Czech traveller, writer, and publicist Miroslav Zikmund has died at the age of 102. Miroslav Zikmund is known mainly for the travel expeditions he made together with Jiří Hanzelka between the 1940s and 1960s and during which they, literally, travelled all over the world. They described the experiences gained during their travels in their books and thus enabled people in Czechoslovakia to learn something new about foreign countries. They even had a radio show on Czechoslovak Radio, where the nation could listen to the duo’s international adventures. However, after 1968, their activities were impeded by the regime, therefore, Miroslav Zikmund was able to return to travelling only after 1989. Hanzelka and Zikmund shared the fate of other Czechoslovak dissidents in the post-Prague Spring era, living meagerly for 21 years in menial jobs until the Velvet Revolution in 1989. Hanzelka was one of the dissident speakers at Wenceslas Square when the revolution began on 19 November. With the fall of the Communist government, Hanzelka and Zikmund were again acclaimed as heroes, with extensive interviews and rebroadcasts of their films. Life of Dreams and Reality, a new book about their travel experiences, was published on 22 April 1997, the fiftieth anniversary of the start of their first trip....
We haven’t heard much from Moderat, the collaborative project of Modeselektor and Apparat, since they last toured in 2017 in support of their third album, 2016’s III. After teasing their return on Instagram, they’ve now announced a 2022 tour, “MORE D4TA.” It begins in June of 2022 and runs into the fall. See all dates below. Comprising members of Berlin’s electronic heavyweights, Modeselektor and Apparat, the electronic trio will take over Forum Karlin on December 9, 2022. Moderat’s first release was an EP, Auf Kosten der Gesundheit (“At the Cost of Health”) in 2003. Their first full-length album, Moderat, received mostly favorable reviews. In 2009, the readers of Resident Advisor voted Moderat “The #1 Live Act Of The Year”. Moderat’s second album, II was released on August 2, 2013. The first video from II was “Bad Kingdom,” an illustrated piece directed and produced by Pfadfinderei about a young British man in 1966 London traversing a greedy underworld. On March 29, 2016, Moderat’s third album III was released in Germany. A month before, a video to Reminder was released on YouTube. In August 2017, Moderat announced they were taking an indefinite hiatus after their 2017 world tour ended in Berlin on 2 September 2017. MODERAT: 2022 TOUR (Europe) 6/2/2022 FR-Paris, We Love Green Festival 6/10/2022 IT-Rome, JMF @ Rome Summer Fest...
Director Sam Hargrave has taken to Instagram to confirm that filming has officially begun on Extraction 2, the sequel to Netflix’s hit 2020 action thriller which stars Chris Hemsworth as black-ops mercenary Tyler Rake. In the Instagram video, Hargrave is walking through a snowy street in Prague, where Extraction 2 just started filming, with Hargrave saying he’s leaving a “train location.” Hargrave continues to say that the constant snow “looks pretty great on camera,” teasing that Hemsworth’s Tyler Rake will be facing some low temperatures in his next adventure after the previous film took place in Bangladesh. Extraction 2 will see Sam Hargrave returning to the director’s chair, while Joe Russo has once again written the script and will produce alongside Hemsworth and filmmaking partner Anthony Russo under AGBO, the production company headed by the two brothers. There is currently no release date for the upcoming sequel. Based on the graphic novel Ciudad by Ande Parks, Joe Russo, Anthony Russo, Fernando León González, and Eric Skillman, Extraction had Netflix’s biggest premiere in history when it debuted on the streaming platform back in 2020. It’s estimated that 90 million households saw the movie within one month of its release. It didn’t take long for Netflix to greenlight a sequel, with writer and producer Russo...
To commemorate ten years since the death of President Václav Havel, an event “10 years without V.H.” will be organized in Prague on December 18th. Václav Havel’s public engagement began in the 1960s. During the Prague Spring of 1968, he argued that reforming the Communist Party and its style of government was not enough. Instead of mere democratization, he wanted true democracy. However, all such hopes were dashed by the Soviet-led invasion and subsequent occupation. Havel became a leading figure in the Czechoslovak dissident movement. One of the co-authors of the Charter 77 declaration, around which the most influential human rights organization formed. He was no longer spared a prison sentence – Havel was convicted in 1979 and not released from prison until 1983. He was arrested again and sentenced in 1989 but spent only a few months in prison. In that same seminal year, there would be a major change not just in his life but in Czechoslovak society. Communism is toppled in the Velvet Revolution, and Václav Havel becomes president of a newly democratic country. He will also go down in history as the last President of Czechoslovakia and the first President of the Czech Republic. Program The...
