Photo: Petr Horník, Právo/Profimedia
This year’s Czech Architecture Award went to the new Concert Hall in Karlovy Vary, set within the renovated Imperial Spa complex.
The newly completed Concert Hall in Karlovy Vary, designed by architects Petr Hájek, Nikoleta Slováková, and Martin Stoss of the Petr Hájek Architekti studio, has won the prestigious Czech Architecture Award for 2024.
See more here.
Author: Vít Pohanka
On the occasion of the 70th Algeria’s National Day, the Ambassador of the People’s Democratic Republic of Algeria to the Czech Republic, H.E. Mr. Belkacem Zeghmati, and his spouse hosted a reception at the iconic Grand Hotel International.
Mr. Jiri Kozak – the first deputy minister of foreign affairs of the Czech Republic, was the honored speaker.
Watch the video with the speech of H.E. Mr.Belkacem Zeghmati, the Ambassador of the People’s Democratic Republic of Algeria to the Czech Republic, and of Mr. Jiri Kozak – the first deputy minister of foreign affairs of the Czech Republic.
The speech is in Arabic, moderated to English by Mr. Moustafa DAHOU, First Secretary.
Algeria – Happy 70th National Day
On the occasion of the anniversary of the Czechoslovak Republic, H.E. Ms. Ingrid BROCKOVÁ, Ambassador of the Slovak Republic to the Czech Republic, and Ms. Ľubica Krénova, director of the Slovak Institute in Prague, hosted a Gala concert at the beautiful Smetana Hall in the Municipal House.
The Slovak Philharmonic Orchestra, with the conductor Daniel Raiskin and Maria Porubcinova – soprano and Stanislav Masaryk – Trumpet, performed several pieces from different times for the enjoyment of the audience. You can find the full program in the pictures.
Watch the video with the speech of H.E. Ms. Ingrid BROCKOVÁ, Ambassador of the Slovak Republic to the Czech Republic, and Ms. Ľubica Krénova, director of the Slovak Institute in Prague, and a few music highlights.
The National Gallery Prague (NGP) is pleased to present the exhibition “École de Paris: Artists from Bohemia and Interwar Paris”, which focuses on an important but still less mapped chapter of Czech art in France. It will take place from November 8, 2024, to March 2, 2025, in the Valdštejnská jízdárna and brings a view of artists who were better known in interwar Paris than in their homeland, such as Georges Kars, Othon Coubine and François Zdeněk Eberl, whose works will be exhibited in Prague for the very first time.
According to curator Anna Pravdová, the exhibition will take visitors to the Parisian art scene of the 1920s and 1930s. “Although the names of František Kupka, Josef Šíma, Jindřich Štyrský and Toyen are today most often associated with Czech art in France, the Parisian audience at the time had completely different favorites. Kars, Coubine, and Eberl were much better known and exhibited
in the most prestigious galleries, they published monographs. As part of this exhibition, we will recall their art again and present it to the Czech audience in the broader context of the Paris school.” In addition to the works of these three key authors, the exhibition will also offer works by their contemporaries, including world-famous names such as Amedeo Modigliani, Marc Chagall, Suzanne Valadon, Chaïm Soutine, Jules Pascin, Chana Orloff or Maurice Utrillo. And the photographer of night Paris Brassaï will not be missing either.
Interwar Paris and the “return to order”
After the First World War, artists reacted to the conflict, which until then had no comparison in the world, processed their own deep experiences fear of the past and the future. Some continued the art before the war; others sought new forms. At that time, Paris was the beating center of the cosmopolitan art world, where different styles and approaches intermingled. The exhibition takes the viewer to the galleries and salons of the time, to Montmartre and Montparnasse, among artists, collectors, but also people on the fringes of society and prostitutes. It will show scenes from cabarets and circuses, portraits of artists, still lifes, urban and Provençal landscapes. In addition to commemorating the creators who dominated artistic Paris between the two wars, the exhibition also focuses on the themes and styles that shaped their work and were very popular on the art scene of the time. That is, to modern figurative work and interwar neoclassicism, a return to the classical form of art. Artists such as Kars and Coubine reacted to social changes by “returning to order”, their work thus – after the chaos and horrors of the First World War – returns to stability and peace and leaves the pre-war experimentation.
Unique works and archival research
Visitors will have a unique opportunity to see a number of works that have not been exhibited before. Among them are works that have recently been discovered in American collections and returned to Europe for the first time. It is a set of works by Othon Coubin, which belonged to the collector Leo Stein, the brother of the famous writer and the poet Gertrude Stein.
The exhibition is the result of several years of research by curator Anna Pravdová, which included not only the study of periodicals and correspondence, but also thorough research in private and public archives in France, Austria and the United States.
“This exhibition is a continuation of the previous exhibitions of Czech artists in France, which the National Gallery Prague presented – Kupka, Šíma and Toyen,” says general director Alicja Knast, adding: “Now I cordially invite everyone to immerse themselves in interwar Paris with us and enjoy the art of Kars, Coubin and Eberl, Czech painters who managed to establish themselves there. I see the School of Paris above all as a powerful symbol of how diversity and freedom can foster extraordinary creativity. And I am pleased that, in addition to the works of the already mentioned artists, the work of Modigliani, Chagall or, for example, the unique Chana Orloff, a French sculptor of Ukrainian origin, will be on display.”
Around 250 works on loan from prestigious European museums (e.g. Musée d’art Moderne de Paris, Nouveau Musée National de Monaco, Musée de Montmartre or Musée de Grenoble), from the most important Czech public galleries and from a number of foreign and domestic private collections will be on display.
Public and educational programs for the exhibition
Educational programs, open to all age groups, draw the public into the context of contemporary events. Of course, there are a number of guided tours with the curator and other specialists. February marks the 80th anniversary of the tragic death of Georges Kars at the end of the Second World War, and one evening will therefore be dedicated to his memory and significance in the context of interwar Paris. Other lectures will be devoted to the phenomenon of Paris in film, for example, and space will also be given to live art during readings of poetry by French poets, or at concerts or screenings. Playrooms, workshops and workshops are prepared for children and adults who want to be actively inspired by art for their own creations.
For school groups, there is both an educational program exploring the personality of a fictitious collector and a tour with lecturers who will explain to pupils and students in a comprehensible manner the most interesting aspects of the entire exhibition. The exhibition is open to everyone, regardless of age opened an interactive Studio in which visitors are transported back in time a hundred years to the environment of a Parisian cafe, game room or art collector’s apartment.
The NGP publishes several publications for the exhibition: an illustrated guide/catalog was created to the exhibition, which will also be available in English, as well as another part of the Pocket Pictures edition, this time focused on the creative thinking of Georges Kars. For younger children, the illustrated book Little Trip to Paris is published, which you can go on accompanied by the cartoonist Tita, the painter Zdeňko and the cat Cyril.
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Fates of artists
The stories of all three artists intertwine with the dramatic fates of Europe during the last century and are anything but linear and black and white. Georges Kars (born as Georg Karpeles), Othon Coubine (originally Otakar Kubín) and François Zdenek (František Zdeněk) Eberl came to France already before the First World War. Kars was a Czech German of Jewish origin, during the war he fought on the side of Austria-Hungary. Eberl joined the Czechoslovak legions in France, was seriously wounded, and later worked as an ambulance driver for the Red Cross. During the First World War, Coubin and his wife were first interned in a foreigner’s camp near Bordeaux, then worked in the National Library and participated in the resistance activities of the Czechoslovak colony in Paris.
After the war, all three met in Paris, and their realistic figurative painting enjoyed unprecedented success there. They established themselves on the art scene of the time, but in Czechoslovakia after the war Kars and Eberl were hardly talked about. During the Second World War, Kars first hid in France and later, under rather dramatic circumstances, crossed the border into Switzerland, where he lived with his sister near Zurich. Nervously exhausted, he committed suicide in February 1945. Eberl briefly joined the French Resistance. In the interwar period, he often stayed in Monaco, where he later received honorary citizenship. He died in the early sixties in France. Coubine returned home in the 1950s, lived alternately in Prague and his native Boskovice, and became a distinguished artist. After thirteen years, he headed back to France and spent the last years of his life in Provence.
Details
École de Paris: Artists from Bohemia and interwar Paris
Venue: National Gallery Prague, Valdštejnská jízdárna
Date: November 8, 2024 – March 2, 2025
Curator: Anna Pravdová (Collection of Modern Art NGP)
Exhibition architect: Zbyněk Baladrán
Exhibition graphics: Studio Okolo – Matěj Činčera, Jan Klos
Photo: Matěj Skalický, Czech Radio
Jozef Síkela spoke to the European Parliament on Wednesday to defend his designation as European Commissioner for International Partnerships. Síkela was questioned by members of the Development Committee, outlining a vision for the EU’s Global Gateway strategy that balances economic interests with core European values.
