AuthorMartin Hladík

Photo: Ruth Fraňková, Radio Prague International

On the second Sunday in October fans of horseracing traditionally gather in Pardubice for the event of the year – the Velká pardubická steeplechase. Here is the extraordinary story of an English jockey closely connected to the race.

One of the most successful foreign jockeys in the history of the Great Pardubice steeplechase was Richard Harry Fletcher, an Englishman who competed in the legendary race an astonishing seventeen times.

See more here.

Author: Ruth Fraňková

Photo: Vít Pohanka, Radio Prague International

Few visitors to Prague have heard of Folimanka Park, a green valley tucked between Vinohrady and Nusle. Yet this quiet corner recently gained worldwide attention when Dan Brown set part of his latest thriller there.

When people talk about Prague’s botanical gardens and parks, Folimanka rarely comes to mind.

See more here.

Author: Vít Pohanka

Photo: FOFR Film Festival

The International Student Film Festival FOFR returns for its third edition, running from October 9-11 at Kino Kavalírka in Prague – a rather special revitalized cinema dating back to the 1930s. The festival itself is just as distinctive. Radio Prague International spoke with the festival’s co-director, Matyáš Lada, to learn more about what makes FOFR special.

“The FOFR Film Festival is an international film festival of student films – this means that about a quarter or half of all films come from foreign countries.

See more here.

Author: Hannah Vaughan

Photo: Dagmar Hochová, Prague City Gallery

A major retrospective of Dagmar Hochová opened this week at Prague City Gallery’s House of Photography. It presents not only her celebrated photographs of children from the 1950s and 60s, but also scenes from pivotal moments in Czech history, such as the Soviet invasion of Czechoslovakia, as well as everyday life.

Born in 1926, Dagmar Hochová studied at the State Graphic School before continuing at Prague’s renowned Film and TV School, FAMU.

See more here.

Author: Ruth Fraňková

Photo: Zuzana Jarolímková, iROZHLAS.cz

The organizers of Prague’s Signal Festival have opened a digital art gallery called Signal Space to the public, located in the Old Town Market Hall. The inaugural exhibition, Echoes of Tomorrow, will run for six months and features ten installations, some of which visitors may recognize from previous editions of the Signal Festival.

See more here.

Photo: Vyšehrad

In this edition of our Sunday Music show, we bring you Collegium Marianum – Lacrimae: Featuring Works by Jan Dismas Zelenka.

Collegium Marianum is a Czech baroque music ensemble, founded in 1997, that specializes in the performance of 17th- and 18th-century music.

See more here.

Photo: Magdalena Hrozínková, Radio Prague International

What kinds of buildings have Czech women architects designed, from the First Republic up to the present? That is the central theme of this year’s Day of Architecture festival, which runs through Tuesday, October 7, with hundreds of free events and open sites across Czechia and Slovakia.

This year’s motto of Days of Architecture is Ta architektura, or That Architecture, a reference to the fact that in Czech, the word “architecture” is grammatically feminine.

See more here.

Author: Ruth Fraňková

On Sunday 28.09.25, Pražak Quartet Festival presented the first of their 5 concerts. If you missed it, don’t worry, there are 4 more concerts in the season and tickets are still available for all of them here.

It was a glorious start to the exciting new festival – it was a sold-out the magical Hlahol. The Sunday’s guest was Anna Paulová (clarinet).

Watch a few highlights from that magical concert.

America’s most-produced playwright steps onto the stage to give voice to Anne Hathaway in the European premiere of her new play, revealing the ‘combustible and devoted’ partnership behind the legend.

Lauren M. Gunderson, a titan of the American stage, is not only a writer of stories but, for a few nights this October, the living embodiment of one. In an unprecedented European premiere, Prague Shakespeare Company will present her latest work, Muse of Fire, a play that delves into the passionate, often-overlooked relationship between William Shakespeare and his wife, Anne Hathaway. In a rare and deeply personal turn, Gunderson herself will take on the role of Anne, offering Prague audiences a unique opportunity to see a master storyteller inhabit her own creation.

Lauren Gunderson

We sat down with Ms. Gunderson to discuss the fire behind the muse, the magic of Prague, and the bold, vulnerable act of stepping into the shoes of Shakespeare’s enigmatic wife.

You are America’s most-produced playwright. Stepping onto the stage yourself to play Anne Hathaway is a remarkable choice. What is the essential truth about this character that you felt you could only tell by embodying her yourself?

Lauren M. Gunderson: First and foremost, I must thank Guy and Jessica at Prague Shakespeare Company for their belief in the power and timeliness of this play. It has meant the world to have their support and encouragement as we take big risks to tell this story. I’m so grateful that we get to tell it with them in the gorgeous, compelling city of Prague.

In my telling, Anne is as vivacious, keen-eyed, and savage as her playwright husband. The more I wrote the play, the more I couldn’t help but imagine myself as the first inhabitant of the role. And truly, writing from within the play has been a fabulous alteration to my normal process. It has been uniquely generative and flexible. Anne’s story has always been under-told, and I wanted to give her back her voice, her power, and most shockingly of all, her love story. I believe that Shakespeare might have just chosen someone as curious and interesting as he was for a wife, and I want to meet her as much as I want to meet him. She is passionate, ferociously smart, furiously funny.

The title is Muse of Fire. What is the “fire” you’ve uncovered in their relationship, and what sparks will the audience see fly on stage?

LMG: The “fire” in the title is all of the things they kindled both separately and together: Will’s art, Anne’s family, their marriage — messy, magnetic, grief-filled, and love-fueled. All of it is in their uncontrollable, unavoidable fire of the mind and heart. Anne and Will spark off each other, and the question of the play is, will they smolder… or burn each other to ash. This play doesn’t treat her as the quiet wife in Stratford; it shows the heat, the fights, the flirtation, the shared ambition. The audience will see a marriage that’s as combustible as it is devoted; the kind of love that can devastate or offer salvation.

Why bring this intensely personal story to Prague for its European premiere? What is it about this city that connects with the play?

LMG: Performing this play in Prague—a city that I have longed to visit because of its history, beauty, and literary soul—feels like magic. I have been told that Prague is a place of eternal beauty but also a place that is a bit haunted. To tell a story about legacy, ambition, and the intimacy of a creative partnership in a city like this… well, it’s a perfect match.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
1 October, 2025 – Prague, Czech Republic

America’s Most-Produced Playwright, Lauren M. Gunderson, Makes European Stage Debut in the Premiere of Her New Play, MUSE OF FIRE, at Prague Shakespeare Company

PRAGUE, CZ – October 1, 2025 – Prague Shakespeare Company (PSC) is proud to announce the European premiere of MUSE OF FIRE, a powerful and intimate new play by Lauren M. Gunderson, one of America’s most celebrated and produced living playwrights. In a rare theatrical event, Ms. Gunderson will also make her European stage debut, starring in the production. Performances will run from October 10, 11, 17 & 18, 2025, at Divadlo Na Pradle.

Directed by the acclaimed Evren Odcikin, MUSE OF FIRE is an intimate two-person play that dives into the life and love of William Shakespeare and his wife, Anne Hathaway, at the volatile moment of his retirement from London. The play explores the searing emotional and creative fuel behind the world’s greatest writer, grappling with the sacrifices and joys of a life dedicated to the stage. Starring opposite Gunderson as William Shakespeare is Casey Murphy.

“To host the European premiere of a new work from a playwright of Lauren’s stature is an honor in itse,” said Guy Roberts, Artistic Director of Prague Shakespeare Company. “To have her and the visionary director Evren Odcikin here in Prague, with Lauren herself taking the stage, is a once-in-a-lifetime event for our company and our audiences. This production is a testament to the power of new writing and the timeless stories that connect us across centuries.”

Lauren Gunderson adds, “I must thank Guy and Jessica at Prague Shakespeare Company for their belief in the power and timeliness of this play. It has meant the world to have their support and encouragement as we take big risks to tell this story. I’m so grateful that we get to tell it with them in the gorgeous, compelling city of Prague.”

Following each performance, audiences are invited to a Talk-Back with the artists, offering a unique opportunity to engage directly with the creators of this exciting new work.

