prague Archives – Page 8 of 28

The 30-year anniversary of the Velvet Revolution culminates today, November 17. Concerts, processions and debates, will be taking place in cities across the Czech Republic.

November 17

On November 17, 1989, student protesters filled the streets of Prague. It was eight days after the fall of the Berlin Wall.

November 18

Striking actors in Prague opened theater stages only for public discussions, and university and performing arts students went on strike. Homemade posters and proclamations were posted in public spaces, and actors read a proclamation by the students and artists to audiences, calling for a general strike on 27 November.

November 19

In Prague, the Civic Forum (OF), which called for a change of the regime, was created. It was led by Václav Havel and other dissidents from Charter 77.

November 20

The students were joined in the coming days by Czechoslovak citizens of all ages. By Nov. 20, a half-million Czechs and Slovaks filled Prague’s streets and took over Wenceslas Square. The Communists were forced out.

Secretary General of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Czechoslovakia, Miloš Jakeš, invited the so-called People’s Militia to Prague. They received weapons and ammunition.

November 21

Havel met with VPN representative Peter Zajac, marking the very first meeting between the two opposition movements. PM Ladislav Adamec agreed to meet with the representatives of the opposition, but on the condition that Havel would not be present.

Some 200,000 people demonstrated in Wenceslas Square in Prague.

November 23

Havel told the demonstration in Prague said that there was no way back to the totalitarian regime. The Minister of Defense also delivered a television address in which he called for an end to the demonstrations, but also declared that the army would not take action against the Czechoslovak people.

November 24

Alexander Dubcek appeared on the Melantrich balcony with Vaclav Havel. The meeting broke up with chants of “Dubcek to the Castle” and calls for another mass demonstration on the larger Letna plain.

Miloš Jakeš, the General Secretary of Communist Party resigned.

November 26

Half a million people attended a massive demonstration in Letna. This time the crowd were addressed by the Prime Minister Ladislav Adamec.

November 27

A two hour symbolic general strike takes place. It would take place at midday and students volunteered to man crucial shift work and emergency services, so that production and public safety would not suffer. The strike action was successful – over 50% of the entire population stopped working.

November 28

Representatives of OF, VPN, the federal parliament and PM Adamec met in Prague. Adamec promised to introduce the government by December 3. They discussed the release of political prisoners and the abolishment of articles about the leading role of the party and the Marxism-Leninism doctrine.

November 29

Parliament voted in favor of the legislation and also abolished the provision that made Marxist-Leninist ideology a mandatory part of school curriculum. After ten days of non-violent protest, the the Party had lost their stranglehold on the Czechoslovak state.

December 3

The Soviet Union and the Warsaw Pact issued separate statements condemning their invasion of Czechoslovakia in 1968.

December 7

Adamec resigns as Prime Minister.

December 10

After he swore in a new government of opposition activists and moderate Communists under Communist Prime Minister Marian Calfa, Husak finally stepped down as president.

December 16

Havel appears on television and announces he would accept the presidency, but only until free elections can be held.

December 20

Disturbing the Peace, a book which records an extended conversation between Havel and Karel Hvizdala (a Czech journalist living in Bonn, Germany), is released. The publisher, Melantrich, has put together and released the book in an unprecedented ten days.

December 29

Havel is unanimously elected President of Czechoslovakia by the parliament.

Burger King is now becoming the largest chain of restaurants in Europe. It has been in operation for almost 70 years, but it has probably never experienced such a novelty until now.

The American fast food chain has always specialized in burgers of all kinds, especially one kind – the taste of meat prepared on an open fire. However, these guarantees no longer apply. Burger King is starting to replace beef with its most popular Whopper vegetable alternative.

“In almost 70 years of history, Burger King has been one of the largest product launches on the market. We are introducing a 100% Whopper with 0 percent meat that has gained tremendous interest in the United States and is now coming to Europe,” reported by Daniel Ryška, Head of Burger King in the Czech Republic and Slovakia, today at the recently opened Burger King branch in Prague on I.P. Pavlova.

The new burger is called Rebel Whopper and, according to Ryška, it is exactly the Whopper that everyone knows and loves, but no longer contains meat.