In his opening speech to the European Parliament, Jozef Síkela stressed that his approach to the EU’s Global Gateway strategy would strive to find a balance between profit and principle.
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Author: Jakub Ferenčík
Photo: Ian Willoughby, Radio Prague International
The newly reconstructed Baroque Savarin Palace on the street Na Příkopě in central Prague will serve as the permanent home of the Alfons Mucha Museum. The partnership was announced earlier this week by the Mucha Foundation and Crestyl, the developer behind the Savarin project.
Architect Eva Jiřičná, who recently received the Order of the White Lion for her contributions to Czech culture, is designing the museum’s exhibitions, covering over 1,100 square meters.
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Author: Ruth Fraňková
Illustration photo: Anastasia Shuraeva, Pexels
Although many Czech women are still delaying parenthood to focus on careers, new research from the SYRI Institute suggests that this trend may be slowing down.
Since the 1990s, a prevailing trend in Czechia has been for women to delay parenthood in favor of career-building.
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Author: Vít Pohanka
Source: Festival Mezipatra
Mezipatra, a Czech name that translates to ‘mezzanine’, is an internationally renowned LGBT-focused film festival, and it returns for this year on November 7th. First founded back in 2000, this year’s programme features a rich selection of films from a variety of countries, among which will be the winners of the festival juries’ awards for Best Feature Film and Best Short Film. The festival’s head of programme, Kristýna Genttnerová, spoke to Danny Bate about what awaits fans and viewers this year.
I’d like to start by asking about the name of this film festival: Mezipatra.
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Author: Danny Bate
Photo: Hana Řeháková, Radio Prague International
An exhibition dedicated to Czech composer Bedřich Smetana and his most famous piece, the cycle of six symphonic poems entitled My Country, has got underway at Prague’s National Museum. The exhibition, which is part of the Year of Czech Music, commemorates 200 years since the birth of the Czech musical great.
The new exhibition dedicated to Smetana’s My Country was launched this Tuesday, November 5, marking exactly 142 years since the complete cycle premiered at the Žofín Palace in Prague.
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Author: Ruth Fraňková
Photo: Eupure
EPU, an app created by the Czech software companies Gatyer and Algodos, and with support from the Ministry of the Environment, aims to offer tourists alternative paths to follow and places to visit. In doing so, EPU seeks to take pressure off certain nature hotspots and literally broaden horizons.
The acronym EPU stands for the Czech words ekologie, příroda and udržitelnost – ecology, nature and sustainability.
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Author: Danny Bate
Photo: The European Union Songbook Association
Marta Kubišová’s Prayer for Marta, the unofficial anthem of the Velvet Revolution, and the Hussite chant Ktož jsú boží bojovníci, or All You Mighty Warriors of God, are among the six Czech songs selected for the first-ever EU Songbook, published on Tuesday.
The idea to create a European Union Songbook began in Copenhagen in 2015, with the aim of celebrating the rich cultural diversity of each member state.
See more here.
Author: Ruth Fraňková
Photo: Prague City Hall
A campaign simply called ‘Bird Traps’ (Pasti na ptáky) has been launched to raise public awareness and improve the protection of Prague’s birdlife. The centrepiece of the campaign is a powerful video, featuring professional dancers and filmed in the Czech countryside.
The Birds Traps project is the brainchild of two naturalist organisations: the Czech Coalition for the Protection of Biodiversity and the Czech Ornithological Society.
See more here.
Author: Danny Bate
Photo: Ian Willoughby, Radio Prague International
New documentary World Between Us follows Czech photographer Marie Tomanová as her career skyrockets in New York. The intimate film is also a portrait of Tomanová’s art historian husband, Thomas Beachdel – and reflects the close friendship between the photographer and its director, fellow Czech Marie Dvořáková. I caught up with Dvořáková, a one-time Student Oscar winner who has also spent a large part of her life in the US, days after the documentary’s world premiere.
What was the starting point for World Between Us?.
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Author: Ian Willoughby
Gabriel Guerreiro, a singer-songwriter, musician and artist originally from Brazil, has been living in Prague for eight years. He shares with us his journey to Czechia, the life of a musician, and what inspires him to make music.
See more here.
Photo: Hana Řeháková, Radio Prague International
The iconic Art Nouveau Hotel Evropa on Prague’s Wenceslas Square has reopened to the public after an extensive renovation that lasted over a decade. Now rebranded as “W Prague”, the hotel is managed by Marriott as part of its upscale W Hotels collection.
The hotel’s history stretches back to 1872, when it was originally constructed in the Neo-Renaissance style.
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Author: Ruth Fraňková
You can read more about the design in the interview with Pavla Doležalová.
Photo: Jana Pavlíčková, Czech Radio
A historic Torah scroll that survived the Holocaust and decades of neglect under Communist rule has found a new home in Liberec. On Saturday, the rare artefact was loaned to the local Jewish community on a long-term basis by the Memorial Scrolls Trust in London, which manages over 1,500 Torah scrolls from Bohemia and Moravia.
For the Jewish Community of Liberec, acquiring the scroll has been a significant event.
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Author: Ruth Fraňková
Photo: Roman Vondrouš, ČTK
Members of the Czech Velocipedist Club 1880 entertained the people of Prague in Letná Park at the thirtieth annual Prague Mile. On their historical tall bikes, they competed in a special slow-motion competition, called the ‘Letná Snail’.
See more here.
Photo: Czech Space Week
November 4th is the start of seven days of exciting events that make up this year’s Czech Space Week. Designed to promote the space industry in Czechia and inspire the next generation of galactic enthusiasts, Czech Space Week is happening across the country, and has something for everyone. I spoke to Marie Němečková, director of Space Hub and member of the Czech Space Team, about what the week has in store:
Could you introduce for us the whole world of the Czech Space Week? How long has it been going on for, and what organisations are involved in putting it together?.
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Author: Danny Bate
You can read more in the interview with Petr Kapoun, CEO at TRL Space.
Photo: Danny Bate, Radio Prague International
According to a recent study, the Czech capital stands out as one of the most popular European cities to visit in autumn. Tourists love the city’s architectural beauty, which, combined with the reds and yellows typical of nature during this season, make Prague an idyllic setting.
Prague, dressed in autumnal colours, has been recognised as one of Europe’s most picturesque destinations for this time of year, ranked seventh in the most beautiful European cities, according to an analysis by travel company Travelbag.
See more here.
Author: Danny Bate
Photo: TEDx Prague
This year’s TEDx Prague theme, Metamorphosis, held on November 23 in Prague focuses on the topic of change. Here I interview the program lead for the event, Markéta Jedličková, to gauge the vision for the event and what attendees can expect. This year’s TEDx features a lineup of thought-provoking speakers and, even, musical performances, all aimed at inspiring listeners to explore new ideas and connect with the community.
Can you share the theme for this year’s TEDx Prague event and what you hope attendees will take away from the event?.
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Author: Jakub Ferenčík
Photo: Štěpánka Budková, Radio Prague International
In the Christian calendar, November 2nd is All Souls’ Day, during which believers are encouraged to commemorate their deceased loved ones and contemplate their own mortality. The day, known as Dušičky in Czech, remains a special occasion in Czechia, and architect Filip Ditrich shared with us some of his knowledge of Prague’s cemeteries that you too might like to visit.
The date of All Souls’ Day came to be fixed on November 2nd during the Middle Ages, specifically in the tenth century.
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Author: Danny Bate
Photo: Zuzana Jarolímková, iROZHLAS.cz
The future of Prague’s historic Vyšehrad Railway Bridge hangs in the balance as debates continue over whether to restore or demolish the landmark structure. A team of international experts has now put forward a study indicating that the iconic bridge could be repaired in just four years, with minimal impact on rail traffic.
According to the study, presented on Thursday by the Foundation for the Rescue of the Vyšehrad Bridge, only 15 percent of the bridge’s steel would need to be replaced.
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Author: Ruth Fraňková
Photo: Jolana Nováková, Czech Radio
One of the most impressive buildings in Prague’s district of Vinohrady is the Laichter House, located on the edge of Riegerovy sady. The modernist building was designed by famous Czech architect Jan Kotěra at the request of Jan Laichter, who needed a space for his newly established publishing house and a home for his family. The publishing house, which attracted Prague’s intellectual elite, operated until 1949, when it was closed down by the Communists. Today, the house is being cared for by Štěpán Laichter, the great-great-grandson of the publisher, who wants to renovate it and transform it into a museum and a cultural space. To raise funds for its renovation, he is offering one of the apartments for short-term rental. I met with Štěpán Laichter in what used to be his great-great-grandfather’s study to talk about the family legacy.
This house once belonged to your great-great-grandfather Jan Laichter.
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Author: Ruth Fraňková
Apartment prices in Prague have risen faster than anticipated, with the average price of new apartments reaching over CZK 160,000 per square meter by the end of September—up 5.