Additionally Lauren M. Gunderson and Evren Odcikin will be conducting a special three-day workshop on Writing and Creating New Plays from 14-16 October with PSC at Divadlo Na Pradle. Details may be found on the PSC website link below.

Exclusive Artist Workshop

In addition to the performances, PSC will host an exclusive three-day creative summit, Playwriting & Creating New Plays, from October 14-16, 2025. Led by Lauren M. Gunderson and Evren Odcikin, this workshop offers a limited number of writers, directors, and actors an unprecedented opportunity for direct mentorship with two of contemporary theatre’s most vital voices. The workshop culminates in a professional New Work Showcase in November. For more information visit: https://pragueshakespeare.com/lauren-m-gunderson-playwriting-creating-developing-new-plays-writing-workshop.html and contact Guy Roberts at guy@pragueshakespeare.org

About the Artists

LAUREN M. GUNDERSON (Playwright & Actor) has been one of the most-produced playwrights in America since 2015. She is a two-time winner of the Steinberg/ATCA New Play Award and a winner of the William Inge Distinguished Achievement in Theatre Award. Her works, including I and You, The Book of Will, and The Revolutionists, are published and produced at major theatres across the globe. She is also the book writer for several musicals, including The Time Traveller’s Wife with Dave Stewart and Joss Stone.

EVREN ODCIKIN (Director) is an award-winning Turkish-American director, writer, and arts leader. He recently served as the Interim Artistic Director at the Oregon Shakespeare Festival, one of America’s largest and most prestigious theatres. His work has been seen at renowned institutions such as Soho Rep (a New York Times Critic’s Pick), Berkeley Rep, Woolly Mammoth, and Golden Thread. He is a recipient of the TITAN Award from Theatre Bay Area and was an inaugural National Director’s Fellow.

Listing Information

WHAT: MUSE OF FIRE – European Premiere
WHO: Written by Lauren M. Gunderson, Directed by Evren Odcikin Starring Lauren M. Gunderson and Casey Murphy Presented by Prague Shakespeare Company
WHEN: October 10, 11, 17 & 18, 2025, at 19:00 (7:00 PM)
WHERE: Divadlo Na Pradle, Besední 3, 118 00 Malá Strana, Prague 1
TICKETS: 400CZK General Admission / 200CZK Students & Seniors. Tickets are available now athttps://goout.net/en/muse-of-fire/szxuray/

More Information at:

https://pragueshakespeare.com/lauren-m-gundersons-muse-of-fire-european-premiere.html

About Prague Shakespeare Company

The Prague Shakespeare Company (PSC) presents professional theatre productions, workshops, classes, lectures and other theatrical events of the highest quality, conducted primarily in English by a diverse multinational ensemble of professional theatre artists, with an emphasis on the plays of William Shakespeare. The Prague Shakespeare Company brings to Czech, European and international audiences performances that are fresh, bold, imaginative, thought-provoking, and eminently accessible, connecting the truths of the past with the challenges and possibilities of today.

Media Contact:

Guy Roberts, Artistic Director

guy@pragueshakespeare.org

+420 603 968 536

The night before our departure from Khalkhgol in eastern Mongolia the night temperature dropped to -45°C, and when we wanted to refuel in the morning, it was impossible. The pump at the diesel tank was frozen. Fortunately, we had enough fuel to drive to the neighbouring district, where at the late morning temperature of -34°C it was already possible to fuel the car.

On the way to Khakghol, and also during the return trip, we could see small herds of Mongolian gazelles. They usually consisted of units and dozens of specimen, but this time – in the foggy and windy weather – they were no longer so alert; sometimes they even remained laying down in the steppe by the road. Twice I asked to stop, and I managed to get close enough in headwind to take quite good photos. I probably don’t have to say that in the wind and frost it was not pleasant at all.

But the gazelles themselves prepared the best photo for me two and half hours later. We arrived at a place where there were many hundreds of them on both sides of the road – and one of the herds decided to cross it. All I had to do was just drive closer, then lean my camera against the car door and take the picture you can see at today’s column.

This shot raised the interest of our Mongolian colleagues and later it was awarded the Picture of the Day on the serveriNaturalist. It captures Mongolian gazelles within the context of their significant threat – which are linear constructions.

Mongolian gazelle occurs in eastern Mongolia with overlaps in adjacent areas of Russia and China, and particularly in autumn it migrates very long distances. Unfortunately, its migration routes are disturbed by fences, railroads and roads. A typical example was the construction of the railroad between Ulaanbaatar and Beijing at the end of 1950s, which was fenced from both sides, and which literally cut the area settled by Mongolian gazelles in two parts. Another example may be the fence which China built to fence off its entire territory. But it is not just about the constructions built in past times. Especially recently there has been a large-scale increase in roads in Mongolia and the traffic has been growing, along with export of raw materials to China. And the country wants – quite logically – to develop also in future decades. Just as logically, however, the plans for construction of more roads and especially railroads cause terror in the eyes of conservationists.

I don’t want to predict here the future of Mongolian gazelles. I do have one piece of good news. The census, held in May 2020, showed that there were about 2,200,000 gazelles. This was significantly more than expected.

Photo: Office of the President of the Republic

In an address to the public three days before the country’s general elections, President Petr Pavel urged Czechs to go to the polls. He said that now, more than ever, Czechia needs a government that will ensure its security, protect its sovereignty and not leave it at the mercy of Russia.

“We regularly hear, about every parliamentary election, that it is a turning point, the most important election in the history of our country.

See more here.

Author: Daniela Lazarová

Photo: Daniela Honigmann, Radio Prague International

Dan Brown’s newest novel The Secret of Secrets that takes its main protagonist Robert Langdon to Prague has already inspired themed city tours tracing Langdon’s footsteps around the city.

Undoubtedly, Prague possesses a certain magic: narrow alleys, golden rooftops, hundreds of church towers, a rich tradition of alchemy, and age-old legends.

See more here.

Author: Daniela Honigmann, Hannah Vaughan

Photo: Czech Television

17-year-old Paralympic swimmer David Kratochvíl shattered a 23-year-old world record in the men’s 400m freestyle at the World Para Swimming Championships in Singapore. He finished the competition with a complete set of seven medals from seven races.

“It’s overwhelming, it’s amazing.

See more here.

Author: Hannah Vaughan

Photo: Barbora Němcová, Radio Prague International

September 28th is a public holiday in the Czech Republic. It is the feast day of St. Wenceslas, the patron saint of Bohemia, and commemorates his death in 935.

Wenceslas was born in 907 and was the son of the Duke of Bohemia.

See more here.

Photo: Miloš Turek, Radio Prague International

On Prague’s Hradčany Square stands one of the city’s most remarkable historic sites: Loreto. This Baroque pilgrimage complex is renowned not only for its architecture, but above all for its extraordinary carillon, which first rang out on September 28, 1695, the feast day of St. Wenceslas, patron saint of the Czech lands.

The carillon is housed in the octagonal tower at the center of Loreto’s façade.

See more here.

Photo: Museum and Gallery of the Northern Pilsen Region in Mariánská Týnice

Archaeologists in western Bohemia have announced a remarkable discovery: around 500 gold and silver Celtic coins, along with gold and bronze jewellery, dating from the 6th to the 1st century B.C. The find is considered extraordinary not only in the Czech context but also on a Central European scale.

The first clue came in 2021, when an amateur archaeologist using a metal detector unearthed a fragment of a golden coin from the 2nd century B.

See more here.

Author: Ruth Fraňková

Photo: Josef Ženatý, Czech Radio

Eighty-seven years ago, Nazi Germany, Italy, France, and Great Britain signed the Munich Agreement, leading Czechoslovakia to surrender its borderlands to Germany. Thousands of new bunkers called “řopíky,” built to defend against the Nazis, became useless as they were mostly in occupied territory. Now some of them are for sale.

To this day, thousands of bunkers are owned by the state, which is gradually disposing of them.

See more here.

Author: Jakub Ferenčík, Lukáš Milota

Photo: Tomáš Mařas, Czech Radio

Czechia hosts the fourth highest number of cars per capita, according to Eurostat — however, the country also has the second oldest car fleet. As Czechs have gotten increasingly reliant on personal cars over the past 15 years, those vehicles have also gotten older and older.