Rebel Whopper also comes to 24 other European countries, including Poland, Germany, and Italy, being enjoyed in over 2,500 restaurants.

Although the food chain back in America betted on the fast-growing company Impossible Foods—which specializes in vegetable burgers in Europe—it opted for the Dutch manufacturer Vegetarian Butcher.

This is because Impossible Foods in Europe has genetically modified ingredients that must first undergo continent testing before being sold. A great choice for Ryška, because the meat in Rebel Whopper is really easily interchangeable in all ingredients.

“That’s why we chose Vegetarian Butcher for cooperation,” Ryška said.

Jaap Korteweg, founder of Vegetarian Butcher, also shared his thoughts on the partnership with Burger King. “Working with Burger King on Rebel Whopper has been a great experience and we look forward to seeing Burger King customers now.” As a farmer in 1998, he decided to stop eating meat after the outbreak of swine fever. Since then, he has been working on plant alternatives that he works to perfection.

Iconic dishes with different names, similar use of meat

US customers have been going to Impossible Whopper for several months now, and European customers will be getting used to Rebel Whopper. According to Daniel Ryška, the composition and productions are slightly different, but the vegetable meat are very similar (cooked on open fire next to beef patties, too). There is still tomato, iceberg lettuce, mayonnaise, ketchup, cucumber, onion and sesame lump in the sandwich.

Ryška revealed that during December, the chain will deploy self-service kiosks in line with the competition and offer the possibility to exchange meat for standard burger meat next year.

There had already been a vegetarian alternative, in the form of a vegetable pancake, called Veggie Burger. However, Ryška sees much more potential in Rebel Whopper.

The popularity of vegetable-meat dish alternatives is increasing all over the world as the younger generation, in particular, is increasingly addressing and becoming more aware about the impact of their behavior(s) on the environment and what they eat today. This new trend has only just begun in the Czech Republic.

There are about 13 percent of flexitarians in the European Union—people who focus on vegetarian diets—but they still enjoy meat occasionally. Them, and others like them, are who Burger King wants to focus on.

The Tour de France has started five times abroad over the past eight years. Soon, the beginning of the most famous cycling race could take place in Prague.

“Prague is a beautiful city, one of the most beautiful capitals. If it stands, we will judge it with the greatest possible attention,” said the general director of the legendary race, Christian Prudhomme.

The lead course designer, Thierry Gouvenou, confirmed that Prague could enter the game of organizing the Tour. “I know that the City of Prague has already established contacts with our organizing agency ASO,” informed Gouvenou at the end of July.

Negotiations are in progress. “We are acting in cooperation with the Czech Cycling Association, with Škoda Auto and with the organizing agency,” said Prague City Councilor for Education, Sport, Science and Business Support, Vít Šimral.

The costs of the Tour organization or the start of the three-week race is millions of crowns. This year the Tour started in Brussels, next year it will start in Nice, and in 2021 the so-called Grand Départ will be host in Copenhagen.

“We’ve been doing everything we can to get the Tour to start here. Negotiations are in progress, but I can’t conclude how they will evolve. We will officially give a resolution together with our partners in three or four months” added Šimral.

This is probably why the Czech Cycling Association is slightly restrained about the Tour. “I heard that we are working on it, but I do not know anything else. When someone contacts us, we will deal with it, but now we do not know anything specific,” responded Petr Marek, president of the Cyclists’ Union.

On the contrary, Šimral remarked that at the beginning of next year a delegation of representatives of the organizing agency ASO should arrive in Prague to negotiate the submission of the candidature.

“We will submit the candidature if the preliminary negotiations confirm us that we have a real chance to organizing the event,” explained Prague councillor.

The Grand Tour cycling races have never been held in the Czech Republic, although there have been recent efforts to get the Giro d’Italia. There were speculations about 2017 or 2018 and the politician Václav Klaus Jr. (Tricolor of the Citizens’ Movement) was involved. However, negotiations were not successful, and the Giro began in 2017 in Sardinia, and a year later in Israel.

Peter Sagan’s fan page on Facebook published the profiles of three proposed stages for 2023 of the Tour in the Czech Republic, giving a hint about the efforts to organizing it in the Czech Republic.

