Culture

The Surprising History of Petřín’s Mirror Maze

The mirror maze in Petřín has been standing for 130 years. One of the most visited places in Prague, it sees up to 400,000 visitors every year and, unlike other tourist places in Prague, it is mainly visited by Czechs. But while the site is known to millions of Czechs, its history remains obscure. Where did the mirror maze on Petřín even come from? Exhibition exhibit The mirror maze was originally built as a pavilion by the Club of Czech Tourists at the Prague Jubilee Exhibition in 1891. The maze was built by Prague master carpenter and builder Matěj Bílek according to designs from architect Antonín Wiehl. “The maze was located at the Prague Exhibition Center… near the corner of the Industrial Palace. After two years, it was moved to Petřín,” says Zuzana Strnadová, director of the Prague Museum. According to Strnadová, in the front rooms of the original pavilion there was also a circular panorama with twenty windows for 100 alternating stereoscopic slides of interesting Czech locations. “There was also an exhibition of the club’s tourism and publishing activities and an exhibition of tourist products from Czech companies.” Hall of laughter and diorama The building in which the maze is located...

 by Prague Morning Jul 11, 2022

Třeboň to Host 19th International Classical Music Festival

From 12 to 16 July, the 19th year of the summer festival Třeboňská nocturna (the Třeboň Nocturnes) will fill the historical centre of the South Bohemian Renaissance town of Třeboň with music. The internationally recognized harpist Kateřina Englichová and oboist Vilém Veverka will open the festival with a program of compositions by Maurice Ravel, Alphonse Hasselmans, Ilja Hurník, Martin Hybler and Claude Debussy. In addition, Třeboňská nocturna will present the winners of the International Prague Spring Music Competition the Korean Arete String Quartet, the trio of the violinist Martina Bačová, French horn player Hana Šuková and pianist Karel Košárek, the chanson singer Chantal Poullain accompanied by the saxophonist Štěpán Markovič and the pianist Martin Krč, special project Ellaboration by Epoque Quartet and the singer Dasha. The festival will close with a tribute to Ema Destinnová by the Philharmonic of Hradec Králové together with the Slovak opera singer Eva Hornyáková under the direction of the conductor Miriam Němcová. The classical music, crossover, and chanson evenings will take place at several venues in Třeboň, from the chateau’s stable, through the J. K. Tyl Theatre and the Tunel music bar, to the court of the municipal authority.   Tickets for Třeboňská nocturna are available...

 by Prague Morning Jul 10, 2022

Brian Stewart Bridges Cultural Divide Through Jára Cimrman

“Comedy is universal,” asserts Brian Stewart, dressed down after two hours of portraying an exasperated academic and the ditsy wife and muse of a painter. Something of a polymath, with a lengthy career on and off the stage, Stewart, along with an enthusiastic and remarkably international ensemble cast, has spent the last 8 years committed to one project only: the Cimrman English Theatre. It’s difficult to overstate the importance of Jára Cimrman in Czech culture. Voted the greatest Czech of all time—despite being fictional—he represents something essential about what it means to be Czech. He’s a hero who, in Stewart’s words, “never quite made it.” He is said to be responsible, though uncredited, for several scientific achievements: yogurt, the Panama Canal, and the telephone, among others. Cimrman “captures the idea that Czechs have nobody of great prominence,” says Stewart. No other national hero has combined such determined nationalism with playful self-deprecation. As the poet Alexei Tsetkov noted upon his departure from Prague, “I have never heard of a nation mocking itself in such a charming way.” That’s not all, though: Cimrman was an important symbol of resistance under communism and provided a platform for Czechs to criticize the regime while...

 by Prague Morning Jul 10, 2022

Mucha e-MOTION Exhibition: Art Nouveau for the 21st Century

Prague Castle has launched an Alphonse Mucha “e-MOTION” exhibit, showcasing the Czech painter’s world-renowned work in 3D motion and “larger-than-life size”. The exhibition is set up in over 2,000 square metres of the Prague Castle Riding Hall, the largest Baroque-style building in Prague Castle. Mucha’s work is displayed in large, 3D and moving projections, bringing his paintings to life. Visitors will be “immersed in the moments when he created his work” in an exhibit portraying the Art Nouveau masters’ studio. The e-MOTION display will also see the auction of the first NFT of Mucha’s art – a collection of 20 paintings in the form of animated images. The Castle plans to provide a particularly “emotional experience” in the projection of Mucha’s Slav Epic painting, where “visitors will stand in the very centre of the most important milestones in the history of the Slavic peoples”. Open until the 13th of September, the exhibition is open Monday to Thursday from 10:00 to 19:00 and 10:00 to 21:00 Friday through Sunday. Admission is priced at 350 Kč for adults and 250 Kč for children aged 6-15, students up to the age of 26 and seniors over the age of 65. School classes may...

