlová wants to support this path with her husband, knowing that she cannot substitute legislative processes.

During her visits to the regions, the wife of the President of the Republic often spoke with parents, doctors, and representatives of cities and municipalities about the situation, which may turn into a real crisis in the near future. Areas her interest is the “Healthy Family” concept, therefore she invited representatives of all entities directly affected by ensuring the functioning of primary child care to help her find the cause of existing problems and define steps leading to correction. So, that the Czech Republic does not lose its unique in many ways and, until recently, extremely functional system, in which every child has its own registrar pediatrician who accompanies him until adulthood. This is in most countries, not even economically mature countries, is far from a given.

The roundtable was moderated by a first lady’s content team member, Lilly Ahou Král.

At the round table were:

MD Alena Šebková, chairwoman of the Professional Society of Pediatric Practitioners ČLS JEP and member of the ČLS JEP Board of Directors

MD Ctirad Kozderka, vice-chairman of the Association of General Practitioners for Children and Adolescents of the Czech Republic

professor MUDr. Martin Repko, Ph.D., chairman of the Association of Deans of Medical Faculties of the Czech Republic

MD Irena Maříková MBA, director of the Institute of Postgraduate Education in Healthcare

M.Sc. František Lukl, MPA, chairman of the Union of Towns and Municipalities of the Czech Republic

Ing. Jan Bozděch Ph.D., mayor of Klenčí pod Čerchov

Josef Pavlovic, Bc., Deputy Minister of Health of the Czech Republic

Eva Holečková and Michaela Kopalová members of the content team

The round table discussed the causes of the problems. One of the main ones is the aging of doctors and the lack of new doctors coming into pediatric practice. “Already today, many parents, especially from smaller villages cannot find a doctor for their child who would register them, and they travel tens of kilometers to see him,” emphasized MUDr. Šebkova.

M.Sc. František Lukl, MPA, confirmed that from the point of view of the Association of Towns and Municipalities of the Czech Republic, which he chairs, this is a hot topic. “Primary medical care is an integral part of the infrastructure – in municipalities where job opportunities are decreasing, post offices are being closed and general pediatricians’ offices are disappearing, the quality of life is deteriorating, young people are leaving them for bigger cities and the countryside is depopulates,” stated Mgr. Lukl.

At the round table, it was said that to supplement the capacities and put into practice approx. 1000 missing general pediatricians is not possible from day to day. However, Eva Pavlová asked the present Deputy Minister of Health Josef Pavlovic for his office’s feedback on the possible implementation of the proposed measures and other solutions, which were discussed at the round table and which could be approached immediately.

Pictures : Department of Communication – President office

Photo: Office of Czech Government

Addressing a meeting of Czech diplomats at Czernin Palace, Prime Minister Petr Fiala highlighted Russia’s imperialist policy as the foremost security concern facing the Czech Republic and the democratic world. He said Russian attempts to recover its one-time sphere of influence must be stopped, no matter how costly it is, or how long it takes.

In the past, the annual consultations of Czech diplomats at Czernin Palace tended to revolve around economic diplomacy. This year they revolved mainly around the new security threat stemming from Russia’s expansionist ambitions. Prime Minister Petr Fiala stressed that Czechia must persevere in its efforts to help Ukraine win this war; no matter the cost or time it would take.

See the rest here.

Author: Daniela Lazarová

Between a third to a half of all art works for sale in Czechia could be fakes, according to the Art Report 2023. The report, which surveys the main actors in the Czech art world, including collectors, dealers, and experts, found that forgeries are considered to be the biggest problem currently facing the domestic market and that the number of forgeries, especially of works of modern art, has been on the increase. But how are forgeries uncovered, and how can you test the authenticity of a painting?

Verifying the authenticity of a painting is no easy task, but fortunately, nowadays we have a number of methods at our disposal, says Vítězslav Knotek from the University of Chemistry and Technology. In addition to the expertise of art historians and appraisers, there are also chemical methods.

“We can find out the composition of the pigment used in the painting. Some modern pigments did not exist in the 18th century, for example. And on the basis of that analysis, we can prove that the artist couldn’t have used pigments that were created after his death.”

However, chemical analyses are not preferred in the case of an irreplaceable work, as the analysis requires microscopic samples to be taken from the painting, which damages it and decreases its value. In these cases, X-rays can be used instead to penetrate under the painting and see if it has been painted over, without causing any damage to it.

See the rest here.

Authors: Anna Fodor, Martin Srb, Source:iROZHLAS.cz

Excessively high food costs have been driving many Czechs to do their shopping across the border in Poland or Germany. Reacting to the high profits posted by agricultural companies, Prime Minister Petr Fiala said he is glad the price of basic foodstuffs like milk, sugar, and butter is finally beginning to fall, and that others must follow suit. However, given the country’s dependence on imported products, there is little control over determining food prices due to a lack of internal competition.

I spoke with Dana Večeřová, President of the Czech Food Chamber, about the situation.

To start with, could you give us an overview of the situation with food prices here in Czechia?

“Currently, food prices are beginning to stabilize and price growth is slowing down. The problem with food prices was especially bad last year after the start of the war in Ukraine; the prices of energy, gas, and electric rose sharply. Depending on the type of product, production costs increased by 40 to 80 percent. The cost of agriculture materials needed for processing and packaging also increased, and so did wages. Unfortunately, the Czech Republic had and still has one of the highest energy prices in Europe, which of course has a big impact on the costs in the agriculture and food sector.”

See the rest here.

Author: Amelia Mola-Schmidt

Photo: Barbora Navrátilová, Radio Prague International

The Wallenstein Garden will host an outdoor concert Wednesday evening, with music being performed by the Prague Symphony Orchestra and directed by Czech conductor Jan Kučera. The show will present classical music and also the soundtracks of famous films. We spoke to the program coordinator Martin Rudovský about what’s in store.

Can you tell us about what’s in store tonight at the free concert in the Wallenstein Garden?

“It’s been our tradition since the 1940’s to do this concert in the Wallenstein Garden, but we re-established it again in 2014 with an annual opening of the season. The conductor for this season in the garden is Jan Kučera, and we perform mainly film, opera, and concert music.”

Is there anything interesting to know about the conductor of the show, Jan Kučera?

“He is really exceptional, he’s a completely universal conductor. An arranger, a very good composer, and a very good moderator of the show. He does many shows across the Czech Republic. He’s quite famous and we love him, he has no problem talking, conducting, and composing for these concerts, he’s a really special guy.”

See the rest here.

