Posts

Czechast with Jaroslav Miller, Deputy...

“We provide a lot of music for little money,” says Jaroslav Miller, a prominent Czech historian, academic and now deputy minister of education. He is not your typical politician; his extensive background in academia sets him apart...

The designer who dresses the Infant Jesus of...

The Infant Jesus of Prague, one of the most venerated statuettes in the Roman Catholic world, is known to millions of believers the world over. Painter and dress designer Markéta Melenovská is one of the artists behind its rich hand-made...

Hilton Christmas Charity Concert

On Wednesday December 20, 2023 Hilton Prague and Hilton Prague Old Town organized the 25th edition of the annual Christmas Charity Concert featuring the Karlovy Vary Symphonic Orchestra and soloist Jiří Stivín, conducted by Maestro Debashish...

Week of Free Sports underway in Prague

Gyms, swimming pools, ice skating rinks, football and tennis courts and other sports venues have opened their doors to visitors for free this week! The annual event which is now in its 15th year, aims to promote a healthy lifestyle. Within the...

Prime Minister Petr Fiala promises Czechs...

In his Christmas address to the nation, Prime Minister Petr Fiala said the country had seen two hard years, but 2024 would bring a turn for the better. He said that thanks to a policy of fiscal discipline the soaring deficit in public finances...

Priest Vojtěch Eliáš: Religion is the key to...

Paradoxically for an atheist country, it is Baby Jesus, not Santa, who brings the Christmas presents in Czechia. And very many people attend Christmas mass. So how is it with Czechs and religion? Why are so few Czechs believers? What are the...

Czech Radio project in which strangers...

For the past few years, the Czech Radio Endowment Fund has organised a project called ‘Santa’s Grandchildren’ that turns ordinary people into guardian angels and Christmas fairies, granting the wishes of elderly people in retirement homes...

Czechast Special: Christmas in Czechia and...

Welcome to a special holiday edition of Czechast, brought to you by Radio Prague International. Today, we’re diving into the heartwarming and festive world of Christmas celebrations. In this episode, we’ll explore the rich traditions and...

Our condolences..

The government declared a day of national mourning after its extraordinary session on December 23. This was her response to the mass shooting at Charles University, which claimed 14 lives and injured dozens on Thursday. The cabinet also passed...

Zrní: One of most notable Czech groups “far...

The Czech band Zrní this year released their seventh studio album Široko daleko (Far and Wide) to positive reviews. The respected alternative rock band formed in Kladno near Prague in the early 2000s and released their first record in 2009...

CHRISTMAS AND NEW YEAR AT THE PRAGUE ZOO!

ADMISSIONS FOR JUST ONE CROWN AND AN EXTRA BONUS AT THE ANIMALS On Christmas Day and both Christmas holidays, children under 15 will have entry to the Prague Zoo for 1 CZK. Then, on New Year’s Day, all Prague residents will be able to...

US Ambassador Bijan Sabet: What I...

Bijan Sabet became US ambassador to Czechia in early 2023. Since then Mr. Sabet has become a familiar face in Prague, meeting top Czech officials and military top brass and hosting events with various civil society groups. In a wide-ranging...

Trosky Castle made of ice

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

Pavel comments put spotlight on government...

President Petr Pavel has called on Czechia’s government, who have been taking a battering in the ratings for some time, to seek help with their communication skills. But is it actually possible to sugarcoat austerity policies that leave voters...

New Czech comic book pays homage to Soviet...

Octobriana is the name of a Soviet-era comic superheroine, who originated from a major literary hoax spread by Czech artist Petr Sadecký. Sadecký, who emigrated from Czechoslovakia in the early 1970s, claimed it was the work of Soviet...

Transition of websites and e-mails of the...

Following the government resolution of August 16, 2023 on the schedule for the migration of central state administration bodies to the unified state domain gov.cz on December 18, 2023, the domains of the website of the Ministry of Foreign...

Discover the sights of the Moravia-Silesia...

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

December 16, 1893: First issue of Lidové...

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

Iconic tunnel connecting Prague’s Žižkov and...

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

You don’t need to know how to code to be a...

The game design programme at Prague’s Film and TV School (FAMU) has only been around for two years, making it one of Europe’s oldest film school’s newest Master’s degrees. Before the game design degree was launched at FAMU, there was no...

František: charcoal incense cone producing...

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

Experts look for ways to preserve Communist...

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

Ten thousand drones for Ukraine: Czech NGO...

Drones have become a weapon of key importance in the war in Ukraine. Russia has clearly understood this and is reportedly ramping up its wartime production by converting prisons and schools into drone factories. In order to help the Ukrainian...

