H.E. Mr. Mateusz GNIAZDOWSKI the Ambassador of the Republic of Poland hosted a reception for Poland National Day and the anniversary of 90 years of relations between the Poland Republic and the Czech Republic.
The event took place at the beautiful Fürstenberg palace with a great view of Prague Castle.
The president of the Czech Republic Mr. Petr Pavel the first lady Mrs. Eva Pavlova, The Senate president Mr. Miloš Vystrčil, and many other politicians and Ambassadors attend the event.
Polar bears Aleut (front) and Gregor (back) getting to know their new home. In the Warsaw Zoo, they can now start the necessary reconstruction of the exposition there. Photo by Petr Hamerník, Prague Zoo
Two polar bears from the Warsaw Zoo arrived at the Prague Zoo.
Thirteen-year-old twins Gregor and Aleut came to Prague based on the recommendation of the European breeding coordinator of this species. Her decision follows the March departure of the Prague male Tom to Almaty, Kazakhstan, to find a potential mate. It was in his former exposition that the newly arrived brothers moved in. On Wednesday, May 22 at 11:30 a.m., the Prague Zoo will officially welcome them.
“The arrival of Gregor and Aleut is directly related to the fact that a new modern exhibit for polar bears will be created at the Prague Zoo, in other words, we are prospective breeders of these animals,” said the director of the Prague Zoo, Miroslav Bobek. “Both bears are now getting to know their new environment. Visitors will be able to watch them from Monday.”
Aleut (left) and Gregor (right) were born on December 2nd at the Nuremberg Zoo to male Felix and female Vera and have lived in Warsaw Zoo in Poland since 2013. Although they are now adults, they are still very playful and have a close relationship as twins. Photo by Petr Hamerník, Prague Zoo
The twins Gregor and Aleut were born on December 2, 2010 in the Nuremberg Zoo, but since April 18, 2013 they lived in the Warsaw Zoo. While Gregor is more massive and the Polish breeders nicknamed him Grzes, his brother Aleut or Ali can be recognized by his taller stature and overall slimmer appearance.
“Thanks to the newly arrived bear brothers, the people of Prague and other visitors to our zoo have the opportunity to observe polar bears even while we are preparing the construction of the Arctic exhibit. It is here that these animals, iconic for the Prague Zoo and also very endangered, will find a new home. The Arctic, the construction of which should begin this year, will provide polar bears with first-class conditions for raising their cubs and will attract visitors from all over the world,” said the deputy mayor, Mr. City of Prague for the environment Jana Komrsková.
Gregor takes a bath in his new exhibit at the Prague Zoo and washes off the greenish stains he got during yesterday’s transport by rubbing against the Polish transport crate. Photo by Petr Hamerník, Prague Zoo
The welcome of the two bear brothers, combined with a photo opportunity for the media, will take place on Wednesday, May 22, from 11:30 a.m. Journalists can be accredited by email at masek@zoopraha.cz. Visitors can look forward to a thematic gaming station.
Temporary barriers have been installed around the exhibition glasses since today, thanks to which the bears will get better used to the presence of dogs in the area – they are not used to them from the Polish metropolis. This temporary measure will not reduce visitor comfort in any way.
Czech firms have increasingly been looking across the ocean at opportunities to expand to North American markets, specifically in fields such as IT. But what specific skills can Czech born businesses offer these already competitive marketplaces, and why is now a good time for expansion? I put those questions to CEO of COPS Solutions, Ondřej Dvořák.
“COPS is an international IT group, and we are mainly operating around Europe. I would say that on one hand we are an IT service provider to corporations, but we are also acting as a venture studio. We help start-ups upscale, and this coincides well with the plans we have to expand to the US and other markets.”
The third part of our video series on Czech Music Greats is devoted to the Fantastic Scherzo by Art Nouveau composer Josef Suk, pupil and son-in law of Antonín Dvořák, and the country’s only Art Nouveau Composer. The piece received its premiere at Prague’s Rudolfinum in April 1904.
The spa season has officially kicked off around Czecia with traditional ceremonies at the country’s many healing springs. Pictured here are girls in traditional costumes at a healing spring in Luhačovice.
One of the greatest Czech composers, Bedřich Smetana, known as “the father of Czech music,” died on this day, 140 years ago.
Bedřich Smetana (March 2, 1824– May 12, 1884) is one of the most influential figures in Czech music history, celebrated for his patriotic compositions and significant contributions to the development of Czech musical identity.
Born in the East Bohemian town of Litomyšl, Smetana showed a great talent for music from an early age, receiving his first music lessons from his father before later moving to Prague to study.
What really happens to your plastic after you’ve carefully sorted it and put it in your local recycling container (in Czechia, those iconic yellow bins)? According to many recent media reports, rather than being recycled, it likely ends up in landfill, an incinerator, or even worse, in the ocean or dumped in a field, as most of the plastic that people put in recycling containers is unusable using current recycling methods. But a new technology currently being tested in Czechia may provide hope of a solution.
Plastic recycling has been the subject of a lot of controversy in recent years, with information emerging that only 9% of the plastic ever produced has been recycled (MIT Technology Review, Oct 2023). A report by NPR from 2022 titled “Recycling plastic is practically impossible — and the problem is getting worse” sums up many of the headlines surrounding this topic.
Ferdinand Porsche was a Liberec-born genius engineer, who designed the first-ever hybrid car. He also contributed to the development of Volkswagen Beetle, which remained in production for 65 years.
Ferdinand Porsche was born on September 3, 1875 in Vratislavice, which is now a district of Liberec. His father was an enterprising craftsman who was also involved in local government and culture. He wanted Ferdinand to take over the family’s plumbing trade, but when he saw how technically gifted his son was and how ambitious he was, he did not prevent him from pursuing his dreams, says Lukáš Nachtmann, historian and head of the archives at Škoda Auto, which now looks after the Porsche family home.
Perhaps you’ve seen one in the Charles University Faculty of Law building – the old wooden ‘infinity’ elevator known as a paternoster. The vintage ride has become quite a tourist attraction, especially the one at Prague’s City Hall. But the influx in visitors poses disruptions to the work at the Municipal building and damages to the lift itself. From June, Prague City Tourism will be operating the paternoster at Prague City Hall, charging 250 crowns for a spin. Lenka Davidová, spokeswoman for Prague City Tourism told me more about the decision.
Open House Prague, the week-long festival where many buildings throughout the city normally closed to the public open their doors, kicks off this week. Until May 19th, visitors will be able to explore famous sites across the city, and learn more about their history, says spokeswoman Michaela Pánková.
“Open House Prague is celebrating its 10th anniversary this year. It’s a community event where many people from buildings, architects, and also people who are interested in Prague and its architecture gather together to celebrate the city. It originally started as a two day event over the weekend, but it’s grown into a whole one week event over the years. There are also many events, tours, and debates that now accompany the event. Until May 19th, more than 100 buildings in Prague are open to the public.”
Visitors will be able to view more than two hundred works, not only graphics, but also drawings, paintings, and artistic crafts. The exhibition “From Michelangelo to Callot. The Graphic Art of Mannerism”, on which the NGP collaborated with the French Louvre Museum, will be open in the Valdštejnská jízdárna from May 17 to August 11, 2024.
It is a unique exhibition project, not only because some of the works have never been publicly exhibited before, but also due to the fact that works from all the major art centers of the time will be on display: Italy, the Netherlands, Germany, the Czech Republic and France. “The Czech audience is quite familiar with the art at the court of Rudolph II, but an exhibition project focused on graphics in such a context has never been held anywhere else in Europe,” says Alena Volrábová, curator of the exhibition and director of the NGP Collection of Graphics and Drawings. A selection of more than two hundred excellent engravings and etchings, drawings, paintings, jewelry and other objects of art and craft are prepared for visitors, which map the transformations of the Mannerist style, its experiments and originality, but also its connection with other types of art. They also speak of his role in the artistic exchange between Italy and other European countries. “At that time, people were most often introduced to the key works of Michelangelo, Raphael, Giulio Romano or the beautiful decoration of the French royal castle in Fontainebleau through graphic sheets,” explains exhibition curator Blanka Kubíková.
Mannerism was born in Italy from the artistic language of the High Renaissance and soon became an international style. It is characterized by a refined elegance, a rich imagination and a fondness for symbols and hidden meanings. Graphics as a modern information medium played an extraordinary role in its rapid expansion.
The open exhibition is the first of two projects focused on the art of graphics in the 16th century, when the artistic style Mannerism gained ground, which the NGP has been preparing in collaboration with the Louvre Museum for several years. “Graphics was a relatively young medium at the time and, together with letterpress, it actually had a role comparable to that of the Internet in the 20th century,” explains Alena Volrábová. “Before, people often had to travel long distances to find art, but then art came to them through graphics. It was in the 16th century that graphics reached technical and artistic perfection and began to expand. We will show top examples from this period at the exhibition,” he adds.
Thanks to close cooperation with the graphic collection of the Louvre Museum, the exhibition enjoys a generous loan from this important institution. Primarily from the rare collection donated to her by the art collector Edmond de Rothschild. Works by Raphael, Jan Brueghel, Hans von Aachen or Bartholomew Spranger and a number of other great artists will be presented. Graphic works by masters of engraving art such as Parmigianino, Schiavone, Cornelis Cort, Hendrick Goltzius, Aegidius Sadeler, Jacques Callot and many others will be exhibited. “I am very pleased that we offer visitors a completely unique opportunity to view a drawing by Michelangelo Buonarroti. None of his works have yet been exhibited in the Czech Republic. And since graphics and drawings are not presented for a long time due to their fragility and sensitivity to light, their presentation to the public is always an exceptional event for us, especially when it comes to the works of such important masters,” says Alicja Knast, general director of NGP, about the exhibition.
The second exhibition within the framework of mutual cooperation will take place in a year, in the spring of 2025 in the Louvre and will focus on art connected with the discovery of nature at the court of Rudolph II.
At the currently opening exhibition in the Valdštejnská jízdárna, exhibits from the Prague National Gallery and the Louvre Museum will be complemented by works on loan from the Bibliothèque nationale de France, the Viennese Albertina, the Kunsthistorisches Museum in Vienna, the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam, the Pinacoteca Nazionale di Siena, the State Regional Archives in Pilsen – the Klášter workplace , the Museum of Arts and Crafts in Prague, the Moravian Gallery in Brno, the National Library of the Czech Republic, the National Museum, the Prague Castle Collection, the Royal Premonstratensian Canon in Strahov, the Regional Museum in Chrudim, the National Institute of Monuments and other institutions and private collections.
A catalog is published for the exhibition in Czech and later in English. In the premises of the Valdštejnská jízdárna, due to the protection of graphic works, it is necessary to observe reduced lighting.
From Michelangelo to Callot. The Art of Mannerism Graphics
Venue: Valdštejnská jízdárna
Deadline: 17 May – 11 August 2024
National Gallery Prague in cooperation with the Louvre Museum
Chief curators: Xavier Salmon, Musée du Louvre, Alena Volrábová, National Gallery Prague
Professor Josef Michl, a world-renowned Czech chemist, died on Monday at the age of 85. Professor Michl, who excelled both in theoretical and experimental chemistry, led research groups at Prague’s Institute of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry (IOCB) and at the University of Boulder, Colorado.
Professor Josef Michl was born in Prague in March 1939, just days before Nazi Germany established the Protectorate of Bohemia and Moravia. He earned his Master’s degree in chemistry at Charles University and a Ph.D. at the Czechoslovak Academy of Sciences.
Photo: Paul-Henri Perrain, Radio Prague International
If you’ve taken the metro to Prague’s Anděl station, you may have noticed a bronze sculpture that reads ‘Moskva-Praha’. Constructed in 1985, it was meant to symbolize friendship between Czechoslovakia and the Soviet Union. After the fall of the regime, it remained, stirring debate amongst the public. Recently, Prague City Hall decided to add a plaque explaining the contentious history of the sculpture, instead of tearing it down. To learn more about this, I spoke with Cold War historian Jan Adamec.
“The Anděl metro station was opened in November 1985, originally under the name of ‘Moskva’. The bronze sculpture with the inscription of ‘Moscow-Prague’ in the lobby of the metro station was to commemorate the alleged friendly and warm relations between the two capital cities. The propaganda at the time described it as a symbol of ‘eternal friendship’ between Czechoslovakia and the Soviet Union.
In the previous episode of ‘In Kafka’s Footsteps’, we visited the town of Frýdlant, believed to have inspired Kafka’s novel ‘The Castle’. But there is another contender vying for the same accolade: the village of Siřem, a tiny hamlet in northern Bohemia surrounded by hop fields. It was here that Kafka went to stay after being diagnosed with tuberculosis in 1917, in search of peace, fresh air and nature on his sister’s farm.
“We’re standing on the bridge that K. crossed to get to the village, and right there on that hill you can see the granary, which evokes the impression of a castle. The second building on the right used to be a pub belonging to the Dreher Brewery, and on the left we can see a blacksmiths’ shop, where the landlady’s husband from the pub across the street worked. That’s where K. stayed, and it’s also where Franz Kafka stayed when he came to Siřem.”