Photo: Tomáš Mařas, Czech Radio

Visitors to the Crystal Valley Week glass festival, taking place in Liberec this week, were wowed by the sound of an exotic-looking musical instrument that few people could put a name to. It was a Celtic carnyx made of glass, specially produced for the festival.

Czech glassblowers are exceptionally skilled craftsmen and in addition to creating breathtaking lights, vases and other glass installations for mansions, luxury yachts and palaces the world over they occasionally try their hand at a special challenge – a music instrument made of glass.

In this case it was an artistic looking Celtic carnyx. Ondřej Glogar is the only musician far-and-wide who knows how to play one. He explains what it is:

“The Celts used this trumpet-like instrument to summon each other to battle, or to communicate with each other in battle. The original instruments weren’t this big. This is 2.2 meters long, usually they were about 1.5 meters, so they would be easier to handle and carry around. Some Celtic warriors had them strapped to their belt together with a sword.”

See the rest here.

Authors: Daniela Lazarová, Tomáš Mařas, Source:Český rozhlas

Photo: Czech Bikes for Gambian Schools

When Roman Posolda set up his Bikes for Africa project in Ostrava in 2012, he had no idea how well it would take root in this country and how long it would run for. More than a decade later, the organization is still going strong, attracting new volunteers and expanding its vision. I spoke with Roman about where the project is heading and what inspired him to send bikes to children in Africa.

“It is something that is very much part of my whole life –it is not just about the starting date which was in 2012 when we registered the Bicycles for Africa organization in the Czech Republic. The following year we started sending bicycles to Gambia. But as I said, bicycles have been a big part of my life since childhood.”

See the rest here.

Author: Daniela Lazarová

Anglo American University kicked off the 2023-24 school year with its second annual Community Day on Wednesday, inviting students, staff, faculty, and alumni to greet each other and cultivate meaningful relationships. The theme of this year’s event was “Unity in Diversity: Embracing the Diverse AAU Community”.

Addressing Diversity

In a panel discussion consisting of two alumni and two professors, each panelist described what Unity in Diversity should look like within the university and shared their own personal experiences regarding the topic.

“There are some perspectives that make it a point to silence or exclude other voices that don’t agree with them. That can happen on the extreme right, or on the extreme left. We’ve actually had a problem at AAU where conservative students were made to feel so unwelcome that they left,” Theodore A. Turnau, a professor at AAU pointed out during his speech, opening the panel discussion. “That’s not being a pluriversity that accepts a plurality of different perspectives,” he continued.

Professor Theodore A. Turnau during his speech on Unity in Diversity and how AAU can improve in the future.

The professors and alumni addressed past issues and grievances surrounding diversity in the university, and encouraged various solutions to a more inclusive and unifying approach for the future. A general focus of the panelists was the emphasis on respect for one another, and respect for one another’s differences.

“We have a lot of differences here, a lot of diversity, but that doesn’t mean that we can’t welcome each other. Having a welcoming attitude to people that are different, that’s what it means to live in a pluriversity–a Unity in Diversity; loving each other through our differences,” Turnau concluded.

Work hard, play hard

The event was accompanied by food, drinks and lively activities. Students gathered around a campfire in the courtyard to roast marshmallows and hot dogs, while others played Giant Jenga. The courtyard was eventually filled with students and faculty alike, facilitating discussion and developing connections and relationships. The interactiveness allowed for practiced inclusion among the AAU community in a light hearted and entertaining manner.

The AAU community was entertained with food, drinks, music, and activities.

Community Day was the opening event to a new school year, which began Thursday 31 August. With the values of respect, unity, and open discussion fresh in the minds of students, staff and faculty, AAU can begin the year optimistic about upholding and improving these values in the present and future.

 Text and pictures – Alexa Wandersee

A pile of ice piqued the interest of a herd of female Indian elephants. Tamara the elephant could pay attention to the ice cubes – which she scooped up with her trunk and munched with gusto – for the longest time. In the picture, Tamara stands on the right, Gulab in the middle and the smallest Lakuna on the left. Photo by Petr Hamerník, Prague Zoo

Animals and visitors at the Prague Zoo could enjoy literally icy refreshments today. More than six tons of ice cubes cooled the exhibits and also the visitor areas, which was especially welcomed by the children. For Indian elephants, North American otters, and kea nesters, piles of ice became, in addition to cooling down, an impulse for games and activity.

A four-member group of kea nesters won the most of all animals with ice enrichment. In particular, this year’s two young of these cool-loving parrots licked the cubes and then had fun throwing them into the air. Photo by Tereza Šolcová, Prague Zoo

“The heat is not good for the number of animals or the number of visitors. That is why we are coming up with new ways to cool down the Prague Zoo area in addition to snails and ice cream. Today, we consumed six tons of ice in the zoo,” said the director of the Prague Zoo, Miroslav Bobek. “It cooled both selected animals and visitors.”

A pair of North American otters looked at the ice cubes somewhat timidly at first. However, after a short while, curiosity combined with a taste for the fish lying nearby won, and even the ice provided them with cooling on a hot day. Photo by Oliver Le Que, Prague Zoo

Prague Zoo offers all kinds of refreshments on hot days. In addition to restaurants and ice cream stands, people across the site will find air fresheners, a number of shady seating areas, and air-conditioned pavilions. By purchasing affordable electronic tickets, visitors can also avoid ticket offices and head straight to the turnstiles.

Ice cubes were especially appreciated by younger visitors. Already in the morning, dozens of children came to the pile of ice near the Children’s Zoo to cool off. Photo by Oliver Le Que, Prague Zoo

Pens, erasers, pencil cases and backpacks – all these items for school children have seen a significant price hike this year as parents prepare their children to return to the classroom in September.

New data reveals that it will cost roughly 3,000 crowns to equip a first grader with school supplies required for the year here in Czechia, and in some cases – it can cost even more. Czech stores that sell school supplies, like Globus and Albert, have recorded a ten percent increase on some essential school items.

A survey conducted by Sodexo from the end of July and beginning of August polled Czech parents on what they anticipated to spend on their children’s school supplies, and over 40 percent of parents indicated they expect to spend anywhere from 2,000 to 4,000 thousand crowns.

See the rest here.

Author: Amelia Mola-Schmidt

Photo: Stanislav Callas, Prague Shakespeare Company

This Saturday, the Summer Shakespeare Festival will be concluding in Prague, with a special performance of Romeo and Juliet in English. The performance will take place in the courtyard of the Liechtenstein Palace in Prague’s Malá Strana neighbourhood. We spoke to the director of the show, Guy Roberts, about what’s in store this weekend.

See the rest here.