The itineraries of the stages are presented in the official visual style of the Tour de France and, according to the label, come from La Flamme Rouge, the profile creator of the biggest bike races.

The 18.5 kilometres long Prague time trial runs from Josefov to Vítkov through points such as the Strahov Stadium and Charles Square. The next stage around the capital is 160.5 kilometres long and leads cyclists through Slaný or Beroun, including two climb bonuses. Also, a 195 kilometres long, crossing from Prague to Karlovy Vary, with several climbs and a total of five bonuses.

In the end, however, it turned out that the three proposed stages are probably only the work of La Flamme Rouge users, where cycling enthusiasts discuss races or stages and can model their route profiles.

Šimral was surprised by the stage designs. “That was ahead of us, we’re not that far,” he smiled. “We have already begun to think theoretically where the stages would lead, but we are at the very beginning, and therefore I do not want to give more details,” Prague councillor added.

The Tour de France in the Czech Republic would mean a considerable advertisement for Prague and the whole country. The situation should be more precise at the beginning of next year.

Prague Airport has introduced a long-term concept and development of the airport as a response to the increasing number of passengers in recent years.

The Ministry of Finance approved the investment in the first stage of the enlargement of Terminal 2 of approximately CZK 16 billion.

About CZK 9 billion is invested directly in the extension of the terminal, while the remaining CZK 7 billion in related constructions, such as taxiways, a parking or an elevated road and other traffic routes in front of the terminal.

Andrej Babis said Wednesday the Vaclav Havel Airport is planning to expand its Terminal 2, which currently serves flights to the visa-free Schengen zone countries, and will build a new runway by 2028, among other things.

“The development will be financed from the airport’s resources and will not burden the national budget in any way. The projects will lead to the modernization of the airport and make the transport more efficient to maintain high passenger comfort,” says Alena Schillerová, Minister of Finance.

The number of passengers using the airport could jump to 30 million a year.

After the completion of the first phase of the extension of Terminal 2 in 2028, a total of 9 new aircraft contact points with boarding bridges and gates for short and medium-haul flights will be added. However, there will also be five alternative aircraft available for handling long-haul flights.

The development planned over the next six years will see an additional 50% retail space by 2026, according to Jiří Petržilka, Executive Director Non-Aviation Business at Prague Airport.

“We just finished the biggest duty-free tender process to date, a five year contract, which was won by Lagardère Travel Retail” he added.

“The first new shops will open in January 2020 and the retail refurbishment will be finished by June 2021. There are three phases of reconstruction and after three months, the first set of stores will be completed and open. It’s been one of the most interesting tenders we’ve ever done, especially for the Travel Essentials part of the business for which were not able to provide passenger data,” he said.

“We want to build an airport city, even though it’s not easy to build and you have to overcome a lot of bureaucracy. It’s the most important project in the history of Prague Airport.”

“We are currently in the first phase of designing – phase one – for development of Terminal 2, where all the traffic will be centralised. But we have to reconfigure the whole traffic system and then phase two development will start in 2022.”

The airport has reached capacity, with 16.8 million passengers using it last year and 17.7 million expected this year.

Prague is the second fastest developing city in the European Union, thanks to aid from world trade exposure and high increase in the educated workforce.

This stems from the CEE Investment Report entitled “Thriving Metropolitan Cities,” which analyzed 200 cities and ranked them according to GDP per capita, “human capital,” and city connectivity based on the number of passengers at local airports.

Irish Dublin became the winner of the ranking. Prague has risen to the top by attracting foreign investors to a highly educated workforce that exceeds the EU average and can be compared to, for example, Paris and Madrid. After Prague ended Wroclaw, followed by Sofia, fifth is Košice.

“Few people realize that the quality of life in the largest cities in Central and Eastern Europe, such as Warsaw, Prague and Budapest, is almost comparable to Western Europe. It is not as high as it is in Paris or London, but is approaching some of the renowned Western cities, such as Rome or Madrid,” says a study published by Skanska, Dentons and Colliers International.

