The Dancing House is an unusual building that resembles a pair of dancers; it’s is a rare example of top contemporary architecture in Prague, which otherwise abounds with picturesque historical buildings, churches and monuments.
A pilot project for the sale of long-term storage products has been launched in five branches of Czech Post.
Visitors can now find shelves with drinks, sweets, chips and other snacks. The project takes place in four post offices in Prague and one in the Central Bohemian region.
“This is a trial stage of the project which is based on our business strategy. It was preceded by a client survey that received positive feedback. We see in this format an excellent commercial opportunity. Thanks to the commission form we act as intermediaries and only provide premises”, – said the representative of the company Ivo Vysoudil.
The post office greatly reduced the sale of additional goods at its branches in 2014, when the then head of the Ministry of the Interior compared them to convenience stores.
Critics of the new project mainly raise their eyebrows at the choice of assortment. The Czech state, which on the one hand pays for campaigns to promote a healthier diet and at the same time spends considerable sums on the treatment of obesity, is now allowing the post offices to sell sugary drinks, biscuits and chips.
The Village of the Year in the Czech Republic is a national competition held since 1995, announced annually by the Ministry of Regional Development.
Its aim is to promote the “restoration” and “development” of the Czech countryside through communal projects carried out by villagers themselves.
Each year hundreds of Czech and Moravian villages enter the competition. Being focused on the countryside, the notion of rurality is one of the competition’s defining features.
Kostelni Lhota in Central Bohemia has been named Czech village 2022. It has about 900 inhabitants.
Between Poděbrady and Sadská, along the road that used to be called Slezká (Silesian) or Náchodská (according to the town of Náchod) there are four villages with Lhota as part of their name. They are as follows: Přední Lhota (Front Lhota), Vrbová Lhota (Willow Lhota), Písková Lhota (Sandy Lhota) and Kostelní Lhota (Church Lhota) respectively.
The dominant building of Kostelní Lhota is naturally the local church that – together with the vicarage and school – comprises the historical village center.
All of the above Lhotas were established in the second half of the 14th century. There used to be deep forest in this area before, as well as a rather wide-spread marshland reaching up to the place where Vrbová Lhota is located now with the Výrovka River, which was not regulated then.
A total of 175 villages and towns took part in the competition.
The jury evaluated the villages according to a number of criteria: the level of public life, the development of infrastructure, the variety of available entertainment, the quality of interaction between the authorities and local entrepreneurs, concern for green spaces and nature, the involvement of children and young people in the life of the village.
The foreign minister of the Czech Republic, current holder of the presidency of the Council of the EU, called for a “special international tribunal” after evidence of torture on civilians emerged from a mass burial site in Izyum in northeastern Ukraine.
“Russia left behind mass graves of hundreds of shot and tortured people in the Izyum area. In the 21st century, such attacks against the civilian population are unthinkable and abhorrent,” Foreign Minister Jan Lipavský wrote in a Twitter thread on Saturday. “We stand for the punishment of all war criminals. I call for the speedy establishment of a special international tribunal that will prosecute the crime of aggression,” he said.
Izyum was one of Moscow’s main strongholds in the area until September 10, when a successful Ukrainian counteroffensive aimed at recapturing the Kharkiv region drove Russian troops out of the city.
Following the discovery of a mass grave in a nearby wood containing the remains of over 440 people — mostly thought to be civilians — Ukrainian forces started exhuming the bodies on Friday.
According to Ukrainian officials, some of the bodies recovered so far show signs of torture. The chief of the prosecutor’s office for the Kharkiv region told the Reuters news agency that one body had apparently been bound with ropes around the neck and hands, and that other bodies displayed signs of violence.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has charged that Russia had “repeated in Izyum what it did in Bucha,” in a reference to the city in the Kyiv region where more than 450 Ukrainian civilians were found dead after several weeks of Russian occupation.
Ukraine filed a case of war crimes against Moscow over the killings in Bucha.
“Exhumation work continued today in Izium,” Zelenskyy said late Saturday in a Telegram post. “New evidence of the torture used against the people buried there has been found,” he said.
“More than ten torture chambers have already been found in the liberated areas of Kharkiv region — in various cities and towns,” Zelenskyy added. “Torture was a widespread practice in the occupied territory. That’s what the Nazis did.”
He said earlier that U.N. employees will soon be visiting Izyum and will report on what happened in the city. U.S. broadcaster CNN reported on Saturday, citing people at the U.N., that personnel from the U.N.’s human-rights monitoring unit, OCHR, were preparing to travel to the region.
A thrilling atmosphere among raindrops and several records. This was Mattoni Ústí nad Labem Half Marathon
Sebastian Hendel was the best athlete among the men, the Ukrainian Valeriia Zinenko dominated the women. The flat, fast course brought records to both winners, despite the cold weather and wind.
Hendel ran the course in Ústí nad Labem with the European course record time, while Zinenko achieved her personal best. “I was hoping for the victory and I ran really well, it was a great race with amazing fans, and even the weather ended up being better than it looked in the morning,” Stefan Hendel celebrated after crossing the finish line. “I want to run the Munich Marathon in three weeks, and today I confirmed that I’m prepared,” the happy champion added.
