Culture

Tuzex: Grey Market of the Czech Communist-Era

It’s Prague in 1986. Levi’s button fly 501 jeans are all the rage and a must-have, even in Communist Prague. But there was no Levis store or really any Western retailers for that matter. Of course, there’s no Amazon, Alza or other internet retailers. In fact, possession of foreign currency in Czechoslovakia was officially illegal. In fact, every citizen who had any foreign currency had 15 days to surrender the Czechoslovak State Bank in exchange for crown. So, how would you get your acid-washed button fly jeans? That’s where Tuzex came in. Started in 1957, state-run Tuzex began as a network of retailers across Czechoslovakia offering groceries, but they expanded quickly to a wider market from there. With Tuzex, you had to use foreign currency (or gold) to buy “Tuzex vouchers” (known as “Bony”), which were in Czechoslovakian crowns denominations. Vouchers could be redeemed in Tuzex stores for retail items. By 1988, at the peak of Tuzex, there were 170 stores across Czechoslovakia, offering up items ranging from clothing to cosmetics and food to cars and other long-service products (especially electronics). In addition to the predominantly opened up it up to black-market sales Western goods from non-socialist countries consisted of...

 by Prague Morning Apr 09, 2023

“Some Like it Czech” to Screen the Movie Adaptation of Czech Bestseller “Saturnin”

When the organisers of the prestigious Magnesia Litera prize announced the competition for the Book of the Century, the expert jury chose Jaroslav Hašek’s novel The Good Soldier Švejk but the public voted for Jirotka’s Saturnin. This bestseller is a humorous novel about a servant named Saturnin, who becomes the master of his master. It mixes Czech humour with an English style, as Jirotka was inspired by P. G. Wodehouse and Jerome K. Jerome. Thanks to the Some Like it Czech project, you can now czexperience a wonderful soirée radiating with the elegance of the First Republic and brimming over with Czech proverbs. The movie of the same name as the book – Saturnin – is going to be screened  with English subtitles on the 12th of April at cinema Aero. “Jiří Věrčák’s film adaptation Saturnin (watch the trailer) holds a precious spot in Czech society, as it is a dear reminder of past times and humorous yet beautiful moments that are worth living for,” says the co-founder of Some like it Czech project Šárka Bekrová. The narrator (unnamed in the novel, named Jiří Oulický for the purposes of the film) is a thirty-year-old single man who, at first, is...

 by Prague Morning Apr 08, 2023
White Saturday czech

Easter in the Czech Republic: Today is White Saturday

In The Czech Republic, Easter is a long holiday. Besides celebrating Easter classically as we know it on Sunday, many Czech people celebrate the entire week leading up to this cheerful holiday. Back when the communists first started their occupation of the Czech nation in the late 1940s, the originally religious holiday was banned. As a result, it became more of a welcome of spring and a hope for new beginnings. With the end of the Velvet Revolution and communism, some of Easter’s Christian roots were brought back.  Many of the Czech customs, however, originated in pre-Christian times. Christianity very skillfully used these pre-Christian customs; there are records showing that the Church tried to ban various customs from those times, calling them Pagan. But most of them survived despite these bans, and the Church was unable to uproot them, so in many cases, it just took them on. Easter is one of the times when pre-Christian customs and ideas blend with the Christian ones. Saturday or Bílá sobota which translates directly to white Saturday is known as the “The Day of Light”. It symbolizes Jesus’ resurrection from the dead. The rattling boys will actually go up to homes now, and rattle...

 by Prague Morning Apr 08, 2023

Jim Jefferies – You Could Get Naked on the Stage Back in the Day

by Kristina Kratochvilová  Jim Jefferies is one of the most famous and respected comedians in the world. He jokes about gun control and climate change as easily as about fucking his wife and the death of his mother. He unfolds his whole life to his audience and his audience loves him for it. Jefferies is currently on a world tour called Give Em What They Want and he will perform in Prague on April 21 at Kongresové centrum.    You started your stand-up comedy career quite a long time ago. What’s the most fucked up thing that ever happened during your shows? That’s a tricky question. I had fans trying to climb up the stage or yell at me, but that’s not very common. Most of the time the most fucked up things happened on the stage. Before I gave up drinking they were mostly my fault. So I would say being black-out drunk during a big arena show might have been the most fucked up thing I’ve experienced.  Did you manage to go through the whole show even though you were so fucked up? I’ve been drunk during a lot of shows, but some shows were really bad, so...