The Ministry of Transport recently reported that over 6.

See more here.

Photo: Marta Pilařová, Czech Radio

Emotions are running high in one of Ostrava’s suburban districts. Several families who bought land in the district of Hošťálkovice with plans to build homes say they were deceived after excavation works uncovered piles of hidden toxic waste — including plastics, flammable containers and batteries. A geological survey later confirmed the presence of hazardous substances, some of them carcinogenic.

“I didn’t buy a plot on a dump — I bought a plot with a view of Ostrava.

See more here.

Author: Daniela Lazarová

Photo: Radek Petrášek, ČTK

On the 60th anniversary of an old bet, 16 fans of Sparta and Slavia have set out from Smržovka in northern Bohemia on a 145-kilometre journey to next week’s Prague football derby. The trip also has a charitable aim: raising funds to repair a local sledding track.

See more here.

Photo: František Tichý, Czech Radio

Petr Kopecký, President of Ostrava University, has spent nearly three decades teaching and researching English and American literature. In an interview for Czechast, he spoke about the role of universities in defending democracy, the challenge of integrating AI in education, and his passion for John Steinbeck. He also addressed the future of Ostrava and the ongoing struggle to keep young talent in the Moravia-Silesia region.

Petr Kopecký is not only President of Ostrava University but also a scholar of American literature and environmental thought.

See more here.

Author: Vít Pohanka

Photo: Profimedia

The bestselling American author Dan Brown has set his newest thriller in Prague. What drew him to the Czech capital? Which Prague landmarks inspired the plot? What does his writing process look like?

Released on September 9th, The Secret of Secrets is set in the heart of the city, steeped in legends and tales of Prague’s mysteries.

See more here.

Photo: Ruth Fraňková, Radio Prague International

The twelfth edition of the LUSTR festival of illustration and comics is underway at Prague’s Holešovice Market. Running from September 19 until September 28, the festival brings together leading names in Czech and international illustration.

This year’s main exhibition, New Forms of Sensitivity, explores themes of subtlety, intimacy and honesty.

See more here.

Author: Ruth Fraňková

Photo: Jaroslav Hoření, Czech Radio

History buffs now have the rare chance to view highly professional replicas of three royal crowns connected to the Czech lands in one place. The exhibition entitled “Crowns of Emperors and Kings” is on show at the Museum of the Bohemian Paradise in Turnov.

The main exhibits on display at this unusual exhibition in Turnov are replicas of crowns worn by Luxembourg and other rulers on the Czech, Hungarian, and Austrian thrones.

See more here.

Author: Daniela Lazarová

Photo: Profimedia

Early autumn in the Czech lands paints a tale of two traditions. Fruit brandy distillers complain of rising taxes and declining interest, while winemakers report a promising vintage. From slivovitz to Pinot Gris, the season reflects both bitter struggles and sweet hopes.

Early autumn in Moravia traditionally means the season of fruit brandy distilleries.

See more here.

Author: Vít Pohanka

Photo: Ian Willoughby, Radio Prague International

David Mareček is the director general of the Czech Philharmonic, one of Czechia’s premier cultural institutions. The orchestra, launched in the 1890s with a concert conducted by Dvořák, is based at Prague’s magnificent Rudolfinum, a building that once housed the country’s parliament. And it was there that I spoke to Mr. Mareček about the selection of Jakub Hrůša as next music director – and much more besides.

Last year was of course was a big year for the Czech Philharmonic.

See more here.

Author: Ian Willoughby

Photo: Zdeněk Truhlář, Czech Radio

The Kateřinská and Punkva caves, together with the Macocha Abyss in the heart of the Moravian Karst Protected Landscape Area, are seeking a place on the UNESCO World Heritage List. If their bid is successful they would join the Jizera Mountain Beech Forests, which so far remain the only Czech natural heritage site on the list.

The Moravian Karst, in southern Moravia, is the country’s largest and most important karst region.

See more here.

Author: Ruth Fraňková

Photo: Ondřej Deml, ČTK

Marta Kubišová, whose song Prayer for Marta became a symbol of protest against the Soviet-led invasion of Czechoslovakia in August 1968, has become the first Czech singer to appear on a special limited edition of Czech stamps. Their release is scheduled for November 1, the singer’s 83rd birthday.

Marta Kubišová is an icon on the Czech music scene, shining bright during groundbreaking moments in the country’s modern history.

See more here.

Photo: Jaroslav Heyrovský Institute of Physical Chemistry in Prague

At the Jaroslav Heyrovský Institute of Physical Chemistry in Prague, scientists have created a unique device named Selina. It generates frozen nanoparticles that resemble those found around icy moons of Jupiter. The invention will support NASA’s Europa Clipper mission and help test spacecraft materials for future journeys into deep space.

Selina is more than just a technical curiosity.

See more here.

Author: Vít Pohanka

Photo: Vít Pohanka, Radio Prague International

In this episode of Prague off the Beaten Track, we visit the Malešice Botanical Garden, a quiet oasis few people in Prague have heard of. Run by a horticultural school, it offers an arboretum, rock garden, and peaceful paths away from the usual tourist crowds. Nestled under Tábor Hill, it reveals a surprising blend of history, nature, and tranquillity in one of the city’s overlooked districts.

When Prague locals hear “Malešice,” they often think of the massive waste incineration plant, whose chimney towers over the district and processes hundreds of thousands of tons of rubbish every year.

See more here.

Author: Vít Pohanka

On the occasion of the National Day of the Republic of Korea, H.E. Mr. Youngki Hong, the Ambassador of the Republic of Korea to the Czech Republic, and Mrs. Youngki Hong, hosted a reception at the beautiful Zofin Palace in Prague.

The honored speakers were RNDr. Miloš Vystrčil, the President of the Senate, Mr. Jan Lipavsky, the Foreign Minister of the Czech Republic, and Mr. Lukáš Vlček, the Minister for Industry and Trade.

Watch the video with the speeches of H.E. Mr. Youngki Hong, the Ambassador of the Republic of Korea to the Czech Republic, RNDr. Miloš Vystrčil, the President of the Senate, Mr. Jan Lipavsky, the Foreign Minister of the Czech Republic, Mr. Lukáš Vlček, the Minister for Industry and Trade, and highlights from the culture program.

Happy National Day, Republic of Korea – 대한민국 국경일 축하합니다

The Pražák Quartet, celebrated globally for their distinctive Czech sound and artistry, is proud to announce the inaugural Pražák and Friends at Hlahol Festival. This extraordinary event will take place at Prague’s stunning Hlahol Hall, an Art Nouveau gem steeped in musical history, and rarely open to the public.

As one of the world’s leading chamber music ensembles, the Pražák Quartet has captivated audiences across Europe and North America, performing in major cities such as Prague, Paris, New York, Los Angeles, Toronto, and Berlin. With more than 60 CDs to their name, the Quartet continues to define excellence in chamber music.

The Festival offers a rare opportunity for audiences to experience the magic of collaboration between the Pražák Quartet and exceptional guest artists. Joining them are internationally acclaimed French pianist François Dumont, Grammy Award-winning American mezzo-soprano Kelley O’Connor, and leading Czech clarinetist Anna Paulová.

**Festival Highlights**

The Pražák and Friends Festival spans five captivating evenings from 28 September to 25 October 2025. Each concert promises a unique blend of musical masterpieces:

– **Pražák Quartet and Anna Paulová** (September 28, 2025): The inaugural concert highlights works by Josef Suk, Antonín Dvořák, and W.A. Mozart.

– **Pražák Quartet Solo Evening** (October 4, 2025): Featuring Haydn’s “The Lark,” Smetana’s String Quartet No. 2, and Dvořák’s Op. 105.

– **Pražák Quartet & Kelley O’Connor** (October 18, 2025): A Czech premiere of Anders Hillborg’s *Kongsgaard Variations* alongside Respighi’s *Il tramonto* and Dvořák’s *Cypresses*.