In general, the cities of Central and Eastern Europe (CEE) dominate the European Union’s list of fastest growing metropolitan areas. CEE cities ranked 20 out of 20 on the ranking.

Warsaw and Prague may even become the second Milan or Berlin in the future. “There will be only two or three world cities in Europe, such as London, Paris or, to a lesser extent, Frankfurt. Then cities like Milan or Berlin are a bit lower, and Central European capitals can find their place at this level,” says Michael Batty, a British urban planner and geographer, and a professor at University College London.

It is also a fact that Eastern European cities still have nowhere to grow. “The last years have been particularly good for the region. GDP growth remained strong despite the onset of a slowdown in the euro area. In 2018, the difference in growth between CEE and the euro area was the largest since the last financial crisis. The explanation is the very strong growth in consumption due to wage growth, ”says the study. Another factor is the relocation of production from Western Europe to Central and Eastern Europe, both in terms of industry and services.

Regarding foreign investment, the authors of the study note the influence of Asia. Since 2013, the CEE region has accounted for less than 3 percent of all capital spent by Asian investors outside their continent. This year, however, this number jumped to 9.5 percent.

South Korea dominates Asian investment in CEE. In the first half of 2019, South Korean companies invested 686 million euros (17.6 billion crowns) here, overtaking German investments. In this context, the study expresses its surprise at the excellent air connections that Asia cities such as Prague have.

Already redesigned for an all-weather cozy experience, Manifesto Markets in Smichov and Florenc created a magical holiday experience.

Winter holiday-styled market will be inaugurated on November 20th at both locations, complete with Christmas trees, lights and aromatic traditional drinks and food. The remaining weeks until the end of this year are the last opportunity to explore Manifesto Smichov, covered recently by Dezeen for its design and architectural qualities.

At Smichov, six igloos will be surrounded by containers decorated with ribbon, turning them into giant “gift boxes”. On January 2^nd, Manifesto Smichov will close at its current location, as originally planned. At Manifesto Florenc, the designers are adding vintage chandeliers above its iconic long communal table, covered with a fabric roof. As a gift to the visitors, Manifesto will host several free concerts and music nights.

OUR TIP: Manifesto Winter Market Opening Program

20. 11. Manifesto Winter Market Opening | Manifesto Smíchov | Juwana Jenkins, DJ Tris Kayo
More info here

20. 11. Manifesto Winter Market Opening | Manifesto Florenc | Concert Trombenik
More info here

A five-meter tree from Czech countryside will be lit-up for the first time on Wednesday Nov 20^th, at both locations, and powered by renewable energy from Nano Energies.

Visitors can book cozy transparent igloos on GoOut.

Czech-made red-white porcelain cups adorned with Manifesto’s iconic design replace single-use cups for enjoying mulled wine and drinks.

To help navigate the new seasonal menus, visitors can scan QR codes on each table and get inspired by the most popular and recommended meals. Manifesto remains open Wed-Sun 11am-10pm, through November and December.

“The winter redesign will take more than three weeks to be ready for guests on November 20th. Manifesto Winter Market will be open for six weeks, bringing people and families together until the end of the year. From DATE Manifesto Florenc will be taking on a ski break and Manifesto Smichov pop-up will close at its current location. In the city, you don’t have to go to the mountains to have winter fun. We’ve created a unique environment to enjoy fresh air in the city,” explains Martin Barry, founder of the food and culture market drawing on his experience of designing year-round public spaces in Canada and other cold-weather countries.

Photo courtesy: Manifesto

What’s new: our picks

At both markets, heated domes – igloos – can be booked on GoOut. Newly this season, you can wrap yourself in brand new Manifesto blankets and some igloos come together with a chilled bottle of Veuve Clicquot champagne.

On the culture side, Manifesto Smichov will present live music and DJs on Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays and Manifesto Florenc will continue to host Friday Nightmarket with live music, on top of special highlights of the Fall season. Events line-up is available at the new website manifestomarket.com.