The National Museum in Prague opened a new permanent exhibition dedicated to prehistory on Nov. 24. Windows to prehistory display about two thousand artifacts, mainly in the field of paleontology, but also mineralogy. The exhibition is arranged chronologically. In the Proterozoic section, visitors will find a lot of trilobites and fossilized plants. Among the fossils is also cooksonia — a fossil of the oldest designated terrestrial vascular plant in the world, which the museum has had in its collections for more than a hundred years. It comes from the collections of Joachim Barrand and the specimen lived on Earth about 432 million years ago. It measures about six centimeters. This is followed by a walk through history to the Quaternary in the Czech lands, which will enliven the models of prehistoric animals, tell the story of the saber-toothed tiger, mammoth and cub. It will also introduce the only Czech dinosaur, Burianosaur. Showcases in black frames are part of a design that architect Renata Slámková helped create for the National Museum. The black moving rollers above the showcases will represent the terrain of the Czech landscape through lights and shadows. The luminous fibers play the ceiling of the exhibition hall to...
The Prague Philharmonic Orchestra presents for the New Year’s Eve sparkling classical masterpieces in the Smetana Hall of the Prague Obecní dum. German conductor Friedemann Riehle will conduct The Moldau, the last movement of the New World Symphony and will end up with favorite waltzes by Tchaikovsky (Swan Lake) and Johann Strauss (Blue Danube) – not to forget some energetic polkas as well as the popular Entry of the Gladiators by Fučik. To wish everybody a more optimistic New Year, the concert needs to end with Johann Strauss seniors matchless march, which he dedicated to Czech-born Field Marshal Count Joseph Radetky from Radetz – simply called: Radetzky-March. Romanian star soprano Anda-Louise Bogza will join the Prague Philharmonic for three arias by Mozart, Puccini and Verdi. The concert starts at 16:00 and will last 75 minutes. Tickets are available at the Obecni dum, Ticketportal and Ticketmaster. Prague Philharmonic Orchestra The Prague Philharmonic Orchestra developed in the 1990s into the most requested recording orchestra in Europe. The Prague Philharmonic Orchestra records more than 100 sessions per year, which include film music for producers from around the globe; classical music for Decca, EMI, Sony BMG, and other labels; as well as music for commercials....
November 21, 2021, is the 49th annual World Hello Day. Anyone can participate in World Hello Day simply by greeting ten people. This demonstrates the importance of personal communication for preserving peace. World Hello Day was begun in response to the conflict between Egypt and Israel in the Fall of 1973. Since then, World Hello Day has been observed by people in 180 countries. Czechs have many different ways of greeting each other. While this might confuse foreigners still struggling with the excruciating difficulties of the language, we’ve noticed that Czechs themselves were not necessarily aware of the story behind their salutation phrases. “Ahoj” is the most common expression to say “hi” or “hello” to friends and relatives. As many Czech greetings, you can also use it to say goodbye. While most scholars consider that “ahoy!” or “hoy!” were first used by Scottish or English sailors to draw attention to something and greet other ships, interpretations differ. Some linguists and historians also claim it was used, on land, to drive cattle. Less widely-used than the first Czech greetings, “nazdar” is yet another way to say “hi”. Literally meaning “to the success”, the idiom dates back to the mid-19th century. At...
by Anastasiia Sokolenko – Anglo American University In the rush of day-to-day life, it is easy to forget to cut your head off. The shapes and forms of learned reality leave little space for observation of non-physical variables, such as moments and emotions. However, for those willing to connect with a feeling of complete integrity from the familiar lay of the land, the artist Victor Pivovarov offers such an opportunity. His exhibition “Moscow Gothic” curated by Julia T. Bailey covers all periods of Pivovarov’s life starting from his childhood in Moscow (born in 1937) till the present. He could be considered a local artist since in 1982, Pivovarov moved to Prague, where he still resides with his wife. Pivovarov is one of the founders of Moscow Conceptualism – a trend in Russian modern art that attempted to avoid Soviet Socialistic ideology – and his Moscow Conceptualism paintings are the main feature of the exhibition. In these works, he catches and reproduces the long-gone moment using installations and texts (in Russian) on his canvases. Sections are dedicated to Pivovarov’s childhood, spent in a communal apartment. Each tells a story of a certain moment, spent in the company of his mother, or...