– **Pražák Quartet, Kelley O’Connor & François Dumont** (October 24, 2025): An enchanting evening with works by Korngold, Grieg, Crumb, Hahn, and Chausson.

– **Pražák Quartet and François Dumont** (October 25, 2025): Featuring Beethoven’s *String Quartet Op. 95*, the world premiere of Tomáš Prechal’s String Quartet, and Dvořák’s *Piano Quintet Op. 81*.

The Pražák and Friends Festival promises an unforgettable celebration of chamber music in one of Prague’s most exquisite venues.

Tickets are now available for purchase. Join us as we bring these exceptional collaborations to life in the heart of Prague!

For more information, visit www.prazakquartet.com/festival .

One of the points of the Sunday program will be the handing over of special enrichment in the form of postage stamps to a family group of gorillas. The picture shows a one and a half year old female lowland gorilla Gaia. Photo Petr Hamerník, Prague Zoo

The Prague Zoo will celebrate its 94th anniversary on Sunday, September 28.

Traditionally, for the Czech Statehood Day, it has prepared a festive program in the presence of distinguished guests. While visitors can expect the presentation of new Czech Post postage stamps called Stars of Prague Zoo, the gorillas in the Dja Reservation will receive a unique enrichment with a postal theme. There will also be a book launch by Janek Ledecký, Crazy Verses 2, or the opening of the Barrandien: Testimony of the Prehistoric Sea exhibition. Live music will be provided by Sto zvířat and Pískomil se vrací, or singer Ema Papšová.

There will also be commented feedings and animal encounters throughout the day.

They will start with the feeding of the storks in the African House and the kangaroos in Darwin’s Crater at 10:30. There will also be a popular demonstration of sea lion training at 1:30 p.m., while at 2:30 p.m. the gorillas in the Dja Reservation will receive special enrichment in the form of postage stamps. In the early evening, the program will culminate with an extraordinary feeding of gharials in the Čambal pavilion at 5:30 p.m.

During the 94th anniversary celebration of Prague Zoo, there will also be a festive training of sea lions. The picture shows the chief keeper Jakub Mezei, the female South African sea lion Ronja (left) and Daisy (right). Photo Petr Hamerník, Prague Zoo

Program of the Prague Zoo 2025 Annual Celebration

Educational Center

– 10:30 a.m. Musical performance by the band Sto zvířat

– 11:00 a.m. Opening of the annual celebration with the Mayor of the City of Prague and other guests

Archa Theatre

– 12.00 Meeting of participants ABC time box

Gočár’s Houses

– 12.45 Performance by singer Ema Papšová

– 13.00 Opening of the exhibition Barrandien: Testimony of the prehistoric sea

Dja Reservation

– 13.45 Music and dance performance by SILAABAA Afro Music Band

– 14.00 Presentation of new postage stamps of Prague Zoo Stars

– 14.30 Handing over special enrichment with a “postal” theme to gorillas

Bororo Reservation

– 14.30 Musical performance The Sandpiper Returns

– 15.00 Launch of Janek Ledecký’s new book Crazy Verses 2

Commented feedings and meetings with animals across the Prague Zoo complex

– 10.30 Feeding of the grackles – African House

– 10.30 feeding red-necked and giant kangaroos – Darwin Crater

– 10.45 feeding meerkats – Africa House

– 11.00 meeting with capybaras and anteaters – Capybaras

– 11.00 meeting with giraffes – Africa House

– 12.00 meeting with gorillas – Méfou Centre

– 13.00 feeding South American tapirs – Tapirs opposite Darwin Crater

– 13.30 sea lion training demonstration – Sea lions

– 14.00 feeding reptiles – Predators and Reptiles Pavilion

– 14.00 feeding wombats – Darwin Crater

– 14.00 feeding Przewalski’s horses – Gobi

– 14.30 feeding elephants – Elephant Valley, lookout opposite wolves

– 14.30 feeding gorillas + enrichment with “postal” theme – Dja Reservation

– 15.00 ring-tailed lemur feeding – Lemur Island

– 15.30 hippo feeding – Hippo Pavilion

– 16.00 meeting with devils – Darwin Crater

– 17.30 gharial feeding – Čambal

The special Sunday feeding of the Indian gharials in the Čambal pavilion is scheduled for 5:30 p.m. on September 28. Photo Petr Hamerník, Prague Zoo

Photo: Lasvit

Starting this week, Czechia has a new gift on display at the United Nations in New York. The glass installation, titled Herbarium and created by Czech glass company Lasvit, was officially unveiled on Monday by President Petr Pavel.

“May the Herbarium inspire all who enter the United Nations to cherish the beauty of our planet and reaffirm their commitment to protect it.

See more here.

Author: Ruth Fraňková, Pavel Novák

Photo: Aashna Miharia, Radio Prague International

Bereaved families, scholars, and Prague community members gathered in Jan Palach Square a few days ago to honor the victims of Czechia’s deadliest shooting at Charles University’s Faculty of Arts in 2023. At the ceremony the group Spojeni nadějí (United by Hope) and university officials unveiled a plaque engraved with the victims’ names. The plaque, whose addition comes after grieving families requested it, stands next to the three-meter-high stone memorial sculpture established in June 2024.

The plaque lists the names of the 14 students and staff members who lost their lives on December 21, 2023, after a 24-year-old student went on a shooting spree inside the faculty.

See more here.

Photo: Sokoljan, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0

450 years ago, on September 22, 1575, Rudolf II was crowned King of Bohemia in St. Vitus Cathedral. What was meant to be a triumphal event turned into a rushed and awkward affair. Yet it was at that moment that the story began of one of the most significant rulers who gave Prague its unmistakable character.

Rudolf II was born the second son of Emperor Maximilian II and Maria of Spain.

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Author: Klára Stejskalová

Photo: Michaela Říhová, ČTK

Forty historic trams rolled through the Czech capital on Sunday as part of celebrations marking 150 years of Prague’s public transport. At the head of the parade was a horse-drawn tram dating back to the Austro-Hungarian Empire.

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Photo: Matěj Komár, Czech Radio

Elias Grandy, currently with the Sapporo Symphony Orchestra in Japan, has been named the new Chief Conductor of the prestigious Prague Radio Symphony Orchestra. He will take up the post next year, leading the Orchestra into its 100th anniversary season.

The German-Japanese conductor brings extensive international experience, having worked with orchestras around the world.

See more here.

Author: Hannah Vaughan

Photo: Barbora Navrátilová, Radio Prague International

František Příbrský is a zoologist, field conservationist and nature lover who has devoted his life to protecting animals in the wild. He divides his time between the Czech Republic, where he is head of In Situ projects at Ostrava Zoo and the island of Sumatra, where he founded the Kukang Rescue Program, an NGO working to protect slow lorises in the wild, primarily against illegal animal trafficking. František recently visited Radio Prague’s studio to talk about his life’s passion – protecting animals and nature. I first asked what took him to Sumatra where he is spearheading efforts to save the Slow Loris from extinction.

“I graduated from the Czech University of Life Sciences in Prague in 2014 and I did my diploma thesis on illegal wildlife trade with a focus on Indonesia.

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Author: Daniela Lazarová

Photo: IT4Innovations National Supercomputing Center of the Technical University of Ostrava

Czechia has officially launched its first quantum computer, nicknamed VLK, at the IT4Innovations National Supercomputing Center in Ostrava. Built with EU support, the machine will serve universities, research institutions, and projects such as atmospheric monitoring with the European Space Agency.

The hum of powerful cooling systems fills the room.

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Author: Vít Pohanka

Photo: Vít Pohanka, Radio Prague International

In this episode of Prague Off the Beaten Track, we visit the Výtoň railway bridge—an unmissable steel landmark just below the Vyšehrad cliffs. For more than 120 years, its sweeping arches have carried trains across the Vltava while quietly becoming part of daily life for locals. Once threatened with demolition, the bridge now has a new lease on life as Prague balances heritage, transport, and identity.

The Vyšehrad, or Výtoň, railway bridge may look like nothing more than a workhorse of steel and rivets, but its story stretches back to Prague’s revolutionary year of 1848.