Photo: Klára Stejskalová, Radio Prague International
The National Czech and Slovak Museum and Library in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, is marking the 50th anniversary of its founding this year. Rawdio Prague was at the launch of the official celebrations, which kicked off earlier this month in the Midwest city, known for its large population of Czech and Slovak expats.
Two exhibition openings, an economic summit, a concert of Czech opera singer Ester Pavlů and a gala – all these events were hosted by the National Czech and Slovak Museum and Library in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, earlier this month to mark its 50th anniversary.
Singer and songwriter Petr Hapka, one of the most significant composers of Czech film music scores, would have turned 80 this week. He died at the age of just 70 in 2014, leaving an unforgettable music legacy behind.
The popular Czech composer and singer Petr Hapka is linked to some of the biggest names on the Czech music scene at the turn of the century. Together with lyricist Michal Horáček he produced some of the best pop-songs and chansons to come out of this country –sung by the likes of chanson diva Hana Hegerová, pop idol Karel Gott, Lucie Bilá, Michal Kocáb and Jana Kirschner. Hapka’s own distinctive voice appeared on solo recordings and duets, while he also composed music for a great number of films, TV series and theatre productions.
Jane Goodall, the famous English primatologist and anthropologist who has spent decades studying chimpanzees, is paying a special visit to the Prague Zoo this weekend. Goodall will be naming one of the Zoo’s new baby gorillas, a special event which spokesman for the Prague Zoo Filip Mašek told me more about.
“Jane Goodall is a long-time friend of the Prague Zoo, and she accepted our invitation regarding the two baby gorillas that were born in the zoo this year. We also welcomed a baby orangutan two weeks ago. Within five months, we have welcomed three critically endangered primates to the zoo. This is something that is really extraordinary, and is a really big step in our conservation efforts. This is exactly the work that Jane Goodall has been doing her whole life. She’s accepted our invitation, and she will be ‘baptizing’ the second born gorilla baby that we welcomed a few months ago.”
From Monday 27th May – Friday 1st June audiences can enjoy over 140 performances of 36 productions from 15 different countries around the world! The traditional (and not so traditional) theatres and performance spaces of Prague’s Malá Strana district will once again be filled with international, award-winning, ground-breaking theatre, comedy, children’s shows, story-telling, and more.
The festival team has curated an incredibly diverse range of options for audiences to enjoy – from The Untold Fable of Fritz and King John for family fun, too late night stand-up with Bombay Comedy!
Returning favourites such as the award-winning Pip Utton, Henry Naylor and Emily Carding are back, as well as brand new work from fresh, young performers and producers and shows from Japan, Taiwan, Finland, Australia, and even Ukraine.
Prague Fringe Founder and Director Steve Gove says “It’s going to be a belter!” “We’ve curated our most international Fringe in years, packed full of incredible quality productions from around the world, brand-new works and Czech premieres, and two whole venues dedicated to comedy!
The festival is back in its favourite Malá Strana venues including Divadlo Inspirace, A Studio Rubín, Museum of Alchemists, and Café Club Míšeňská.
Plus this year sees two venues dedicated to comedy – the return of last year’s successful Charles Bridge Comedy Club and a brand new venue in the basement of OG Glenn’s Bar which is hosting a full programme of stand-up and comedy shows. Fan favorite Malostranská beseda is back for the larger-scale productions including the talented young actors from the Australian Shakespeare Company, the 5* musical Happily Ever Poofter, Youtube hit sensation UnErase Poetry – Stories from India from Mumbai, a sexy scientific exploration of the Chemistry Of Love by Dr. Michael Londesborough, MBE, and an exclusive Fringe-version of the Czech legendary (fictional) playwright Jára Cimrman’s the Stand-In performed by the Cimrman English Theatre.
On Thursday 30th May there are international performances taking place with 2 shows performed in the original Italian (Alice No, and Be My Guest), and UnErase Poetry – Stories from India performed in Hindi.
Tickets are on sale now for the Czech Republic’s very own slice of Edinburgh on the Vltava
To keep things as affordable as possible, the popular Prague Fringe Pass is available again for 1100Kč which saves the user 20 Kč on each ticket (as well as only paying a single ticket booking fee for the transaction).
Advance tickets are 250Kč (or 220Kč for students/seniors) and tickets purchased at the venue (selected venues only) are 300Kč – subject to availability. The Fringe is a cash-free Festival. All major credit cards are accepted.
The fountain has been out of service since it was damaged in the fall of 2022 and restoration work began. Visitors to the Royal Gardens of Prague Castle can listen to it again from tomorrow, always from ten in the morning to seven in the evening. Entrance to the gardens is completely free, and security checks were also abolished last year.
“The singing fountain is an extremely valuable Renaissance work. However, since it has been permanently exposed to the weather for centuries, repairs were unavoidable. A more fundamental restoration operation was needed twenty-two years ago, when the lower bowl was leaking. Then, over the years, the nozzle on the bagpiper’s instrument broke off twice. That’s why we started restoration work less than two years ago, and in addition to repairing the nozzles, we also cleaned the fountain of an extremely thick layer of limescale and then preserved its surface,” Petr Chotěbor, head of the Department of Specialized Monument Care, describes the progress of the restoration work.
The singing fountain was designed at the request of Emperor Ferdinand I Habsburg by his court painter Francesco Terziov from Bergamo and cast in bronze by Tomáš Jaroš from Brno. Although it was completed as early as 1568, the water pipes were not laid until six years later. The fountain is divided into two levels by central round bowls placed one above the other, which is supported by a strong pillar, the stem of which is decorated with figures of shepherds supporting the bowls of the Astaro Greek Pan – the protector of the springs. Male and female masks with palmetto leaves alternate in the decorative frieze. The upper tank is decorated with figures, garlands and masks. The fountain is topped by a figure of a piper playing. Water gushes from human and animal heads, falls on bronze bowls and makes a soft ringing sound.
There is no doubt that one of the pivotal moments in Czech history I just mentioned came twenty years ago when this country joined the European Union.
In the last episode, I talked to a businessman with experience from the highest echelons of Czech and European civil service—or bureaucracy, if you prefer this term. Now, I have a special guest whose experiences weave through the complex tapestry of European journalism.
Karel Barták is a veteran journalist who spent 11 very important years as a Czech News Agency correspondent in Brussels from 1995 to 2006. He then gained another completely different experience working for the European Commission for 12 years before retiring and coming back to his home in Czechia.
According to the book of Genesis, Noah’s Ark was 300 feet long and 50 feet wide. Converted to current units, it measured roughly 135 to 22 metres. Squeezing a pair or even seven pairs of all animal species on to it must had been a completely impossible task.
Likewise, it is unthinkable that zoological gardens would become the Noah’s Ark that would bring salvation to all endangered animal species. There are too few of them and they are too small for that. Sure, they have managed to save some species. The shining example may be Przewalski’s horse, which owes its survival to a large extend to our Prague Zoo. But we have to accept that all who are in need can’t be saved by zoos.
However, zoos can also help in another way, by protecting the endangered species directly in the areas of their occurrence, in situ. Compared to “Noah’s Ark” this approach has at least two major advantages. First, it is far better to prevent extinction of a given species than with difficulties return it back to the wild afterwards (which in some cases is not even possible). Secondly, the protection of the environment, which the given species inhabits, goes hand in hand with in situ conservation, and therefore many, many other organisms are also protected.
Our effort in Cameroon may be the example of the second approach. The “flagship species” for us there is western lowland gorilla, however, when we try to reduce poaching and forest destruction, we are also benefiting so many other species that listing them would take a substantial part of the space allotted for this text.
In this sense, the lowland gorillas in our zoo are a certain kind of ambassadors of wild nature. Thanks to their presence we win over the public to the idea of their protection – and thanks to their presence we also manage to raise funds for work in Cameroon. However, we have a number of such ambassadors in the zoo. For example, pangolins.
Of course, we have to create optimal living conditions for these “ambassadors of wild nature”. It is not only about the space or the optimal composition of the food, but also about living in natural social groups, being able to have young and having enough external stimuli. This is done by so-called enrichment, which can take many forms, from hiding treats to complex puzzles.
At the same time, it is extremely important that the presence of these ambassadors is meaningful. They must be visible, we have to talk about them, we have to bring them closer to people. The fact, that they have names and that we can talk about them as about personalities, also helps us achieve this. After all, what kind of ambassador would it be if he remained hidden in anonymity?
Caption:
One of the “ambassadors of wild nature” in Prague Zoo is also the gorilla baby, born less than a month ago. On Saturday, May 11, at 11 am it was baptised by the famous primatologist and conservationist Jane Goodall.
A brown bear weighing as much as 200 kilogrammes has been spotted on the outskirts of the Moravian city of Zlín. The authorities say the animal could be passing through the area but have warned locals to exercise caution.
The brown bear, Europe’s largest predator, was once common in this part of the world. The animal was exterminated from most of the Czech lands during the 17th and 18th centuries before making something of a comeback.
Since the early 1970s there have been occasional bear sightings in the Beskid Mountains in the very east of the country. However, the animal, which never disappeared in the nearby Slovakia, tends to remain in deep forest, well away from human settlements.
The Ambassador of the Argentine Republic H.E Mr. Claudio Javier Rozencwaig in the frame of Iberoamerican Week organized an very interesting exhibition”100 years of diplomatic relations between the Czech Republic and Argentina” in the Cerninsky Palac ( the Foreign Affair ministry )
Watch the speeches of Mr. Jiri Kozak – deputy minister of foreign affairs of the Czech Republic and H.E Mr. Claudio Javier Rozencwaig – The Ambassador of the Argentine Republic
The Speaker of the Chamber of Deputies, Markéta Pekarová Adamová, started her working trip around the Baltics with a visit to Lithuania. There, she discussed joint security issues with Parliament Speaker Viktorija Čmilytė-Nielsen, Prime Minister Ingrida Šimonytė and Foreign Minister Gabrielius Landsbergis. She also visited a military training area, where Czech troops operate as part of NATO’s eastern wing.
“Our countries share not only deep historical roots but above all common liberal-democratic values, pro-Western orientation, experience with oppression, loss of freedom, and successful efforts to regain it. The most important thing, however, is our common ability and willingness to act actively on the basis of these values and implement them in practice,” said the Speaker of the Chamber of Deputies, Markéta Pekarová Adamová, during the meeting.
The work program also included meetings with the Prime Minister of Lithuania Ingrida Šimonytė and the Minister of Foreign Affairs Gabrielius Landsbergis. “It is our governments that are among those that have been intensively trying for a long time to help the defending Ukraine with weapons, humanitarian aid and persuasion of other partners. I am also grateful that Lithuania supports our initiative to acquire and deliver much-needed ammunition to Ukrainian defenders from third countries,” added Speaker of the House of Representatives Markéta Pekarová Adamová.
The parliamentary delegation, which also includes the chairman of the European Affairs Committee Ondřej Benešík, then continued with a visit to the military training area, where Czech armed forces are currently serving as part of the coordinated activities of the strengthened forward presence of the eastern wing of the North Atlantic Alliance.
“Our military presence in the Baltics plays a key strategic role in deterring Russia’s westward expansion. By working together, we are creating a stronger, more resilient and safer entire Alliance. I am extremely happy that I was able to personally thank our soldiers for their commitment today,” added the chairwoman Markéta Pekarová Adamová in conclusion.
The parliamentary delegation subsequently moved from Lithuania to Riga, where they will meet with leading representatives of the Latvian legislature and government.
The Speaker of the Chamber of Deputies of the Parliament of the Czech Republic, Markéta Pekarová Adamová, continued her journey through the Baltic countries with a visit to Latvia. In the local parliament, she first discussed with its president Daiga Mieriņa.
“Our Latvian allies have currently decided to contribute approximately 248 million crowns to the Czech ammunition initiative for Ukraine. It is also important that Riga has taken over the imaginary organizing baton from Prague and will host the next edition of the Parliamentary Summit of the Crimean Platform this fall,” said the Speaker of the Chamber of Deputies, Markéta Pekarová Adamová, after the meeting.
As part of the work program, the parliamentary delegation led by the Speaker also met with Latvian Prime Minister Evika Siliņa. “Czech-Latvian cooperation is expanding and deepening not only in the field of joint defense and security, but also in the economic sector. This is clearly demonstrated by the volume of mutual trade, which has been growing for a long time thanks to the successful penetration of Czech companies into Latvian markets,” added the Speaker of the Chamber of Commerce, Markéta Pekarová Adamová. Finally, she also visited the Czech soldiers who serve in the multinational NATO battle group at the base in Ādaž, where they specialize in the most modern methods of cyber operations and electronic warfare.
“At all work meetings here, I heard only words of praise and recognition for the work of our soldiers. I was therefore happy to be able to personally thank them for their service and commitment. I also wished them well in what they do for the Alliance. If they do well, all of us will do well as a result,” added chairwoman Markéta Pekarová Adamová.
The delegation then traveled to Tallinn. There, its members will have meetings with leading representatives of the Estonian parliament and a meeting with Prime Minister Kaja Kallas. At the end, the president will speak at the prestigious Lennart Meri International Security Conference.