See more here.
Author: Vít Pohanka
On the occasion of the 101st Anniversary of the Proclamation of the Republic of Türkiye and the Centennial celebration of the Diplomatic relations between Türkiye and the Czech Republic, H.E. Dr. Egemen Bagis – the Ambassador of the Republic of Türkiye to the Czech Republic and Ms. Beyhan N. Bagis hosted a reception at the beautiful Dvorana Hall of the National Museum.
The event was also a farewell reception to H.E. Dr. Egemen Bagis – the Ambassador of the Republic of Türkiye to the Czech Republic, and Ms. Beyhan N. Bagis who are ending their mission after 5 successful years.
Mr. Jiri Kozak – the first deputy minister of foreign affairs of the Czech Republic, was the honored speaker.
Mr. Vaclav Klaus the former President of the Czech Republic and his spouse Livia were the honor guests.
Watch the video with the speech of H.E. Dr. Egemen Bagis, the Ambassador of the Republic of Türkiye to the Czech Republic, and of Mr. Jiri Kozak – the first deputy minister of foreign affairs of the Czech Republic.
Happy 101st Anniversary Türkiye
The President of the Republic, Petr Pavel, and his wife, Eva Pavlova, received the members of the diplomatic corps at Prague Castle on Friday, October 25, 2024. This reception became a tradition before the ceremony on the 28th of October.
Watch the video with the speech of The President of the Republic, Petr Pavel, and part of the speech of the representative of the diplomatic corps, the Ambassador of the Holy See H.E. Most Reverend Jude Thaddeus Okolo.
A member of one of the two fully habituated (i.e. accustomed to the presence of humans) groups of eastern gorillas, a female named Nyaba Deux with her twins. Photographed in 2022. Photo Miroslav Bobek, Prague Zoo
In the Congolese province of South Kivu, a new variant of mpox (so-called monkey pox) was identified this year, which gradually grew into an epidemic threatening, among other things, the critically endangered eastern gorillas in the Kahuzi-Biega National Park. The Prague Zoo was asked by the Gorilla Doctors organization for support in their protection, and it will provide 206 thousand crowns from the “Helping them Survive” collection account.
“We have been working together for a long time on the protection of eastern gorillas in the province of South Kivu in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and we have the best experience with the Gorilla Doctors there,” said the director of the Prague Zoo, Miroslav Bobek. “Our support is intended to help ensure that eastern gorillas do not become infected from local residents or directly from the guards of the national park. The funds we provide will be used to train health workers and community leaders in recognizing mpox symptoms, using rapid diagnostic tests, and implementing preventive measures. At the same time, one hundred mentioned diagnostic tests will be purchased as part of our support.”
Bonane silverback male, who leads one of the two habituated groups of eastern gorillas there. Photo by Miroslav Bobek, Prague Zoo
Eastern gorillas live only in the east of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and according to several years old research, there are probably only less than four thousand of them left. In addition to the uncertain security situation and the rampage of various militias, which is linked to illegal extraction of raw materials, deforestation and poaching, another threat has now been added: the mpox epidemic. Its epicenter is located immediately beyond the borders of the Kahuzi-Biega National Park. Since August of this year, over 30,000 people have been infected, with roughly a thousand of them succumbing to the infection. The first two park rangers, who are in direct contact with the gorillas, recently found themselves in contact with the infection. The threat of gorilla infection thus continues to grow.
You can support the activities of the Prague Zoo to protect gorillas and other endangered species by donating any amount to the collection account “We help them survive” (ID: 43–680 466 0247/0100) or by purchasing souvenirs in the Prague Zoo e-shop in the section “We help them to survive”: https://eshop.zoopraha.cz/suvenyry/pomahame-jim-prezit.html.
Looking into the eyes of the leading male Bonane. Photo by Miroslav Bobek, Prague Zoo
Last but not least, they will also help by visiting the Prague Zoo, during which you can also drop off old mobile phones and tablets in the collection containers at the main entrance. By recycling them, the pressure on the extraction of raw materials in African forests is reduced.
The President of the Republic, Petr Pavel, appointed on Wednesday, October 30, 2024, pursuant to Article 62 letter k) of the Constitution of the Czech Republic and § 6 paragraph 2 of the Act on the Czech National Bank of Jakub Seidler as a member of the banking board of the Czech National Bank with effect from 1 December 2024.
Speech by the President of the Republic after the appointment of a member of the CNB banking board here.
Photo: Tomáš Fongus
Photo: X of the Government of the Czech Republic
Czech Prime Minister Petr Fiala and Vatican Secretary of State Pietro Parolin signed a treaty formalizing relations between Czechia and the Holy See. The document was 22 years in the making.
Czechia was among the few European countries that still lacked a formalized agreement with the Vatican, a delay rooted in parliamentary opposition in 2003.
See more here.
Author: Vít Pohanka
Photo: Ondřej Tomšů, Radio Prague International
On October 28th, Czechia celebrates 106 years since the declaration of Czechoslovakia as an independent state. Historian and political scientist Jan Adamec walked us through the history of the new country’s heads of state, from its first to its last.
Back in 1918, we have this new country, Czechoslovakia.
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Author: Danny Bate
Assem Al-Sabban, originally from Saudi Arabia, has settled in Prague after a career as a diplomat. He shares with us the story of his career, his move to Czechia, and his long-term passion for photography and the life of an artist.
See more here.
Photo: Zoologická a botanická zahrada města Plzně
The Plzeň Zoo has revealed that one of its rare Aldabra giant tortoises laid 31 eggs earlier this month. If the eggs hatch, it would be a global sensation, as this species has successfully bred in captivity in Europe only once before. However, breeders remain cautious, as it takes about 120 days for the eggs to hatch.
The Aldabra giant tortoise, one of the largest and longest-living animals in the world, is endemic to the Aldabra atoll in the Seychelles.
See more here.
Author: Ruth Fraňková
Photo: Miroslav Kobza, Czech Radio
On the grounds of Bouzov Castle in the northwestern part of the Olomouc region visitors come across a monumental wooden sculpture – a Trojan Horse with publicly accessible interior spaces. If the Greek myth were to be put to the test, this horse would accommodate a small army of warriors!
The story of the Trojan horse told by the Greek and Roman epic poets Homer and Virgil fires the imagination, and many people travel to Bouzov Castle just to see the wooden Trojan horse.
See more here.
Author: Daniela Lazarová
Photo: Ľubomír Smatana, Czech Radio
The Božena 5 de-mining system has been brought to the Kharkiv region by members of the Czech association, Team4Ukraine. The money for it was raised by Czech and Slovak organizations, led by the “Gift for Putin” initiative, in a public collection.
Božena 5 was brought by volunteers to a secret base near Kharkiv from Košice, Slovakia.
See more here.
Author: Jakub Ferenčík, Ľubomír Smatana
Photo: Vojtěch Berger, Czech Radio
This October marks 80 years since the Battle of the Dukla Pass, a fierce World War II clash on the Polish-Slovak border, where Nazi Germany and Soviet forces fought for control of the Dukla Pass. Nearly 2,000 Czechoslovak soldiers, fighting alongside the Soviets, died in the battle, but over 600 of them remain unlisted on any memorial.
The Carpatho-Dukla Operation began on September 8, 1944, with a goal to break through German lines to support the Slovak National Uprising.
See more here.
Author: Ruth Fraňková
Illustrative photo: Kampus Production, Pexels
Following a successful three-month test run in the Vysočina region, the Czech state is currently considering the nationwide extension of neighbourhood children’s groups, in which a maximum of four young children are cared for by a member of the local community, who is reimbursed by the state for their childminding service.
The Czech Chamber of Deputies is currently considering an amendment to legislation on the care of young children, which would give local responsible adults the opportunity to earn income looking after groups of four children, aged between six months and six years, in their own home.
See more here.
Author: Danny Bate
Photo: René Volfík, iROZHLAS.cz
Iva Bittová is a phenomenon in the world of music – not only in the Czech Republic from where she hails but on a global scale. Her art stretches across many genres, including jazz, rock, classical music and opera.
The avant-garde violinist, singer and composer, who has Czech, Romani and Hungarian roots, has developed a music style of her own, blending the music of many cultures and drawing deeply on her emotions and the sounds of nature.
See more here.
Author: Daniela Lazarová
Photo: René Volfík, iROZHLAS.cz
Bavaria wants to deepen its neighbourly relationship with Czechia, and therefore intends to improve the teaching of the Czech language in the region around their shared border. Six German-Czech bilingual schools are to be established in the next school year.
The intention to establish bilingual schools in the border area was announced in July this year by the Bavarian Minister-President Markus Söder during a meeting with the Czech Prime Minister Petr Fiala in the Bavarian city of Cham.
See more here.
