The Czech National Anthem has its origin in the opera Fidlovačka, which was a patriotic opera written by Josef Kajetan Tyl (lyrics) and Frantisek Skroup (music), first performed on December 21, 1834, in the Prague Estates Theatre. At the time, Czechs were only an ethnic minority in the Austrian Empire where the German language dominated. The main goal of this play was to strengthen the national feeling and break the cultural oppression. A song called Kde domov můj, in English “Where Is My Home” was performed in the opera by a man portraying a blind violinist. This scene was very emotional and the song became widely sung. It is thus no surprise that it was recognized as the official National Anthem in 1918 when independent Czechoslovakia was born. And in January 1st, 1993, the song became the anthem of the Czech Republic. However, there was a long debate going on as to whether a more serious piece should be composed for similar purposes, for example by famous Czech composer Bedrich Smetana. If we had to describe the anthem with one word only, it would be the word peaceful. The Czech National Anthem is really more like a love song –...
The number of cyberattacks launched against the Czech Republic’s health sector saw a 267% year-on-year increase in 2020, the annual report of the country’s National Cyber and Information Agency (NÚKIB) reads. The agency warns that last year saw the development of a new, large-scale trend of ransomware attacks against health facilities. The most serious incident occurred in March of last year when the Faculty Hospital in the city of Brno in the South Moravia region was targeted by a ransomware attack that caused millions in damages and shut down three departments for several weeks. Other targets included the Faculty Hospital in Ostrava, the Regional Hospital in Karlovy Vary, or the Hospital in Benešov. NÚKIB has warned of an upcoming wave of attacks targeting the country’s public and private sectors by a group of cybercriminals aiming to extort payments in Bitcoin. In the last year, several cyber attacks have hit state organisations in the Czech Republic, including Prague airport. The Czech Minister of Labour and Social Affairs, Jana Maláčová, told the Czech media that the ministry had also been targeted, without giving further details.
The new ČTečka application will be launched this week. It can be used to check vaccination certificates or Covid-19 testing. “The app displays a green or red bar depending on whether the certificate is valid and complies with the current regulations,” said Lukasz Trnka, an official representative of the National Agency for Communications and Information Technology (NAKIT), about the new app. The čTečka application regularly updates (about once every 24 hours), its parameters – validation rules and signature certificates of EU countries. In the application, you can scan a unique QR code with your mobile phone camera, which is part of each certificate, and immediately check the electronic signature and the validity of the certificate. No internet connection is required. The app will be available on both Android and iPhone, in Czech and English. Main functionalities: load and store current signing keys of EU countries validation rules from the Ministry of Health server scan QR code, verify the electronic signature, check the validity of the certificate according to Czech Republic validation rules display summary and detailed information from the certificate The application doesn’t store or send out the personal data nor the health data of checked persons. One more app...
Less than four months before elections, polls suggest Ivan Bartos – the 41-year-old is chairman of the Pirate Party – could end up as prime minister, heading a coalition of mayors and independents to oust PM Andrej Babis. For Czechs, a Pirate victory in the Oct. 8-9 vote would reflect an electorate that has grown weary of the pandemic and allegations of corruption and cronyism. But for the European Union, there’s broader significance: It would loosen political ties with Poland and Hungary after they clashed with Brussels over rule-of-law abuses. “This is not a smart or pragmatic position for us,” Bartos said in an interview in Prague last week. “We’re more on the same wavelength with France and Germany, which defend core European values, freedoms, and democracy.” For Bartos, shifting his country closer to the European mainstream is crucial, otherwise, the Czech Republic could be “left behind in a slow group” of nations resisting closer political integration. “You can’t just stomp your feet in the face of Germany and France,” he said. It’s also time to unite foreign policy, now a victim of a tug-of-war between the pro-Russian president and the rest of the administration, he said. There’s a long way to go...