On the occasion of the 65th Anniversary of the establishment of Moroccan-Czech Diplomatic Relations, The Ambassador of the Kingdom of Morocco in Prague Kingdom of Morocco H.E. Ms. Hanane SAADI in collaboration with The Music and Dance Faculty of The Academy of Performing Arts in Prague – HAMU – organize a cultural event “Opening Doors to Moroccan/Arabic Music: A Showcase of Moroccan and Arabic Sounds with the Renowned Moroccan Artist Nouamane Lahlou & Orchestra”.
Another baby! Third time this year I announced a birth of an ape. After two lowland gorillas a Sumatran orangutan baby was born on May 2, after the noon hour! And on top of that, it is a grandchild of the famous and genetically valuable Káma.
We followed the progress of the gravidity of the mother of the baby, the eleven-year-old female Diri, for many months with tension and some uncertainty. Her previous gravidity ended in a miscarriage, and also this one didn’t seem to us to be completely trouble-free. But all turned out well! Even though the baby was born at a very early term – we expected the birth between April 29 and June 16 – my colleagues immediately informed me that the baby was fully developed and tried to drink.
Diri gave birth to her baby in the outdoor enclosure. The first time it was seen on the cameras was a minute before 1 p.m. Shortly after, however, Diri moved with him into indoor spaces and later to the interior exhibit of the Indonesian Jungle House. There, together with Jaroslav Šimek and Oliver Le Que, we were already waiting for her, hoping to get the first shots of the successor of Káma’s dynasty. But we were not lucky. Diri didn’t show us the baby.
I left to work on other things, but after about twenty minutes I got a message that the baby is perfectly visible. Unfortunately, I came back too late, however, Oliver managed to take a shot that we used for the first report on the orangutan baby birth.
For the rest of the afternoon, when I had various meetings, I was getting messages each time when it was possible to see the baby. I hoped that Oliver or Jaroslav would succeed to take its portrait. But when I joined them at half past five, they were a bit sad; they hadn’t succeeded to take any better photo than the Oliver’s first one.
All three of us waited at the exhibit for a while, but Diri with the baby was laying in such a position that not a single hair was visible. After some time, I stayed alone, and I decided to wait another five minutes. Then I extended waiting by another five minutes, and then another five. And finally, I got it! First, I took a photo of Diri’s hand holding the little hand of the baby and after a while also the very first shot of its face. Oliver and Jaroslav did the waiting for these two photos in my behalf.
So now you can take a look of Diri’s baby. It was still all wrinkled, when I photographed it on Thursday evening, but I think it had a lot of cuteness anyway. And it will gradually grow much higher!
This year, the Prague Zoo will transport Převalsky’s first horses to Kazakhstan as part of the Return of Wild Horses 2024 project.
A total of three stallions and five mares will be flown on June 3 by CASA military aircraft from Prague and Berlin at the same time.
The public now has the opportunity to participate in the reintroduction project and receive a unique postcard directly from Altyn Dala, i.e. from the “Golden Steppe”, where these last wild horses of the world will be released into the wild. All you have to do is donate CZK 500 or more to the collection account We help them survive by May 15, fill out a short questionnaire, and then just wait for a postcard from the Prague Zoo team to appear in your mailbox.
Prague Zoo collection account called “We help them survive”
Account number: 43-6804660247/0100
Variable symbol: 3102019
Note to recipient: Postcard from Kazakhstan
What to do if the postcard does not arrive?
If the postcard does not arrive by August 31, 2024, please let us know by e-mail at ppctnice@zoopraha.cz. After all, it’s a long way from Kazakhstan to Prague, and a whole host of complications can arise. But we can fix it.
Photo: The postcard is decorated with the official visual of this year’s transport by the Czech naturalist and illustrator Jan Dungel. It captures a group of Przewalski’s horses, which is meant to symbolize the project’s target state – a functioning population of Przewalski’s horses in the Altyn Dala area. The background color is based on the colors of the flag of Kazakhstan. Source: Prague Zoo
One of the final two Czechoslovak RAF veterans still alive today celebrated his 100th birthday on Thursday. Jiří Pavel Kafka, also one of the “Winton children”, marked his centenary in the hangar of Prague’s Kbely military airport in the company of family and army representatives.
Jiří Pavel Kafka was born to a Jewish family in Prague on 2 May 1924. At the age of 15, he was one of the 669 “kindertransport” children rescued from occupied Czechoslovakia by Sir Nicholas Winton and others on the eve of World War II and taken to safety in Britain. Like many of them, he joined the military to fight the Nazis during the war once he came of age.
UN Tourism has launched the second edition of its Women in Tech Startup Competition: Middle East. The initiative aims to highlight and support women entrepreneurs who are shaping the future of sustainable tourism and technology across the region.
Applications now Open
The competition targets startups that are led by women and based in the Middle East. Enterprises must be operating within the tourism sector and related industries, and offer sustainable solutions for people, the planet, and prosperity. They must also be an entrepreneurial project at an early stage, idea stage, or Series A stage of their journey. Applications are open for the following three categories:
People and Skills: this category calls for startups with environmental and sustainable approaches in education tech, social connectivity, wellness, or health, with cross-cutting benefits with tourism.
Green Travel Solutions: for startups that use environmentally friendly and sustainable approaches in green tech, green infrastructure, travel and logistics, urban development or rural development, with cross-cutting benefits with tourism.
Market Innovators: for startups working with emergent technologies applied to tourism.
UN Tourism has welcomed key global and regional partners and ecosystem collaborators to support the winning startups. Almosafer, Plug and Play, AIM, The Bench, Impulse4Women and Bilakatu will be providing visibility, personalized mentorship, consultancy and access to potential investment to the best entrepreneurial solutions. This year’s applications will be processed through Plug and Play’s open innovation platform, the largest in the world, and the finalists will also be invited to join the global UN Tourism Innovation Network.
The launch was announced at the AIM Congress, a leading investment platform, in Abu Dhabi, UAE, during a special UN Tourism Investment Forum session on “Investing in Innovation and Enabling Women Entrepreneurs”.
The second edition follows on from the success of the inaugural initiative, with over 140 startups and SMEs applying from 11 countries. The four winners, Fosha (Egypt), Sparkle Haze (UAE), Plastus Biotech (Saudi Arabia), Xenios Academy (UAE) were announced last year during the celebrations for World Tourism Day on 27 September in Riyadh.
UN Tourism and Women Empowerment
UN Tourism is committed to advancing the positive impact of tourism on women’s lives, thereby contributing to achieving the Sustainable Development Goal 5 – Gender Equality. The organization has been actively supporting women entrepreneurs, working to propel the tourism sector forward and to foster inclusivity.
UN Tourism Executive Director Natalia Bayona says: “It is crucial to empower female entrepreneurs in the Middle East with innovative business proposals that have a component of positive social impact and respect for the environment to support the sustainable development of the growing tourism sector in the region.”
UN Tourism and Innovation
Since 2018, UN Tourism has launched more than 25 startup competitions and innovation challenges, covering over 150 countries around the world. With over 20,000 participants and more than 350 top startups mapped with USD 2+ billion in funding, UN Tourism continues its efforts to support digitalization and innovation to advance the achievement of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Tourism is a tool for positive transformation and inclusive economic development.
Speaker of the Chamber of Deputies Markéta Pekarová Adamová received Speaker of the Slovenian National Assembly Urška Klakočar Zupančič.
The main topic of the joint meeting was the current issue of the expansion of the European Union to include Ukraine, Moldova and the countries of the Western Balkans. Both speakers agreed that the sharing of experience with accession negotiations between existing members of the Union and countries aspiring to membership can also play an important role in the entire process.
“Ukraine, Moldova, or the countries of the Western Balkans are standing at the gates of the European Union today. Its expansion will be mutually beneficial, provided that the aspiring states meet all the necessary conditions. For them, acceptance into the family of EU member states will mean closer political and economic attachment to the West, and for all of us, the strengthening of important allies in the key region. It is therefore our joint geostrategic priority,” said the Speaker of the Chamber of Deputies, Markéta Pekarová Adamová.
Slovenia, like the Czech Republic, joined the European Union on May 1, 2004.
“Mrs. Speaker and I agreed that it is absolutely necessary to support the process of expanding the EU to include additional aspiring members, e.g. through the transfer of experience and knowledge that our own countries gained more than twenty years ago during the final stage of the long accession negotiations,” added the Speaker of the Chamber of Deputies Markéta Pekarová Adamová of the Chamber of Deputies. At the very end of the joint meeting, she received an invitation from her Slovenian colleague for a reciprocal visit to Ljubljana.
Karel Raab trained as a locksmith in view of taking over the family firm, but his yearning to create art was stronger. He started out by creating small pieces for his garden in his spare time. They soon got noticed and enabled him to turn his hobby into a thriving business.
When his friends were considering what path in life they wanted to follow, Karel Raab had his future pretty much settled. It was clear that he would one day take over the family firm and follow in his father’s footsteps. But his natural inclination soon led him elsewhere.
The 79th edition of the Prague Spring International Music Festival, the largest and oldest classical musical festival in Czechia, gets underway in the Czech capital next Sunday with a performance of Bedřich Smetana’s My Country by the Berliner Philharmoniker, conducted by Kirill Petrenko.
The festival, which will celebrate the Year of Czech Music and the bicentenary of the birth of Bedřich Smetana, will offer dozens of concerts by symphony orchestras and other ensembles including two of Italy’s finest orchestras – the National Academy of Santa Cecilia and La Scala Philharmonic Orchestra of the Milan Opera.
Are you a hockey fan in Ostrava for the World Championship and are wondering what to do in the evening before or after your team’s game? We have some advice for you.
Stodolní Street –a place to party!
A visit to Ostrava’s Stodolní Street is a must, whether you want to celebrate a victory or drown your sorrow after the game! Nowhere else in the country will you come across such a concentration of restaurants, bars and clubs. In its heyday, there were more than 60 nightclubs and bars along this street, and although those times are over, there are still plenty of pubs, bars and clubs here, where the locals and visitors to town regularly come to party!
The Prague metro is celebrating 50 years of service this week with a number of special events for the public. People can visit an exhibition on the history of the metro, ride on the historic first trains that opened the Prague subway or play a geo game that will take them to all the stations around the city.
It is May 9th 1974 and at 9 hours and 19 minutes, Prague’s first metro train carrying the communist top brass and selected journalists undertakes its first journey on line C, going from Kačerov to Florenc. The event was the main story on the prime time evening news.
Thursday marks exactly 50 years since the opening of the first section of the Prague metro, running between Kačerov and Florenc on the C line. Today there are 61 stations and three lines. But did you know that there is also a secret metro station, known as Klárov? Classified as confidential, it was one of the best-kept secrets of the Communist era.
Are you a frequent subway rider and yet you have never heard of Klárov? That’s because the station never opened to the public, and is in fact not even part of the metro network. The idea for its construction originated in the early 1950s, during the peak of the Cold War, explains Prague tour guide Martin Karlík:
“In the 1950s, the communist authorities got the idea to build metro stations that could serve as air-raid shelters in case of war. Once the necessary funds were available, they would dig out the tunnels to connect the shelters and the network could serve as an underground transport system. The authorities therefore began by building a first shelter, just opposite the Straka Academy, which is the seat of the government.”
The second funeral of poet Karel Hynek Mácha, whose remains were exhumed from the occupied Sudetenland 85 years ago and taken to Prague for a second ceremonial burial, ended up turning into one of the biggest anti-Nazi protests in the early years of the occupation.
The Czech romantic poet Karel Hynek Mácha died on 6 November 1836 at the age of just 25, after falling ill from overexerting himself while helping to extinguish a fire. He was buried in Litoměřice, tragically on the day that he was supposed to get married.
To many Czechs, Mácha was a symbol of freedom and the Czech national awakening. That is why, when over 100 years later, Nazi Germany occupied the Sudetenland where Litoměřice was located, the head of the Czechoslovak National Bank, Karel Engliš, wanted to prevent Mácha’s remains from getting into German hands.
Photo: Barbora Navrátilová, Radio Prague International
Among the books nominated for the prestigious Magnesia Litera Award this year was a graphic novel called Arnoštova cesta, describing the life story of the great Czech Jewish writer Arnošt Lustig. I met with his daughter Eva, a writer and documentary filmmaker herself, to discuss the book, and also to talk about the Arnošt Lustig Foundation, which she is in charge of. However, I had to start by asking about an onion which she took out of her handbag upon entering the studio:
“The onion is in my hand because it symbolises the frail nature of our civilisation and humanity. The outer layer, the skin, is very thin and you can start peeling it. In my father’s words, the problem with civilization is its thin outer layer, which you can destroy in a matter of weeks or months.
The Czech Constitutional Court has ruled to abolish forced sterilization for individuals who want to make an official sex change. Czechia is one of the last few EU countries enforcing the sterilization requirement. The change, which will necessitate an amendment to the law, should come into effect in mid-2025. Trans advocate Lenka Králová, told me more about the situation and how she is feeling on this historic day.
“Czechia is one of the last countries in Europe which requires sterilization for legal gender recognition. In order to change the letter in your ID cards from ‘M’ to ‘F’, or vice versa, you need to get sterilized. You have to cut a piece of your body in order to change something in your documents. It’s hard to believe, but it’s just the way it is.”