Author: Amelia Mola-Schmidt

The Enjoy Respect Prague campaign that launched last year aims to encourage tourists to behave with more respect towards the city and its local residents, for example by supporting local businesses rather than buying tacky souvenirs, using public transport rather than hop-on-hop-off buses, being quiet after 10pm, and not littering. But the newest addition to the campaign may raise some eyebrows – posters asking tourists not to pay money to people in the city centre offering the chance to take a selfie with a snake, owl or parrot.

Your first question when you hear about this campaign may be, like mine: “Does this even happen in Prague?” But Barbora Scherf from Prague City Tourism, one of the organisations behind the poster campaign, says that although the problem is smaller-scale and less visible than drunkenness and litter, it is very much there.

See the rest here.

Author: Anna Fodor

Photo: Michaela Říhová, ČTK

August 21 marks the 55th anniversary of the invasion of Czechoslovakia by Soviet-led Warsaw Pact troops. The crushing of the Prague Spring dashed people’s hopes of democracy and ushered in a long period of political and moral decline. More than 130 people died during the invasion and thousands fled the country in the years that followed.

See the rest here.

Author:Daniela Lazarová

Photo: Projekt Viskalia

Folk architecture is one of the cornerstones of regional and national identity, but it is rapidly disappearing. That is why ethnologists from the National Museum and Czech Academy of Sciences worked together with IT specialists from the Czech Technical University to create a virtual museum of folk architecture in Czechia.

For three years ethnologists studied and digitized collections of old photographs and plans of vernacular architecture from the 19th century to the 1950s. They went through roughly 30,000 photos, plans, and drawings, classifying each building according to regional house types. Where documentation was missing, they had to identify and locate the buildings and in many cases set off to inspect them.

See the rest here.

Author: Daniela Lazarová, source:Český rozhlas

Photo: Czech Tennis Association

Czechia’s Karolína Muchová lost to Coco Gauff in the Western & Southern Open yesterday in Cincinnati. The final match score was 6-3, 6-4. Despite the loss, Muchová managed to crack the Top 10 ranking.

It was a tough loss for Muchová since, after a major upset against Aryna Sabalenka in the semifinals on Saturday, the title was within reach. When asked about the loss, Muchová said “when I woke up this morning, the first thing I said was ‘Ouch,’ I knew it was going to be a tough task to win, especially against someone like Coco.” Muchová also cited that she was a little tired coming into the match on Sunday, as the semifinal game was over two and a half hours long the day before.

Despite the loss, Muchová will make her debut in the Top 10 on Monday after fighting up the rankings from outside the Top 150. This makjes her the seventh player from Czechia since 2000 to reach the Top 10.

See the rest here.

Author: Amelia Mola-Schmidt

Letna park is the second largest green space in the heart of the city, and there is something for every kind of visitor that the park has to offer. Skaters can shred by the metronome, children can play in the playgrounds, and friends can gather for picnics.

Author: Barbora Navrátilová

See the video here.

Hollywood film and TV productions have been on hold since the SAG-AFTRA actors’ union went on strike in July, two months after a similar move by the Writers Guild of America. Many international productions shoot in Czechia, so the shutdowns are a major concern to the local industry, which has already seen layoffs. I discussed the situation with Jason Pirodsky of The Prague Reporter.

“The impact has been really immediate, and quite devastating. There were three major Hollywood, or international, [TV series] productions shooting in Prague.

“One of those was The Wheel of Time, which has continued to shoot despite the fact that at least a couple of members of the cast are SAG-AFTRA members. So production on that has continued. I’m not sure if it has been affected in some elements, because of the cast members, but they’re continuing to shoot.

“The other two productions are Interview with the Vampire, for AMC, and Foundation, for Apple TV, and within days of the strike being announced both of those productions shut down completely.

“The impact there was in the range of a few thousand people, who went from having a full-time job to, overnight, not having that job.”

See the rest here.

Author: Ian Willoughby

New numbers are revealing that Czechia is home to one of the most expensive real estate markets in Europe – it would take 13 gross annual salaries to purchase property in the country. This year, Czechia is falling behind Slovakia, the neighbouring nation taking the first place spot. We spoke to Petr Hána who works at Deloitte here in Prague about the market situation.

Czechia is the second most expensive country in Europe right now for real estate, it would take roughly 13 gross annual salaries to buy a property of 70 square meters – what is driving this increase?

“Czechia has been in this position for quite a long time. What is driving this is that we are quite a small market, with one dominant city – Prague, this is where the majority of transactions are taking place on the residential market. To be honest, we have very high price levels compared to other European countries, and also very low wages compared to other European countries.”

See the rest here.

Author: Amelia Mola-Schmidt

A new program being launched by the Ministry of Industry is hoping to attract more highly skilled workers to Czechia, but they don’t necessarily need an employment contract from a Czech company to lock down a visa. We spoke to Lucia Legáthová from the Expat Centre in Prague about what this move means for Czechia and foreigners wishing to relocate to the country.

Could you explain the digital nomad program being launched by the Czech government?

“The new digital nomad program has been launched by the Ministry of Industry, and it’s a program aimed at highly qualified workers, especially in the IT sector. The program is intended for citizens from just a few countries: Australia, Japan, the US, Canada, the UK, and Taiwan. There are two types of nomads who can join the program, it’s either for people who are already working for a foreign company and want to relocate to the Czech Republic, or people who want to work in the Czech Republic but as a self-employed person – so they would possess a trade license in the Czech Republic. The good news about the program is that it’s intended for close family members as well – so spouses and registered partners can join these nomads in the Czech Republic.”

See the rest here.

Author: Amelia Mola-Schmidt

Photo: Jarmila Johnová, Czech Academy of Sciences

As Soviet tanks rolled into Czechoslovakia on the night from 20 to 21 August 1968, Czechoslovak Radio played an important role in keeping people informed of what was happening. The radio building was an immediate focus for the invaders, but remarkably, during the days that followed, radio journalists and engineers managed to carry on broadcasting, firstly from the building itself, and then from other secret locations around the city. One of the prominent voices on the airwaves was Jiří Dienstbier, who many years later reflected on the importance of those uncensored broadcasts at a time when the occupiers were trying to sow confusion in the country. To mark the anniversary of the invasion, we return to Jiří Dienstbier and his memories of that time.

See the rest here.

If you live in Czechia and are planning to get your bathroom or kitchen remodelled this year, you may just be out of luck. Companies and online portals offering the services of tradesmen are reporting a significant increase in demand, especially for jobs like home insulation, solar panel installation and roof renovation.