Doctors warn that taking health advice from...

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

Da Pietro pizzeria owner on importance of...

Ten years ago, Petr Soukal set out to open a business selling speciality food items imported from Italy. After the success of the store in his hometown of Plzeň, Soukal decided to open the first location of Da Pietro, a pizzeria specializing in...

Czech Christmas

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

Ukrainian-Czech Christmas market aims to...

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

Brno announced European Capital of Christmas...

Czechia’s second-largest city, Brno, has been announced the winner of the European Capital of Christmas 2024 award. All cities and towns in the 27 EU member states are eligible to participate in the competition, as well as Andorra, Iceland...

Poor bedside manner? Film focuses on future...

The freshly released Czech documentary Body-Soul-Patient maps new teaching methods at the 2nd Faculty of Medicine at Charles University aimed at improving medical students’ communication with patients. But are Czech doctors really lacking when...

Don’t keep carp in bath, say officials as...

As at this time every year, stands have appeared around Czechia selling live carp, the traditional Christmas dinner staple. Though some Czechs keep a fish in the bath to kill themselves, officials say it is best to leave that task to the...

THE TINY YOUNG OF THE RARE PALAWAN PORK CAN...

A baby Palawan porcupine was born at the Prague Zoo. Visitors can comfortably observe the two-week-old addition and both of its parents in the warmth of the Indonesian Jungle Pavilion. The young is valuable for breeding – this endemic of...

Refurbished Žižkov church aims to become new...

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

Grandson: Number of child refugees means...

One Life, a biopic that shows how Sir Nicholas Winton saved 669 mainly Jewish children from Czechoslovakia on the eve of World War II, recently received its UK premiere. Meanwhile, some of the now elderly people that the Englishman rescued...

Czech handmade glass production makes UNESCO...

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

Scores of Tatra trucks gather for Czech...

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

Karel Schwarzenberg’s funeral takes...

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

To Prague Castle at Christmas with a discount

Exhibitions and permanent expositions of Prague Castle will be half price for visitors during the Christmas holidays. People can use the 50 percent discount from December 22, 2023 to January 1, 2024. This applies to the entrance to the tour...

Ostrava: industrial wasteland or urban...

Ostrava has – or at least it did until pretty recently – a reputation for being ugly and polluted. Formerly known as the “steel heart” of the Czech Republic, it was a centre of mining and heavy industry for two centuries. After its...

Masterpieces of the National Gallery Prague...

The traditional watch seller Hodinářství Bechyně is one of the long-term supporters of the National Gallery Prague. One of the rarest paintings in the gallery’s collections, the Feast of the Rosary by Renaissance master Albrecht Dürer...

The President of the Republic received the...

The President of the Republic, Petr Pavel, received the credentials of the new ambassadors to the Czech Republic on Friday, December 8, 2023 at Prague Castle: H.E. Mr. Claudio Javier Rozencwaig, the new Ambassador Extraordinary and...

Popular 90s band Lucie celebrates 30 years...

It will have been 30 years next fall since Czech rock band Lucie released their now-iconic album Černý kočky mokrý žáby (Black cats, wet frogs). To celebrate the anniversary, the popular 90s band played three exclusive concerts this autumn in...

Tagore, Janáček and yoga: Czech-Indian...

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

Hangar 13: How do you create a realistic...

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

Christmas trip to Germany

Text : M. Zisso  picture – Vaclav Pavlas Germany has long held the 1st place in the number of foreign tourists visiting the Czech Republic. “A total of 178,891 Germans arrived at domestic hotels in August this year, which was 9% more than last...

Cities call for EU alliance to tackle...

Ahead of next year’s European elections, mayors from over 200 large cities are calling with one voice for a new alliance to bring Europe into the urban century. In a manifesto launched today, mayors in the Eurocities network cite recent...

December 16, 1893: Dvořák’s New World...

This weekend will mark 130 years since Czech composer Antonín Dvořák’s famous “New World Symphony” premiered at Carnegie Hall in New York City. The symphony was written during Dvořák’s time as director of the National Conservatory of America...

Behind Smetana to Litomyšl. In addition to...

There are many reasons why people travel. One of them is important personalities and works related to them. In the Czech Republic, among other things, classical music has a long and rich tradition. It transcends the borders of the country and...

Mixed feelings around COP28 deal

Delegates from around 200 countries gathered in Dubai over the last two weeks for the annual United Nations Climate Change Conference, this time billed as COP28. As the end of the conference approached, countries struggled to find an agreement...