Author: Danny Bate
Photo: Jakub Ferenčík, Radio Prague International
Beneath Brno, the “10-Z Bunker” reminds visitors of Czechia’s complex history. Built during the Second World War to shield against bombings, the partially completed bunker provided refuge. Today, the 10-Z Bunker is open to the public as a historical site and hostel, offering guided tours through preserved technical areas, video stories, and artifacts like prison doors inscribed with messages from condemned inmates.
The “10-Z Bunker,” located in Brno Czechia, began as an air-raid shelter constructed during the Second World War to guard against both American and Soviet bombings.
See more here.
Author: Jakub Ferenčík
Photo: Divadlo Semafor
This Wednesday marks exactly 65 years since the first production of Prague’s legendary Semafor Theatre, established by the song-writing duo Jiří Suchý and Jiří Šlitr. The musical comedy, called Člověk z půdy or The Man from the Loft, was an immediate success, sparking a new era of Czech theatre.
The premiere of The Man from the Loft took place on October 30, 1959, at Prague’s Divadlo Ve smečkách and went on to have over 220 performances.
See more here.
Author: Ruth Fraňková
Photo: Daniela Pilařová, Czech Radio
Šumava National Park, in the southeast of Bohemia, will now allow the restricted shooting of its wolf population. Permission will be given to authorised individuals, to be carried out in instances of wolves that have become a danger to humans.
From this month, new regulations will be in place in the Šumava National Park, which allow for the controlled killing of the park’s wolves.
See more here.
Author: Danny Bate
Photo: Filip Jandourek, Czech Radio
Czech legislation allows a parent or guardian to request to defer their child starting primary school by one year. This measure, originally introduced to help children with serious illnesses or learning disabilities, has become so popular with parents that the Education Ministry has put its foot down and is taking measures to curb the practice.
Legislation allowing parents to delay the start of their child’s primary school education by a year is nothing exceptional in most European states.
See more here.
Author: Daniela Lazarová
Photo: Aleš Kartal, Pixabay, Pixabay License
New Leaf Czechia is a new project that aims to help the country’s homeless people with large, one-time financial donations. Inspired by a Canadian scheme of the same name, the Czech non-profit organisation Neposeda believes that these payments will not only allow the people involved to turn a new leaf, but also save the state money in future.
Neposeda, a Czech charity that has been working with children, teenagers, senior citizens and families for over twenty-three years, is trialling a new scheme intended to help the homeless.
See more here.
Author: Danny Bate
Photo: Zuzana Jarolímková, iROZHLAS.cz
At a ceremony marking Czechoslovak Independence Day on October 28, President Pavel handed out awards and high state distinctions to 56 people for outstanding services to the state. Among those honoured were soldiers, decorated in memoriam, artists and sportspeople.
Addressing an audience of 700 guests in the historic Vladislav Hall of Prague Castle, President Pavel said it is important to remember how fragile democracy is and the fact that it must be protected and nurtured.
See more here.
Author: Daniela Lazarová
Photo: Ian Willoughby, Radio Prague International
US singer Anne Marie Kenny first came to Czechoslovakia in 1990 at the invitation of President Václav Havel, who facilitated a concert for her at a Prague club. She later launched a successful employment and training agency and remained in her ancestral homeland for the rest of the decade. Kenny shares these stories and much more in her memoir A Song for Bohemia, which has just been launched in Czech under the title Moje píseň pro Čechy. We spoke at the café at Prague’s House of the Black Madonna.
I’d first like to ask you about your background.
See more here.
Author: Ian Willoughby
Photo: Škoda Auto
When Škoda merged with the German Volkswagen Group in March 1991, it marked the start of a rapid modernization for the Mladá Boleslav-based car manufacturer. One of the most significant symbols of this transformation was the Škoda Felicia, the first car designed by the Mladá Boleslav engineers in collaboration with their German colleagues. Its world premiere took place exactly 30 years ago, on 26 October 1994.
The name “Felicia” was a nod to the sporty open-top model from the 1960s, the most iconic Czech convertible to date.
See more here.
Photo: Barbora Navrátilová, Radio Prague International
“We all experience that in a certain way,” says Jiří Trtík on why Kafka’s Letter to his Father inspired him to write an opera celebrating one of the greatest and most intimate confessions in world literature. What makes Bedřich Smetana so special today? And why is the Vltava River not what it used to be? Listen to the newest episode of Faces of Czech Music.
See more here.
Author: Petr Dudek
Photo: Miloš Turek, Radio Prague International
A second attempt to auction off Štiřín Chateau, a luxury property and estate belonging to the state, failed this week when no bidder came forward to place the required auction deposit.
To encourage participation in the auction, the deposit was lowered to CZK 25 million, down from the previous CZK 30 million.
See more here.
Author: Daniela Lazarová
Photo: Lenka Žižková, Radio Prague International
Buskers and other street performers will not be able to use animals. Prague’s city council approved a ban in order to stop their exploitation.
The new amendment to the city’s ordinance prohibits not only the active involvement of animals in performances but also their mere presence alongside performers.
See more here.
Author: Vít Pohanka
Photo: Muzeum Komenského v Přerově
Archaeologists at the Comenius Museum in Přerov have revealed to the public an ancient sword from the Bronze Age, found by accident in a field close to the city. The sword was a star exhibit at the museum’s recent exhibition about metal detecting.
Only thirty centimetres from the surface, a field in the Přerov area for three thousand years hid an impressive sword and a bronze axe.
See more here.
Author: Danny Bate
Photo: Patrik Uhlíř, ČTK
The unique exterior of Villa Stiassni in Brno stands out admist a flood of autumn colours. The building was designed and constructed by the famous interwar architect Ernst Wiesner for the textile manufacturer Alfredo Stiassni. Its simple exterior hides a luxurious interior.
It has been open to the public since 2014, and since 2018 it can be found on the prestigious list of Iconic Houses, the global network of iconic houses from the twentieth century.
See more here.
Author: Lenka Žižková
On the occasion of the Hungarian National Day, and the Anniversary of the 1956 Revolution, the Ambassador of Hungary to the Czech Republic H.E. Mr. András Baranyi, and Mrs. Emese Baranyi host a reception at the beautiful Břevnov monastery.
Mr. Eduard Hulicius – the deputy minister of foreign affairs of the Czech Republic was the Honored speaker.
Mr. Vaclav Klaus – the 2nd previous President of the Czech Republic, with his spouse Livia Klausová, and Mr. Milos Zeman – the 3rd previous President of the Czech Republic, were the honored guests.
Watch the video with the speech of the Ambassador of Hungary to the Czech Republic H.E. Mr. András Baranyi ( in English and in Czech), and of Mr. Eduard Hulicius – the deputy minister of foreign affairs of the Czech Republic.
Happy National day Hungary!
The Ambassador of the Republic of Kazakhstan H.E. Mr. Bakyt Dyussenbayev hosted the opening of the Kazakh Cinema Days and the screening of the film “The Old Man”.
Watch the welcome speech of The Ambassador of the Republic of Kazakhstan H.E. Mr. Bakyt Dyussenbayev
The screening took place at the unique Kino Přítomnost. The film inspired by Ernest Hemingway’s “The Old Man and the Sea” was screened in its original Kazakh language with English subtitles.
Synopsis:
A small family – an old man, his daughter-in-law, and his grandson – leads an ordinary and unremarkable life in a distant steppe. They must not quarrel, though their communication is quite limited. They need to learn how to forgive and be wise so as not to spill the important truths along the way. It is essential for them to live humanly, and for the old man to pass on the key values of life to his grandson.
This is the great moral of the steppe: the necessity of doing good without expecting gratitude in return, the slow and unhurried flow of time without the thirst for profit or wealth, the simplicity and self-sufficiency, and the unbreakable connection with the legendary nomadic past of its present-day heirs.
An Important Notice: NO animals were hurt during the production of the movie.
The ambassador of Argentina to the Czech Republic H.E. Mr. Claudio Javier Rozencwaig and his spouse Mrs. Graziella Maria Semino, hosted an exclusive Argentine wine tasting presented by Mr. Rodrigo Schmidt, sommelier of MerkenWines, at their beautiful residence.
Watch the video and a few pictures from this friendly, happy, and tasty event.
SALUD !
The new wall calendar for 2025 of the Committee of Good Will – Olga Havlova Foundation (VDV) will help people with health disabilities. The author of the drawings depicting Olga and Václav Havel is the talented painter and illustrator Adéla Marie Jirků. When creating drawings, she was inspired by the photographs of Bohdan Holomíček and Ondřej Němek.
The christening ceremony of the calendar took place in October in the Václav Havel Library. VDV director Monika Granja, photographer Ondřej Němec, and a close friend of Mrs. Olga, editor of the Václav Havel Library, Anna Freimanová acted as godparents. Proceeds from the calendar sale will be used to pay for compensation and health aids.