Libor Vlach is the owner of a Prague-based company that specialises in water, gas and heating installation and repairs. He says that he is fully booked until the end of the year and although customers call practically every day, his firm doesn’t have the capacity to respond to requests for minor repairs or emergency callouts.

And Vlach’s company VIP Instalace is not an exception. According to the online portal ePoptávka.cz, where customers can search for the services they want, demand for tilers increased by almost 7 percent year-on-year in the first half of this year, and the demand for painters by over 12 percent. Otto Kočí, who heads the portal, says that they have seen a huge increase in demand for other kinds of services too.

See the rest here.

Authors: Anna Fodor, Barbora Kladivová, source:iROZHLAS.cz

Photo: Aotearoa Books

Helene Ritchie spent many years as a politician in her home city of Wellington, New Zealand. She has just written a book telling the moving story of her search for her family’s past. In 1945, Helene’s mother Lidi Hess, received a letter from a relative in Prague. It included a long list of names of members of the family who had been murdered in the Nazi death camps. Faced with the unimaginable scale of the tragedy, Lidi burned the letter, and went on with her life in her new country. It was only many decades later that she told her daughter how she regretted destroying it. This inspired Helene to try to piece together her family’s history, to find out who all these family members had been.

See the rest here.

Author: David Vaughan

I swam to that small coral reef almost every morning, but even after more than a week of my stay at the Red Sea I hadn’t made friends with its inhabitants. Dark, about ten-centimetre-long fish that shared it, didn’t show any intention to build a friendship. When I approached any of them, it would come out of the reef, spread its fins and with a threatening expression confront the underwater camera case. More than once it even attacked the glass covering the lens.

I identified these brave fish as dusky farmerfish (Stegastes nigricans), and I spent one afternoon studying papers dedicated to their research. The most interesting articles were signed by the Japanese biologist Hiroki Hata. He studied the dusky farmerfish first at the lagoon near Okinawa and later in other parts of the world. I don’t know how much time he spent with a snorkel under the water, but it had to be really significant. However, his research discovered fascinating knowledge about this fish.

There are hundreds of species of damselfish, and many of them defend their territories. They protect both their eggs’ clutches as well as the growths of algae they feed on. The dusky farmerfish, however, not only defend their part of the coral reef, but they are also with no exaggeration undersea farmers that take care for their undersea fields with unprecedented consistency. Mostly thanks to Hiroki Hata we know now, that although various populations of dusky farmerfish slightly differ in their farming activity, generally it is true that they diligently weed the growths of red algae of genus Polysiphonia. Another, particularly green algae, which tend to grow in their gardens, they consistently pull out and carry away, since the red algae are for them much more digestible that the green algae.

But that is not all yet. Thanks to quite simple experiments Hata discovered that if not for the care of dusky farmerfish, the growths of the red algae of genus Polysiphonia would quickly disappear under the onslaught of the competing organisms. And on top of that it turned out that in various parts of the world the dusky farmerfish grow several related species of these red algae, which don’t occur anywhere else but in their gardens! So, they are as dependent on their fish farmers as, let’s say, a cabbage is on the care of human farmers. This is something incredible!

I must tell you that after I had read all of this, the visits to the colony of dusky farmerfish became even more interesting for me, and I felt admiration for both the dusky farmerfish and Hiroki Hata.

Photo: Post Bellum

Fifty-five years ago, on the night of August 20-21, 1968, the Warsaw Pact invasion of Czechoslovakia began, marking a definitive end to the hopes that the series of liberalising and democratic reforms that had taken place in the country in the 1960s, known as the Prague Spring, had brought with them.

The Prague Spring brought sweeping changes to the cultural and social life of Czechoslovakia, including the ending of censorship in June 1968 and open discussions about the political show trials of the 1950s. Some Western media outlets wrote that the developments in Czechoslovakia proved that socialism and democracy were compatible with each other.

See the rest here.

Author: Klára Stejskalová

A few months ago for an article in our magazine about Argentinian wine: Salud! World-class wines from Argentina I met Rodrigo Schmidt (a co-founder and co-owner of Productos Latinos, a company focusing on importing and selling wines from many countries in the Czech Republic ) at a new restaurant Gran Fierro at Myslíkova St. not far from Manes Water Tower and the Dancing House.

The unique design of the restaurant caught my attention and the menu looks nice.

This week we have a few friends who love to eat and have a special taste visiting Prague. The reservation system their web. was simple and friendly and after a few minutes, we got confirmation for our booking.

It was one of the hottest days in Prague, we chose to sit at the very nice patio. The menu is not big, but everyone can find something to eat ( even vegetarians ). We didn’t have big expectations from Argentinian food in Prague. Each of us orders something different after asking the waiter a few questions about the food.

We start with the Empanadas and starters: Grilled Argentinian shrimps, garlic slices & chilli, Tenderloin tartar & brioche, Empanadas caprese, Chorizo criollo and Empanada pato.

It was WOW, we couldn’t decide which was the best.

Then we order the main dish: most of us order the Vacio – flank steak with Chimichurri sauce and Padron peppers that come with homemade fries with provolone cheese or grilled vegetables, Homemade ravioli with figs, ricotta, goat cheese, cashew nuts and gorgonzola sauce, Green salad and Churrasco.

Very tasty and nicely served.

We were served white Malbec wine, cocktails, and water during the meal. We finished our dinner with coffee, Grilled pineapple and coconut ice cream on a kadaif mattress with maracuya sauce and Chocolate mousse, orange cream & mate ice cream.

The service was professional and friendly and still, we had our privacy.

The bill was 5000 Kc ( for 5 people ) before service 10%. ( not inc. wine)

It was a perfect dinner. Great food and wine, good service, a nice atmosphere, and a beautiful design.

We will go there again on the next occasion.

To make it clear- this is NOT a PR article. We paid for our dinner and the restaurant “Gran Fierro” is not involved in this article. It’s just our recommendation.

Article by M. Zisso

Photo: Juan Pablo Bertazza, Radio Prague International

Shooting began in Prague in 1983 on one of the most famous movies ever made in the city, Miloš Forman’s Amadeus, which later earned eight Oscars.

Forman’s extremely successful film was based on a stage play by Peter Shaffer, who also wrote the screenplay. Amadeus, the fictionalized story of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, is packed with music by Mozart himself and several other composers.

The film was shot on location in Prague and Kroměříž. US-resident Forman and DOP Miroslav Ondříček were able to shoot scenes in the Estates Theatre in Prague, where Don Giovanni and La clemenza di Tito debuted two centuries before. Other scenes were filmed at Barrandov Studios and the city’s Invalidovna complex.