Frýdlant, a town of about 7,400 inhabitants in Czechia’s Liberec Region, certainly has a Kafkaesque feeling about it. You arrive there only to find that the people you arranged to interview suddenly don’t have time to meet you, saying they are sure that one day, however, one day you will meet – uncannily reminiscent of Kafka’s unfinished last novel ‘The Castle’, where the protagonist desperately tries to gain access to the fortress where the mysterious authorities who govern the village he has been summoned to reside.
The castle from Kafka’s story could indeed have been the one in Frýdlant – although there is unfortunately no proof that it was Frýdlant’s castle that inspired Kafka to write the novel. In fact, the village of Siřem, around 160km away, which will be the subject of our next episode on Kafka, also claims the same accolade.
Kafka regularly came to Frýdlant for his job as a labour safety inspector at the Worker’s Accident Insurance Institute, and would stay at the White Horse (Bílý kůň) Hotel, located on a square dominated by the impressive German-style town hall.
Photo: Amelia Mola-Schmidt, Radio Prague International
The National Gallery at Prague’s Kinsky Palace has been converted into a hockey fans paradise for a new exhibition titled “Get on the ice! Ice Hockey and Skating in Art”. The exhibit showcases skating and hockey in Czech fine art throughout the years, but as I discovered, the sport represents much more to the people of Czechia, and has deep roots in the nation’s political and social identity.
When you think of hockey, the first thing that comes to mind is probably the sound of skates on the ice, the clashes of sticks as players fight for the puck, and the ice arena where it all takes place. What probably doesn’t come to mind, is art. A new exhibition at the National Gallery’s Kinsky Palace is challenging this perception. Titled “Na led”, which translates as “get on the ice”, the exhibition features 100 works of art centred on hockey and ice skating in the Czech lands. Curator Anna Strnadlová, told me how hockey made its way into art traditions.
The 2024 Ice Hockey World Championships are set to begin this Friday in host cities Prague and Ostrava. The tournament, which brings together 16 teams, will take place over the course of two weeks. But how is the Czech team expected to perform on home ice? I put that question and more to Czech Television Sports commentator, Michal Dimitrov.
Just to start off, can you walk me through the roster of this year’s Czech team? Are there any new standout players or familiar faces who are expected to make a bit of a splash at this tournament?
“The Czech trainers really tried to get the best players possible. We have eight players from the NHL this year, maybe the biggest star being Ondřej Palát, a Stanley Cup winner with the Tampa Bay Lightning. We have three goalies who have all performed really well this NHL season – Petr Mrázek, Lukáš Dostál, and Karel Vejmelka. These goalies should be the strongest part of our team.
We have already three “Przhevalsky’s” in the new Gobi Exhibit – three animal species, which were named after Russian geographer Nikolay Mikhaylovich Przhevalsky (1839- 1888). Besides Przewalski’s horse it is Gobi racerunner (Eremias przewalskii) and Przewalski’s toadhead agama (Phrynocephalus przewalskii).
Przhevalsky, a Russian with Polish roots, who later became the Tsar’s General, mounted altogether four journeys to Central Asia. They included Gobi, East Turkestan, Tian Shan and other areas, which mostly had not been explored by Europeans. These expeditions contributed to strengthening Russian influence in this part of the world, where the interests of Russia and Great Britain clashed. At the same time, however, they have brought an enormous number of scientific discoveries. As far as fauna and flora are concerned, this is evidenced by the fact that 108 taxa of plants and animals are named after Przhevalsky!
Przhevalsky is well known in the Czech Republic. On the contrary, our own compatriot Ferdinand Stolička (1838 – 1874), spelled in English ‘Stoliczka’, who also worked and explored in Asia, almost fell into oblivion. There are merely two streets named after him, one in Kroměříž and the other one in Prague’s Stodůlky. And yet the footprint he left behind is extremely significant. If we compare him with Przhevalsky in terms of the number of taxa named after him, we will find that he is more than a worthy rival. I found 101 of them. After all, for example Paralaudakia stoliczkana, Mongolia rock agama, could quite well also be in our Gobi Exhibit.
The geologist and palaeontologist Stoliczka, who was born near Kroměříž, studied in Vienna and Germany. As soon as 1863 he entered the service of the British Geological Survey of India based in Calcutta. It became a base of his journeys, which brought an enormous amount of scientific knowledge (I am deliberately writing this in general, because in addition to geology and palaeontology, it was also ornithology or herpetology). From Calcutta, Stoliczka headed for example to the Himalayas and Ladakh, as well as to Burma and the Andaman and Nicobar Islands.
In 1873, Stoliczka became a member of the Second Yarkand Mission, which was the most important expedition during the height of rivalry between Great Britain and Russia. It had 350 participants and 550 animals, and 6,474 porters and 1,621 horses on top of that. Its goal was East Turkestan, – then a buffer state of paramount importance, today part of China’s Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region. That’s when the routes of the Stoliczka’s and Przhevalsky’s routes probably came closest to each other.
Unfortunately, this mission proved fatal for Stoliczka. At the age of only 36, he died on 19 June 1874 in Murgo, Ladakh, probably as a result of altitude sickness. In less than ten weeks, it will be the 150th anniversary.
Miroslav Bobek
P. S. I have tried to count the number of taxa named after each of the explorers as accurately as possible, but I will be grateful for any revision.
Female lowland gorilla Duni in the outdoor enclosure of the Dja Reserve with her daughter Mobi, who will be exactly four months old tomorrow. Photo by Oliver Le Que, Prague Zoo
The eight-strong gorilla troop at the Dja Reserve visited the outdoor enclosure for the first time with the two cubs this week. Giraffes, zebras and antelopes graze in the open air in the large African enclosure, hippos alternately sunbathe and swim in the pool, and elephants enjoy their first spring mud bath. Lions or tigers also come out of the pavilion, and a whole range of bird species nest across the grounds. Due to the warm weather and increasingly later sunsets, the Prague Zoo is also extending its opening hours from today until 7 p.m. – exceptionally a month earlier than usual.
Elephants Tamara (left foreground) and Lakuna (right background) enjoy a mud bath in the grass enclosure of the Elephant Valley, where the female herd can be found in the morning. Thanks to these baths, Indian elephants take care of their skin, which protects them from the sun and insects, moisturizes it and at the same time cools down in general – elephants lack sweat glands on most of their bodies. Photo by Petr Hamerník, Prague Zoo
“At the current daily temperatures of around twenty degrees Celsius, visitors will see the vast majority of animals at the Prague Zoo outside throughout the day. The lowland gorillas in the Dja Reserve have a slightly different regimen, even with regard to the delicate young, the best chance to observe them grazing on fresh grass is between ten and two o’clock,” advises the Zoological Deputy of the Prague Zoo, Jaroslav Šimek.
Both amphibious hippos – Maruška (right) and Tchéco (left) – receive their species name daily in front of visitors. Photo by Petr Hamerník, Prague Zoo
Prague Zoo is open from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. starting May 1. How to save time and money with an electronic ticket or which day or entrance to the zoo is the least crowded? You can find the answers to these and other questions in our tips for visiting the Prague Zoo: https://www.zoopraha.cz/aktualne/14642-deset-tipu-pro-navstevu-zoo-praha.
The female Sumatran tiger Surya enjoys the current temperature in the outdoor enclosure of the Animal and Reptile Pavilion in the lower part of the zoo. Photo by Petr Hamerník, Prague Zoo
Common wombats of the Tasmanian subspecies like spring temperatures of around twenty degrees Celsius, so there is a good chance to catch them in the enclosure: preferably around 2 pm. Pictured is a male Cooper. Photo by Oliver Le Que, Prague Zoo
The Škoda 440, known in Czechoslovakia as the Škoda Spartak, was first seen by the public in a May Day parade in company town Mladá Boleslav in 1954.
The period socialist press ran articles telling the public that the car market would improve and that they would soon get a “people’s” car. However, the Spartak certainly didn’t become one.
At a time when most people’s savings were devalued by a currency reform in 1953, and the average monthly salary was around CSK 1,200, a car costing CSK 27,450 was definitely not for everyone.
Moreover, only those who received a special voucher, usually distributed to selected workers by a trade union, could acquire one. Long before the car was delivered, a deposit of two-thirds of the price had to be paid.
After a period of stagnation, prices of apartments and houses in Czechia are again on the rise, according to players on the property market. But what is driving this development? And what other trends can be observed?
According to a study by the real estate service Bezrealitky.cz, property prices in Czechia are beginning to climb again after a period of stagnation.
In the first quarter of 2024, the average price of older flats went up by 2 percent, while dwelling houses saw a similar rise.
This information is confirmed by Petr Hána, head of financial consulting in real estate and construction at Deloitte.
“The factors that negatively impacted the residential market, last year in particular, have either faded away or eased off somewhat; for instance, the price of energy, which has traditionally influenced people’s attitude to buying property. Other factors are the price of labour in construction, and the fall in inflation.”
The first ever National Development Day was held at the Czech Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Thursday. The event highlighted the country’s active cooperation with developing countries around the world – including in the human rights field.
The inaugural National Development Day took place at Prague’s Czernin Palace, the grand home of the Czech Ministry of Foreign Affairs, on Thursday.
The event was opened by President Petr Pavel, while other speakers included Foreign Minister Jan Lipavský and Šimon Pánek, founder of the major Czech NGO People in Need.
Photo: Barbora Němcová, Radio Prague International
Join us on a trip to the Liberec Region. Our drone video will show you the region’s hilly landscape with its many castles and the iconic TV transmitter on Ještěd.
Since 2008, the organization ComingOut has been working to protect the rights of LGBTQ+ folks in Russia, as a response to the many dangers and difficulties this community faces on a daily basis. Georgii Kalakutskii, a member of the queer community himself, is taking the work ComingOut is doing across Europe, including Prague, to draw attention to these issues and to build solidarity. He told me more about the discussion he is hosting on May 2 in Prague.
“We’re coming to Prague to speak about the Russian queer community. I work with ComingOut – an organization where we’ve been helping the Russian queer community for 16 years. We want to inform people about what has been ongoing for the last 30 years in Russia, and also what has been happening for the last two years since the full-scale invasion of Ukraine began. Since then, the borders of Russia have been heavily sealed, and there is much less information about the troubles faced by the Russian queer community, making it difficult to build solidarity. That’s why we’re travelling across Europe, to build a global community and start a conversation.”
Photo: Barbora Navrátilová, Radio Prague International
Chamber music is a vital part of Czech musical traditions, and on this episode of the Faces of Czech Music, we sat down with four talented and bright young musicians who are adding their take on this classical genre. Together, Eliška Kukalová, Klára Lešková, Daniel Macho, and Filip Rufer form the Kukal Quartet, named after contemporary Czech composer, Ondřej Kukal (Eliška´s father). In this conversation, we speak with the foursome about how they work together, the skills they each bring to the ensemble, and why playing with four is better than performing solo.
Czech-made video game Kingdom Come: Deliverance achieved massive success at home and abroad when it was released in 2018. Warhorse Studios, the games developers are gearing up for the highly anticipated sequel to be released. Tobias Stolz, spokesman for the gaming studio, told me more about what’s to come.
“Kingdom Come: Deliverance (KCD) sold over six million copies to date. One could say that this is really successful for a gaming studio from the Czech Republic. We weren’t expecting this huge success even though we really trusted in our product, and KCD has become a classic game. Even six years after its release, it’s smashing records – people are playing it and buying it. It’s become an evergreen, which is great for our team, studio, and maybe even the Czech gaming industry.”
Photo: Barbora Navrátilová, Radio Prague International
The Franz Kafka Museum in Prague gives visitors an insight into the inner world of Franz Kafka, one of the most important writers of the 20th century. The exhibition portrays Kafka’s life and work, his fascination with Prague and how its atmosphere is reflected in his novels.
Facsimiles of manuscripts, documents, first editions of Kafka’s novels, photographs, drawings and memorabilia displayed in a dark and gloomy “Kafkaesque” setting that is evocative of scenes from the writer’s novels – all this draws visitors into the world of 20th century literary great Franz Kafka.
The museum, which opened in 2005, is located in the unique space of the Herget Brickworks in the Lesser Town on the bank of the Vltava River. Although one might expect a direct link to Kafka’s Prague, there is none, as museum guide Zlatina Novák Jeřábková explains.
The 2024 Ice Hockey World Championships are set to commence on May 10th in Prague and Ostrava. The tournament, which includes 16 teams, attracts fans from all over the world to the hosting country. So how many hockey fans are expected to descend on Prague for the games? I put the question to Barbora Scherf, spokeswoman for Prague City Tourism.
“Data from May 2023 shows that around 650,000 tourists came to Prague that month. Based on this data, and considering the fact that the World Championship is taking place this year in Prague and Ostrava, we expect that around 725,000 people will come to Prague in May 2024. So we expect a 10 percent increase in connection with the championship.”
Twenty years ago, Czechia officially became a member country of the European Union.