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Author: Vít Pohanka

Czech Senate Speaker Miloš Vystrčil (Civic Democratic Party) urged state authorities to act more effectively against insults and verbal attacks targeting women in politics, which he described as “deeply reprehensible.

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Author: Vít Pohanka

Photo: Khalil Baalbaki, Czech Radio

At Lány Chateau, Czech archivists opened a long-sealed envelope thought to hold the final words of Tomáš Garrigue Masaryk. Instead, they discovered reflections written in 1934, when the first president was already gravely ill. The notes revealed Masaryk’s candid views on politics, mortality, and human weakness.

For years, speculation swirled around a mysterious sealed envelope kept in the Czech National Archives.

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Author: Vít Pohanka

Photo: Aashna Miharia, Radio Prague International

The Prague City Museum is once again bridging tradition with contemporary audiovisual art -this time by recalling the nearly forgotten craft of timber rafting. In cooperation with the Lunchmeat collective, it has created a light and sound installation on an authentic wooden raft on the Vltava River.

The installation, which can be seen on a floating wooden raft near Výtoň Bridge below Vyšehrad, pays tribute to rafting as a UNESCO-listed cultural heritage craft and is inspired by Bedřich Smetana’s iconic symphonic poem Vltava, which is celebrating the 150th anniversary of its premiere this year.

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Photo: Kosmas 900 / Czech National Library

A new exhibition on Cosmas opens tonight in the Mirror Chapel of Prague’s Klementinum, marking 900 years since the death of the country’s most famous chronicler and author of Chronica Boemorum (the Chronicle of the Bohemians), the first written account of Czech history.

“In Europe is situated Germania, in whose regions, across the northern plain, is a place spread very wide, girded everywhere by mountains in a circle.

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Author: Ruth Fraňková

Photo: Marlene Film Production

Following its world premiere at the Toronto Film Festival on September 5th, Agnieszka Holland’s highly anticipated film about Prague author Franz Kafka finally reaches Czech cinemas this Thursday. Offering a fresh perspective, “Franz” delves into the inner world of the famous writer.

Franz Kafka is an author who hardly needs an introduction.

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Author: Hannah Vaughan

Photo: Helmut Fohringer, ČTK

Emil, the moose that captured public attention while roaming across Czechia and Austria this summer, has been relocated to safety near the Šumava National Park. Austrian authorities tranquilized the animal on Monday morning after it wandered dangerously close to a highway near the town of Sattledt in Upper Austria. Officials explained that Emil appeared ready to leap over the highway fence, posing a risk to both drivers and himself.

After being sedated, Emil was loaded onto a trailer and transported to the Rohrbach district, close to the borders of Austria, Germany, and Czechia.

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Author: Ruth Fraňková

Photo: National Museum

The National Museum in Prague is hosting 100 Treasures, 100 Stories. On loan from the National Palace Museum in Taipei, it brings masterpieces of Chinese art to Europe for the very first time. At its heart is the famous jadeite cabbage, often compared to the Mona Lisa for its popularity and cultural significance.

Most of the objects on display come from the Qing dynasty, which ruled China from the mid-17th to the early 20th century.

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Author: Ruth Fraňková

Photo: Ester Hobzová, Czech Radio

In the Prague district of Vinohrady, a “Stolperstein” was laid this week for the late Czech journalist, writer, and former culture minister Pavel Tigrid. The installation was initiated by the German-Czech Future Fund and the unveiling was attended by members of his family.

The laying of a commemorative cobblestone, a “Stolperstein”, for Pavel Tigrid was initiated by the German-Czech Future Fund – a foundation established in 1998 to promote cooperation between Czechia and Germany.

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Author: Hannah Vaughan

Photo: Klára Stejskalová, Radio Prague International

A painting by Oskar Kokoschka, prints by Václav Hollar, a drawing by Mikoláš Aleš : those and other art works from the estate of former foreign minister Jan Masaryk have been gifted to the Czech state, courtesy of the family of Lumír Soukup, Masaryk’s personal secretary in London. At a ceremony at Černín Palace this week Foreign Minister Jan Lipavský expressed his thanks for “a gift of exceptional significance for the Czech nation”.

During WWII and Czechoslovakia’s exiled government in London, Jan Masaryk entrusted his personal secretary Lumír Soukup with part of his diplomatic and personal archive, which Mr.

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Author: Jaromír Marek

On the occasion of the 215th Anniversary of the Independence of Mexico

H.E. Mrs. Berenice Díaz Ceballos, Ambassador of Mexico to the Czech Republic,  hosted aconcert “Mexico and its Sounds” featuring the distinguished Mexican musicians:

Horacio Franco, flautist and recorder player, and Daniel Ortega, harpsichordist, at the Concert Hall of Prague Conservatory.

The honored speaker was Mr. Jiri Kozak, First Deputy of the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Czech Republic.

Watch the video with the speech of H.E. Mrs. Berenice Díaz Ceballos, Ambassador of Mexico to the Czech Republic, Mr. Jiri Kozak, First Deputy of the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Czech Republic, and highlights of the unique concert.

Viva Mexico – Viva Czech Republic

Today I had the pleasure of interviewing my friend Jonáš Krejčí, the cellist from the famed Pražák Quartet. With over 60 CDs to its name, the Quartet has long been recognised as among the best classical ensembles in Europe. On September 28, they will launch their inaugural festival. Five concerts with different programs will be performed over four weeks at the stunning Hlahol Hall, an Art Nouveau masterpiece which is rarely open to the public.

Q: Jonáš, what was the motivation for the Festival? A: There were two ideas behind this. When we play abroad, we are privileged to work with some very fine musicians. The Festival brings several of our regular collaborators to local audiences in Prague. The second motivation is the musical history and architectural beauty of the Hlahol Hall. Built in the early twentieth century for the Hlahol Singing Society, it was designed by Josef Fanta. Bedrich Smetana was one of Hlahol’s first choirmasters and Josef Mánes created the Society’s banner. The Hall also features a superb mural by Alfonse Mucha titled “Czech Song“. It’s a stunning venue, but it is underutilized. We hope that by making Hlahol the home of our festival, we will spark a resurgence of interest in this wonderful space as a home for chamber music.

Q: Who will be playing with you? A: There will be five concerts – all but one of them will include our collaborators. François Dumont is an acclaimed French pianist whose career was launched after prize winning successes at several international piano competitions, most notably the 16th International Chopin Competition. He has performed as a soloist with major orchestras and has made chamber music collaboration an important part of his musical life. Kelley O’Connor is a Grammy award winning American mezzo-soprano , truly one of the most compelling vocal artists of her generation. She joined us for our November 2024 West Coast USA concert and we immediately asked her to join us for our first festival. Our third collaborator is home grown – clarinetist Anna Paulova is a rising star of the music world and a laureate of many Czech and international competitions as well as the recent winner of the Jiří Bělohlávek Prize. In addition to her solo career, she is an avid chamber musician.

Q: When are the concerts? A: 28 September at 4.30pm, and 4, 18, 24 and 25 October at 7.30pm. Each concert will last around 90 minutes.

Q: How do I buy tickets? A: Tickets can be purchased online at www.prazakquartet.com/boom at CZK400 or CZK1500 for a subscription to all five concerts. The program details are all there in the link. Tickets may be sold at the door but I would advise patrons to reserve online. By the way, we will be offering fine Czech wines for sale at each concert during intermission. All the wines will be guaranteed for quality and origin by APELACE CZ , with different vineyards being featured at each concert.

Q: What do you hope to achieve through the Festival? A: Our vision is for the Quartet to present to Prague audiences a selection of the programs we have performed abroad, and to introduce them to some of the world’s leading musical talents. One of those great talents is the Czech-Dutch composer Tomáš Prechal, who has written a string quartet especially for this occasion. We hope that our audiences will have a memorable musical experience in an extraordinary historic venue.

*Interview by Alan Rassaby. Photographs in Hlahol by Jakub Pelnař.

LEGO® is celebrating the anniversary of  25 years of operation of the LEGO factory in Kladno in a very unique way.

At the same time that the exhibition of the Crown Jewels is open to the public at the Prague Castle, to celebrate this event, the first unique brick model of the St. Wenceslas Crown in larger-than-life size was created, built only for the Czech Republic, and will be available from September 18 to 21, at front of the main entrance to Prague castle – Hradčanské náměstí 1.