See the rest here.

Photo: Kateřina Šulová, ČTK

Czech politicians have moved to quell anti-Ukrainian sentiment in the wake of two violent attacks against Czech women, which were reportedly committed by Ukrainian youths. President Pavel has warned against applying the principle of collective guilt and Interior Minister Vít Rakušan has assured the public that the growing number of foreigners in Czechia is not a security threat.

Last week police in Plzeň charged an 18-year-old youth with the rape and attempted murder of a 15-year-old girl. Although they did not disclose the nationality of the foreigner who committed the attack, reports on social media said he was Ukrainian. The wave of anger over the brutal attack on a teenager was further fueled by information on social media that the 16-year-old youth who had attacked and raped a woman in Prague’s Hostivař that same week was also Ukrainian. Although the police did not confirm the nationality of either culprit, the information spread like wildfire, re-igniting hate sentiments particularly among Czech Roma who are still up in arms over recent incidents in Brno, where a Romany man died, and in Pardubice, where a Roma was injured reportedly in conflicts with Ukrainians. Some of them claim that “gangs of Ukrainian youths” are roaming the streets and threatening the safety of Czech citizens.

See the rest here.

Author: Daniela Lazarová

Photo: Barbora Navrátilová, Radio Prague International

Prague was recently featured on the New York Times travel guide 36 Hours – where journalists give their best recommendations for local gems and places that tourists may not find in their guide book. I caught up with writer Evan Rail to talk about the process of putting his Prague guide together.

When you sat down to make the 36 Hours in Prague guide, how did you strike a balance between the “must-see” sites of the city and the other more local areas like Holešovice and Karlín?

“The premise of 36 Hours in Prague and the New York Times column itself is not to replace a guide book. In general, we think that the reader has a guide book or a list of important historical sites. So what we try to do instead is touch on some of those historical sites, but in a way that shows a different way of getting there then you might have gotten in a guide book.

“For example, we say, yea go to Prague Castle, but you might get overwhelmed by the crowds, so if you do – go to the Deer Moat, it’s really beautiful and quiet, and most people don’t know about it. It’s recently been reopened, and it’s probably not listed in your guide book. The southern garden of the Castle is also a little bit hard to find, but if you do get in there, you have wonderful views over the Old Town and Malá strana and you’re also away from the crowds.

“So it’s not so much about hitting all of those historic sites, it assumes that the reader knows about them, but it tells them about other sites they can see that aren’t common knowledge.”

See the rest here.

Author: Amelia Mola-Schmidt

Photo: Via Czechia

Jan Hocek is an enthusiastic traveller, tourist guide and columnist, who has completed some of the world’s most challenging trails. In 2020, he created a comprehensive network of long-distance tourist and pilgrimage routes leading through the country, called Via Czechia. The trails cover some 10,000 kilometres, passing through the lowest and highest points in the country and offering countless opportunities to explore its natural and historical landmarks. When I met with Jan Hocek to discuss Via Czechia, I started by asking how he got the idea for the project:

“I have always been hiking and spending time outdoors. It is my passion and a part of my life. I also travel abroad a lot. In 2019 I was visiting Bhutan in the Himalayas to hike the Snowman Trek, which is supposed to be one of the hardest trails in the world. And that’s where the idea came to me.

“We had been in the mountains for about a month, far from civilization, so it was the ideal moment to dream about things and new ideas. So that’s how the idea came to me.

“When I came back home, I started to work on the system of hiking and biking, and also cross country skiing and water craft trails in Czechia.”

See the rest here.

Author: Ruth Fraňková

Petrin is one of the most popular parks in the city of Prague, attracting both locals and tourists. From the Petrin tower, to the beautiful fruit orchards, there is something everyone can enjoy in one of the cities biggest green spaces.

See the video here.

Authors: Amelia Mola-Schmidt, Barbora Navrátilová

Photo: Martin Vaniš, Radio Prague International

Prague’s metro A line passes under Prague’s iconic monuments, has a uniform design and vestibules featuring figures of Czech kings. No wonder one its stations, Staroměstská, was ranked by the CNN among the most beautiful metro stops in Europe.

See the rest here.

Author: Klára Stejskalová

Photo: Kateřina Šulová, ČTK

The 20th annual festival of new circus and theatre Letní Letná opened in Prague on Wednesday night with a breathtaking water show. The festival offers over 100 performances in its jubilee year.

“Awesome, fascinating, incredible” such were the reactions of spectators to the opening Letní Letná show in Prague. Performed by Pompe Hedengren’s AQUANAUTS the show included three key elements – water, air and fire. The audience watched 32 acrobats suspended high above the water reservoir in Letenské sady, performing breathtaking creations as well as magic in the water performed by aqua belles from SK Neptun.

See the rest here.

Author: Daniela Lazarová, source:Český rozhlas

Photo: Barbora Němcová, Radio Prague International

The Krkonoše Mountains are a beloved spot in Czechia, but recently, they have become the focal point of growing concern amongst environmental scientists. Movement in the tree line boundary of the mountains is threatening the existence of other important ecosystems, as environmental scientist at Charles University, Dr. Jan Tumajer, explained to us.

Can you explain what is being observed on the tree line of the Krkonoše Mountains?

“The tree line is a very important ecological boundary that separates the forest ecosystems from non-forest ecosystems like herbs-and-shrubs-dominated ecosystems. This line is determined by low temperatures. Above the tree lines trees lose their dominance, they cannot survive and they cannot compete with the simple forms of plants like herbs or shrubs. And because the temperature is increasing, the tree line tends to respond to this situation. In the Krkonoše Mountains, because the trees were stressed by low temperatures for a long time – it is a cause limit of their distribution – the trees respond positively in their growth dynamics to the current increasing temperature trends. So the tree ring width that we are currently observing in the Krkonoše Mountains is unprecedented in the last few decades or even centuries. Basically the tree ring width really went up in the last twenty years and compared to the previous period the tree rings are very wide. This means that the rising temperatures are stimulating the growth of trees there – they grow better.

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Author: Amelia Mola-Schmidt

Photo: Czech Olympic Committee

After 16 NHL seasons with the Boston Bruins, Czech-born David Krejčí announced his retirement from the National Hockey League on Monday. Krejčí played all 16 seasons of his professional hockey career with the Boston Bruins, developing a reputation of being a skilled and intuitive playmaker.

David Krejčí who wore the number 46 for a total of 16 seasons with the Boston Bruins in the National Hockey League announced his retirement on Monday evening. The 37-year-old’s departure from professional hockey has been described as a major loss by teammates and hockey commentators alike, as Krejčí had established himself as a ‘silent killer’ for the Bruins. Making his NHL debut in 2007, he racked up a total of 786 points, playing over 1,000 regular season games, and 160 playoff games.