 by Prague Morning Jul 04, 2022
Karlovy Vary Film Fest 2022

Ukraine Protests Russian Film Screening at Karlovy Vary Film Fest

The international film festival in the Czech spa town of Karlovy Vary kicked off Friday amid controversy following a protest by Ukraine over the screening of a Russian film alongside Ukrainian-made movies. Prior to the start of the 56th edition of the festival, several leading Ukrainian filmmakers along with Ukraine’s ambassador to Prague protested the scheduled screening of Captain Volkonogov Escaped. Ukrainian Ambassador Yevhen Perebyinis said in an open letter that it would be “inhuman” to screen Ukrainian films alongside a Russian movie made with support from Russia’s Culture Ministry at a time when Russian troops had “committed atrocities” during their invasion of his country. Organizers said they consider the Russian movie – whose world premiere was at last year’s Venice Film Festival – as being indirectly critical of the current Russian leadership. Four Ukrainian films and eight other nearly-completed movies produced or co-produced by Ukraine will also be screened at the festival. After being canceled in 2020 and delayed in 2021 due to the pandemic, this year’s festival will culminate in a ceremony to honor Australian Oscar-winning actor Geoffrey Rush for his contribution to world cinema. Rush won an Academy Award for actor in a leading role in Shine...

 by Prague Morning Jul 01, 2022
concert july czech republic

Events in July: Masters of Rock and Colors in Moravia, KISS, Slipknot and Pearl Jam in Prague

The season of festivals is in full swing!. Whether you are going to Ostrava for Colors, Vizovice for Masters of Rock or Brno for Pop Messe or Mendel Festival, fans of every genre will have plenty to choose from. Besides festivals, there are lots more concerts to attend, including KISS, Slipknot, Pearl Jam, Jack White and Jeff Beck with Johnny Depp who will all be stopping by Prague this summer. Kryštof kempy – 2. 7. – 27. 8. 2022 Twice Kryštof had to postpone the fourth year of his camps, but this year, they are finally happening. With each one-day festival, the band will explore films and music as they become real Hollywood stars. In addition to the organizers, other musicians will appear on the stage: the bands Sebastian and Slza, Olga Lounová and Michal Horák are all slated to perform. The camps will stop in a total of eight towns, and are sold out in Hukvaldy (July 9), Strážnice (July 16), Konopiště (August 6) and Loket nad Ohří (August 20). The last tickets remain for Náměště na Hané (July 2), Svojšice u Přelouče (July 23), Liberec (August 13) and Pilsen (August 27). Jack White – 5. 7. 2022, Forum...

 by Prague Morning Jun 30, 2022

June 30-July 3: Days of Romanian Folklore Costume in Prague

A demonstration of the Romanian Folklore Costume will take place at Muzaion in Prague 5 – Banat, and Muscel, two of the most interesting ethnologic zones in Romania come in Prague.  The Romanian Association in the Czech Republic, supported by the Romanian Institute of Culture organize between June 30 and July 3 The Days of Universal Romanian Blouse – a demonstration of old Romanian folklore costumes. The demonstration will take place at Muzaion – the Czech Ethnographic Museum where over 50 traditional costumes from Banat and Muscel zones are displayed. The event aims to demonstrate the ethnic identity and the historical and artistic value inherited by Romanians, and at the same time, the simplicity, spiritual wealth, imagination, beliefs, and hopes of Romanians who trespassed the borders over time. The event is organized in order to connect Romanian and Czech communities that are passionate about folklore garments. A folklore collection, Marius Matei Ethnographic Collection, combines a selection of over 30 pieces of garments from the XIX century combined based on old pictures of Banat people who used to wear traditional folk costumes. Every piece in this collection is masterfully embroidered using fine sewed technics, which predominates the floral and geometrical motives....

 by Prague Morning Jun 22, 2022
Bílek's Villa prague

Bílek’s Villa is Re-Opening Following Reconstruction

After more than six months of reconstruction, Bílek’s villa in Prague’s Hradčany will reopen to visitors on Tuesday. The unusual building was built by the sculptor and graphic artist František Bílek (1872-1941) according to his own plans. Today it serves as a monument to his work, and houses exhibitions related to his projects. During this last reconstruction, non-original elements created during the previous renovation were removed from the house. Bílek’s villa has been managed by the Gallery of the Capital City of Prague since the 1960s. According to them, the creation of a new exhibition also serves to arrange the exhibits so that each space represents a specific theme of his work. “These are monumental works in Prague and the beginning of his work, while we tried to install the second part of his work in Chýnov and accentuate historical issues,” said Martin Krummholz, Ph.D. Bílek’s works from his peak creative period are presented in the permanent exhibition. According to Bílek, the Prague villa was supposed to express “Life as a field full of ripe ears of corn, providing nutrition for the brothers every day.” Many ears of corn are tied in sheaves–forming a pillar. Some of the columns are...

 by Prague Morning Jun 21, 2022
Soviet Troops Left Czechoslovakia

On This Day in 1991: Soviet Troops Left Czechoslovakia After 23 Years Of Occupation