Few people doubt that it was a truly historic moment. The simultaneous accession of ten mostly post-communist countries on May 1st, 2004, was the largest in terms of the number of new member states and their population.The current President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, sent this special message to all Czech citizens on the occasion of the anniversary:
“Dear people of Czechia, twenty years ago our family was finally united in a common home. Czechia was always at the heart of Europe. But the Iron Curtain has pulled us apart. The slogan of the Velvet Revolution was ‘Back to Europe’ and this is exactly what you did. You chose Europe and look how much stronger we have grown ever since. Your commitment to freedeom embodied in towering figures like Václav Havel not only inspires rest of Europe, it has made you a European leader in standing up to Russian aggression.”
Female Sumatran orangutan Diri with her cub born today of unknown gender. The baby is already drinking mother’s milk and according to the first observations, it is vital. Photo by Oliver Le Que, Prague Zoo
A Sumatran orangutan was born at the Prague Zoo shortly after noon Thursday 2.5.2024. This is the first cub of the 11-year-old female Diri, who was also born in the Prague Zoo. The father is a 22-year-old male from Paga. According to the first observations, the cub is vital and the breeders have already seen it drinking its mother’s milk.
The Indonesian Jungle Pavilion remains open – so visitors can see the rare addition for themselves now.
“The baby orangutan was born on the day when female gorilla Mobi is four months old and just three weeks after the birth of another baby gorilla.
It is unbelievable that I can now announce the birth of the third critically endangered great ape this year at the Prague Zoo. It is symbolic that this is happening just a week before we welcome Jane Goodall here,” said the director of the Prague Zoo, Miroslav Bobek.
The Prague Zoo has been breeding orangutans almost continuously since 1961. So far, the last cub born here was a male Pustakawan, called Kawi, who will be four years old this November. He lives in the Zoo together with his mother Mawar, and they will be the ones to be found in the outdoor enclosure tomorrow and during the weekend. Diri with Pagy and their newborn today live on a neighboring island on the upper floor of the Indonesian Jungle Pavilion. It is possible to observe the trio there now and will continue to do so in the coming days – the newborn cub will remain inside the pavilion for the time being.
Zoologists from the Dvůr Králové Safari Park have started researching elephants in the Mkomazi National Park in Tanzania. One of the zoo’s main missions is protecting endangered and threatened wildlife species directly in their natural habitats, and this is precisely the aim of their research in Tanzania. Millions of elephants once lived throughout Africa, but today, they only number around 350,000. Ivory poachers kill eight percent of the elephant population every year, but as Michal Šťastný from the Department of Communication and International Projects at Safari Park Dvůr Králové told me, it is not only poaching that threatens the African elephants.
The Dvůr Králové Safari Park has been collaborating with Tanzania’s Mkomazi Park for over 15 years. Why do you collaborate with this park and why is the collaboration important?
“We have always worked closely with our partners in Africa and Mkomazi is an important partner for many reasons. First of all, Tony Fitzjohn, one of the most influential African wildlife conservationists, worked there in the past, and our Safari Park brought four black rhinos there, that now live there and have had offspring and even grandchildren.
“Since 2009, our project has been running there in quite an extensive way, equipping elephants and other animals with telemetric collars that track their movements, what they do and how they do it. Because if you can track what animals do, you can prevent human-wildlife conflicts, which are one of the main threats for African wildlife right now and have been for quite a long time.”
The world-famous Czech composer Antonín Dvořák died 120 years ago in Prague on May 1, 1904, at the age of 62. The 120th anniversary of his death is naturally being commemorated with a host of concerts, but also by us here at Radio Prague International. In today’s Sunday music show we listen to his truly lovely Czech Suite in D major from 1879.
The Czech Suite in D major is a prime example of Dvořák’s melodic talent. After the success of his Serenades for Strings and for Wind Instruments, he originally wanted to compose another serenade. However, he changed his plans and instead decided to compose a suite based on Czech folk dances.
The Suite in D Major premiered on 16 May 1879 in Prague at a concert conducted by Adolf Čech. One year later Dvořák himself conducted the piece at a charity concert raising money for the construction of the National Theatre in Prague.
We’ll hear from two extraordinary Czech women who’ve woven their lives into the fabric of this the vibrant city of London.
First up, we’ll meet Lucie Wenigerová, a dynamic film producer who, along with her Northern Irish husband and their two daughters, navigates the bustling world of British cinema while keeping her Czech roots alive.
“My husbands family are from Ulster and I am now quite confident to say that I understand their accent more than the English do and that makes me proud. The cliché would probalby be that I feel European, and yes, that’s what I am: I was born in Ostrava and I think it is pretty cool. But I feel comfortable in both the cultures.”
Following Lucie, we’ll dive into the thoughts of Magda Aksamitová, a keen sociologist whose insights on Czech expat life are shaped by her own multicultural family, including a New Zealander husband and a curious six-year-old daughter.
A two-meter-wide stained glass window with the Eye of God, which was most likely hidden by a priest during the communist regime so as to safeguard it, has been discovered and restored to the Church of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross in Kunratice u Cvikova, north of Prague.
The stained glass window has an elliptic shape, bordered by plant motifs and in the middle is a triangle with the Eye of God surrounded by rays of light. It was made for the church 150 years ago by a well-known German stained glass artist, Richard Schlein from Zittau who had workshops in Prague and Hrádek nad Nisou. The work of art was prominently placed above the alter of the church, which is also known as the Crystal Temple. It stayed in the church for a century before mysteriously disappearing sometime in the 1980s.
May 1 is the Czech equivalent of Valentine’s Day, when couples kiss under blossoming cherry trees to seal their relationship. Now, however, the custom may be threatened by climate change, which causes trees to bloom much earlier than before.
Many Czech couples searched in vain this year for a cherry tree in bloom for the traditional backdrop to their May Day kiss. In many parts of the country, cherry blossoms had long faded as a result of the early onset of spring. Given the global climate change, this is likely to happen more and more frequently in the future.
A competition for draft horses in difficult terrain took place in Brdy, Central Bohemia, at the weekend. The competition trail led through the Jince military training ground, which exceptionally opened to the public on the occasion of the race.
Last year Mason Parker and a group of other US investors bought American football club Prague Lions, the sole Czech team in the burgeoning European League of Football. Why does Parker feel this is the right time to back the sport in Europe? And just how far can the Prague Lions go? I discussed these questions and more with the Texan-born businessman at the ground where the team trains.
What’s your own background, and what led you here to Prague?
“I grew up in Texas, but I’ve spent the last 20 years of my life and career in New York City, and I spent a lot of time in Europe.
“I left a career in finance – I’d worked for Deutsche Bank for 20 years – in October of 2022, specifically to go find my own projects and work on them.
Since the 1920s April 24th is the day Armenians commemorate the victims of the Armenian Genocide, the most tragic element of Armenian history.
On April 24, 1915 hundreds of Armenian Intellectuals: poets, musicians, publicists, editors, lawyers, doctors, and deputies, were arrested in Constantinople under warrants issued by the Turkish authorities. They were all sent into exile and were horrifically slaughtered. The annihilation of the Armenian Intellectuals was part of a systematic, fiendish plan to exterminate the Armenian people in their homeland. It was the first state-planned Genocide of the 20th century.
On April 24, 1965, Soviet Armenians organized rallies to demand the recognition of the Armenian Genocide, thus, breaking an era of silence that was created during the Soviet rule regarding this issue.
A mourning procession of hundreds thousands of Armenians, which includes local Armenians as well as Diasporans, begins in a silent march that moves to the Armenian Genocide Memorial every year on April 24. As each mourner brings flowers to place around the eternal fire, a sea of flowers can be seen encircling the area creating a solemn visual impact.
In Prague H.E. Mr. Ashot HOVAKIMIAN, Ambassador of the Republic of Armenia together with many other ambassadors and members of the Armenia community, got together to remember and honor the victims.
Watch the Speech of H.E. Mr. Ashot HOVAKIMIAN, Ambassador of the Republic of Armenia
Under the auspices of the Embassy of the Republic of Slovenia in Prague and the Ambassador H.E. Ms. Tanja STRNIŠA, an event dedicated to the tasting of Slovenian wines and the presentation of the main tourist regions of the country took place at Kaiserštejnský palace, Malostranské nám Prague.
In the program:
Tasting of selected wines
Meeting with more than 60 Slovenian winemakers
Presentation of traditional winemaking procedures and technologies
Meeting with representatives of Slovenia and the Queen of Wine 2024
Presentation of regions of tourist interest, including tasting of local products
The Place was full of members of the media who were able to taste more than 20 different wines.
The first part of the event was instructed by Valentin Bufolin – the best Sommelier in Slovenia and Rolanda Vitkoba – Editor in Chief of the Vino & Styl magazine.
You can watch selected parts of this event.
The second part took place in the evening with Ambassadors, distinguished guests, and members of the Slovenia community in the Czech Republic.
The guests were welcomed by H.E. Ms. Tanja STRNIŠA, Ambassador of Slovenia in the Czech Republic – You can watch her speech and taste wine and delicious food from Slovenia.
32-year-old female Shinda holding the cub of her half-sister, 31-year-old female Kijivu. Behind this situation is the close relationship between the two gorillas, who live together all their lives. From the left, the 26-year-old male Kisumu and the 11-year-old female Duni are also pictured. Photo by Petr Hamerník, Prague Zoo
An extraordinary spectacle – two baby lowland gorillas – awaits visitors at the Prague Zoo. The Kijiva female has been lending her offspring to her half-sister Shinda less than two weeks after giving birth. On the other hand, Duni, the mother of the female Mobi, born in January, continues to guard her daughter carefully and has not yet loaned the four-month-old infant to anyone. The different approaches of a mother of five and a first-time mother can be seen with your own eyes in the pavilion of the Dja Reserve. Best at 10 am or 3 pm, when the gorillas are fed.
Kijivu has known Shinda all his life, they have never lived apart, so he has a lot of trust in her. Just a few days after giving birth, she lends her half-sister a small gorilla – according to preliminary observations, also a female – for burial and inspection without any problems. At that moment, Shinda shows herself as an experienced mother, and, even in the role of nanny, she instinctively tries to feed her niece or nephew.
A typical scene observed these days in the Dja Reserve: Kijivu (left) with a two-week-old cub on her breast or belly and Duni (right) with an almost four-month-old Mobi on her back while traveling through the pavilion. Photo by Jaroslav Šimek, Prague Zoo
The greatest interest in the new cub seems to be the same as in the case of Mobi, the newly eight-year-old gorilla adolescent Ajabu. He doesn’t miss a single opportunity for even a fleeting touch. It’s like he’s checking to see if he can play with his new partners. The leader of the Kisumu gang has an overview of everything, and if Ajabu hits on the females too much, he does not hesitate to kill the young man.
Mobi is almost four months old and the breeders have just discovered her sixth milk tooth. She also sucks solid food, although she does not swallow it yet. According to the assumption, Mobi is also trying to get back on its feet. But for now, he can only last a little while before he returns to all fours again. She is also trying to be a toddler, but still with the help of Duni, who supports her tummy with her hand. They also try to grab branches and ropes. In short, he shows all the abilities that such an old and healthy young gorilla should show.
A young female Kijivu, which was born in the Prague Zoo on April 12. A month later – on May 11 – world-renowned primatologist and nature conservationist Jane Goodall “baptizes” Kijiva’s fifth child. Photo by Petr Hamerník, Prague Zoo
Cubs are of course an enrichment not only for the gorilla family but also for visitors to the Prague Zoo. Having two such small gorillas in a group is rather exceptional in the context of the world’s zoos. The spacious auditorium in the warmth of the Dja Reserve pavilion, where people can have a snack or charge their mobile phones, is thus a unique space for watching the growth of both cubs, their joint steps, and discovering the world.
While little Mobi’s name was chosen by Cameroonian schoolchildren and then by the Czech public in the final vote, the second born cub will be named by world-renowned primatologist and nature conservationist Jane Goodall. She will visit the Prague Zoo next month, and on May 11 at 11 a.m., the cub’s ceremonial “christening” will take place. In cooperation with the Czech University of Agriculture, the Prague Zoo organizes a public lecture by this legendary English scientist. The zoo will soon publish more information about registration for the event on its website and social networks.
Little Mobi tries to grab a branch or a rope in the exhibit from the back of her mother Duni. Photo by Miroslav Bobek, Prague Zoo
Czechia is one of the last countries in Europe to still require transgender people to undergo medical sterilisation in order to legally change their gender – meaning that officially changing your sex is not possible without undergoing surgery to remove your reproductive organs. The Justice Ministry announced over a year ago that they were preparing legislation to scrap this requirement, but with little political will to change the law, it has so far not made it to parliament, despite years of criticism from international human rights organisations. Recently around two dozen Czech NGOs and prominent people signed an open letter to Prime Minister Petr Fiala calling for the government to take action.
To help make sense of this often-misunderstood topic, I spoke to Jáchym, a trans man (meaning he was born female) about his experiences of going through the Czech system for gender reassignment. I know Jáchym personally, and indeed had known him as a man for several years without knowing that he was trans. He spoke very candidly and openly about his personal process, starting with when and how he came to the realisation that he wanted to live life as a man.