The crow was built from 128333 bricks, weighing 280 Kg, and it took 490 hours to build.

Representatives of LEGO  attended the ceremonial unveiling of the model:

• Michaela T. Horáková, General Manager, LEGO Production Kladno
• Iva Ambrožová, Marketing Director, LEGO Business Unit Czech Republic and Slovakia
• Christian Thor Larsen, Vice President, LEGO Model Production
• Martin Siebenhandl, General Manager LEGO Czech Republic and Slovakia

And children who used 7 big keys made from Lego to open the “safe”

Watch the video and pictures from the event.

On the Occasion of the 76th Anniversary of the Founding of the People’s Republic of China and the Establishment of Diplomatic Relations between the People’s Republic of China and the Czech Republic, H.E. Mr. Feng Biao, Ambassador of the People’s Republic of China to the Czech Republic, hosted a reception at the Chinese Embassy in Prague.

The honored speaker was Mr. Milos Zeman, the former President of the Czech Republic.

Watch the Video with the speech of H.E. Mr. Feng Biao, Ambassador of the People’s Republic of China to the Czech Republic, Part of Mr. Zeman’s speech, and the beautiful culture part.

Happy 76th Anniversary of the Founding of the People’s Republic of China

中华人民共和国成立76周年快乐

On Saturday, September 13, 2025, at the scenic Hostivarská prehrada in Prague, the first Filipínská Barrio Fiesta, took place.

The Filipino community in Prague and across the Czech Republic warmly hosted hundreds of guests, with a rich cultural program, traditional food, and friendship.

The celebration was organized by the Filipínská Fiesta National Organizing Committee (NOC), in partnership with the Philippines Embassy in the Czech Republic.

Watch the video with Highlights from the event, Speech of :

H.E. Mr. Eduardo Menez – Ambassador of the Philippines in The Czech Republic

Mrs. Felicitas Q. Bay, Undersecretary, Department of Migrant Workers

Mrs. Maria Vránová Lu, President of the National Organizing Committee of Filipinska Barrio Fiesta 2025

And a cultural show.

Photo: Prague Castle Administration

The Czech crown jewels, including the St. Wenceslas Crown, sceptre, orb, and robes used in the coronation of Czech kings, are on display at Prague Castle. This year’s exhibition designed by the famous London-based architect Eva Jiřičná, highlights their fate during WWII.

On Monday, all seven key holders, representatives of the state, the Catholic Church, and the city of Prague, opened the Crown Chamber in St.

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Author: Ruth Fraňková

Photo: Čokoládovna Lidka Kutná Hora

Kutná Hora’s Chocolate Museum may well be the smallest museum of its kind in the world. But the story it tells – of Lidka chocolate, its 20th century rise, fall, and later 21st century revival – serves as a very large mirror of modern Czech history.

It’s not often that a brand disappears only to be revived decades later.

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Author: Dominik Jůn

Photo: Barbora Navrátilová, Radio Prague International

Zavolíme! is a unique project that organizes student-led election debates. Created by students, for students, its name loosely translates to ‘We Will Vote’- a fitting reflection of its mission to boost youth voter turnout, promote civic engagement, and connect formal and informal education.

Oldřich Neumann plays an active role in organizing the project and moderates debates featuring leading political candidates, including this year’s event ahead of the October elections.

See more here.

Author: Hannah Vaughan

Photo: Zuzana Jarolímková, iROZHLAS.cz

After drawn-out disputes between the Czech Railway Administration and conservationists over the future of Výtoň Bridge –one of Prague’s iconic landmarks- it has been announced that the bridge will be reconstructed, not replaced. The news has raised a cheer from both heritage experts and the public.

The Výtoň railway bridge, also known as Vyšehrad Bridge, was first opened on 15 August 1872 as a single-track structure.

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Author: Daniela Lazarová

Source: Air Navigation Services of the Czech Republic

The Czech Air Navigation Services have introduced DroneMap: a new digital tool that helps pilots navigate both air and ground restrictions. The app provides instant information about no-fly zones, required permissions, and areas where rules have been eased. According to the UAV Alliance, it represents a major step toward safer and more accessible drone operations.

A new digital application called DroneMap is transforming how drone pilots operate in the Czech Republic.

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Author: Vít Pohanka

Photo: National Museum

A new exhibition at the Museum of Music in Prague pays tribute to one of the most significant figures of Czech and world music, opera singer Soňa Červená, on the occasion of what would have been her 100th birthday.

The exhibition, titled simply Soňa Červená 100, traces the life of the celebrated Czech opera singer and actress, who dazzled audiences in more than 5,500 performances across 75 seasons.

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Author: Ruth Fraňková

Photo: Správa jeskyní ČR

Seventy-five years ago, a blast in a quarry near the village of Koněprusy revealed the entrance to an underground world that today is one of the Czech Republic’s greatest natural treasures.

The Koněprusy Caves are located in the heart of the Protected Landscape Area of Český kras, about 30 km southwest of Prague.

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Author: Klára Stejskalová

Photo: Arthouse Hejtmánek

Arthouse Gallery is preparing to auction over 300 exclusive pieces of historic glass and porcelain. The online auction scheduled for September 24, will give collectors the opportunity to acquire gems from the Baroque Renaissance, Biedermeier and Art Nouveau period. I spoke to gallery co-owner Tomáš Hejtmánek and first asked him to mention some of the most rare pieces that will be up for sale.

“Among the rarest pieces are a Mannerist crystal cup in the shape of a shell dating from around the 1620s.

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Author: Daniela Lazarová

Photo: Barbora Navrátilová, Radio Prague International

Tom Kotík, artist and musician based in New York, is the great-great-grandson of Czechoslovakia’s first president, Tomáš Garrigue Masaryk. He returned to Prague to witness the unveiling on Friday of a sealed envelope believed to contain Masaryk’s last words. In an interview for Radio Prague International, he reflects on his Czech-American identity, the influence of his family history, and his life in art and music.

Tom Kotík is proud of his Czech roots, even though he has spent most of his life in the United States.

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Author: Vít Pohanka

Photo: Aashna Miharia, Radio Prague International

The Holešovice Market Hall unveiled a new sculpture titled “Market and Slaughterhouse” last week, established as part of Prague’s efforts to artistically revitalize the popular community space.

The sculpture of a red bear clawing at honeycombs by artist Adam Trbušek is in stark contrast with the nearby statue of a bull standing at the market’s entrance.

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Photo: Wojtek Jargilo, ČTK/PAP

Czech leaders have strongly condemned Russia’s drone incursion into Polish territory, which they view as clear evidence of Russia’s mounting aggression. At its session on Wednesday, the Czech cabinet expressed solidarity with Poland and readiness to help protect Europe’s borders against further Russian provocations.

“This incident clearly confirms how deeply the escalating Russian aggression affects us.

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Author: Daniela Lazarová

Czechia’s population shrank by 27,200 in the first half of this year, dropping to 10.

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Author: Ruth Fraňková

Photo: Jolana Nováková, Czech Radio

The ferry lines across the Vltava are a fairly inconspicuous but charming part of the city’s Integrated Transport System. For tourists they offer a glimpse of the city from a different perspective, for local residents quick connections between districts.

Ferries have been part of life on the Vltava for centuries.

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Author: Daniela Lazarová

Photo: Plzeňský Prazdroj

At Pilsner Brewery, new coopers are initiated with a symbolic slap or a strike on a handcrafted barrel. After three years of training, they join the eight-member cooperage team. The ceremony takes place during the traditional tarring of oak barrels, which disinfects them and helps preserve the beer’s flavor.

The coopers heated the barrel to help the pitch adhere better.

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Author: Jakub Ferenčík, Lukáš Milota

Photo: Michal Kamaryt, ČTK

After borders opened in the early 1990s, churches in remote parts of Czechia became frequent targets of art-theft. Valuable statues and paintings were stolen, often ending up with resellers or in foreign auction houses. Now, decades later, some of these treasures are making their way back, among them the long-lost Baroque statue of Saint Ludmila, which was handed over to the authorities in Prague last week.