 by Prague Morning Apr 07, 2023

Charles University Was Founded 675 Years Ago Today

Charles University was founded by Karel IV, King of Bohemia and King of the Romans, on April 7, 1348.  It was the first university north of the Alps and east of Paris. Charles University is one of the oldest universities in Europe. Following the model of Paris University, Charles University was to consist of four faculties – the faculty of arts, theology and law and medicine faculty. The members of the Prague university community belonged to four different „nations“ – these were the Czech, Polish, Bavarian, and Saxon nations. The new university soon made a name in the whole of Europe, and that‘s why thousands of students from many countries came to study here. In its beginnings, the university had no building of its own, lectures were read in the monasteries and private dwellings of university masters. It was only in 1366 that Charles IV founded a college near the Church of St. Nicholas, but this was not big enough and it was necessary to find additional premises. Thus, 22 years later, the university moved into  Rothley House, today’s Carolinum. In 1784 German was introduced as the teaching language instead of Latin and it was used exclusively till 1882 when the...

 by Prague Morning Apr 07, 2023
good friday czechia

Easter in the Czech Republic: Today is Good Friday

In English, the name “Good Friday” is generally believed to be a corruption of “God’s Friday.”  From very early times, the Holy Day has been observed by Christians everywhere as the most solemn feast of the year, a day of sadness, mourning, fasting and prayer, when the Passion and Death of our Lord is remembered in countless churches by services of sorrow and gratitude. Good Friday was always regarded by the Roman Catholic Church as the day of greatest grief in the Church. It’s the only day in the year when Mass is not held anywhere in the world. Also, organs are silent, all ornaments are cleared from the altar, and no lights are burned. The cross is shrouded in a black veil. Great Friday (Velký pátek) is the popular name for the day in the Czech Republic. Velký pátek is a day of fasting for Roman Catholics who will not eat meat until Saturday evening after the church bells start ringing on their legendary return from Rome. On Velký pátek, Czech and Moravian cooks prepare their holiday bread (coffee cake) which must not be cut or eaten until the priest says, “Christ is risen!” (Kristus vstal z mrtvých!) on...

 by Prague Morning Apr 07, 2023
metronome prague 2022

June 22-24: Metronome Festival Promises Unforgettable Music Experiences

Already the sixth edition of Metronome Prague, where a number of world stars will shine, takes place on 22-25 June 2023 and promises unforgettable music experiences. Thanks to its top-notch line-up, location in the centre of Prague and the fact that it is happening at the most beautiful time of the year, Metronome Prague is one of the most popular metropolitan festivals in Europe. This year’s programme features an impressive line-up of internationally renowned artists including JAMIROQUAI, M83, ZAZ, AURORA, MODERAT, TOVE LO, EDITORS, WHITE LIES, JANA KIRSCHNER and many more. Over 40 international and local music acts will perform on a total of 8 large stages during four days. In such a rich mix of musical genres, every visitor, regardless of age, will find what they like. “With Metronome Prague we have set ourselves two main goals. To invite visitors to Prague for a unique music experience that they will enjoy in high comfort. And we have certainly fulfilled both of them. This year’s event consists of over 80 international and domestic acts and the established venue in the city centre offers plenty of comfort and a whole range of other services. From a rich gastronomic offer to chillout...

 by Prague Morning Apr 04, 2023

May 4: Music of Terry Riley & La Monte Young

Prague Music Performance brings the top of the crop in the avant-garde for one-night events; in recent times this has included last year’s guest, Roscoe Mitchell (last standing founder of the Art Ensemble of Chicago), and previously John Zorn for his bagatelles 5 hour-non-stop marathon. This year brings the “Music of Terry Riley & La Monte Young” as minimalist innovators of legendary status who both influenced developments in music from the earliest art rock of the Velvet Underground to No Wave, and inevitably more popular music from disco to electronica. There will be two compositions performed for this evening, each approximately an hour. Terry Riley’s “In C” is a series of 53 short musical figures played in sequence by any number of players and with any instruments depending on the whim of the moment. Two hits of the C-note plays over this on piano (or keyboard) and best result is an hypnotic even hallucinogenic journey. The careful attention to modal variations and repetition makes it an iconic step in modern music. “In C” was first performed in 1964, in San Francisco, and when it was released on album in 1968, the linear notes had the stamp of approval from San...