Holiday Opening Hours

20. 11. Manifesto Winter Market opening | Manifesto Smíchov and Florenc

November-December Open Wen-Sun 11am-10pm

23. 12. Open 11am-10pm
24. 12 Closed
25. 12. Closed
26. 12. Open 11am-10pm
27. 12. Open 11am-10pm
28. 12. Open 11am-10pm
29. 12. Open 11am-10pm
30. 12. Closed
31. 12. Open 11am-10pm
1. 1. Open 11am-10pm
2. 1. Closed

Photo courtesy: Manifesto

Jillian Garvey—Anglo American University

Taking over the stage at Roxy on Thursday, November 14, is the British musical artist Charlotte Aitchison, better known as Charli XCX.

Described as ahead of her time, Charli XCX has a sound unlike any other in the industry. Bordering experimental while pushing the limits of pop, it is a struggle to define her genre. Music critics have described her as dance-pop, electropop, pop punk, alternative pop, and even cyborg pop.

Though perhaps being ahead of one’s time is just the best way to describe music of the future. Basically, Charlie XCX plays a mix of conventional pop vocals laid over digital techno beats, making for an always fun, up-beat music perfect for all-night ragers.

Her unique style of music has led this 27-year-old to be stuck with a “rising star” status for the past decade. Nonetheless she has built a reputation as a triple threat in the music industry.

Not only is she a singer, but also a songwriter and producer, who has contributed to some of the most popular songs of the decade including Icona Pop’s “I Love It” and Iggy Azalea’s “Fancy.” While her most recent collaboration as co-writer is with Shawn Mendes and Camila Cabello on the hit “Senorita.” She has also managed to have ten hits on the UK top 40 charts over the years, since her first one, which was “I Love It” in 2013.

Charli XCX’s success hasn’t come easy though. She first entered the music industry at the age of 16 after getting noticed on MySpace by a promoter. Charli XCX was her MSN Messenger display name for her MySpace. Despite her age, she soon began to perform at illegal warehouse parties and raves in East London, taking any opportunity to get her name known. This eventually led to her getting signed by Asylum Records in 2010, who she has been with since.

However, making music for raves was not where Charli pictured her career going. When she left that scene, after getting signed to Asylum, she was confused as to which path she wanted to pursue. In a 2013 interview for The Guardian, she said “I was lost, you know? I was still in school, I’d just come out of this weird rave scene, and I wasn’t really sure what to make of that. And when I got signed I hated pop music; I wanted to make bad rap music. I didn’t know who I was. I didn’t know what I liked. Even though I was signed, I was still figuring it out.’”

Despite her initial dislike of pop, she found her voice and has become famous in the pop industry. Though, unlike today’s Queens of Pop, like Ariana Grande, Taylor Swift, or Miley Cyrus, Charli XCX’s sound has an edge to it, managing to make even her sad songs something you’d want to dance to.

With her incredible voice that’s been compared to Gwen Stefani or Marina and the Diamonds and her clear vision to create a new sound distinctly her own, she has rightly earned her own title as The Queen of Future Pop. Not on the same level as the Queens of (Mainstream) Pop, as Charli opened for Swift just last year on her 2018 Reputation Tour, but without a doubt Charli XCX is blazing her own trail to become a household name, herself.

Now on her 3^rd solo album, self-titled “Charli,” this album has 15 songs with 14 guest artists. Some of the guests who collaborated with her include Troye Sivan, Lizzo, Kim Petras, Tommy Cash, and Clario.

As described by Charli in a Tweet to her fans, the album is emotional, club, tender and aggressive at the same time. Every song is different from the last in the best way possible and leaves the listener wondering how she is going to push the boundaries of pop on the next track, or even on her next album.

So, if you like to discover new music and have a great time (at the same time), you should see Charli XCX. It’s likely that after hearing only a few of Charli’s songs you’ll be counting down the days till she’s back in Prague, and surely next time performing at the O2 Arena, where the likes of Ariana Grande performed just a few months ago, in September.

Tickets for Charli XCX can be purchased at The Roxy website

The Art Nouveau style kino Lucerna in Prague, one of the most representative venues of Czech cinematography, hosted today the press conference to present MittelCinemaFest 2019, the Central European Festival of Italian cinema, now in its 7th edition in Czech Republic.