Adela Marie Jirků’s drawings depict various moments from the life of Olga Havel, whether in the role of the wife of the dissident Václav Havel or later the wife of the president or the chairperson of the Committee of Good Will.
“Our foundation’s cooperation with Adéla began last year when we approached her to create illustrations for a video spot for Olga Havelová’s late ninetieth birthday,” says VDV director Monika Granja and adds: “We believe that the portraits inspired by the photos of Olga’s “court” photographers and Václav will once again remind the public of the life and legacy of these two exceptional personalities. With Christmas approaching, the calendar can thus not only be a beautiful gift, but also an opportunity to help people with health disabilities.”
The author of the drawings, Adéla Marie Jirků (*1985), a gifted painter and illustrator, is a graduate of the Academy of Fine Arts in Prague with study experience from the Illustration studio at the University of Applied Arts and a one-year internship at the École supérieure d´art & de design Marseille-Méditerranée. In 2022, the wo-men publishing house published her author’s book Mařka, which won the SČUG Hollar Prize for its excellent illustration in the Most Beautiful Books of 2022 competition.
“When creating the illustrations, I approached the photographs with the utmost respect. We will not experience any more moments with Václav and Olga Havel, so I tried to put a new coat on the photos that we have already seen at many exhibitions and give them a story that would form a continuous line,” explained Adéla Marie Jirků about her motivation for creating the calendar.
The calendar is available at the VDV headquarters at Senovážné náměstí 2, Prague 1.
The price is 700 Kc, which is a donation.
In case of questions and interest, please contact:
Terezia Jenisová
PR and communication manager
Goodwill Committee – Olga Havel Foundation
M: +420 606 736 657,
E: jenisova@vdv.cz, W: www.vdv.cz
The Speaker of the Chamber of Deputies Markéta Pekarová Adamová together with the President of the Senate Miloš Vystrčil participated in the 3rd Parliamentary Summit of the International Crimean Platform.
Speaker of the Chamber of Deputies Markéta Pekarová Adamová and Speaker of the Senate Miloš Vystrčil participated in the parliamentary summit of the Crimean Platform. The meeting following last year’s event held in Prague took place, this time in Riga, Latvia. In her speech, the Speaker called on the participants of the summit to provide even greater political, economic, and military support to the defending Ukraine. Only in this way can Russia’s illegal occupation of Crimea be ended and a just peace achieved throughout the country.
“Keeping the issue of Crimea in the public mind is important, but it alone will not restore freedom to the people of Crimea. It will not help abducted children to return to their families. It will neither restore the territorial integrity of Ukraine nor serve international law. The only way to truly restore freedom and achieve justice in Crimea and in the whole of Ukraine is to win the war,” said the Speaker of the Chamber of Deputies, Markéta Pekarová Adamová, in her speech.
A two-day summit of more than fifty leading representatives of legislatures from around the world took place this year in the Latvian capital, Riga. It followed on from the previous meeting organized last October in Prague.
“It has been 10 years since the illegal annexation of Crimea and more than 2 and a half years since the February continuation of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Unfortunately, it was only after February’s brutal and aggressive invasion of Ukraine by Russia that some democratic countries finally sobered up and realized that trying to achieve long-term peaceful coexistence with non-democratic countries by creating mutual strategic economic dependence was a mistake. The opposite is true. By supporting our strategic economic dependence on non-democratic countries, we increase the vulnerability of the democratic community. The continuation of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine is clear evidence of this. Our job is to learn from this mistake. Ukraine’s future is also our future,” added Senate President Miloš Vystrčil.
Among the adopted conclusions of the summit is among other things, a joint condemnation of human rights violations, the kidnapping of Ukrainian children, or the arrest of political opponents in the territories illegally occupied by Russia. In addition, the participants pledged to insist on the thorough investigation and punishment of all war crimes committed by Russian troops.
“All the ingredients are known and available. More military aid without meaningless restrictions, more economic support, more effective sanctions, more intense political and diplomatic pressure. It is up to us, the political leaders, to mobilize sufficient political will and social agreement for all this. Many people in our countries are tired of war and fear its escalation. Our common duty is to achieve a just peace, which cannot be done otherwise than by winning the war,” concluded the speaker of the House of Representatives, Markéta Pekarová Adamová.
From 2021, the Crimean Platform brings together related world partners with the aim of jointly confronting the impacts and threats of the illegal Russian occupation of Crimea and coordinating international efforts to end it definitively.
Strasbourg, 22 October 2024 — As the new European Parliament mandate begins, mayors from across Europe are calling for a renewed partnership with MEPs to ensure the needs of citizens are at the forefront of EU decision-making. Highlighting ten priority actions, the mayors urge the EU to work more closely with cities to deliver real, tangible results by 2029.
At the core of this call to action, delivered at the European Mayors Summit in Strasbourg, is a shared goal: bringing the European Union closer to its citizens through a new “pact for cities” that drives coordinated urban action, accelerates climate efforts, improves affordable housing, and strengthens local economies.
“With over 75% of Europe’s population living in cities, it is essential that we have a central role in the development of EU policies that will define the lives of millions of people,” says Burkhard Jung, President of Eurocities and Mayor of Leipzig. “The many significant issues now confronting our society, including the rise of populism, the housing crisis and the impacts of climate change, require EU-level solutions that are implemented at the local level.”
Key priorities include setting ambitious climate targets, expanding access to social and affordable housing, promoting zero-emission mobility, and empowering cities to lead in digital transformation and cultural innovation. The mayors also stress the importance of involving cities in the EU’s enlargement process and securing investments that match local needs.
“As the new members of the European Parliament take office, this summit will ensure the united voice of cities, and therefore citizens, is heard in the new EU mandate. Together, we will show that a more inclusive, sustainable, and dynamic Europe starts in cities,” added Jung.
Photo Copyright of Eurocities and the City of Strasbourg
Source: Expo 2025 Osaka
Czechia selected 30 finalists out of 186 candidates for the cultural program at Expo 2025 in Osaka, Japan. The Czech presentation is themed “Talent and Creativity for Life.”
The Czech pavilion at Expo 2025 in Osaka will showcase a combination of traditional and contemporary Czech art.
See more here.
Author: Vít Pohanka
Photo illustrative: NATO
NATO has increased recruitment in response to global threats, including Russia’s actions in Crimea and Ukraine. In order to attract more candidates from Czechia, which ranks 22nd in representation of employees among NATO members, a NATO career workshop was held at the Czech Ministry of Foreign Affairs. I went there to interview Assistant Secretary General for Executive Management Carlo Borghini to find out more about the application process, how applicants can make themselves more attractive, and more.
I want to start with a general question about recruitment for NATO’s ongoing operations.
See more here.
Author: Jakub Ferenčík
Photo: Czech Airlines
On Saturday 26th of October, the final Czech Airlines (ČSA) flight will take off from Paris and land in Prague, bringing to an end a century of aviation history. Having been one of the five oldest air carriers in the world, Czech Airlines will become just another brand in the portfolio of the Smartwings group.
Founded in October 1923, the first journeys offered by Czech Airlines – or Czechoslovak State Airlines as it was then – were domestic flights between Prague and Bratislava.
See more here.
Author: Danny Bate
Photo: Sabina Vosecká, Czech Radio
Visitors to Prague Castle are wowed by more than its majestic architecture and change of guard outside the main gates. A lot of attention also goes to the hawks that protect the site from pigeons!
The historic landmarks of Prague Castle, especially St.
See more here.
Author: Vít Pohanka
Photo: Danny Bate, Radio Prague International
At the Gratias Agit awards on October 17th, Dr Jana Fischerová was among those honoured for spreading the good name of the Czech Republic abroad. After the ceremony at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, she spoke to Danny Bate about her career and her comparative work on Irish and Czech literature, especially the topic of censorship.
I’d like to start with a biography of your life and your career as an academic.
See more here.
Author: Danny Bate
Photo: Ruth Fraňková, Radio Prague International
For the first time, a work by the famous British street artist Banksy, known for his provocative and socially charged work, is heading to a Czech auction house. His piece, entitled Gold Flag, will be up for bid with a starting price of one million crowns, making it a notable event for art collectors in the country.
The auction of Banksy’s print on paper, called Gold Flag, is held by Art Capital auction house and is set to take place on November 10 at the Mánes Gallery in central Prague.
See more here.
Author: Ruth Fraňková
Photo: René Volfík, iROZHLAS.cz
At the opening of an exhibition marking 20 years since the abolition of compulsory military service in the Czech lands, Chief of the General Staff Karel Řehka admitted that the military is struggling to meet its recruitment goals. He said radical action is needed to be taken since the army was becoming uncompetitive on the labour market.
Recruitment to the armed forces is not going as well as it should, this year’s numbers are not good and the overall trend is not good, Chief of the General Staff Karel Řehka told reporters in an unusually frank statement this week.
See more here.