The wooden statue of Saint Ludmila was stolen in 1994 from the Chapel of the Assumption of the Virgin Mary in the village of Schořov near Kutná Hora.

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Author: Ruth Fraňková

Photo: Ondřej Deml, ČTK

Hundreds of fans waited overnight in Prague for the release of Dan Brown’s new novel The Secret of All Secrets, a story that is partly set in the Czech capital.

By Tuesday morning, a long line had wound its way outside the Old Town Hall, with some readers waiting up to twelve hours to be among the first to buy a copy.

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Author: Ruth Fraňková

Photo: Kosmas 900 / Czech National Library

This year Czechs are marking 900 years since the death of the country’s most famous chronicler Cosmas, author of Chronica Boemorum or Chronicle of the Bohemians, the first known documentation of Czech history. Many town halls are hoping that the celebration of his legacy could raise interest in a job no one wants.

The National Library and Prague City Tourism are commemorating Cosmas’ life and work with a wide variety of events.

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Author: Daniela Lazarová

Photo: Jan Schejbal, Czech Defence Ministry

A memorial dedicated to Czech pilot František Hekl was unveiled on Sunday at Loch Doon in Scotland. During the Second World War, he served with the 312th Czechoslovak Squadron of the British Royal Air Force (RAF). In October 1941, during a training flight, his plane crashed into the lake, and he did not survive the accident. He was 26 years old.

Despite the rainy weather, over 100 people attended the unveiling of the memorial at Loch Doon.

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Author: Jakub Ferenčík, Jaromír Marek

Photo: Kateřina Šulová, ČTK

British star Robbie Williams pulled all the stops for fans in Prague on Sunday. “An evening packed with hits, stand-up and charismatic energy” is how the local press described the spectacular show in the sold-out O2 Arena. It was the singer’s fourth concert in the Czech capital following appearances in 2003, 2014 and 2017.

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Source: Supraphon

In this edition of our Sunday Music show, we explore Petr Novák, the Czech Romantic of the Rock Era. Petr Novák (1945–1997) was one of the most distinctive voices of Czech popular music in the 1960s and 1970s. Although his name is not widely known beyond the country’s borders, he remains an icon in Czechia; his songs still play on the radio and resonate with new generations of listeners.

At a time when rock ’n’ roll ruled the world, a local version called bigbeat was emerging in then Czechoslovakia.

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Photo: David Macháček, Czech Radio

The Great Balloon Fiesta in Hradec Králové has set a new Czech record in the number of ballons taking to the skies simultanously. The event has attraced many foreign crews.

Hot-air balloons have been filling the skies over Hradec Králové and its wider surroundings these days.

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Author: Daniela Lazarová

Photo: Trigema

The Prague skyline will soon get an imposing new feature. Top Tower, with its shipwreck sculpture is slated to become the tallest building in Czechia.

Construction of the post-apocalyptic ‘shipwreck’ tower was approved by the Prague building authorities this week.

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Author: Fred Byrne

Photo: Temudjin, Pixabay, Pixabay License

After more than six years, people in Czechia will once again have the chance to see a total lunar eclipse. On the evening of September 7, the Moon will rise already in full eclipse, glowing deep red, low above the horizon. To better understand how it happens and what to expect, I spoke with astronomer Jan Veselý from Prague Planetarium.

To begin with, could you explain in simple terms how a lunar eclipse actually happens?.

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Author: Ruth Fraňková

Photo: Daniela Lazarová, Radio Prague International

The exhibition “UNICEF in the Czech Republic, the Czech Republic in UNICEF”, which officially opened on Prague’s Jungmann Square on Thursday, invites visitors to explore Czechia’s role in this global humanitarian organization. From the very first UNICEF postcard born in South Bohemia to present-day projects changing children’s lives worldwide. I spoke to Pavla Gomba, Executive Director of UNICEF Czech Republic, about the main message behind the exhibition.

“This exhibition has multiple objectives.

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Author: Daniela Lazarová

Photo: Josef Kopecký, Czech Radio

The Puppet Museum in Chrudim, East Bohemia, has received a remarkable gift: a collection of tin toys created over four decades by Czech stage designer and artist Jan Červenka. The priceless works travelled more than 31,000 kilometres from Sydney, spending 55 days at sea before arriving at their new home.

The collection includes hand-crafted boats, cars, train stations, and castles, all meticulously made from painted tin.

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Author: Ruth Fraňková

H.E. Mr. Raveesh Kumar, the Ambassador of the Republic of India to the Czech Republic, hosted a reception, celebrating the 1st anniversary of the Indian Professionals and Entrepreneurs Forum (IPEF). The event took place on the M/S Natal boat, cruising the beautiful Vltava River.

The honoured speakers were: President of the Senate, Mr. Miloš Vystrčil, Mr. David Müller, Deputy Minister of Industry and Trade, and Mr. Jan Michal, CEO, CzechInvest.

Networking and Dinner followed the ceremony.

Watch the Video with the speech of H.E. Mr. Raveesh Kumar, the Ambassador of the Republic of India to the Czech Republic, Mr. Miloš Vystrčil – President of the Senate, Mr. David Müller, Deputy Minister of Industry and Trade, and Mr. Jan Michal, CEO, CzechInvest. and highlights from the culture program.

Watch the video till the end, a very nice surprise is waiting for you.

The Chinese Embassy in the Czech Republic, together with Hainan Airlines and Prague Airport, jointly hosts the “Hello! China” Tourism Promotion Event and the First Anniversary Celebration of Hainan Airlines’ Beijing to Prague Direct Flight.

H.E. Mr. Biao FENG, Ambassador of the People’s Republic of China to the Czech Republic, greets the audience.

The other speakers were: Mr. Jiri Vyskoc – Executive Director, Aviation Business Development at Prague Airport, Mr. Li Xinze – the local manager of Hainan Airlines, Ms. Hong HAO, Counsellor at the Chinese Embassy in Prague, and Mr. Tal Aleshkovsky – International Department of Hainan Airlines.

Watch the Video with the speech of H.E. Mr. Biao FENG, Ambassador of the People’s Republic of China to the Czech Republic, Mr. Jiri Vyskoc – Executive Director, Aviation Business Development at Prague Airport, Mr. Li Xinze – the local manager of Hainan Airlines, and the presentation of Ms. Hong HAO, Counsellor at the Chinese Embassy in Prague, and Mr. Tal Aleshkovsky – International Department of Hainan Airlines, and highlights from the cultural program.

By M a Cristina Paule-Mercado and Patricia Marie

The Filipino community in Prague and across the Czech Republic warmly invites everyone to Filipínská Barrio Fiesta 2025, a vibrant celebration of Filipino heritage, community spirit, and cross-cultural friendship. The event will be held on Saturday, September 13, 2025, from 10:00 to 20:00 at the scenic Hostivarská prehrada in Prague.

With the beginning of the school year, the nationwide campaign “It Takes Courage” symbolically starts, which is focused on open communication about mental health. It will last until October 10, when the world commemorates International Mental Health Day.

The event is supported by the Flaminia Foundation under the expert supervision of the organization Nevypusť duši and in cooperation with the Office of the President of the Republic. The ambassadors of the campaign are the President of the Republic, Petr Pavel, and his wife Eva Pavlová.

“The beginning of the school year is a time full of expectations, but also of fears and uncertainties for many people. Remember that not everything always goes smoothly. And if you ever don’t know what to do, don’t be afraid to ask for help. It’s not a shame, but rather a sign of maturity and courage,” said President Petr Pavel.

The campaign was also supported by a number of well-known personalities: actress and singer Barbora Poláková, actor and singer Jan Cina, Olympic snowboard cross champion Eva Adamczyková and her husband, actor Marek Adamczyk, actress Anna Dvořáková, yogi Tereza Hodanová, and Olympic water slalom medalist Vavřinec Hradilek.

The main information pillar of the campaign is the Help Guide on the website www.tochceodvahu.cz, where people can find an overview of contacts for professional help across regions and topics.