Francesco Saverio Nisio, Italian Ambassador, Alberta Lai, Director of the Italian Cultural Institute of Prague and Matteo Mariani, Secretary General of the Italian-Czech Chamber of Commerce and Industry presented the initiative.

The conference has been attended also by Maestro Walter Attanasi, who on 3^rd December will conduct the PKO orchestra of Prague with a programme of music by Nino Rota, Nicola Piovani and Luis Bakalov from the most famous films of Federico Fellini. His concert will officially open the celebrations for the centenary of the birth of the great film director in Prague.

“MittelCinemaFest 2019 offers a selection of films of great directors and emerging authors, of comedies and dramas, which will carry the viewers through an immersive experience into the contemporary Italian cinema as a mirror of Italy of our day”, Ambassador Nisio declared.

He also pointed up the great synergy between Institutions and Italian business community, which even this year has allowed the realization of one of the most important initiatives in the diverse cultural scene of Czech Republic.

The festival will be inaugurated on 28^th November, in the Great Hall of Lucerna cinema, with the film “Quanto basta”, at the presence of the director Francesco Falaschi. Then, the Festival will stop in Ostrava, at Luna cinema, from 5^th to the 8^th December, and in Brno, at Art cinema, from 8^th to 9^th December.

During the Festival, eight films will be screened. They have been protagonists in the main international festivals this year and, recently, at the Venice Film Festival. ENIT – National Tourism Board and the promotion of the Italian territory will be the protagonists at the opening night as well.

All films will be screened in their original language with Czech and English subtitles. The tickets will be available online and at cinemas’ box office. Italian Embassy in Prague, Italian Cultural Institute, Italian-Czech Chamber of Commerce and Industry, ENIT, Istituto Luce Cinecittà, Lucerna cinema of Prague organize the event in collaboration with City of Prague, UniCredit Bank, Ferrero, Segafredo, Alchymist Hotel of Prague, Eleutheria Foundation, Italian Business Center and other partners.

MittelCinemaFest 2019 is held as part of the celebrations for the centenary of the opening of the Italian representation in Prague and the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries.

More info here

Albertov and Národní třída in Prague are symbols of November 17th and this year they will become essential places to celebrate the 30th anniversary of the beginning of the Velvet Revolution.

The Freedom Festival, as the citizens’ initiative calls the set of events, will occur on Sunday 17 November in Albertov and then follow up with a series of other events. See what happens and where.

Velvet procession

A memorial procession on the route of the student manifestation on 17 November 1989. It is organized by the Freedom Festival initiative and ART Prometheus.

When: November 17, starts at 14:30 on Albertov for approximately 2.5 hours.
Route: Albertov – Na Slupi – Přemyslova – In the Fortress – the circuit at Vyšehrad – In the Fortress – Vratislavova – Vnislavova – Subway railway bridge at Výtoň- Rašínovo Embankment – Masarykovo Embankment – ends at Národní třída.

Free November: Commemorating November 17 at Albertov

Meetings of academics, students and citizens, concerts, discussions, presentations of student activities. Organized by: Center of Associations, Students and Graduates of Charles University.

When: November 17, starts at 9:00 until 14:30 approximately.

During the day, student clubs will present their activities at Albertov, several discussions will take place, and there will be a chance to see a unique exhibition of 17 stories of 17 November from 17 faculties of Charles University.

Velvet sanctification

Satirical parade of masks, performers and musicians through the centre of Prague. Organized by: FORUM association

When: November 17, starts at 14:00 at Kampa for approximately 3.5 hours.
Route: Kampa – Maltese Square – Charles Bridge – Smetana Embankment – Národní třída – Na Perštýně – Jilská – Old Town Square – Celetná – Hybernská (ending in the courtyard of the Hybernská Campus).

Communication 89

A multimedia exhibition in a unique space in Letná. Organized by Shoah Memorial Prague o.p.s.

Where: Letná Plain (opposite Generali Arena)
Opening hours: 10:00 – 18:00. Open until the end of November.