Author: Daniela Lazarová
Photo: René Volfík, iROZHLAS.cz
Czechia plans to get involved in Rolls-Royce’s small modular reactor program. The investment should be significant and the decision about it will be made in several weeks.
Czechia now has two large nuclear power stations: Temelín in South Bohemia and Dukovany in the Vysočina Region.
See more here.
Author: Vít Pohanka
Photo: Hana Slavická, Radio Prague International
Internationally renowned for its heritage and beauty, Prague is a jewel of a city that attracts millions of visitors every year. Check out its sights in our photo gallery.
See more here.
Author: Danny Bate
Photo: Archeological Center in Olomouc
Archaeologists from the Olomouc Archaeological Centre have announced a unique discovery. While conducting a rescue excavation along the future route of the D35 motorway, they unearthed the largest Early Bronze Age burial site of the so-called Nitra culture unearthed to date in Central Moravia.
The discovery was made during rescue research along the future D35 motorway route between Křelov and Neředín, north of Olomouc.
See more here.
Author: Ruth Fraňková
Photo: Tomáš Mařas, Czech Radio
Scientists at the Technical University of Liberec have developed a special bag that can keep bread and rolls fresh for up to nine days. The innovation was created in collaboration with a sheltered workshop.
The so-called “fresh bag” extends the freshness of baked goods for several days thanks to a special nanomembrane, developed by scientists through a process of trial and error.
See more here.
Author: Jakub Ferenčík
Photo: Dynamo Pardubice
Pardubice hockey players are expected to have a new home within less than three years. The new multifunctional arena being built is expected to be the largest in the world.
At the beginning of October, Club’s majority owner, Petr Dědek, presented his project to the city councilors.
See more here.
Author: Jakub Ferenčík
Photo: Zdeněk Bek, DPP
The Prague Public Transport Company (DPP) on Sunday set a restored 1970s Škoda bus off on its inaugural journey around the northwest of Prague. Starting and ending in Strahov, the K line is a special route reserved for historical vehicles that operates on Saturdays, Sundays and public holidays.
Compared with the modern, cuboid buses that DPP operates around Prague daily, a Škoda 706 RTO MTZ bus is a distinctive sight.
See more here.
Author: Danny Bate
51-year-old Pavel Drtil, an amateur darts player from Trutnov, last week amazed spectators by knocking out elite players and advancing to the final sixteen on Sunday. He defeated Englishman Joe Cullen (ranked eighteenth in the world) and Josh Rock from Northern Ireland (ranked seventeenth) to reach the third round of the Czech Darts Open.
The atmosphere was electric at the PVO Expo in Prague’s Letňany district on Sunday, as Czech darts fans cheered for the home player, Pavel Drtil.
See more here.
Author: Danny Bate
Photo: Radek Petrášek, ČTK
130 years have passed since the opening of the railway line between Smržovka and Tanvald, which boasts the most beautiful railway viaduct in the republic. As part of the celebrations, a bust of T.G. Masaryk was unveiled in Smržovka, although the steam train rides were the biggest attraction.
See more here.
Author: Danny Bate
Photo: Zdeněk Truhlář, Czech Radio
The newly-restored Villa Arnold in the Brno district of Černá Pole offers visitors a unique blend of architecture, history and art. In the close vicinity of the world-famous Tugendhat and Löw-Beer villas, the Villa Arnold by architect Josef Arnold from 1862 has been beautifully restored thanks to the Brno City Museum.
The history of Villa Arnold dates back to 1862, when architect Josef Arnold and his wife Katharina bought a narrow, long plot of land in Brno’s Černé Pole district.
See more here.
Author: Daniela Lazarová
Photo: Irena Šarounová, Czech Radio
The Opening of the Wells is one of Bohuslav Martinů’s most famous compositions, inspired by his native region, the Moravian Highlands. Not many people know that they can visit the wells that inspired this piece and that the place is linked to Martinů’s romance with his pupil, and later a composer in her own right, Vítězslava Kaprálová.
In the heart of the Moravian Highlands at an altitude of 733 metres there is a village called Tři Studně (Three Wells).
See more here.
Author: Daniela Lazarová
Photo: Archive of Audrey Knoth
When Audrey Knoth was growing up, there was a great deal that the family did not talk about. There seemed to be huge gaps in their past, and she always worried that this silence might have something to do with her. Only in the last couple of years have Audrey and her brother come to understand why their Czech mother and grandparents came to the United States at the beginning of World War Two. She tells the story of their escape, the reasons behind it and how that discovery has changed her life.
“My name is Audrey Knoth.
See more here.
Author: David Vaughan
Photo: Správa železnic
The journey to Prague’s Václav Havel Airport by public transport is for many an ordeal, involving changes between different metro lines and buses. However, the current plans presented by the Ministry of Transport will simplify and speed up the process, with trains to the airport running from Masaryk Station every ten minutes.
From 2030, there will be direct trains to Prague Airport that will stop at nine stations, travelling on a route that leads through the airport and onwards to the city of Kladno.
See more here.
Author: Danny Bate
Photo: Danny Bate, Radio Prague International
With three floors and hundreds of exhibits, Identita is a new absorbing and eye-catching exhibition at Museum Kampa – and it is only one part of the overall project. Identita is in fact a multi-genre experience, which also comprises a series on Czech Television’s iVysílání service, a feature-length documentary, and a book that accompanies the exhibition.
“Is graphic design an art or a design?” “Does graphic design have its icons and legends?” “How do you recognise good graphic design?” These are the kind of questions that the new Identita exhibition at Museum Kampa seeks to answer.
See more here.
Author: Danny Bate
Photo: Škoda Auto
Skoda Auto has developed a new small SUV for the Indian market. After Kushaq and Slavia, Kylaq is Skoda’s third locally developed and manufactured model in India.
Skoda has scheduled the world premiere of its new model for November 6.
See more here.
Author: Daniela Lazarová
On the occasion of the National Day of the Republic of Korea,
H.E. Mr. Youngki Hong Ambassador of the Republic of Korea
and Mrs. Youngki Hong hosted a reception at the beautiful Zofin Palace.
Mr.Roman Bělor, Chair of the Interparliamentary Friendship Group Czechia-Korea, Chamber of Deputies, Parliament of the Czech Republic, and Prof. Eva Zažímalová, President of the Czech Academy of Sciences were the honored speakers.
Watch the video with the speech of the H.E. Mr. Youngki Hong Ambassador of the Republic of Korea and of Mr.Roman Bělor, Chair of the Interparliamentary Friendship Group Czechia-Korea, Chamber of Deputies, Parliament of the Czech Republic, and Prof. Eva Zažímalová, President of the Czech Academy of Sciences.
A rich culture program was a part of the event.
Happy National Day, Korea
The Ambassador of the Republic of North Macedonia H.E. Mr. Emil Krsteski, and Mrs. Ljiljana Jovanovski Asenov, President of the Czech Macedonian Association of Commerce in the CR host a special event to promote Business and Trade Cooperation Opportunities between North Macedonia, Czech Republic, and Western Balkan Region, and to mark the 30th Anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the Republic of North Macedonia and the Czech Republic.
The event starts with a greeting from H.E. Mr. Emil Krsteski, the Ambassador of the Republic of North Macedonia, and Mr. Martin Pospisil from Ministry of Industry and Trade of the Czech Republic.
Then Mrs. Ljiljana Jovanovski Asenov, President of the Czech Macedonian Association of Commerce in the CR presented a very interesting presentation about N. Macedonia and the investment opportunities.
The guests were treated with very good wine and food from the Balkans, followed by a FASHION SHOW & ART at Slovanský dům Garden.
Photo : Nešo Matić
The gates of the World Expo, which will take place next year in Osaka, Japan, will open in exactly half a year, on April 13, 2025. EXPO 2025 will last for six months, and organizers expect up to 30 million people to visit it. One of the iconic buildings to which not only the organizers but also the Japanese and other foreign media are proudly invited, is the Czech National Pavilion. It officially began to be built in mid-May, and the assembly of the wooden structure has been underway since around mid-September. It now gets clear outlines and shapes. We bring you an exclusive photo gallery and comment on the construction progress.
“Construction of the Czech national pavilion at EXPO 2025 formally began in mid-May, a month after we signed the contract with the Japanese construction company Daisue. In May, we also held a jichinsai ceremony on the Czech land on Yumeshima Island in Osaka Bay, where the upcoming EXPO will be held. Subsequently, preparatory work took place and the Japanese builders worked on the foundations of the Czech National Pavilion, which are crucial for the construction – they must be sufficient support for possible earthquakes and typhoons,” says Ondřej Soška, general commissioner of the Czech participation in EXPO 2025, adding: “17. In September, the wooden construction started to be realized. To date, the assembly of the entire basement is complete, the builders completed the installation of the inner core of the building and the floor in the auditorium over the weekend. After less than a month of work on installing the wooden structure, about 40 percent of the rough construction is complete.”