While he may not have been as loud and vocal as other Boston Bruins superstars like Brad Marchand and Patrice Bergeron, and commentators have noted that Krejčí did not receive as much credit as his other teammates, he was an essential centre-man who played up the middle, a critical part of Boston’s offensive line.

See the rest here.

Author: Amelia Mola-Schmidt

Photo: Barbora Němcová, Radio Prague International

The news site Seznam Zpravy has questioned the moral integrity of one of the most successful managers in the health sector, the head of the prestigious Institute of Clinical and Experimental Medicine (IKEM) in Prague, suggesting that he had made millions from usury through a company controlled by a suspect individual. The prime minister has called for the claims to be investigated without delay.

See the rest here.

Author: Daniela Lazarová

Photo: Martin Vaniš, Radio Prague International

Prague has long been one of the most popular tourist destinations in Europe, ranking in the top 10 of capital cities by visitor numbers and beating other well-known cities such as Vienna, Berlin and Venice, despite its relatively small size. Equally, the Czech capital has long suffered from tourist blight and overtourism, and is now trying to shake off its reputation as a cheap place to get drunk and party. I spoke to Jan Herget, head of CzechTourism, about swapping stag parties for symposiums, how Michelin stars could lure foreign tourists out of the capital, and why inflation might perversely be a good thing for Prague – and much else besides.

Tourist numbers have gone up since last year but still, less people are coming to Czechia than in 2019. Is CzechTourism aiming to get those numbers back to where they used to be?

“Sure, but if we look at the numbers from the second quarter, it’s pretty good, because it’s actually only 6000 tourists less. But if we look at the numbers in more detail, then we see that there is structural change – we see more Czech people, and many more people from surrounding countries like Poland and Germany. We are missing tourists from Russia, naturally, due to the war, but also from China and a little bit from Korea and America. But it’s going in a good direction, because thanks to the long-haul direct flights from Seoul and now from Taipei, it’s increasing and getting better and better.”

See the rest here.

Author: Anna Fodor

Photo: Roman Vondrouš, ČTK

No sooner was Robert Fremr nominated as one of three new constitutional judges when accusations began to surface about sentences he handed out pre-1989. Now he has made the decision to step down, although he had already been approved by the Senate. But questions remain about what this means for choosing another candidate and the pasts of other key figures in the judiciary.

The vice president of the Prague High Court Robert Fremr announced at a press conference on Monday that he would not be accepting the position of judge at the Constitutional Court.

He has been dogged by criticism since his nomination for the post, first, for sentencing three young men to prison in 1988 in a Communist rigged trial, then for sentencing over 170 people for illegally emigrating during the communist era.

He told reporters on Monday that he was turning down the role due to media pressure, as well as because of his desire not to let the public mistrust that had accompanied his nomination to jeopardise the credibility of the Constitutional Court.

See the rest here.

Author:Anna Fodor, source:Český rozhlas

Czech women remain conspicuously absent from most seats of power in Czechia. The country has never had a female PM or president and NGOs have repeatedly highlighted the lack of women’s representation in national politics. Moreover, female politicians are often targets of verbal abuse simply because of their sex. I spoke to Lenka Hrbková from Masaryk University in Brno to find out more about the challenges that Czech female politicians face.

“The typical types of attacks against female politicians are remarks about their appearance, intelligence but what is also pretty common is some form of sexualized violence, pornographic harassment and content, threats of rape, threats of sexual violence –attacks that are gendered.”

See the rest here.

Author: Daniela Lazarová

After several months of intensive preparations, on Monday 14 August Czechia submitted Basic Design Plan as necessary document before applying for Temporary Building Permit to the Osaka Authorities. This makes Czechia the second country, after South Korea, which has moved into this crucial phase of preparations. The Osaka Authorities have about 6 8 weeks to approve the documents.

“Based on a government decision from the end of June 2022, Czechia became the 125th country to sign up for participation in EXPO 2025. In October 2022, we signed the participation contract among the first nine countries and now we are the second to submit Basic Design Plan. This is an important milestone for obtaining a building permit,” says Ondřej Soška, Czech Commissioner General for EXPO 2025.

The process to obtain a building permit in Japan involves several stages, including the submission of a basic plan to the Japan Association for the 2025 World Exposition, the organizer of EXPO 2025. The Czech representatives did this in early June 2023. Then on Monday 14 August 2023, they submitted the crucial Basic Design Plan which is a start of Application for Temporary Building Permit process – this is the longest stage, with the local building authority (Osaka Authorities) assessing in detail many aspects of each national project. This permit takes 6-8 weeks to be issued. During this time, the architects and designers from Apropos Architects, in collaboration with Tereza Šváchová, Nicola Slováková and the Japanese studio Kino Architects, will be completing the documentation so that Czechia can submit the final documentation to the Japanese authorities for the building permit during the autumn. This should then be issued within about 2 weeks.

“Our entire team is working very hard to prepare our pavilion on time and in the way we set out at the beginning of the project. We are aware of the rising prices of materials and labor in Japan, which, like Czechia, is struggling with inflation. However, we are doing our best to show the world a unique national pavilion, which is already attracting a significant amount of attention far beyond the Czech borders. We expect it to be one of the most interesting and distinctive pavilions of the entire expo,” says Commissioner General Soška.

„I’m so proud to be the Ambassador of Japan to Czechia today. The seriousness and diligence of the Soska´s hard working team inspires confidence to everyone. Czechia is leading. Because it’s the Original. We’ll continue to work together for successful EXPO 2025,” says Japanese Ambassador to the Czech Republic Hideo Suzuki.

So far, 153 countries and 8 international organizations have signed up to participate in EXPO 2025, while 56 countries or regions plan to build their own pavilion (type A). Other countries and organizations plan to rent pre-built premises from the organizers.

“We sincerely welcome the construction application from the Czech Republic. We look forward to visiting the wonderful design pavilion that represent the beautiful Czech culture. I sincerely hope that the 2025 World EXPO will further spread the beauty of the Czech Republic to the world,” says Mayor of Osaka Hideyuki Yokoyama.