The memory of a Nation: 1989

Projection and light installation on Národní třída

Where: Národní třída
When: November 17, at 17:00, 18:45 or 20:00

This year’s memory of the nation is preparing a stunning light installation and projection at Národní třída. Light, sound, atmosphere, but mainly stories related to the anniversary of the Velvet Revolution. The screening is presented by Memory of Nation in collaboration with 3dsense and the association Díky, že můžem.

Nation Memory Awards

The award ceremony for personalities who have shown in their lives honour, freedom and human dignity. Organized by: Post Bellum, o.p.s.

Where: National Theater
When: November 17, at 20:00

ČT2, STV and ČRo Plus will broadcast the National Memory Awards live

This year’s laureates are Władysław Frasyniuk (Poland), László Regéczy-Nagy (Hungary), Dietrich Koch (Germany), Dalma Špitzerová (Slovakia) and Miroslav Hampl (Czech Republic).

Concert for the future

Concerts and speeches on Wenceslas Square. Organized by: Nerudný fest.cz

When: November 17, 16:30 – 22:00
Performers: Mig 21, Tata Bojs, Buty, Vypsaná fiXa, Aneta Langerová, Vltava, Už jsme doma, Lenka Dusilová, Matěj Ruppert, Poletíme?, Bára Zmeková, Thom Artway, František Černý and Karel Holas from Čechomor, Circus Brothers or Skety.
Speakers: William Luers (USA), Michael Žantovský, Šimon Pánek, Jiří Přibáň, Václav Malý, Petr Pavel, Jan Kysela, Nora Fridrichová, Lída Rakušanová, Eva Dudová, Anna Hogenová, Lucie Smolková, Tomáš Halík, Jáchym Topol, Martin Mejstřík, Hynek Čermák, David Klimeš and Rosťa and Šimon Novák.

Korzo Národní

Great street party in Národní třída. Organized by: Association Díky, že můžem.

Where: Národní třída
When: November 17, 10:00 – 22:00 outdoors / followed by concerts at Rock Café and FAMU Club

Throughout the day there will be a rich program on several stages and the street, in addition to concerts and theatres, exhibitions, children’s program, lectures and workshops.

The Czech Republic commemorates the anniversary of the end of World War I on 11 November 1918 as the Veteran Day.

In Prague, war veterans will be remembered on Náměstí Míru square at an event organized by the local town hall in cooperation with the Association of Veterans of the Czech Republic, the Czech Army Military History Institute and the Czechoslovak Legionnaires Community.

In the morning, the memorial celebration will be given over to schoolchildren, some of whom will participate in performances. The main program will start at 2 pm and will be opened by Prague 2 Mayor Jana Černochová together with representatives of the Ministry of Defense and the Czech Armed Forces.

Military equipment will be shown to the public by soldiers, and a sextet of musicians will perform.

Stalls will have products with military themes. The program will be complemented by exhibitions and screenings of military documentaries. There will also be poppies, which are the symbol of World War I battlefields.

From 4 pm, people can light candles for soldiers who have fallen in conflicts since World War I.

There will be another memorial celebration at the National Monument at Vítkov in Prague 3. This one is more formal and will include a wreath-laying. Medals and honors will also be awarded. Minister of Defense Martin Stropnický will participate, along with other government representatives and diplomats.

The day will end with an open-air mass paying tribute to fallen soldiers.

The War Veterans’ Day, marking the day when the armistice came into force at the close of WWI 101 years ago, has been celebrated in the Czech Republic since 2001.

The Czech military registers about 530 living WWII veterans, compared with 800 two years ago.

After reducing emissions, eliminating noise and protecting groundwater and surface waters, Václav Havel Airport is embarking on a new environmental protection program. It aims to reduce the consumption of disposable plastics in the airport environment as much as possible and to encourage passengers to consume this kind of plastic as little as possible.

For our company, plastic products are becoming an increasing issue to fight against. Even if we now completely stop the production of all plastics and their products, they will still be a problem for many generations to come.

According to a study published in 2017 in the prestigious science journal Science, we have managed to “enrich” our planet by 8.3 billion tons of plastics, whose collection, recycling and subsequent disposal will be a big problem. Moreover, the production rate of plastics remains high and if we do not significantly reduce it, we can be overwhelmed with up to 34 billion tons of plastics in 2050.