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=bigaMAEd-o8&pp=ygUOVG8gY2hjZSBvZHZhaHU%3D

Photo: Bundesarchiv, R 165 Bild-244-64, CC-BY-SA 3.0

On August 31, 1940, Adolf Hitler received a document that would fundamentally influence the fate of the Czech nation. The plan, titled Endlösung der tschechischen Frage (The Final Solution to the Czech Question) represented a Nazi strategy for the gradual Germanization of the population of the Protectorate of Bohemia and Moravia. Although it was not a plan for physical extermination like in the case of the Jewish population, its goal was to erase Czech identity and transform Czechs into obedient German citizens.

The Nazis believed that, due to centuries of coexistence with Germans, Czechs carried “suppressed German blood.

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Photo: Ian Willoughby, Radio Prague International

Barbora Baronová runs Wo-men, an independent publishing house based in Prague. Since 2012 the company has brought out works by such names as photographer Libuše Jarcovjáková and dancer Miřenka Čechová – and earned many admirers for its striking designs. As Baronová explains, she literally puts everything she has into Wo-men, which is a true labour of love.

Your mother was a librarian.

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Author: Ian Willoughby

Photo: Blanka Mazalová, Czech Radio

Organ music lovers are flocking to the Moravian city of Olomouc for the 57th International Organ Festival, which opened on Monday. The annual event, now a well-established cultural highlight, honors the 340th birth anniversary of two towering figures of Baroque music: Johann Sebastian Bach and George Frideric Handel.

The historic Church of St.

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Author: Daniela Lazarová

Illustrative photo: Arnulf Hettrich/imago stock&people, Profimedia

The Prague suburbs could be connected by a new mode of transport: a train-tram. Several proposals have already been made to introduce it in various Czech regions. Now, the Central Bohemian Region is seriously considering this and aims to push through a change in the law for this purpose.

Tomáš Javořík, a railway transport expert from the Czech Technical University in Prague, described the train-trams to Czech Radio:.

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Author: Jakub Ferenčík

Photo: © Hubertl, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0

The University of Vienna is marking a remarkable milestone this year: 250 years since Czech was first taught there. In fact, Czech was introduced as a field of study in Vienna 18 years earlier than at any Czech University.

It was in 1775 when Josef Valentin Zlobicki, an Austrian lawyer, translator into Czech and linguist, was appointed as the world’s first university professor of Czech language and literature.

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Author: Libor Kukal, Ruth Fraňková

Photo: Jiří Matějů, Czech Radio

Martin Kratochvíl and Milan Svoboda – two legends of the Czech jazz scene – have come together for the first time to create a joint album. Kratochvíl is renowned for his pioneering fusion jazz, while Svoboda is celebrated for his modern big band sound. The result is Oxymoron – and you can hear it now in this edition of Sunday Music Show.

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Photo: Václav Pancer, ČTK

Czech Railways set a new record for passenger services on Sunday. A Pendolino tilting train reached 200 km/h on the Prague–České Budějovice line, the first time a passenger tain has been allowed to break the long-standing 160 km/h limit.

Train travel enthusiasts bought their tickets for Sunday’s highly-publicized train ride weeks in advance.

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Illustrative photo: Vetler, Pixabay, Pixabay License

The highly aggressive disease myxomatosis has been confirmed in hares in the Znojmo region of southern Moravia. These are the first confirmed cases in hares in Czechia, though the virus has previously been found in rabbits. Veterinarians warn it poses a serious threat to local hare populations.

Typical symptoms of myxomatosis include swelling of the head, severe inflammation of the limbs or genitals, and reddened brownish eyelids.

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Author: Ruth Fraňková

Photo: Luděk Peřina, ČTK

Giant model aircraft took to the skies over Olomouc. Dozens of model enthusiasts showcased their planes at the Olomouc airport in Neředín during the international Extreme Flight Championships. The models, weighing around twenty kilograms each, performed extreme aerobatic maneuvers that would be difficult to execute with real aircraft.

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Photo: Alexis Rosenzweig, Radio Prague International

The award-winning documentary Mr. Nobody Against Putin is the result of a unique collaboration between American director David Borenstein and Russian teacher Pavel Talankin. Filmed secretly in Russia, it portrays how state propaganda shapes the lives of children. In an interview with Radio Prague International’s Alexis Rosenzweig, Borenstein recalls the risks, the Czech role in the production, and the impact the film has had both abroad and within Russia.

When director David Borenstein first began working on Mr.

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Author: Alexis Rosenzweig, Vít Pohanka

Photo: Petr Kotyk, Památník národního písemnictví

The Czech Museum of Literature has announced a remarkable discovery. Literary scholars have uncovered a large part of the original manuscripts of Jaroslav Hašek’s world-famous novel The Good Soldier Švejk and His Fortunes in the World War.

The texts, which Jaroslav Hašek wrote or dictated until his death in 1923, resurfaced during the cataloguing of materials belonging to his longtime publisher, Adolf Synek.

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Author: Ruth Fraňková

Photo: Klára Hlubocká, Česká ornitologická společnost

The number of poisoned wild animals in the Czech Republic has risen sharply this year, with conservationists warning of one of the worst waves of illegal killings in recent memory. According to the Czech Society for Ornithology, 55 poisoned birds have been found since January, already surpassing last year’s total. Over a dozen more were shot, trapped, or had their nests deliberately destroyed.

Among the victims are many birds of prey, including some of the country’s rarest and most protected species, such as white-tailed eagles, red kites, and the critically endangered eastern imperial eagle.

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Author: Daniela Lazarová

Photo: Josef Kopecký, Czech Radio

The Puppet Museum in Chrudim, East Bohemia, has received a remarkable gift: a collection of tin toys created over four decades by Czech stage designer and artist Jan Červenka. The priceless works travelled more than 31,000 kilometres from Sydney, spending 55 days at sea before arriving at their new home.

The collection includes hand-crafted boats, cars, train stations, and castles, all meticulously made from painted tin.

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Author: Ruth Fraňková

Photo: René Volfík, iROZHLAS.cz

The Czech Republic is catching up on its obligations to soldiers, police officers and diplomats who served on dangerous foreign missions. An amendment to the War Veterans Act, which took effect on September 3, will give them more benefits and greater moral recognition.

Markéta Burgetová helps care for her brother, a former special forces soldier, who underwent brain surgery in 2023 and is unable to walk.

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Author: Daniela Lazarová

On the occasion of Ukraine’s Independence Day, H.E. Mr. Vasyl Zvarych, the Ambassador of Ukraine to the Czech Republic, Ms. Viktoria Zvarych, and Mr. Petr Krogmann, the Chairman of the Presidium of the Ukrainian–Czech Chamber of Commerce, hosted a reception at the beautiful Villa Richter in Prague.

The Honoured speakers were :

Gen. Karel Rehka – the Chief of the General Staff of the Military of the Czech Republic.

Mr. Vaclav Vydra – Actor, representing the project “drones for Ukraine”

Mr. Dodo Dobrik – Endowment fund “A gift for Putin”

Ms. Konashchuk Kateryna – founder of the Farmerhood and Grain Ukraine Foundation

Mr. Ondrej Vetchy – Actor, group “ Drony Nemesis”

Mr. Martin Kroupa – Post Bellum Ukraine

Watch the Video with highlights from the event and the speeches of H.E. Mr. Vasyl Zvarych, the Ambassador of Ukraine to the Czech Republic, Gen. Karel Rehka, the Chief of the General Staff of the Military of the Czech Republic, and the other honored speakers.

On the occasion of the Victory Day, H.E. Mr. Metin Feyzioglu, the Ambassador of the Republic of Türkiye to the Czech Republic, and Mrs. Birgul Feyzioglu, and Colonel Emrullah Altay Ayhan, the Military, Naval, and Air Attaché, and Mrs. Ozlem Ayhan hosted a reception at the beautiful Embassy garden.

Watch the video with the speeches of H.E. Mr. Metin Feyzioglu, the Ambassador of the Republic of Türkiye to the Czech Republic, and Colonel Emrullah Altay Ayhan, the Military, Naval, and Air Attaché.

Happy Victory Day, Türkiye – Zafer Bayramınız Kutlu Olsun, Türkiye