Czech archaeologists discover unique bronze...

Czech archaeologists have announced a unique discovery. A team of experts from Brno have unearthed a bronze belt buckle from the early Middle Ages, depicting a snake devouring a frog-like creature. The find could shed more light on people’s...

December 9, 1988: A breakfast that made...

Thirty five years ago, then French president Francois Mitterrand met with a group of Czech dissidents, led by Václav Havel. Mitterrand was the first French president to visit Prague since the collapse of the Austro-Hungarian Empire. He set down...

Bond in Motion: travelling James Bond...

The travelling ‘Bond in Motion’ exhibition, which features original items from the sets of James Bond movies going all the way back to the 1960s, has come to Prague from Brussels, where it was a huge success, receiving over 100,000 visitors...

Black redstart voted Czech Bird of the Year...

The Czech Society for Ornithology has announced that the Bird of the Year for 2024 is the black redstart. Although the small sooty-coloured passerine bird is a common species in this part of the world, its migration behaviour has started to...

EXCLUSIVE CHRISTMAS OPPORTUNITY –...

The main idea behind the minting of St. Wenceslas ducats (at the beginning of 1923) was to support the newly established Czechoslovak state and to offer citizens an opportunity to invest in their nation by purchasing a coin bearing the symbol...

New Czech tome explores rugby. Or should...

A new Czech-language book maps multiple aspects of the sport of rugby, which has greatly gained in popularity in this country in recent years. Prague-resident Welsh writer and ex-player James Stafford is one of people behind the hefty tome...

Kikiriki Games: creating mobile barrier-free...

On the surface it looks like a classic mobile game, but it is in fact an audio game made especially for the blind. Anyone can play it, but the players have to rely on their hearing. The main motivation for Jana Kuklova, co-founder of the Brno...

Czechast: Women Educators In English...

Czechast brings you the first part of the story, or rather stories, of several amazing Czech women who help Czech communities abroad keep their language and cultural heritage alive. Klára Moldová has been teaching at the T. G. Masaryk Czech...

Antonín Panenka: Legend behind famous...

Antonín Panenka, one of the greatest names in the history of Czech football, turns 75 on Saturday. With a famous cheeky penalty kick in 1976 he created a new soccer term – “the panenka” – that is still used all around the world to this day. In...

Czech digital illustrator whose creations...

Tomáš Duchek’s elaborate digital paintings have won him big-name clients such as Star Wars, Magic the Gathering and Disney. He has also worked for Warhorse Studios, which made one of Czechia’s most internationally popular video games, Kingdom...

Unique project combining ballet and hologram...

A unique performance, produced by the National Theatre Ballet and the Stuttgart Chamber Orchestra, is set to have its world premiere on Friday night. Called Holo Harmonies, the project will be held simultaneously in Prague and in Baden-Baden...

The sounds of 1968 and 1969: Jan Palach and...

This is the second of two special programmes in our series In Their Own Words, bringing the dramatic events of 1968 and 1969 in Czechoslovakia to life through the radio archives. Last week we ended a few days just after the Soviet-led invasion...

December 1998: Holašovice designated UNESCO...

The small South Bohemian hamlet of Holašovice has arguably become the most well-known Czech village, even beyond the country’s borders, since it was added to the UNESCO World Heritage List 25 years ago. But the inscription radically changed...

2023 Czech Nightingale Awards

This year’s Czech Nightingales saw Ewa Farna win her second Golden Nightingale for best female singer. She was also voted the overall Czech Nightingale winner of 2023. The best male signer award went to Marek Ztracený and the rock band Kabát...

Czech Centres get new leader with “bold...

The Czech Centres, which promote Czech culture around the globe, have a new director general. Jitka Pánek Jurková, who for some years headed the Czech Centre in Brussels, says her priorities will include using the arts to promote values and...

Hundreds of people set Czech polar bear dip...

As the country struggled to deal with icy conditions and heavy snow at the weekend, several hundred Czech men and women stripped down to their swimsuits in the freezing cold to set a new Czech record and help a good cause. The event was...

David Krejčí retiring permanently from...

After retiring from the NHL in August of this year, it was apparent that Czech professional ice hockey player David Krejčí still had plans to play the game, despite leaving the Boston Bruins after 16 seasons.

Angels on stilts

Czechs marked the First Sunday of Advent, with the traditional Christmas tree lighting ceremonies taking place in many towns and cities across the country. In the North Bohemian town of Jičín, three angels on stilts came to perform Christmas...

For Santini in the Highlands (Vysočina)...