The assembly is carried out by a joint team of the main contractor Daisue Construction and the Czech subcontractor A2 Timber. In Japan, this is a rather unconventional collaboration, as the local market is quite protectionist and usually does not allow foreigners into such projects. Despite significant differences in the way work is organized, the implementation of the national pavilion is nevertheless moving forward quickly. The Japanese can see from the course of cooperation so far that the Czechs are professional and are pleasantly surprised by the speed and efficiency of the construction process.
CLT construction manager Martin Povala from the A2Timber team praises the cooperation with Japanese colleagues: “The Czech national pavilion is not only a good design but also an innovative and technically sophisticated project. When installing in an environment where earthquakes and typhoons are common, the absolute precision of our work is key. The Japanese understand this better than anyone else, and they give us all the cooperation in routine organizational matters, even when something needs to be done quickly.”
A team of approximately 10 people, six Czechs, and four Japanese, operates on the construction site every day. Work starts at six in the morning and ends between five and six in the afternoon. They work six days a week, one day off. The work is very demanding, the temperatures are still high in Japan, but all work is carried out according to the agreed schedule. The construction manager must also plan the work according to the weather. Due to the size of the panels, it cannot be installed when it is raining a lot or the wind is blowing. For work planning, they also use the Czech application Windy, which is very popular in Japan. The progress of the construction is also personally supervised by General Commissioner Soška, who is also on-site to be able to resolve any misunderstandings or problems that may arise operatively.
The Czech National Pavilion will be the first wooden building of its kind without a steel structure in Japan. It is produced mainly from Czech materials – wood from Czech forests and Czech art glass. The Ministry of Agriculture, the Ministry of the Environment, and the Ministry of Defense participate in the supply of wood, specifically the state enterprise Forests of the Czech Republic, Military Forests and Farms of the Czech Republic, and the Krkonoše National Park. The cooperation at the national pavilion was announced by Minister Marek Výborný, Petr Hladík, and Jana Černochová at a press conference at the Breadwinner’s Land in České Budějovice this August.
The first wooden-framed containers left for Japan on July 1, 2024, and another forty or so containers left during the summer, with the last containers loaded in early September. All wood is transported to Japan by ship. From the Czech Republic, the containers always headed to the largest German port in Hamburg, from where they sailed for about 8-10 weeks to Osaka, Japan.
You can read more about the architecture: https://www.czechleaders.com/insights/a-glass-spiral-in-osaka-the-czech-national-pavilion-for-expo-2025-will-be-a-marvel
About the Czech pavilion at EXPO 2025
In December 2022, after more than twenty years, the Office of the Commissioner General announced an open anonymous architectural competition for the design of the national pavilion for EXPO 2025. 38 competition teams applied for it, from which an expert jury led by the world-renowned architect Eva Jiřična selected the winning design in March 2023 in the shape of a glass spiral by Apropos Architects. The supporting structure of the building will be made up of modern wooden panels, while the facade will be made of art glass, which has a centuries-old tradition in the Czech Republic. The national pavilion will offer a worthy background 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 have a permanent exhibition, a multifunctional auditorium, facilities for business meetings, a restaurant, a VIP lounge, and in front of the pavilion there will be a relaxation area with a view of the sea for visitors.
About Czech participation in EXPO 2025
The Czech Republic will participate as an independent state in the EXPO world exhibition for the sixth time. Ondřej Soška, who won the selection procedure of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs with his concept and theme “Talent and creativity for life”, holds the position of general commissioner from September 2022. In Osaka, the Czech Republic should be presented not only with what the Japanese know very well and admire for a long time, for example Czech glass and classical music, but also with Czech innovations, nanotechnologies, promising startups and regional talent.
Become a partner of the Czech participation at EXPO 2025:
You can find more information on the website of the Czech participation in the world exhibition EXPO 2025. You can also follow us on Twitter, LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram and YouTube.
From January 2023, the Office of the General Commissioner is part of the network of Czech Centers.
The Speaker of the House discussed Czech-Armenian inter-parliamentary and business cooperation with her Armenian counterpart in Prague.
The Speaker of the Armenian National Assembly Alen Simonyan was at the head of a Parliamentary delegation and accompanied by H.E. Mr. Ashot Hovakimian, the Ambassador of Armenia to the Czech Republic.
The main topics of the joint meeting were Czech support for Armenia’s pro-European orientation, continued cooperation between the two legislatures, and opportunities for a more intensive Czech-Armenian trade exchange.
“We have long-term cooperation with Armenia and support its pro-European orientation not only within the framework of the Eastern Partnership but also, for example, with bilateral projects to strengthen the role of civil society. I am pleased that the parliamentary contacts between our countries are deepening and I am convinced that this positive trend will continue,” said the Speaker of the Chamber of Deputies, Markéta Pekarová Adamová.
Last September, a delegation of the House Committee on the Environment visited Armenia. The Speaker made an official visit to Yerevan at the beginning of this year. On the way, she was accompanied by a business delegation focused mainly on the dynamically developing information technology sector.
“In addition to IT, promising areas of Czech-Armenian business cooperation are, for example, healthcare, agriculture, water and waste management. Our country is also well known for its energy tradition. In addition to the modernization of nuclear power plants, we can also provide highly qualified solutions in the field of renewable resources and hydropower,” added the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Markéta Pekarová Adamová.
New opportunities and impulses for further potential cooperation of Czech companies are also offered in Armenia in the field of construction and modernization of transport infrastructure, supply of mining technologies, or brewing.
Two September cubs of South American squirrel monkeys can be found by visitors in the Water World and Monkey Islands exhibition complex in the lower part of the Prague Zoo. Most of the time, the little curlews cling tightly to the backs of their caring mothers. Their gender is still unknown. Photo by Petr Hamerník, Prague Zoo
Cubs of energetic squirrel squirrels, graceful Burmese deer, or all three bred species of flamingos. Terezian summer has arrived at the Prague Zoo and the autumn season of births and hatching. The sun’s rays and the captivating shades of the trees beckon to visit the zoo in October – without queues and crowds. In addition, many animals are more active in current temperatures than in summer. The cable car remains in operation every day until the end of the year.
Three young Burmese deer were born in October. These are “replacement cubs” that often rest lying down and mothers come to nurse them regularly. As a tropical species, Burmese deer have estrus in January and February and calving season during the central European autumn. The Prague Zoo is the only one in the Czech Republic that keeps these ungulates, and the last of the three additions is already the 78th cub born here. Photo by Petr Hamerník, Prague Zoo
“Our cub year continues into the fall season. In addition to the already well-known ones such as the two small gorillas Mobi and Gaia, the orangutan Harapan, or the female giraffe Johanka, people can come and see completely new additions that are born in the exhibits across the garden,” says the director of the Prague Zoo, Miroslav Bobek.
In the Water Worlds and Monkey Islands exhibition complex, people can see the young of all three bred species of flamingos. American Chilean and Cuban flamingos (pictured) can be found near the capybara tapirs, while old-world pink flamingos can be found next to the island of silver gibbons. Photo by Petr Hamerník, Prague Zoo
The just-launched mobile application of the Prague Zoo also encourages you to visit, which offers tickets at a favorable price, makes it easier to move around the premises, and contains several other functions, including medallions of farmed animals or notifications about their feeding.
The young flamingos are gray and group together in some kind of nurseries. They grow into adults in about four to five months. Their transformation can now be watched with your own eyes at the Prague Zoo. Photo by Petr Hamerník, Prague Zoo
The Prague Zoo complex is open from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. until the end of October. The popular cable car connecting the lower and upper part of the complex remains exceptionally open this year not only on weekends but also on weekdays, until the end of the calendar year.
Many animals are more active at current temperatures than in the heat. The image shows a female red kangaroo examining fallen leaves. Photo by Petr Hamerník, Prague Zoo
The Speaker of the House discussed global security issues and business opportunities for Czech companies in the Philippines
The Speaker of the Chamber of Deputies, Markéta Pekarová Adamová, visited the Philippines on her way through Southeast Asia. In Manila, she discussed Czech-Philippine political, economic, and security cooperation with Philippine Chief Minister Lucas Bersamino and Senate President Francis Escudero and other high-ranking representatives of the local legislative and executive powers. In the capital and subsequently in the economically key province of Cebu, business forums organized by the Chamber of Commerce to support Czech companies in their search for new business opportunities began.
“Our countries share a deep conviction about the need for an international order based on the observance of fair rules. At the same time, we are also connected by the direct historical experience of living in the vicinity of a strong aggressor with undisguised expansionist ambitions – in our case it is Russia, in the case of the Philippines it is China. And it is Russia and China that are not only obvious violators of international law, but act in a coordinated manner in this regard. Strengthening mutual Czech-Philippine relations and closer cooperation with other trusted democratic partners in the Indo-Pacific are therefore absolutely essential for preserving security and prosperity in the entire region,” said the Speaker of the Chamber of Deputies, Markéta Pekarová Adamová.