Photo: Paul-Henri Perrain, Radio Prague International
The South Bohemian Region boasts ancient towns full of life, fairy-tale castles and palaces, unique picturesque villages and literally thousands of fish ponds.
Photo: Barbora Navrátilová, Radio Prague International
Bedřich Smetana has been in the spotlight recently in connection with the 200th anniversary of the Czech composer’s birth. Smetana is also the subject of a new novel, Friedrich řečený Bedřich (Friedrich, Known as Bedřich), by Milena Štráfeldová. One focus of the book is the music great’s complicated German and Czech background.
Hundreds of earlier books have been devoted to Smetana, says writer Milena Štráfeldová, but there is still plenty of material about him that is not widely known. For instance, his diaries, which he began keeping aged 16, have never been published in full.
“What’s interesting is that he wrote them in German. And that could be one reason why people rather tiptoe around this issue. Because in reality how was it with his Czechness and his Germanness?”
While the streets of Prague 1 may be breath-taking by day, they turn ugly by night for the city’s residents who are severely plagued by noisy drunk tourists wanting to make the most of their time in Prague. The locals, many of whom have lived in the city centre for generations, accuse the authorities of turning a blind eye to the problem. But the solution is not so simple. Many businesses in the city centre rely on these tourists for their survival, as Karolína Šnejdarová, spokesperson for Prague 1 explained to me.
“This situation is not new and we are very aware of this problem. This is often a problem that many capital cities face – for instance Prague, Paris and Rome. It’s a difficult situation because on one hand we want to accommodate our citizens, but on the other hand we are the city centre of Prague and it cannot be closed at 10pm. So we have to deal with this.”
Photo: Magdalena Hrozínková, Radio Prague International
A new study by the Prague Institute of Planning and Development (IPR Prague) comparing the Czech capital with 11 other European cities has found that there is still a gap between East and West in many respects. The analysis looked at areas of life such as housing, transport, work and free time to see how Prague fared in a European context, and concluded that the city has not yet shaken off its post-communist legacy in some ways. I spoke to Lucie Pára from IPR Prague to find out more.
You compared 12 cities in your study – Prague, Budapest, Warsaw, Copenhagen, Stockholm, Vienna, Munich, Amsterdam, Milan, Barcelona, Bucharest, and Sofia. It seems like you got a good spread from north to south and east to west, but were there any other criteria by which you selected them?
Hundreds of people attended the 25th edition of a gathering of vintage car enthusiasts in the Central Bohemian city of Poděbrady at the weekend. One model on display came all the way from Italy.
The Speaker of the Chamber of Deputies Markéta Pekarová Adamová, together with the President of the Senate Miloš Vystrčil, participated in the two-day international Conference of Speakers of the Parliaments of the European Union in Spain.
One of the main topics of the joint discussion was the ongoing Russian war of aggression in Europe.
In her speech, the Speaker emphasized, among other things, the strategic necessity of expanding the Union to include other states with similar values and praised the cooperation of other European legislators in the Czech initiative to purchase ammunition for defending Ukraine. The conference concluded Spain’s presidency of the Council of the EU last year.
“We are being told that those who support Ukraine, unlike the Kremlin, do not want peace. Unfortunately, many citizens and politicians in Europe and beyond believe this lie. It is therefore essential that we agree on how things really are: Putin, who started the war, is not offering peace, but surrender. The only way to achieve peace is further support for the Ukrainians, especially military and economic,” said the Speaker of the Chamber of Deputies, Markéta Pekarová Adamová, in her main speech, adding, “I am pleased that so many countries have joined the Czech initiative to purchase ammunition for the Ukrainian the army.”
Other topics discussed were the conflict in the Middle East and the issue of the strategic autonomy of the EU. It is currently facing new security challenges in the form of artificial intelligence and social networks.
“If we are to face threats and manage them, we must first tell ourselves how we are doing. We have to admit the situation we are in. Let’s take this conference as a wake-up call, if we continue to be as slow as we are now, if we think so much and do so little, things will not turn out well. Because the others, the undemocratic ones, the totalitarian ones, will attack us and maybe even overpower us, and that would be a disaster not only for us but especially for our children,” emphasized Senate President Miloš Vystrčil during the subsequent discussion.
Leading representatives of the European legislatures, who were hosted in their homeland this year by the President of the Congress of the Kingdom of Spain Francina Armegnol, also dealt with the issue of further EU enlargement as part of the conference.
“The European perspective for the countries of the Western Balkans, the South Caucasus, Moldova, and Ukraine is no longer a matter of our choice. I am convinced that this is a strategic necessity. Even for the Czech Republic in the 1990s, joining the EU was a distant dream which many refused to believe. This year marks 20 years since accession, and our country is a full member of the community and contributes to its security and prosperity. I believe that the same chance will be given to all other countries that are sincerely interested in it,” concluded the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Markéta Pekarová Adamová.
The conference is traditionally hosted by the country that presided over the Council of the EU in the second half of the previous year. It was therefore a formal completion of the parliamentary dimension of last year’s Spanish presidency.
The phenomenon of hockey and ice skating in fine art is the subject of a new exhibition of the National Gallery Prague (NGP), which reopens the Kinské Palace on Old Town Square to visitors. The exhibition will present almost a hundred works across various art techniques and media from Czech institutional and private collections. They will be visiblefrom April 26 to October 27, both paintings by old masters and works by contemporary Czech artists.
How does folk entertainment become a work of art? Through an unusual exhibition, the National Gallery in Prague shows how skating and hockey, a much-loved sport in Bohemia, were reflected in art over time. Like the old masters even contemporary artists have captured the emotion, fun, and life associated with these sports. The current hockey world championship was the inspiration to look at this sporting phenomenon from a new point of view and bring something to the audience that hasn’t been seen before to see.
Ice skating began on frozen canals, lakes, and rivers in the Netherlands in the 17th and 18th centuries, then this social entertainment gradually moved to our landscapes and became a common part of winter for all classes of the population. At the beginning of the 20th century, real hockey began to be played here and the first winter stadium was built. This sport gradually began to be perceived as part of the national identity and found its place as a theme in art, for some artists it became a free field for artistic experiments.
“At the exhibition On ice! Hockey and ice skating in pictures we will show visitors how paintings of old masters such as Pieter Brueghel II. or Norbert Grund, the most outstanding creator of Czech art of the 19th century – August Bedřich Piepenhagen, Karel Purkyně or Antonín Barvitio. But a number of works with the theme of hockey throughout the 20th century will also be exhibited, and last but not least, the works of contemporary artists,” says the general director of the National Gallery Prague, Alicja Knast, adding: “I am pleased that we are opening up a topic that has not yet been treated more comprehensively presented.”
Across media and centuries
The exhibition, which was prepared by NGP in cooperation with the Sport in Art platform and with the support of general partner Komerční banka, will present almost a hundred works of art from Czech collections. In addition to the aforementioned artists, they will be seen and (not only) the Prague rinks of T. F. Šimon, Otakar Nejedlý, or Karel Holan. Marcel Niederle’s drawings draw viewers into the world of hockey and the first big matches and victories, many hockey moments are also reminded of the photographs. “In addition to the classical treatment of the theme in painting and drawing, experimental artistic approaches by Jiří Kolář, Vojtěch Tittelbach and Teodor Rotrekl are also presented,” explains the curator of the exhibition, Anna Strnadlová.
The 1990s opened up new possibilities, which in art on the hockey theme are manifested mainly by a critical and even ironic perspective, as can be seen in the works of Krištof Kintera, Jiří Surůvka and Ondřej Kohout. “In cooperation with the NGP, we approached contemporary artists to create new works on the subject of hockey specifically for this exhibition. They include Alena Anderlová, Pavel Jestřáb, Alena Kotzmannová, Laura Limbourg, Julius Reichel, Paulina Skavova, Jakub Špaňhel, Karel Štědrý and Jan Vytiska,” says Petr Volf from the Sport in Art platform.
Hana Kovářová, Executive Director for Brand Strategy and Communication from Komerční banka, which is the general partner of the exhibition, adds: “On the tenth anniversary of cooperation with the National Gallery Prague, we gave each other this unique gift in the form of the exhibition On ice! It is no coincidence that it combines hockey and art, in the year when the national team is playing the World Championship in Prague. I would like to cordially invite everyone to the exhibition to explore for themselves how sport, which is so fundamental to the Czech Republic, is reflected in art.”
The exhibition will be open from April 26 to October 27, 2024 in the Kinský Palace on the Old Town Square, i.e. a place connected with the history of hockey
and celebrating his achievements. A Czech and English catalog is published for the exhibition.
On the ice! Hockey and ice skating in pictures
Venue: Kinských Palace, Staroměstské náměstí 1/3, 1st floor
Date: April 26 – October 27, 2024
Curator: Anna Strnadlová
Professional collaboration: Petra Kolářová, Olga Kotková, Blanka Kubíková,
Michal Novotny, Petr Volf
In cooperation with the platform: Sport in Art
General partner of the exhibition: Komerční banka
A Czech and English catalog is published for the exhibition.
With just over three months to go to the Summer Olympics in Paris, work on the Czech Olympics House is in full swing. Where will it be and what can visitors expect?
The popular La Villette park on the north-eastern suburbs of Paris is set to become a hot spot of the summer Olympics. Rather than having national Olympics houses scattered around the capital, the French Olympics Committee has decided to place 15 of them in one location – Parc de la Villette –a popular venue for walks, picnics and street artists. The massive venue of over 20,000 square metres will now become a melting pot of different cultures where athletes and fans alike will come together to celebrate their victories and cheer on fellow athletes. Aside from the hosts, Club France, La Villette will be home to the national houses of Canada, the Netherlands, Brazil, New Zealand, Portugal, Czechia, Slovakia and Slovenia, among others.
The Committee of Good Will – The Olga Havlová Foundation will award the Olga Havlová Award for the thirtieth time this year and the Public Award for the eighth time. The award goes to personalities who, despite their health handicap, help others and are an inspiration to others. The laureate of the Olga Havlová Prize is chosen by a jury appointed by the foundation’s board of directors, while the winner of the Public Prize will be chosen from an online vote. The medallions of the nominees, who can vote until May 10, are published on the website www.cenaolgyhavlove.cz.
“The jury of the Olga Havlová Prize selected three candidates for short nomination for the Public Prize. They are Daniela Bláhová, Michaela Linková and Jaroslav Winter. It also selects the winner of the Olga Havlová Award from all 19 nominees,” says Monika Granja, director of the Goodwill Committee – Olga Havlová Foundation. Like the winner of the Olga Havlová Prize, the winner of the Public Prize will be presented at the award ceremony on May 27 in the Fant building of the Main Railway Station in Prague.
Candidates for the Public Award within the Olga Havlová Award
Daniela Bláhová
Daniela has been living with multiple sclerosis for more than 25 years, due to which she is confined to a wheelchair. All this time she has been working full-time in the ROSKA organization, and since 2013 she has been the president of the Prague organization. In addition to ensuring operation, he conducts occupational therapy and art therapy for clients of ROSKA Prague. He organizes rehabilitation stays for patients with multiple sclerosis and handles accounting for the non-profit organization Center for Disabled Skiers, z.s. She became a model, and showed off models that convinced hundreds of women that they could look good even in a wheelchair. She managed to get financial resources, as well as media and, above all, enormous moral support for a group ascent to Kilimanjaro to tell everyone that a wheelchair is not an absolute barrier to life. She herself climbed to a height of 5100 meters! Daniela has also become an example of life’s optimism, diligence, perseverance and overcoming difficulties for thousands of healthy students – her classmates at the Metropolitan University of Prague.
Michaela Linková
Michaela suffers from a rare and very serious disease, systemic scleroderma. She works in the association Revma Liga Czech Republic, where for the last two years she has been intensively dedicated to the preparation of a project that fundamentally changes the patient environment in our country. During this time she had to face two difficult battles with cancer. Although she is currently undergoing regular chemotherapy, Míša is not leaving the project. Even in the most difficult moments after chemotherapy, she helps others by phone or email, organizes congresses and workshops, and in addition, she works with energy on the Revma web project in peace. In addition, in 2018 she founded the Skleroderma patient group, which provides valuable assistance to all patients with this diagnosis in our country. As a patient herself, she decided to take the initiative and start actively caring for the education and care of these patients. She is a pioneer in the field of care for rare rheumatic diseases, through her participation in the creation of official recommendations, organizing conferences and other projects that really help people with this diagnosis.
Jaroslav Winter
Jaroslav, although he himself is almost deaf, has been running the www.helpnet.cz portal for over 20 years, which provides the public with information about the lives and needs of people with medical disabilities and interesting things from the world of disabled people. He is very actively involved in raising awareness about the world of the deaf. As a coordinator of projects supported by the Vodafone Foundation between 2008 and 2011, he made a significant contribution to the introduction of simultaneous transcription of spoken speech as a social service and, through the management of the project Elimination of discrimination of hearing-impaired persons in court proceedings, contributed to the use of simultaneous transcription in courts. He has already organized 20 years of the INSPO conference, the largest of its kind in Central Europe, which focuses on technologies for people with specific needs and which is completely barrier-free for participants with any handicap. In 1999, he co-founded and since then manages the BMI association, whose mission is to support the development of the Internet as a global means of communication and the use of modern technologies for the development of civil society and especially people with specific needs.