One of the popular forms of travel is visiting places associated with important personalities. These include architects, musicians, painters, and other artists. That is, people who created a unique work, attract tourists from different corners...

The Speaker of the Chamber of Deputies...

On December 1, 2023 – The Speaker of the Chamber of Deputies Markéta Pekarová Adamová received the Speaker of the Azerbaijani Legislative Assembly Sahiba Gafarová. The two officials discussed the deepening of mutual relations in key areas of...

STARS FROM STARDANCE WILL LIGHT UP THE...

On Sunday, December 3, the Prague Zoo will light its Christmas tree on the Veselovského meadow. Visitors can look forward to a parade, nativity scene, Christmas carols performed by a children’s choir, as well as special guests –...

November 1888: Whale skeleton goes on show...

Some 135 years ago, on November 28, 1888, the 22-metre skeleton of a fin whale went on show in Prague, the first chance the city’s citizens had to experience such a sight. In 1885 natural scientist Antonín Frič, the head of the zoological and...

Emil Viklický on finding freedom in jazz...

Jazz pianist and composer Emil Viklický, who has just turned 75, has led his own groups as well working with some major domestic and international names in the genre: Ema Olmerová, Iva Bittová, Bill Frisell, Miroslav Vitouš and many more. He...

Mendel University tests symbiosis of solar...

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

Salvation Army sees increase in demand for...

The Salvation Army in Czechia operates year round, providing various services to those experiencing homelessness in the country. Since the colder temperatures have started this week, the organization is expecting an increase in demand from its...

“We need change of the whole space”: Prague...

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

Prague comedy club and the artist who...

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

Arms for Ukraine only point of disagreement...

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

Pensioners read bedtime stories to kids in...

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

Markéta Pekarová Adamová in Kyiv: Ukrainians...

November 25, 2023 – Speaker of the Chamber of Deputies Markéta Pekarová Adamová and President of the Senate Miloš Vystrčil visited Ukraine. Together with high-ranking representatives of other European parliaments, at the invitation of the...

Markéta Pekarová Adamová, represent Czech...

On November 28, 2023 – The Speaker of the Chamber of Deputies, Markéta Pekarová Adamová, spoke at the influential Berlin international conference on foreign policy, the Berlin Foreign Policy Forum. In her contribution, she focused on the...

Pundit on Politico’s 28 list: Pavel among...

Czech President Petr Pavel is among the 28 most influential people who will co-determine the character of Europe in 2024, according to the Brussels-based website Politico, which describes him as a hawk on Russia and China, a supporter of...

New Prague exhibition combines art and NFTs

When one thinks of art, the first place the brain goes is not typically finance, specifically NFTs, or blockchains. But a new exhibit called Urban Structures, featuring the work of Czech artist Vratislav Pecka, also known as PosterLad, is...

Prague’s Motol hospital introducing voicebot...

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

Moravia-Silesia Region

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

Czechast with Ivan Kytka, a Czech Journalist...

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

An epic literary hoax: new book explores...

The Queen’s Court and Green Mountain Manuscripts, discovered in the early 19th century, were considered seminal texts during the Czech National Revival. Thought to provide evidence of the earliest medieval writing in the Czech language...

Havel’s Velvet Revolution jacket goes for...

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

Kingdom Come: Deliverance – Czechia’s iconic...

With over five million copies sold worldwide, Kingdom Come: Deliverance has a fan base literally all over the globe. Many of its fans come to Czechia to seek out landmarks they know from the game. For Warhorse, the most important thing is the...

People in Need: Public support for Ukraine...

A recent survey by the Kantar.cz agency indicates that Czechs’ support for Ukraine in the war with Russia is slowly waning. According to the results, 51 percent of Czechs are no longer in favour of continued military support for the country, up...

Czech football legend Petr Čech debuts in...

Petr Čech, the 41 year old former goalkeeper for Chelsea and Arsenal, had his debut Sunday night with the ice hockey club the Belfast Giants. Čech had more than 600 appearances in Premier League football before changing sports to ice hockey and...

Bringing to life the hopes and fears of 1968...

The Czech Radio sound archives are among the richest in the world and through them we can travel in time to many moments in Czech and Czechoslovak history. This is the first of two special programmes in our series In Their Own Words that take...

DOG-HEADED SNAKES INHABITED AT THE PRAGUE ZOO

In the Prague Zoo, the rarely bred Bates dogs can now be seen. These snakes, emerald green on top and lemon yellow on the bottom, inhabited the Terrarium pavilion. A delicate species native to the Amazonian lowlands, it boasts the...