On June 21, 1991, the army of Soviet Union left Czechoslovakia after 23 years of “friendly help” which was actually a permanent occupation. The invasion by Warsaw Pact forces came on August 21, 1968, after the Czechoslovak Communist Party promoted “the change from within”, a reform guided by the regime and ruling party itself. When the Velvet Revolution swept the communists from power in late 1989, the first independent Czechoslovak government had several major issues to contend with—one of the most obvious being the 92 000 Soviet soldiers on Czechoslovak territory. They were here, along with over 44 000 of their family members from the Soviet Union, and military equipment that included 1120 tanks, 2505 combat vehicles, 103 aircraft, 173 helicopters, and several thousands of tonnes of ammunition. And by June 27th, 1991, the last of them was traveling back to Ukraine’s capital city. The last military transport left the country crossing the state border after a two-day drive from Milovice, Central Bohemia. The withdrawal itself came after long negotiations with the Soviet leadership, specifically President Mikhail Gorbachev and Foreign Affairs Minister Yuri Shevarnadze. From the Czechoslovak side, the negotiations were led by Slovak Alexander Dubček, former party leader and...

 by Prague Morning Jun 21, 2022
Karlovy Vary Film Festival 2022

Karlovy Vary Film Festival to Honor Geoffrey Rush, Benicio Del Toro

Geoffrey Rush and Benicio Del Toro will receive special awards at the 2022 Karlovy Vary International Film Festival, KVIFF organizers announced on Tuesday. The two actors will both receive their awards during the closing ceremony on July 9 in the spa town of Karlovy Vary outside Prague in the Czech Republic. Rush will receive the Crystal Globe for Outstanding Artistic Contribution to World Cinema, an award that in the past has gone to Michael Caine, Julianne Moore, Jude Law and Judi Dench. Three of Rush’s films – “The King’s Speech,” “Quills” and “Shine,” for which he won the Academy Award for Best Actor – will be screened at the festival. Rush began his career in theater with the Queensland Theater Company. An important turning point in his cinematic career came in 1996, when he excelled in the role of composer and pianist David Helfgott in Scott Hick’s “Shine,” which won him an Oscar, a Golden Globe and a BAFTA. Two years later, he was again nominated for an Oscar, this time for his role in the historical romance “Shakespeare in Love.” Despite his work in cinema, Rush never left stage acting behind. In 2009, he won a Tony Award for...

 by Prague Morning Jun 21, 2022
Sigur Rós prague 2022

Sigur Rós Returns to Prague After 14 Years

Sigur Rós, based out of Reykjavík, Iceland, are arguably one of the planet’s most intriguing bands. Their vocals are rarely, if ever, performed in English. They prefer Icelandic but have no qualms employing a fabricated language called “Vonlenska”. The band has consistently baffled critics. Over their twenty-plus years of existence numerous genres including “post-rock”, “dream pop”, “shoegaze” or “art rock” among many others, were utilized at some point whilst attempting to describe Sigur Rós’s sound. Phillipp Malý, co-founder of Selection Promotion and self-proclaimed fan, partly attributes their sound to the band’s geographic origins. He states, “I guess that the music of Sigur Rós can only come from Iceland or a country with a similar landscape. All the lonely corners in Iceland, the heaviness of the steeply rising fjords in a soft misty atmosphere is very present in the songs like “Glósóli”; from the album Takk… or “Varðeldur” from Valtari”. Ágætis byrjun is inarguably the place to begin with Sigur Rós. Its original release was restricted to Iceland before being picked up by labels in the United Kingdom (2000) and the United States (2001). Ágætis byrjun is the album that placed the band on a path that would lead to global...

 by Jason Burleson Jun 20, 2022
respect festival prague 2022

Respect Festival 2022—Live Music from our Global Villages

The 25th edition of the Respect Festival is a return to form. For a quarter of a century, the festival has invited to Prague, for an early summer weekend of outdoor performances, musical artists of multi-genres (though generally under the term World Music) from faraway lands for a gathering of the tribes embracing good vibes, cultural diversity, community and celebration. Headlining on Saturday is Benin International Musical, a seven-piece group of musicians and vocalists from Benin, the French-speaking West African country, known for being the birthplace of voodoo. This magical voodoo heritage of Benin is reflected in their music and dance, while their sound is updated to fit the African club grooves at home and in Europe, especially Paris. Also on Saturday is Oumou Sangare, called the Queen of African pop from Mali; Foufolah, a multi-racial group from London merging Senegalese vocals and West African rhythms (of Gambia) with contemporary club injections from dub, afro-electro grooves, sci-fi synth and guitar; and Atine, a female quintet merging Iranian classical music and the spirt of 19th-century Persian poetry with musical influences from Arabic, Persian, flamenco, jazz and baroque music. On Sunday, more African groups are on the program including Etenesh Wassie, an...

 by Tony O. Jun 16, 2022

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