About the Olga Havlová Prize
The Olga Havlová Award was first announced by Mrs. Olga in 1995 with the aim of honoring people with a medical disadvantage who, despite their handicap, do not forget others and are an inspiration to overcome obstacles for others. Olga Havlová participated in the first year, and after her departure, the Award became a memory of a personality who always stood up for the rights of endangered citizens.
The main media partners of the 30th Olga Havlová Prize are Český rozhlas and Deník N. Other partners are: Railway Administration, Minet Elektro, spol. s. r. o., ČSOB, Mountfield, Rückl, Copy General, Model Obaly a.s. and Radio 1.
Music must be beautiful,” wrote Bohuslav Martinů, “or it wouldn’t be worth the effort.” One of the most prolific 20th century Czech composers wrote around 400 works, drawing inspiration from different styles and genres. His long-lost Concerto for Violin and Orchestra carries typical Czech traits.
Bohuslav Martinů (1890 -1959) was born in the small town of Polička as the son of a simple bell ringer, but his great talent for music opened the way to fame and success and a cosmopolitan life in some of the world’s greatest cities.
Recognizing his talent, the townspeople of Polička raised money to fund his studies, sending him to Prague where he studied with Josek Suk and played violin in the Czech Philharmonic. The ensemble’s concerts took him to London, Geneva and Paris. The latter made a big impression on him and in 1923 Martinů moved there to study with Albert Roussel.
Nicholas Lowry leads viewers through IDENTITA: A Film About Czech Graphic Design, which is set for release later this year. The New York auctioneer, art expert and TV personality seems the ideal man for the job, given his vast knowledge of the subject and his family background. We discussed Lowry’s Czech heritage, his time in Prague in the “Wild East” early 1990s and what he has learned from working on IDENTITA in Prague recently, shortly after shooting wrapped on the feature-length documentary.
What are your own Czech roots, Nicho?
“My father was born in Prague in 1932 and lived here with his parents and his brother. They were officially at that time Sudeten Germans, so German was his first language; Czech was his second language.
“We’re also a Jewish family, so come the war, come 1938/1939, the family had to leave, and were able to successfully get out.
Art expert Nicholas Lowry has Czech heritage and lived in Prague in the early 1990s. He will soon be seen as the presenter of a documentary on classic Czech graphic design.
Roma representatives, top officials and cultural figures attended the opening of a memorial to Romany and Sinti victims of the Holocaust in Lety, south Bohemia on Tuesday. Due to communist neglect, the site of a former concentration camp originally served as a pig farm and it took close to three decades for the state to buy out the property and erect a dignified memorial in its place.
It was an emotional experience for descendants of the Roma whose lives ended in the Lety concentration camp in illness, poverty and isolation. Over 1,300 Roma passed through the camp’s gates between 1942 and 1943 never to come out. More than 300 of them died there, mostly women and children. Over 500 inmates were sent to Auschwitz.
A new monument honouring the courage of those who fought in the May 1945 Prague Uprising has been selected in a public competition and will be erected in the Bubeneč district. It will replace a statue of the Soviet Army commander Ivan Konev, which was removed in 2020.
A larger-than-life statue of Red Army Marshal Ivan Konev was taken down four years ago due to his repressive role within the Communist Eastern Bloc. This caused a quite a stir in Czechia, including protests and disputes between Prague and Moscow. Now, a monument to the liberation of Prague from Nazi occupation is set to be erected in its place.
Photo: Magdalena Hrozínková, Radio Prague International
In today’s episode of our series In Franz Kafka’s Footsteps we are back in Prague to visit places where the famous writer lived, worked and wrote, and also where he spent his free time.
This is how Franz Kafka described Prague to his friend Oskar Pollak. Today, the city has a square, a gallery and a museum named after the famous German-speaking Jewish writer. But his legacy can be found in many other, often unexpected places, such as the Botanical Garden in Troja or the Civic Swimming Pool on the banks of the Vltava River.
In 1907, at the age of 24, Franz Kafka started his first job, which was located in an impressive, neo-Baroque palace on the corner of Wenceslas Square and Vodičkova Street. It was the Prague branch of the Italian insurance company Assicurazioni Generali. Journalist and publicist Judita Matyášová, author of a book called On the Road with Franz Kafka (S Kafkou na cestách), continues:
“This job was arranged for him by one of his uncles through various business contacts. Kafka took it very pragmatically. He was interested in the fact that the company had headquarters in Trieste, by the sea. He decided that if he was industrious enough and learned Italian, he might be sent to the headquarters of this insurance company.”
While the worst of the winter months are behind us, the need for the services that aid people experiencing homelessness in Prague have not diminished. Homelessness continues to be a significant problem across Czechia’s capital, as Jitka Klánová, Director of Social Services for the Salvation Army, told me.
“The humanitarian measures that Prague introduced for the winter months are over. The 600 extra beds are no longer provided, so we are back to our normal everyday capacity for our services for people experiencing homelessness in Prague. As we are all experiencing, there is a cold wave right now, and this morning in Prague it was slightly below zero, so the situation is not good. We are still offering all of the services we provide during the year, and we are still seeing a very high demand for them. Our night shelters are full, and so are our day shelters.”
Photo: Štěpánka Budková, Radio Prague International
After nearly a week of temperatures in the mid-20s Celsius, Czechs are having to put their winter coats back on as the weather dips below freezing. But the sudden change doesn’t only impact our clothing choice – it has an even more detrimental effect on the crops that have begun to grow and respond to the warm temperatures. To understand more, I spoke with Miroslav Havránek, a researcher from the Charles University Environment Centre.
“If you think about it in the bigger picture, the impact will be a loss of crops and yields. The trees that had already started to bloom – like cherries and peaches. Some of these trees will have lower yields, and in some extreme cases, lose their production completely. Other impacts could be the stunting of growth, which would also cause smaller yields. It’s very unfortunate, because we had a very warm February and part of March, and nature started to react to it like it was real spring. Now we are getting temperatures that are below zero, and freezing temperatures are always going to harm crops.”
The first details about this year’s Karlovy Vary International Film Festival have just been revealed. The 58th edition of the region’s biggest cinema event will feature a special section dedicated to Franz Kafka, while its visual identity will reflect the Brutalist hotel at the centre of the festival.
Cameras whirred as Karlovy Vary festival president Jiří Bartoška and designer Aleš Najbrt pulled back a sheet to reveal the visual identity of the 58th edition in Prague on Tuesday morning.
The main image comprises three circles and a square making up a number 58.
We’re diving into the enduring relationship between Czechs and this vibrant city, exploring moments that have left an indelible mark on our nation’s story.
Today, we’re focusing on a truly remarkable chapter from World War II – the story of how the exiled Czechoslovak president, Edvard Beneš, managed to de facto recreate a country that was torn apart by the Nazi occupation. It’s a tale of resilience, but also the beginnings of diplomacy that in effect brought Czechoslovakia into the Soviet sphere of influence and led to the installment of a totalitarian regime for over 4 decades.
The innovation of film with sound first made it to Czechoslovakia 95 years ago. The first sound film to be screened in the country was not a feature film, however, but an advert for a factory in Ustí nad Labem. It had its premiere in the same city, four months before the first sound film was shown in Prague.
Georg Schicht, the owner of a soap manufacturing company in Ústí nad Labem, was behind the successful premiere of the first sound film to be screened in Czechoslovakia. He bought a huge sound system for the Alhambra cinema in Ústí – reportedly so huge that it took up the entire room – and used it to show an ad for his factory.
The memorable screening on April 26, 1929 was attended by the cream of Ústí society as well as people from Prague who travelled to come and see it. The premiere’s aim was not so much artistic as commercial – it was intended to introduce sound film and its advantages to the owners of Czechoslovak cinemas who were in the audience and to emphasise the importance of sound film for advertising.
Ever wondered what happens to your Christmas tree after the festive season is over? Well, in the case of one particular Christmas tree at least, it won’t end up on a scrapheap or in an incinerator. Apprentice carpenters from one of the capital’s vocational schools are turning Prague’s Old Town Square Christmas tree into useful wooden objects for old people’s homes.
Benches, moveable crates, and insect hotels – those are just some of the items being created in the carpentry workshops of the Secondary Vocational School in Prague 9 from the wood of the 22-metre-high spruce tree that adorned Prague’s Old Town Square until early January. Students from the school are working on giving the tree a second life now that the Christmas season is over.
Photo: Barbora Navrátilová, Radio Prague International
How would cities look if we designed them with children in mind? That’s the topic of an event hosted by Prague’s Centre for Architecture and Metropolitan Planning (CAMP) taking place on Wednesday evening. The lecture, titled “Start with Children”, argues for cities to put children at the centre of urban planning in order to create greener, safer places for youth to grow. Head architect at CAMP, Štěpán Bärtl, told me more.
“Today we have a special event called ‘Start with Children’, which is a preview for a conference taking place next month in Bratislava. The idea is quite simple, it’s the theory that if you design a city that is friendly and inclusive towards children, it will be friendly and inclusive for all. Our panel is going to discuss how to make Prague, and cities in general friendlier to children and our future generations.”
On the occasion of King’s Day, the Ambassador of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, H.E. Mr Daan Huisinga, and Mrs Anne Huisinga-Paret host a reception at the Ambassador’s Residence garden
Mr. Jozef Síkela Minister of Industry and Trade was the honor guest for the 3rd year.
Watch the Video with the speech of H.E. Mr Daan Huisinga – Ambassador of the Kingdom of the Netherlands and Mr. Jozef Síkela Minister of Industry and Trade of the Czech Republic.
The Embassy of the Republic of Rwanda in the Czech Republic organized on 18th April 2024 a ceremony at the Chamber of Deputies of the Parliament of the Czech Republic with the theme: Remember-Unite-Renew
The commemoration period, commonly referred to as Kwibuka ( the Kinyarwanda word for Remembrance), is an opportunity for Rwandans and the global community to stand together and draw lessons from Rwanda’s tragic history ensuring sustainable peace in the region and around the world.
The hall at the Parliament was full of Ambassadors, Deputies, politicians, and other distinguished guests.
The ceremony was moderated by Benedicto Nshimiyimana, the first counselor at the Rwanda embassy.
After lighting candles and a minute of Silence to commemorate the Genocide victims, the guests were welcomed by Mr. Simon Heller – a member of the Chamber of Deputies and Chairperson of the Rwanda-Czech Republic Parliamentary friendship group.
Then a Video with a statement by Antonio Guterres, UN Secretary General on Kwibuka 30.
Ambassador H.E. Mr. Richard Masozera had a remarkable speech (Video attached ) and Mr. Jan Marian – Deputy minister at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs gave his remarks ( video attached ).
The video Despair to Hope was screened, with testimonies of survivors of the Genocide. Not even one dry eye could be found on the full hall.
Video of Mrs. Alice Wairimu Nderitu – the UN secretary general & special adviser on the prevention of Genocide, spoke about UN steps to avoid such cases in the future.
Ambassador Karel Kovanda – former permanent representative of the Czech Republic to the UN presented a very interesting the topic:The Failure of the UN and lessons learned from Rwanda in 1994”
On Wednesday, April 17, 2024, the General Commissioner of the Czech participation in the World Expo, Ondřej Soška, signed a contract with the general contractor for the construction of the Czech national pavilion, the Japanese construction company Daisue (its CEO Kazunori Mura).
“We are very happy that we can be part of the construction of the Czech national pavilion and that we have received such an honor. The Czech pavilion will be a demanding construction – the wooden CLT structure will be covered with glass. However, our company is currently starting to deal more with the construction of wooden buildings, and we take your pavilion as an excellent reference for other orders. We would like to establish deeper cooperation with the Czech Republic in the future,” says Daisue CEO and President Kazunori Murao.
On this occasion, the virtual premiere of the Czech National Pavilion also took place. It now has its virtual twin, just outside of Prague, at the Virtuplex headquarters. A year before the start of the world exhibition, partners from companies, as well as regions, cities, and various institutions can visit the pavilion and talk about the possibilities of cooperation.
“The ability to walk through the pavilion with 3D glasses, see it on a 1:1 scale, catch all sorts of flaws before we start building, and at the same time show a very real model to our contracted and potential partners is invaluable. From the beginning, I conceived the entire project in such a way that I wanted to allow excellent Czech architects and Czech contractors to show their talent and creativity, present themselves abroad, and open up new opportunities and possibilities for cooperation. That is why, after more than twenty years, we have announced an open architectural competition in which 38 great projects have applied. The advantage of the architectural competition compared to the Design & Build used in recent years (i.e. a situation where you compete with a construction company and architects at the same time) is the fact that we can better control the design and the whole process so that it is in line with the concept of the Czech participation in EXPO 2025, which approved by the government in 2022,” says Ondřej Soška, general commissioner of Czech participation.
The transformation of the Czech national pavilion for the World Exhibition EXPO 2025 in Osaka into virtual reality exemplified the great benefits of modern virtual reality technologies. From the early stages of the project, it was possible to walk through the pavilion in the lobby area of Virtuplex and coordinate the model with the architects down to the last detail – from the materials used to the intensity of the light inside. Thanks to the virtual model, the first-ever video of the Czech national pavilion was also created.