If you noticed a few works of modern art suddenly on the streets of Prague, you have stumbled across Sculpture Line, a project now in its seventh year. Czech streets, squares, and other public spaces will decorate dozens of fine artworks of famous and young artists from both, Czech and from abroad. The purpose of the exhibition is to enhance and enrich the public space, to offer a new look to cities and to the works of art, both for the inhabitants and for the visitors. You can adkmire Jiří David’s work Absolute Zero at Náplavka (Rašínovo nábřeží), Václav Fiala’s Tower for Jan Palach on the Smíchov side of the Vltava Embankment, Rhinoceros by Jaroslav Rona at Jungmannovo náměstí, Stele by Alexandra Koláčková at the Dancing House and many more. The full list of artworks around Prague can be found here. “Art is a medium where we can meet even in these difficult times. We are currently working with other partners and festival installations around the world. So you can come across artworks in places such as Uruguay or Iran,” says Ondřej Škarka, the festival director and art supporter, who is helping to introduce the project in other parts of the...
The leading Czech real estate service Bezrealitky has been investing in property for the past three months and returning them to the market after partial reconstructions. Since March 2021, the web portal has bought 35 buildings for over CZK 200 million as part of its new “Expres” business model. And it has proved effective – the first properties have since returned to the market and were promptly snatched up by new owners. The service “Expres” allows owners to sell a house, apartment, or recreational space at any level of disrepair and in record time. The entire transaction can be handled in three days. Currently, they’ve invested around ⅕ of the planned CZK 1 billion, having bought 7 houses, 26 apartments, and 2 recreational areas around the Czech Republic. So far, a few reconstructed units have been returned to the real estate market, with some already being bought. “Properties are bought via the Expres service for 95-99% of the market price, depending on the condition of the estate, with partial reconstruction increasing their value by an estimated 5-10%,” said Hendrik Meyer, the CEO of Bezrealitky. According to Meyer, the new model has proved successful and has clearly shown that this is...
A low-cost carrier Wizz Air has announced launching its new direct scheduled connection between Prague and Naples. The carrier will offer flights to the popular south Italian city twice a week, on Tuesdays and Saturdays, from 18 September 2021. Airbus A321 Family aircraft for 189 passengers will be used to service the route. Wizz Air thus adds other direct connections from Prague to its network and offers passengers flights to Bari and, more recently, Rome and Catania. Tickets can already be purchased via the carrier’s website. Prague Airport has also prepared a special website for Czech travelers with a current overview of available connections from Prague, including important travel information, check-in details, services, and protective measures implemented both at Prague Airport and aboard aircraft, as well as interesting travel guide data. Complex flight schedules and ticketing services are always available to passengers on the websites of individual air carriers. Baggage policy: Priority Boarding passengers: 2 free carry-on bags (1 cabin bag 55 × 40 × 20 cm, up to 10 kg plus 1 small bag (40 x 20 x 25 cm). Non-priority passengers: 1 small carry-on bag (40 x 20 x 25 cm). Travelling to Italy This Summer Amid COVID: What You...
Red Bull Racing Honda’s latest adventure, From Castle to Castle, saw the Red Bull Racing RB7 embark on a high-speed tour of the Czech Republic and Slovakia. Starting at the Prague Castle and taking in a flat-out blast across the Charles Bridge, the tour saw 13-time Grand Prix winner David Coulthard power through the scenic vineyards of the Moravia region and on to Bratislava before heading to Poprad-Tatry Airport for the ultimate speed showdown: a flat-out race against 2018 Red Bull Air Race World Champion Martin Šonka. Former Red Bull Racing driver Coulthard said: “The great thing about this film is that it’s all real. When the aircraft is just a few metres above the RB7 and upside down, that’s real, that’s the skill of Martin. He’s a professional right at the top of his game. In addition to the thirteen-time F1 Grand Prix winner David Coulthard, the video features Czech biathlon star Markéta Davidová and other famous Czech and Slovak personalities. Watch the video below to see how David Coulthard and the crew behind From Castle to Castle created this unique film.