This scenario not only stresses out many but also begins to affect many businesses and governments that try to avoid it. This is evident by the recent decision of the European Union to definitively ban the use of disposable plastics, which are one of the most problematic forms of plastic products. It wants to say goodbye to Václav Havel Airport nowadays in the new program Plastics No Longer.

“Although the European Parliament has approved a ban on the use of disposable plastics only since 2021, Prague Airport is already launching its own initiative and will gradually put into practice concrete measures to reduce disposable plastics. The aim is, among other things, to motivate passengers to reduce their environmental impact and to travel with, for example, reusable beverage bottles or to dispose of beverages in disposable plastic bottles prior to a security check but to empty them and use them again,” said the Director of Prague Airport Environmental Protection.

In the fight against plastics, Prague Airport joins other airports around the world, including San Francisco. This completely banned the sale of water in plastic bottles at the terminal, which is one of the most common and often unnecessarily thrown away plastic waste due to airport checks and drinks while waiting for connections. It is often impossible to fill the bottle behind the control gates, so there is nothing else to do but to throw it out and buy a new one.

Photo: Prague Airport

Do not throw away the bottle before inspection

One of the measures offered by the new Prague Airport to passengers is, therefore, a sink and drinking system that allows the liquid to be poured out before the check and the same bottle is filled with drinking water free of charge. Sinks can only be found at Terminal 2 for the time being, with more being added.

At the same time, the airport reduced the disposable plastics in the internal catering of the airport staff. Water in plastic bottles will no longer be offered in offices, meeting rooms and various events. They replace glass decanters with water, often enriched with a variety of herbs. Glasses and small coffee milk in a plastic container will replace plastic cups and milk jugs, respectively.

The airport will motivate tenants to take similar steps. Lagardére Travel Retail, which operates several restaurants and snack bars within the airport, joined the Plastics initiative for the first time. In 2020, instead of disposable cups, customers will receive backed-up cups that they will return after drinking.

“Prague Airport also commissioned a study to help with the selection of suitable alternatives for disposable plastics. Therefore, when choosing alternatives, we will focus on the entire product life cycle, not just one aspect, such as biodegradability. Our aim is to choose a variant that is truly environmentally more beneficial than a plastic variant. Plastic is not always the worst variant, as is gradually confirmed,” added Soňa Hykyšová.

Photo: Prague Airport

Prague will welcome the New Year on January 1st, 2020 with a video-mapping show on the facade of the National Museum.

“The video mapping will last ten minutes and is called My, Praha. The show will be screened at the National Museum building and will be repeated three times every hour; the first screening will start at 6:15 pm,” Vít Hofman, spokesman for Prague City Hall

“It is a helpful step not only for all citizens of the metropolis who are sensitive to excessive noise but also for animals that face unnecessary stress every year,” Prague City Councilor Jan Chabr said.

Earlier this year, some 15,500 people signed a petition to regulate fireworks operation. They were most concerned about the impact of noisy firefighters and firecrackers on children and animals.

Meanwhile, the new association Ohňostroj pro Prahu (Fireworks for Prague) wants to preserve the fireworks tradition: “Fireworks have been, are and will be,” says Martin Peter, designer, and choreographer of the last five years fireworks in Prague.”

“I would like to give every citizen the feeling that Prague belongs to the people themselves,” explains the association’s director Šaršoun. “I believe that people are interested in fireworks, so we leave the financing to their will. Every citizen of Prague, Czech citizen or organization can contribute to our transparent account with any amount and help save a part of our country’s culture.”

However, only 40,000 CZK has been collected in the bank account. Organizers need at least 5 million CZK.

Last year’s show on Jan. 1 lasted 10 minutes and 52 seconds and cost some Kč 1.7 million, which was higher than the recent average of Kč 1 million for the shows. The theme was the Velvet Revolution of 1989.

Velvet procession

Free November: Commemorating November 17 at Albertov

Velvet sanctification

Communication 89

The memory of a Nation: 1989

Nation Memory Awards

ČT2, STV and ČRo Plus will broadcast the National Memory Awards live

Concert for the future

Korzo Národní

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