 by Tony O. Apr 04, 2023

Prague to Host Multimedia Exhibition of Ukrainian Artists

Galerie Lapidárium in Prague will host a multimedia exhibition entitled “Ukrainian Renaissance” from 4th to 18th April. The project will introduce visitors to iconic Ukrainian artists, unique images, metaphors and a deep philosophy in their work, which is based on the Ukrainian mentality and centuries-old spiritual heritage of Ukraine. The art project will feature works by famous Ukrainian artists such as Volodymyr Garbuz, Oksana Fursa, Serhiy Popov, Volodymyr Kamynin, Vitaliy Vlasenko and others. The exhibition includes paintings, sculpture, photography and other media. The project will take place with the informational assistance of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine and the Ministry of Culture and Information Policy of Ukraine. More info: Where: Galerie Lapidárium (Rámová 735/6, Praha 1) When: April 4 at 18:00 – vernissage April 5th-18th from 12:00 to 18:00 Price: 100 CZK (children up to 18 years – free of charge) Curators: Oksana Fursa – Ukrainian artist, rector of the Salvador Dali Art Institute, doctor of pedagogical sciences, professor, president of the Confederation of Designers and Stylists of Ukraine. Vadym Krechmar – Ukrainian artist, art historian. xosotin chelseathông tin chuyển nhượngcâu lạc bộ bóng đá arsenalbóng đá atalantabundesligacầu thủ haalandUEFAevertonfutebol ao vivofutemaxmulticanaisonbetbóng đá world cupbóng đá inter milantin juventusbenzemala...

 by Prague Morning Apr 02, 2023

Czech Holy Week: Blue Monday

Holy Week is called pašijový týden or also svatý týden in Czech and it’s the last week of the 40 day fasting period. Each day of this week was given special names because of the very specific traditions. Let’s learn more about Blue Monday. “Blue” is actually the name of the so called “Blue Mondays” which were Mondays on which people didn’t work. It’s a day of worship and honoring. People are supposed to be calm, collected and silent. Another theory says that the name is a literal translation of the German expression Blauer Montag which means a Monday on which one is hangover and unable to work (which was surely quite fitting also because people liked to drink a celebrate the night before knowing that they wouldn’t have to work the next day). For school children and students the Blue Monday was the beginning of the Spring break. The name for vacation back then was vakace which sounded way more international than today’s word prázdniny. In the morning we are supposed to be thankful for our lives and place wheat sprouts on the table as a gesture of gratitude. We also salute the sky and the weather. In the mass the Gospel of Mary is read and Christians remember...

 by Prague Morning Mar 27, 2023

Sloup Castle: Bohemia’s Salt Trade Defense, Hermitage and Tourist Spot

Sloup Castle is a rock castle located in the northern part of the Czech Republic. The castle dates all the way back to the 14th century AD when the area it is in was part of the Kingdom of Bohemia. Due to its strategic position, Sloup Castle was a formidable stronghold. Nevertheless, the castle did not serve this defensive function throughout its history, having undergone several transformations. Most recently, Sloup Castle was acquired by the House of Kinský, who turned the landmark into a tourist attraction. The Historical Origins Of Sloup Castle Sloup Castle is situated in the town of Sloup v Čechách (meaning “Sloup in Bohemia”), in Liberec, the northernmost part of Bohemia. The castle lies about 117.5 km from Prague. Sloup Castle sits on top of a 33 m high sandstone rock column, providing its long-dead occupants with a commanding view of the surrounding alluvial valley. Incidentally, the word “sloup” means “column” in Czech, an apt description of the outcrop on which the castle stands. Although Sloup Castle was founded during the Middle Ages, the rocky outcrop on which it was built was already occupied during the prehistoric period. The archaeological evidence from the site includes artifacts from the Globular...

 by Prague Morning Mar 27, 2023

David Černý Opens “Musoleum”. He Will Fill a Former Distillery with His Art

The former Smíchov distillery in Prague will be the site to a new permanent exhibition of David Černý’s work. The new 5 storey, 1,200 square metre museum will be opening on April 1, and will provide space for additional exhibitions alongside Černý’s work. Opposite to the MeetFactory, the distillery has remained vacant for over 20 years. Although construction has been approved for the cultural moment, the new building will be required to preserve the factory chimney as well as parts of the brewery. With architectural design by Černý studio Black n’ Arch, Development company Trimega has invested 4 billion crowns into renovations, and the first apartments will be completed by the end of the year. “The building is a listed monument, so it was not possible to knock it down and build a normal house here. So we decided to preserve it, and finally the decision was made to make it a cultural institution. Somehow, over time, it became the David Černý museum. Then I found out that it is not a museum, but more like a mausoleum,” Černý told ČTK. “Partly it came about due to the fact that a few years ago I was approached by the National...

 by Prague Morning Mar 23, 2023

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