Imagine Dragons adds a second concert! After a massive success and a rapid sell-out of the first show, the band has come out to meet the fans and is adding a second date on Saturday 28.5.2022 Imagine Dragons managed to sell out the opening concert of their “Mercury World Tour” on 30.5.2022 in Prague in just a few days. In order to meet their fans, they are adding a second date, on Saturday 28.5.2022. This date is an attempt to accommodate visitors from all over Europe who were limited by the working day of the first concert. In celebration of the release of their latest album, Mercury – Act 1, Imagine Dragons announce their Mercury Tour. Produced by Live Nation, the 2022 tour kicks off on 28th May at Letňany Airport in Prague, making stops in stadiums and green fields across Europe in Moscow, Madrid and Berlin before wrapping up in Mönchengladbach, Germany at Sparkassen Park on 14th July. The 2022 summer run will also see the Las Vegas outfit top the bills at some of Europe’s most iconic festivals including I-Days, Rock Werchter, Pinkpop and Lollapalooza Paris. With 46 million albums and 55 million songs sold globally, as well...
By Ines Plunger – Anglo American University On Woodkid’s music video for the single “Goliath,” three green and white trucks jolt over dark brown sand, their passengers being shaken to the rhythm of the percussions. They wear breathing masks and yellow helmets. Bowed instruments set in, just as the main character from the video hops out of the truck and walks towards an enormous machine. The lyrics: “Where are you going, boy?” A look up towards the sky, then the percussion takes over again and shakes the mining machine in its tact while devouring mountains of coal. This is Woodkid’s video as part of his newest album “S16.” The featured coal mine is in the Czech Republic, and Woodkid will close the circle by coming to Prague for a concert. The French music and visual artist who has also won Grammys, will be performing his new album “S16” at Forum Karlín on November 26. Woodkid is the musical experiment of Yoann Lemoine. He is a multi-talented book publisher, animator, advertiser, and music video director whose greatest success came after producing music videos for stars like Katy Perry (“Teenage Dream”), Taylor Swift (“Back to December”) or Lana Del Rey (“Born to...
On Thursday, November 11, sales of St. Martin’s wines began throughout the nation. These are the best Czech young wines of the season, chosen by professional tasters and specialists of the Wine Foundation of the Czech Republic. This organization owns the Svatomartinské víno trademark. Every year, hundreds of producers fight for the right to use it, sending samples of young wines for review. If the drink meets strict quality standards, then it is labeled a St. Martin’s wine for one year. The tradition of “tasting selection” and the name itself originated in the 18th century. During the reign of Emperor Joseph II, on St. Martin’s Day, vineyard owners approached winemakers for them to taste new wines. The winemakers would then decide whether to renew their contract for another year or to hire other specialists. In 2021, 328 wines from 80 producers were tested for quality. In total, about 2.2 million bottles entered the market. To avoid choosing the wrong wine and to avoid spoiling the tradition, residents should stop by the LÁHVE store: and buy St. Martin’s wine there. Twelve delicious items from four Moravian wineries were chosen for the season: Vinařství Škrobák, Vinařství Vajbar, Vinařství V&M Zborovský and Vinařství...
This Saturday: British pianist Sam Haywood presents a fascinating program called “Musical Liaisons”. The recital will take place at Rudolfinum Hall. Haywood has performed in many of the world’s major concert halls, including Carnegie Hall, the Kennedy Center, Philharmonie de Paris, Vienna Konzerthaus and the Wigmore Hall. He embraces a wide spectrum of the piano repertoire and is equally at home as a soloist, chamber musician or working with singers. As a chamber musician he is a regular duo partner of Joshua Bell and Steven Isserlis, and performs with many leading chamber ensembles. His latest CD ‘Composers in Love’ brings together both well-loved and lesser known music inspired by composers’ muses. He recently made a Hyperion recording of piano works by Russian pianist-composer Julius Isserlis, grandfather of cellist Steven Isserlis. He has given private performances for Princess Diana, HRHs Prince and Princess Michael of Kent, Michael Portillo, Hillary Clinton and Xi Jingping, President of China. Alongside his busy solo and chamber music career, he composes and is a Founder and Artistic Director of the Solent Music Festival. Sam is also passionate about his work with young people. He is an ambassador to the West Lakes Academy, has written a children’s...
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