“With the EXPO organizational team, we discussed in detail and simulated, for example, the journey through the pavilion and its key parts. Thanks to the fact that you walk through the model on a 1:1 scale, you have the opportunity to perceive all distances, views of the interior, but also views outside the pavilion. Through various variants of the interior solution, the model also enables business partners to become more familiar with potential variants of the use of space,” explains the co-founder and CEO of Virtuplex, Martin Petrovický.
The second step after the architectural competition is to choose the pavilion contractor – someone who will build the building. “Although we were unable to find a Czech company that had the Japanese construction license required by legislation, we were looking for Japanese companies that want to cooperate with Czech suppliers. We are planning to import Czech wood and glass to Japan,” explains Commissioner Soška and adds: “Based on previous indications and expressed interest, we invited six companies to the selection process for the general contractor, and we received an offer from three of them. The company Daisue submitted the lowest bid.”
After the signing of the contract, which took place on Wednesday, April 17, 2024 at Virtuplex, the Daisue company will begin preparatory work on the Czech land on Yumeshima Island in Osaka.
“The pavilion will take advantage of its exposed location at the intersection of the coastal promenade and the main boulevard, attracting attention in all weathers with its dominant solitary mass and the visuality of the building’s transparent glass envelope. The facade made of sheet art glass refers to the rich history of glassmaking in the Czech territory and at the same time offers unusual exhibition spaces with a changing interior atmosphere. The house will be an exhibit in itself,” explain architects Michal Gabaš and Tomáš Beránek from Apropos Architects.
Following the selection of the general contractor, the team of the Office of the General Commissioner for EXPO 2025 is launching an active recruitment of partners. During the 26 EXPO weeks, he is preparing several business topics and conferences that he and his partners would like to present in Japan. These are, for example, nanotechnology, fintech, space technology, cyber security, or the circular economy. Those interested in cooperation can contact e-mail partnership@expo2025czechia.com or fill out the questionnaire on the website www.expo2025czechia.com. For example, the companies Elmarco and AtomTrace, which signed a cooperation agreement with Commissioner General Soška on Tuesday, April 16, 2024, are preparing for the EXPO in this way.
“Participation in EXPO 2025 will above all provide companies with a great opportunity to expand not only to Japan but also to the broader Asia-Pacific region, where it is not always easy to get to. In Asia, the perception of the state is generally much stronger than in Europe, and if a company cooperates with the state and participates in the national pavilion, it has much more weight and relevance in the eyes of the partners there. Of course, some companies do not have ambitions to expand into Asia, but they perceive the EXPO as a prestigious event and a great reference order for domestic and international partners. Which ultimately can mean, for example, expansion into new markets or an increase in the volume of orders. Companies like Koma Modular, GreeenTech or Česká mincovna have such an experience in the past,” summarizes Tomáš Akerman, partnership manager of the Czech EXPO team.
The business program will usually take place in the pavilion from Tuesday to Thursday, Mondays are set aside for so-called corporate days, when partners will be able to rent certain parts of the pavilion. A cultural program will take place on Friday and at the weekend.
The current director of the Czech Center in London, Přemysl Pela, is now participating in the preparation of the cultural program of the Czech National Pavilion and explains: “We will build the cultural program of the Czech Pavilion at EXPO 2025 in Osaka with partners from the cultural sphere so that it corresponds to the purpose of the event in dialogue with the business program: draw attention to the current Czech Republic. In addition to traditional cultural attributes, we will focus on contemporary Czech artistic creation, which has the potential to interest the domestic Japanese public as well as foreign visitors to the exhibition.” In the coming months, open calls will be issued for Czech artists who are interested in presenting themselves at EXPO 2025. These events will underline the theme of Czech participation at the next world exhibition in Osaka – the Czech Republic as a country of talent and creativity.
During the virtual premiere of the Czech National Pavilion, the Office of the Commissioner General presented the official mascot of the Czech participation in EXPO 2025 – exhibitor René. “Mascots and cartoon characters are extremely popular in Japan, after internal discussions we decided to use a mascot to pay tribute to the exceptional Czech artist René Roubíček, who exhibited in Osaka in 1970,” says Aleš Kysela, marketing director of the Czech EXPO team.
On this occasion, the Office of the Commissioner General presents a video clip that it shot in collaboration with Michaela Lesařová Roubíčková, glassmaker Pačinek Glass and director Jakub Jahn.
René is a creature of crystal glass, friendly, surprising and playful like the glass itself. He was born in the fiery furnace of a glass factory in the legendary crystal valley in Bohemia. René, named after its creator, glass artist and designer René Roubíček, will become the official symbol and mascot of the Czech pavilion at the EXPO 2025 world exhibition in Osaka. René Roubíček, who designed the sculpture “Cloud-Water, Source of Life” for EXPO 1970 in Osaka, symbolically returns after 55 years to the same city in Japan, for the world exhibition EXPO 2025. René has a crystal and plush form, and in the Czech Republic he will be officially available for purchase by the end of 2024.
“Father and mother were among the founders of a new view of glass, when glass – a material used exclusively for the production of utilitarian objects – began to be used as a material for making sculptures, a new branch of art and the term glass sculpture were born. Roubíček’s sculpture, chosen as a mascot, is just such a work from the time of the emergence of this new art branch. I am glad that his contribution to global development has not been forgotten. At the same time, I am very proud that my father’s work can become the official symbol of the presentation of our country abroad,” concludes Czech artist Michaela Lesašová Roubíčková.
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 load-bearing structure of the building will be made up of modern wooden panels, while the facade will be made of art glass, which is 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 house a permanent exhibition, a multifunctional auditorium, facilities for business meetings, a restaurant, and 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 World Exhibition EXPO 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 the general commissioner from September 2022. The Czech Republic should be presented in Osaka not only with what the Japanese know very well and have admired for a long time, for example, Czech glass and classical music, but especially with Czech innovations, nanotechnologies, promising startups, and regional talent.
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 Czech Centers network.
Czechia is becoming increasingly attractive for international students, and numbers are growing fast, but the bureaucratic challenges faced by prospective students can be daunting. Here you can find some useful tipes and advice to get you through the visa process.
Czechia is becoming increasingly attractive for international students, and numbers are growing fast, but the bureaucratic challenges faced by prospective students can be daunting. We bring you tips and advice on how to get your diploma recognised.
To many people the word nostrification is unknown until they become students abroad. In essence, this is the official process of comparing and matching foreign high school or university qualifications to the local system. Contrary to its simple explanation, the nostrification process in the Czech Republic can be long and complicated, especially for undergraduate students who have completed their secondary education outside the country or the European Union as a whole.
A telescope in the Štefánik Observatory on Prague’s Petřín hill has been returned after underdoing extensive repairs in Germany for two years. The telescope, which was first placed in the observatory in 1930, allows visitors to observe the moon, planets, and even the Sun during the day. Magdalena Hrnkova, a specialist at the Observatory, told me more.
“The telescope has been at the observatory since the 1930s and has undergone some minor repairs, most of which were done by hand. It was in dire need of serious repairs this time.”
What is special about this telescope? What can be seen through it?
“It’s a telescope with a very big lens, which aren’t very common these days although they were quite common 100 years ago. Telescopes like these are used for mapping the moon, it has two telescopes – one for observing and one for taking photographs. It is particularly good at observing the solar system, the moon and the planets.”
Given the fact that the telescope is quite old, was it complicated to take out for repair and reinstall?
“Yes, it was quite a complicated process and we were quite nervous about it. To get it out of the building, we had to lift it out with a crane. Since the observatory is in the middle of the rose garden at Petřín, we didn’t know if the crane would fit. The telescope is quite heavy, five tonnes in total. So we needed to take it out in two parts. But all went well, and it’s safely back in now.”
Písek, a South Bohemian town of around 30,000 inhabitants, was an important town in the Middle Ages and has a well-preserved medieval centre with six churches and a partly preserved Gothic castle, rebuilt into the town hall and a brewery. Known as a centre of education, it also is home to a number of important schools.
Where is Czechia’s oldest bridge? You might be tempted to think it’s Charles Bridge in Prague – but you would be wrong. The oldest surviving bridge in what is now Czechia is actually located in the South Bohemian town of Písek, as Jaroslav Jiřík from the Prácheň Museum in Písek proudly tells me.
“We have here the oldest stone bridge in the Czech Republic. It’s older than Charles Bridge in Prague. It was founded in the 13th century and Charles Bridge was built by Emperor Charles IV, so only in the middle or late 14th century.”
The Písek Stone Bridge, one of the oldest preserved bridges in Europe, was the site of some colourful local traditions, says Jan Kouba, also from the Prácheň Museum.
When your child isn’t feeling well, the next step any parent would take after over the counter medicine would be a paediatrician – but that’s not so easy any more in Czechia. Today, many Czech parents don’t have a general practitioner for their child, meaning more end up going to emergency rooms for more minor issues, causing a backlog in hospitals. Czech Radio reporter Lucie Pávová told me more about the issue.
“The main problem is that the paediatricians in the Czech Republic are getting older. Right now, there are about 2,000 of them – but half of them are older than 60. This is a big problem, especially because younger paediatricians don’t want to work in smaller towns, cities, and villages. There is a small town called Tachov near the German border – and the issue is that the few paediatricians who are working in the town are older and will retire soon, and no one younger wants to replace them.”
On Thursday, April 18, 2024, at Prague Castle, the President of the Republic Petr Pavel received the credentials of the new ambassadors to the Czech Republic:
H.E. Mr. Suwat Kaewsook, the new Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Kingdom of Thailand, based in Prague
H.E. Mr. Kansuke Nagaoka, the new Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Japan based in Prague
H.E. Mrs. Ana Berenice Díaz Ceballos Parada, the new Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the United States of Mexico, based in Prague
H.E. Mr. Benjamin Albert Hayes, the new Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Commonwealth of Australia, based in Warsaw.
In the past year, 43% of foreigners and 36% of domestic travelers visited one of the cultural monuments in the Czech Republic. Castles and chateaux are the most frequently visited. Monuments in Prague play a leading role, and visitors also spend the most on this activity. Among foreign visitors, the sights in the Czech Republic are most often sought by travelers from the USA, France, Spain, and Italy.
Cultural monuments have long been among the most visited destinations from the point of view of foreign and domestic tourists. During the last year, they recorded a total of over 21 million visits, 3 million year-on-year, and almost 17% more. People in this area most often head for castles and chateaux, but there is also interest in museums and galleries, temples and churches, towers, folk culture, architecture, or perhaps places associated with important personalities.
“From the VISA data, it follows that expenses for activities from the category of cultural monuments make up roughly 17% of all tourist spending, the most of which is in Prague – almost 80%. Those who are further away from us travel to see monuments. It is logical – if a person is considering a longer trip, he wants to see as much of the country as possible. But those who believe in cultural monuments and history also include people who have culture in their blood. In addition to US citizens (73%), travelers from France (77%), Spain (73%), or Italy (72%) also search for them most often. Swedes (69%) and the Dutch (66%) also like them. On the other hand, citizens of neighboring countries – Austria, Slovakia, Poland, and Germany – spend their stay in the Czech Republic also in other activities, and on average a third of them go to see sights in their own country,” sums up František Reismüller, director of the Czech Tourism Office – CzechTourism.
Last year, 4.2 million people visited state castles, chateaux, and other monuments managed by the National Institute of Monuments, which is a year-on-year increase of 10%. % more than the year before. Last year, the greatest increase in the interest of tourists was recorded in monuments after restoration, which made available additional spaces or sightseeing routes and thus offered new things to visitors.
“The other most visited monuments are Lednice Castle with 349,000 visitors or the European Marian pilgrimage site Svatá Hora in the Příbram region, which was visited by over 310,000 people. There is also considerable interest in the largest Czech outdoor museum – the Wallachian Museum in Rožnov pod Radhoštěm, where 305,000 people went. tourists. The Sedlec Campus in Kutná Hora, which was chosen for a visit by 291,000 people, is sought after. tourists, the art nouveau gem of Prague, the Municipal House, which was visited by 261 thousand visitors, or the Old Synagogue, where last year they welcomed over 251 thousand. lovers of history and sacred monuments,” adds Petr Janeček, head of the Institute of Tourism of the Czech Tourism Headquarters – CzechTourism.
Monuments, as a key attraction, form the basis of CzechTourism’s promotion of the country. They are reflected in almost all her activities. The aim is to support tourism in all regions. Including those that are away from the crowds but have a lot to offer and are worth a visit. An example of a campaign for the domestic market is the TV series Skryté skvosty, the second season of which is currently running on ČT, and in which the actor Jaroslav Plesl, himself a passionate lover of monuments, guides viewers through lesser-known jewels of Czech historical architecture.
Those interested can also find tips for visiting cultural monuments, including lesser-known and normally inaccessible objects, on the Kudy z nudy web portal. They can thus remember the International Day of Monuments, which was declared in 1982 by UNESCO and the United Nations Department for Education, Science, and Culture, and which falls on April 18 every year.