The business mission of the Chamber of Commerce of the Czech Republic accompanies the parliamentary delegation on its way to Asia. The latter, in cooperation with the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of the Republic of the Philippines, organized sector-focused business forums both in the populous Philippine metropolis and in the economically dynamically developing province of Cebu, which is home to a number of successful companies.
“Many promising Czech companies offering solutions in IT, cyber security, logistics, or air transport can apply in the Philippines. Our country, on the other hand, is well known for its advanced manufacturing industry, predictable legal environment, demand for skilled labor, and openness to more intensive cooperation. The result of this is a synergy from which the citizens of both our countries will benefit,” added the speaker of the House of Representatives, Markéta Pekarová Adamová.
Photo: Czech Television
After years of problems fighting bark beetle infestation, scientists from the University of South Bohemia and the Biological Centre of the Academy of Sciences in České Budějovice have come up with a major breakthrough. They have developed a probe that detects infested trees accurately and at an early stage.
Protecting Czechia’s deep pine forests from bark beetle has not been easy and there have been a number of calamities in recent decades.
See more here.
Author: Daniela Lazarová
The Speaker of the Chamber of Deputies, Markéta Pekarová Adamová, received the state award for services to the Republic of Austria. She received it from her Austrian counterpart, Wolfgang Sobotka, for her contribution to Czech-Austrian relations in the field of parliamentary diplomacy. The Grand Honorary Medal in gold with a star for services to the Republic of Austria
The Speaker of the Chamber of Deputies, thus included herself among personalities such as former UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon, President of the European Parliament Roberta Metsola or former California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger.
“I value this award very much and perceive it as a broader recognition of excellent Czech-Austrian inter-parliamentary relations. However, it would not be possible to successfully develop and deepen these without a great partner, who for the past three years Mr. Sobotka has been for me. And on the occasion of his last official visit to us, I would like to thank him for all the work he has done to build the imaginary bridges that connect our countries,” said the Speaker of the Chamber of Deputies, Markéta Pekarová Adamová.
The honor is the fourth highest class of its kind. Since 1952, it has been awarded by the Austrian Federal President at the proposal of the relevant member of the government or the chairman of one of the two parliamentary chambers.
“It clearly shows that active parliamentary diplomacy is gaining more and more importance in today’s world, and efforts for more intensive cross-border cooperation contribute not only to the prosperity of the citizens of both our countries, but also to the cohesion of the whole of Central Europe,” added the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Markéta Pekarová Adamová.
Photo: Jonáš Zbořil, Czech Radio
This weekend, Prague’s Cemetery and Funeral Services are opening their doors to the public for the first time, offering a unique opportunity to explore the city’s cemeteries and funeral facilities. The event will feature guided tours, workshops hosted by gravediggers and undertakers, and a chance to learn more about the often-overlooked world of funeral services. I discussed the details with the organization’s communication manager, Kateřina Pavlitová:
“The purpose of organizing this event was really to let the residents of Prague know that we exist.
See more here.
Author: Ruth Fraňková
Photo: Danny Bate, Radio Prague International
The 26-tonne clock tower structure has been restored on top of the Industrial Palace, the centre piece of the Výstaviště area in Bubeneč. Following a fire in 2008, the costs of the repair of the palace, which began in 2022 and will continue until 2026, are estimated to exceed three billion crowns.
The Industrial Palace was built in 1891, and was designed by the Czech architect Münzberger.
See more here.
Author: Danny Bate
Photo: Danny Bate, Radio Prague International
A new machine will now present a selection of Czech culture to waiting passengers at Václav Havel Airport. Thanks to the organisation “Pianos on the Street” and the cultural activist Ondřej Kobza, the new ‘poetry jukebox’ freely offers the best of Czech history, legends, poetry, drama and music in a cosy corner of Terminal 2. Danny Bate went along to its unveiling.
Amidst planes taking off and landing, and travellers hurrying to their gates, a peaceful alcove in Prague Airport’s Terminal 2 offers visitors an oasis of calm and Czech culture.
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Author: Danny Bate
Photo: Ruth Fraňková, Radio Prague International
Most visitors to Prague are drawn to its iconic landmarks—Charles Bridge, Prague Castle, the Astronomical Clock—but there’s another side to the city that often goes unnoticed, hidden beyond the main squares and bustling streets. Woven through Prague’s streets is a network of passages and arcades, which allow you to take shortcuts and avoid the crowds. We’ll explore at least some of them with architect Štěpán Beneš, one of the founders of the association Mapamátky, which aims to popularize Prague’s architecture.
Here is a list of passages we visit:.
See more here.
Author: Ruth Fraňková
Photo: Petra Štrymplová, Czech Radio
The Baroque cemetery chapel of the Holy Family in Odry, Moravia, was built in 1718-1719. Over the centuries it underwent a number of insensitive reconstructions that hid many aspects of its former beauty. However the most recent reconstruction in 2015 yielded a number of unexpected discoveries.
Under layers of bricks and plaster experts discovered a wooden timbered structure and a painted ceiling from the early Baroque period, and fragments of wall paintings in the nave of the chapel.
See more here.
Author: Daniela Lazarová
Source: Festival Kino Brasil
A rich programme of film, food, dance and music awaits visitors to this year’s Kino Brasil film festival, which begins on October 15th. Barbora Kovářová, one of the team behind the festival, spoke to Danny Bate, about what is included in the programme, and what the team is looking to achieve with the festival.
Could you tell me, what are the goals of the Kino Brasil film festival?.
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Author: Danny Bate
Gino Schilders moved to Czechia from the Netherlands twenty-seven years ago, and has since been a prominent figure in the world of Czech field hockey. As president of the Czech Field Hockey Federation and trainer for Slavia, he shared his story and impressions of Czech sports with us.
See more here.
Illustration photo: Lenka Žižková, Radio Prague International
Following years of complaints from the public, the Prague authorities have banned the popular “pub crawls” in which organized groups of tourists go from pub to pub in the night hours. The measure is part of a broader effort to make the city “livable” for its inhabitants.
Noise pollution, disturbance of the peace, garbage strewn in the streets, and security concerns –those are the main reasons why Prague districts have fought against pub crawls for years and why Prague councilors finally decided to put an end to the practice.
See more here.
Author: Daniela Lazarová
Photo: Kristina Roháčková, iROZHLAS.cz
Czech filmmakers Viktor Horák and Pavel Sýkora won the Student Oscar for their short drama Krajan (Compatriot).
Young Czech filmmakers Viktor Horák and Pavel Sýkora received a Student Oscar tonight in London for their short drama “Krajan” (Compatriot).
See more here.
Author: Vít Pohanka
Photo: Václav Jabůrek, Czech Radio
In the German state of Brandenburg, a mighty circular fortress, a replica of a Slavic castle from the ninth or tenth century, has been acquired by a Czech owner. Care of the historical attraction has passed into the hands of David Chmelík, who emigrated from Czechoslovakia in the 1990s.
The historical region of Lusatia, part of Germany and Poland, has for centuries been a land with Slavic-speaking inhabitants.
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Author: Danny Bate
Photo: Michal Krumphanzl, ČTK
Edith Pargeter was a writer who achieved fame in Britain for her historical murder mysteries. What is less well known is her career as a (self-taught) translator and promoter of Czech literature.
October 14th marks twenty-nine years since the death of Edith Mary Pargeter, the popular and prolific English novelist, who, under the pen-name of Ellis Peters, created the character of the crime-solving monk Brother Cadfael.
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Author: Danny Bate
Photo: Libor Zavoral, ČTK
Twenty-five years ago, the name Matiční Street in Ústí nad Labem—a 100-meter-long path between family row houses and three apartment buildings where socially disadvantaged Romani people lived—went viral. The fence planned by the town hall was seen as a symbol of racism and the segregation of the Czech Roma population.
The issue of Matiční Street grew throughout the 1990s in Ústí nad Labem.
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Author: Jakub Ferenčík
Photo: Moravské zemské muzeum
Eighty years ago, three hugely talented Jewish composers Pavel Haas, Hans Krása and Viktor Ullmann were gassed in Auschwitz. Their music, created during one of the most tragic periods of European history, lives to this day.
Composer, conductor, pianist, writer and music critic Viktor Ullmann was one of the most outstanding and complex artistic personalities of Czech-German cultural life in the years of the First Republic.
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Source: Jakub Cigler Architekti, CAMP
Prague’s Wenceslas Square is currently undergoing a major renovation, which includes the return of trams to its upper part. An exhibition is now underway at the bottom section of the square, which presents the upcoming changes to the public.
Wenceslas Square in the very centre of Prague currently looks a bit like a building site.
See more here.
Author: Ruth Fraňková