By the end of this year, Prague City Hall will lay off 7% of its approximately 2,300 employees, about 160 people. Another 3% will be cut in 2022. The layoffs are considered a last-resort option by the city, which faces a financial crisis brought on by the new coronavirus pandemic. The office expects to save up to CZK 180 million per year. The Prague deputies are still discussing the document approved by the council. Mr. Hřib said that the layoffs are related to the loss of income caused by the COVID-19 pandemic and the state tax package. In May, Mayor Hřib said that the reduction should be related to improving internal processes, which will simplify the implementation of common plans through digitization. According to the document approved by the councilors, there is now a 30-day deadline when measures are taken to reduce jobs and when everything is discussed with the unions. After the expiration of the specified period, the mayor’s office will begin specific layoffs of the relevant employees in connection with staff reduction. The dismissed employees will be paid severance pay, which for some will reach seven salaries. The organizational structure of Prague City Hall, including the names of the organizational units...
The Czech Senate called on politicians not to attend next year’s Winter Olympics in China in order to avoid legitimizing the continuing human rights violations in the country. The Chinese embassy in Prague has already condemned this appeal. According to the Upper House, Czech politicians should express their disapproval of the Chinese regime’s approach to Tibetans and Uighurs, but also to Taiwan and Hong Kong. In a resolution, senators pointed to the experience of the 2008 Beijing Summer Olympics, when the Chinese government, contrary to its commitment to hold the Olympics in a free and open manner, restricted the free movement of athletes and journalists, said committee chairman Pavel Fischer. The Czech Senate claimed that China “abused” the Beijing Olympic Games “to further suppress human rights and freedoms, which was also reflected in massive repression against minorities. In the territory of China, there are massive violations of human rights and freedoms, genocide and crimes against humanity, ethnic discrimination, suppression of cultural, religious and political identity,” the Senate stated. Senator Michael Canov openly opposed the political boycott. According to him, Czech athletes deserve political support on the spot, however, Senator Chairman Zdeněk Nytra refused the argument. “I doubt that our athletes...
Even though we can spend the summer in cinema halls, an outside alternative with a unique atmosphere certainly won’t offend. Which places in Prague are worthy of a visit? Kasárna Karlín This year, you can expect a truly packed program in the courtyards of former barracks. June will begin with a choice of short films from the competition section in Pragueshorts. The first Saturday of the month will then belong to the Polish film Corpus Christi; later, viewers will have the chance to see the sci-fi 12 topic, the film Karel, me and you (Kartel, já a ty), and the big premiere of Welcome to Czech Republic (Vítejte v Česku), which will be shown the 17th of June. Welcome to the Czech Republic is a collection of three short films that explore the Czech identity from a variety of different viewpoints. Next in line is Tarantino, Another Round (Chlast), and other blockbusters. Tickets will be available for CZK 80. Letní kino Lihovar MeetFactory continues with the trend of films in the fresh air, and that in cooperation with ČRo Vltava. This time, MeetFactory has moved to a former distillery. Every Wednesday from 9:30, it will show one chosen film for...
From July 1, the maximum number of participants in cultural events should be increased to 5,000 outdoors and 2,000 indoors, under specific measures. Prime Minister Andrej Babiš stated this in Sunday’s video on social networks. According to him, the government council for health risks and the cabinet will also address wearing masks in schools on Monday. As of today, the capacity outside is unlimited From Tuesday, June 8, there can be 1,000 people indoors and 2,000 outdoors at cultural events. The conditions of testing in cultural events have been unified with restaurants. t will also be possible to consume food presented in a buffet, though not in the auditorium. From today, June 14th, the capacity of outdoor public spaces will no longer be limited, but standing spectators must maintain a distance of four square meters and still need to wear face masks. Indoor spaces are still reduced to half of the normal capacity and with seated spectators only. In schools, masks do not have to be worn in most regions As for the masks in schools, pupils and teachers currently do not have to wear them in most regions, with the exception of the South Bohemia, Zlín, and Liberec regions....
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