About Czech pavilion at EXPO 2025

In December 2022, after more than twenty years, the Office of the Czech Commissioner General announced an open anonymous architectural competition for the design of the national pavilion for EXPO 2025. A total of 38 teams entered the competition, from which an expert jury headed by world-renowned architect Eva Jiřičná selected the winning design in the shape of a glass spiral by Apropos Architects in March 2023. The load-bearing structure of the building will consist of modern wooden panels, while the façade will be made of art glass, which has a centuries-old tradition in Czechia. The National Pavilion will offer a worthy backdrop for the Czech participation in EXPO 2025, which will be held from April to October 2025 on the artificial island of Yumeshima in the Osaka Bay. The pavilion will house a permanent exhibition, a multifunctional auditorium, facilities for business meetings, a restaurant, a VIP lounge and a relaxation area in front of the pavilion with a view of the sea.

About Czech participation at EXPO 2025

The Czech Republic as an independent state will participate in the World EXPO for the sixth time. Ondřej Soška, who won the tender of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Czech Republic last spring with his concept and theme “Talent and Creativity for Life”, has been the Commissioner General since September 2022. Czechia should present itself in Osaka not only with what the Japanese know very well and have long admired, such as Czech glass and classical music, but especially with Czech innovations, nanotechnologies, promising start-ups and regional talents.

More information can be found on the website of the Czech participation at EXPO 2025. Follow us on Twitter, LinkedIn, Facebook and Instagram.

Photo: Barbora Kvapilová, Czech Radio

The Dvořák music festival is a popular annual event, but this year’s 67th edition brings an exciting new twist to the tradition – it takes place on a boat on the Vltava River. Visitors can listen to the music of Dvořák while blissfully floating along on the Florentina ship. I spoke with the festival manager, Lucie Strnadova about what to expect.

The festival is in its 67th edition, what is unique about it this year?

“This year the special event is a boat cruise along the route where Dvořák sailed before he left for the US. We arranged a seven-day boat trip, every day there is a different place, a different artist and different concerts. So it’s seven days of lovely music, art, and lovely weather on a ship.”

For those of our listeners who may not know who Antonín Dvořák is, maybe you can give us a little bit of background information on him?

“Dvořák belongs to one of our most famous composers, we are very proud to have him because through him we have a very large bond with the United States where he served as director of the Conservatory in New York. This year, we were honoured to have the US Ambassador and his wife visit our first concert on the 12th of August on board the ship, where we presented Dvořák’s most famous opera, Rusalka.”

See the rest here.

Author: Amelia Mola-Schmidt

Photo: Ian Willoughby, Radio Prague International

British linguist Danny Bate divides his time between Prague and Edinburgh, where he is completing a PhD. Given his academic background, the 26-year-old has many fascinating things to say on the Czech language, which he himself is studying. But I also asked Bate – who, incidentally, helps shape Czechia’s “maturita” school-leaving exam – about his experience of living in the country to date.

You speak Czech, you have a Czech fiancée. Which came first, your partner or your interest in the language?

“The partner. Like so many people, it was love that brought me here. It’s often such a common story, I think it’s not very interesting for other people [laughs].

“But yes, my partner and I met in England, many, many years ago now. Essentially we both finished our degrees in the UK, and having run out of things to do, I came over to be with her in the Czech Republic.”

See the rest here.

Author: Ian Willoughby

Performances by Czech and international performers, students, and volunteers. Through their own bodies they interpret historical and contemporary facts about queer people and works in art history.

Liquid Queer Memoria is a performative study of the possibility of fluidity, i.e. the transience of the memorial, which deals with the history of queer culture. Queer history or herstory consists of a multitude of life stories and works of art. These stories form layers whose meaning is constantly changing due to paradigm shifts and, if you like, climate change.

Performing Artists:

Tomáš Samek, Tomáš Ruller, Vladimír Havlík, Jana Orlová, Ondřej Macl, Kateřina Olivová, David Helán, Miloš Šejn, Jolana Šturmová, Anna Kroupová, Michal Durda, Katarina Mamchur (UA), Sonya The Moon, Paulina Masenina, Viktor Fuček (SK), Saydie Vell, Alice Anna Červinková, Matěj Pšenička, Hana Magdoňová, Darina Alster, Martin Kámen, Martin Pondělíček, Rémi Diligent (FR), Oskar Noel Sara, Eve Miller (GBR), Tomáš Lorenc, Karel Vladyka a Mojmír Pukl

Curator: Jitka Hlaváčková

Technical solution of the documentation and video installation: Michal Kindernay, Pavel Havrda

Authors of the project: Darina Alster a Martin Kámen

Troja Château 22. 8. 2023 4 pm – 8 pm

What connection do artists such as ABBA, The Beatles, Queen, Stevie Wonder, Bob Dylan and Edith Piaf have with Czechoslovakia? Most of them never even performed in the country. However, Czech cover versions of their songs became huge hits in the former communist state. In many cases, domestic audiences didn’t even realise they were listening to cover versions, not being acquainted with what was going on beyond the Iron Curtain.

This practice of taking a world-famous hit from the English, French or Italian-speaking world and translating or completely rewriting the lyrics for a Czech audience had been a custom since the pre-war era of jazz and swing. And not only in Czechoslovakia – but perhaps more than in most countries, the practice was adopted with enthusiasm, and many Czechs, particularly of the older generation, still prefer their country’s own covers over the original versions.

See the rest here.

Author: Libor Kukal

Photo: Nachtigall Artists

The Prague authorities said this week they were opposed to a planned performance in the city by Russian opera star Anna Netrebko, citing her ties to the Putin regime. The venue for the concert is now set to negotiate with the agency handling the booking.

After weeks of discussion on the matter, the ruling coalition in Prague has stated that it is “unequivocally opposed” to a planned appearance in the city by the internationally renowned Russian soprano Anna Netrebko.

The city’s government had previously said it might ban the concert over her connections to the Putin regime.

The venue, the Municipal House, is operated by a city-owned joint stock company whose management must decide on the matter. It now plans to discuss abrogating the contract for October’s event with the company representing Netrebko.

See the rest here.

Author: Ian Willoughby

I missed the first two mountain bongos this year – by that I mean I did not see them on the day they were born – but the third one was a Sunday baby and I managed to be there. I found it lying at the feet of his now 14-year-old mother Maureen, who was watching me attentively. Everything seemed to be running smoothly. Unfortunately, it didn’t last long.

Shortly after giving birth, Maureen had a partial prolapse of her uterus and it was necessary to give her a veterinary operation under anaesthesia. Unfortunately, Maureen was not well at all following the operation, she couldn’t eat, much less nurse her calf. The prognosis for both her and the calf – a female – was not favourable. Although the calf received milk, collected from Maureen during the anaesthesia, at the time our colleagues did not see bottle feeding her as a good option. This was due to the risk of digestive and, in particular, behavioural problems in adulthood.

It saddens me greatly to say, that, after a few days, Maureen died, and it seemed that this would seal the fate of her calf. But the little female fought for her life, successfully! Thanks to the fact that she was a full member of the herd, she had started drinking from both other females- the mothers of previous calves – prior to Maureen’s death, and one of them even took her on as one of her own. That made the difference: when the calf becomes part of the group, it largely eliminates the negative impact of bottle feeding, and this is how, we hope, we can save Maureen’s daughter.

The feeders arranged for a supply of goat’s milk, and we waited with bated breath to see whether the orphaned female would be willing to accept it, and, also, how she would be able to digest it. I think her willingness to accept this substitute is clearly evidenced by the photograph we took at the time and digestion also appears to be fine. What’s more, the calf continues to suckle profusely from both “aunts”.

At the moment, the calf is making a tentative start to grazing and is also consuming alfalfa, browse and hay. She has quite gone off the goat’s milk, but continues to suckle from the females, one of them in particular. So maybe we will see a happy ending after all…

Although the substance known as ayahuasca is illegal in Czechia, there have been some scientific studies showing that it could have potential as a treatment for depression. In order to test its therapeutic possibilities, Czech scientists have travelled to Peru to partake in the infamous ceremony and try out the drug themselves.

Western tourists seeking out spiritual experiences and altered states of consciousness have long been travelling to South America to take part in the indigenous shamanic ritual that involves drinking the infamous ayahuasca tea, which contains a psychedelic substance and can induce a trance-like state. But more recently, studies have shown that the drug might have uses beyond new experiences and a good travelling story to tell your friends – it could have potential for treating depression.

See the rest here.

Author: Anna Fodor

Although the pinecone has already switched from mother’s milk to adult food, it still rides on the tail of its mother, Run Hou Tang. Starting today, between 9 and 10 am, visitors have the chance to see this European unique with their own eyes in daylight. Photo by Petr Hamerník, Prague Zoo

From today, visitors to the Prague Zoo can observe the female nutcracker Šiška and her parents in daylight. Newly, the night exposition of the Indonesian jungle will be shrouded in darkness until 10 o’clock.

The first nutcracker cub in Europe can now be easily seen not only as part of the current outdoor campaign, but also during the entire first hour of the zoo’s opening hours. “We cater to visitors who now have the opportunity to see the pods in full light. The new regime is also an attractive opportunity for photographers,” says the director of the Prague Zoo, Miroslav Bobek. “We had to adjust the course of the night exposure very sensitively; for a certain period of time, we moved the lights-out time by a few minutes until today, when it is already one full hour.”

The campaign with the first bred nutcracker in Europe filled public spaces throughout the Czech Republic. Photo by Petr Hamerník, Prague Zoo

In addition to the trio of short-tailed nutmegs, visitors to the Indonesian jungle will also get a new look at other nocturnal inhabitants for the first time: hesitating owls, clouded voles, or flying bag squirrels. They can also take advantage of the purchase of a discounted electronic ticket, which allows them to avoid the ticket office and head directly behind the pods from the turnstiles.

These days, billboards and city lights with Šiška can be seen by people in the capital and in the rest of the Czech Republic. The campaign thus emphasizes not only the first bred nutcracker in Europe as a success of the Prague Zoo, but of Czech zoos in general. Its significance far exceeds domestic borders.

The first foal of the Převalský horse was born at the Prague Zoo on March 21, 1933. The founders of the breeding were the stallion Alki and the mare Minka. Source: Prague Zoo Archive

The female short-tailed pinecone has reached the age of six months and has switched from mother’s milk to adult food. Last week, therefore, the Prague Zoo declared the first born shellac in Europe to have been successfully bred. In connection with this historic success, there are many questions from the media and visitors, which can basically be summed up in one question: How is Šiška doing in the context of all the important breeding in the nearly century-long history of the Prague Zoo? We decided to provide an answer and compile ten of the most important ones.

Prague Zoo has been breeding cheetahs since 1933, the first cubs were reared in 1972. The female Brita proved to be an exemplary mother for the first time and gave birth to a total of 27 offspring over the years. Photo by Zdeněk Veselovský, Prague Zoo

“It was not a completely easy task, because in every similar list breeding, scientific, conservation and marketing points of view are necessarily mixed, but here I am presenting the result,” comments the director of the Prague Zoo, Miroslav Bobek, on the ranking. At the same time, he adds his wishes for the coming years: “And what awaits us next? What important breedings would we like for the future? I would like to bet on giant salamanders or barbels. However, historical achievements cannot be planned.”

In autumn, visitors to the Prague Zoo can also look forward to a photo exhibition dedicated to the most important breedings in the history of the Prague Zoo. It will also offer those interested the story behind each of these breeding successes.

Who doesn’t know the legendary Moja! The first baby gorilla born in the Czech and Slovak gardens today lives in Spain, but her daughter Duni is part of the gorilla group in Prague’s Dja Reserve – and if she succeeds, Moja will become a grandmother at the end of the year. Duni is currently pregnant. Source: Prague Zoo Archive

•  1933 Převalský’s horse – the first foal in the Prague Zoo
•  1937 Andean condor – second breeding in the world (first published)
•  1942 polar bear – Sněhulka – unique artificial breeding on a world scale (in 1947 Polarka – the first natural breeding in Czechoslovakia)
• 1972 cheetah – one of the first breedings in Europe
• 1989 Cape grebe – the first breeding in Czechoslovakia, the third in Europe
• 1998 crocodilian dracaena – the world’s first breeding
• 2004 lowland gorilla – Moja – the first breeding in the Czech Republic
• 2012 rusty-eared jay – the first breeding in world zoos
• 2012 Crowned turtle – the world’s first breeding and also the discovery of the method of reproduction
• 2023 short-tailed nuthatch – Šiška – the first breeding of nuthatch in Europe

The breeding of the female short-tailed pine nutcracker Cone is crucial not only because it was associated with a number of difficulties, but also because it is the first young of these unique scaly mammals bred in Europe. Photo by Petr Hamerník, Prague Zoo

Recycling water from sewage treatment plants is a common practice in many countries with a warmer climate, including Texas, Israel or the southern European states. The purified water is used in industry, agriculture and even in households. A team of experts is now testing the possibilities of water recycling in Czechia:

In countries with a drier, warmer climate, water recycling has become an essential part of water management. Three years ago, the EU adopted a regulation on minimum requirements for water reuse. However, the regulation is not legally binding and has not yet been adopted into the Czech legal system.

See the rest here.

Authors: Ruth Fraňková, Michal Šafařík