Valeriia Zinenko also rejoiced at her new personal best: “I am grateful for the personal one. I gave my best, and I am exhausted but happy.” The two record holders and all the other runners along the course were loudly cheered on by the enthusiastic crowd.
The 12th Mattoni Ústí nad Labem Half Marathon started from Mírové náměstí at 3 pm., and almost 2,200 runners set off on the 21-kilometre course leading, among others, through the local chemical plant and along the Elbe River with a view of Střekov Castle. The winner Hendel, who crossed the finish line in the best time of 1:02:52, was challenged by the second Vitaliy Shafar from Ukraine.
“It was an amazing race, the weather suited me, the course was pleasant, the spectators were great,” the silver medalist smiled, adding: “I plan to run a marathon in Korea in November and today I ran really well, this half marathon was not only a great training for the next races but also an amazing experience.” The third place went to Romanian Stefan Iulius Gavril (1:04:17).
Jakub Zemaník was the first Czech crossing the finish line, having coped with the flat course in 1:06.41. “I ran quite well, it was a stable performance, but the wind disturbed me, I believe that without it the result would have been even better,” Zemaník said, followed by another big favourite Vít Pavlišta (1:08:16). Petr Pechek completed the top three Czechs in 1:08:38.
One of the biggest stars among the women, together with the winning Zinenko, was the Czech Olympian Kristiina Mäki. She completed her first ever half marathon and finished as the best Czech woman in 1:13:57, second only to the winner Zinenkova (1:10:55).
“The fans were incredible and the race had a fantastic atmosphere. It was a wonderful experience , the only thing that bothered me was the headwind, but I still managed a time more than a minute better than I had hoped for,” the famous Czech athlete said. Gabriela Veigertová (1:16:10) took the third place among the women.
A traditional part of the sports festival in Ústí nad Labem was also the Spolchemie Czech Cup in para cycling which is held under the Czech Cycling Federation and which started from Mírové náměstí at 1 pm. This year for the first time, there was also a new category on the programme – tricycling. All handbikers and tricyclists took to the half-marathon course and were able to enjoy the same atmosphere of the race as the elite athletes.
In addition to the main race, runners had also the chance to participate in the dm family run which started at 11 am., and there was also the afternoon dm Bambini run for the youngest kids and maybe future hopes of the Czech athletics. Approximately 3,500 runners took part in the Saturday’s RunCzech races in Ústí nad Labem.
“We want our events to attract not only the best athletes from all over the world, but also beginners, recreational runners and children, and to make running a natural part of the broader public,” said Carlo Capalbo, the President of the RunCzech organizing Committee.
The Krkonoše mountains located in the north of the Czech Republic recorded the first snowfall of the 2022-23 season on Sunday night.
According to pictures from webcams, the highest point of the country – the Sněžka Mountain – is also slightly covered in snow.
If your day doesn’t start until you’re up to speed on the latest headlines, then let us introduce you to our new morning fix.
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The architect Vlado Milunic, who was born in Croatia but spent almost all his life in Czechia, has died at the age of 81. He is best-known for co-designing Prague’s now iconic Dancing Building with the American architect Frank Gehry.
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A freshly published opinion poll by the STEM agency suggests ANO would have won elections in September with 30 percent of the vote. The survey puts Tomio Okamura’s anti-EU Freedom and Democracy Party second on 14.3 percent, just ahead of government leaders the Civic Democrats on 14.2 percent.
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A long-standing employee of the Czech Foreign Ministry cooperated with the Russian intelligence service (SVR) and leaked secret information to them, according to reports in Denik N on Thursday. The official had to leave the ministry, wrote Denik N, corroborated by the Aktualne.cz and Respekt.cz news sites.
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According to Median’s August election model, Andrej Babiš and Petr Pavel would advance to the second round of the presidential election, with Danuše Nerudová finishing third. Although Babiš is leading, he would lose in a duel with Pavel in the second round, according to the poll. Babiš has not yet announced his candidacy.
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A new-born girl was placed in a babybox in Třebíč on Wednesday morning. She was given the name Elizabeth in honour of the late British Queen, the founder of the Czech baby box network, Ludvík Hess said.
Due to its shape, the building is also known as Ginger and Fred after famed dancers Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers. It’s formed by two central towers; the one known as Ginger is made of glass and steel, while Fred has a concrete body and a metal head.
It’s located next to the building where the late President Vaclav Havel used to live. It was built on a plot of land that earlier housed a 19th-century neo-Renaissance building that was destroyed in a World War II air bombardment.
Havel is said to have been the first who talked to Milunić about making an architectural study for a possible arts center on the plot. In 1992, the Dutch company Nationale Nederlanden acquired it, seeking to build an office building, and Milunić approached Gehry to participate. He agreed.
Their nine-story project was completed in 1996 and was named among “The Best Design of 1996” by Time magazine.
The unusual architecture initially caused some controversy, with critics saying it didn’t fit its historical surroundings. But such arguments gradually disappeared and the building became a must-seen site for tourists alongside Prague’s historical landmarks like the Charles Bridge and Prague Castle.
Born on March 3, 1941, in Zagreb, Milunić lived in Prague with his family since he was 16. He studied architecture at the Czech Technical University where he later became a lecturer. In the late 1960s, he spent three years in Paris on internships.
Among his other projects, the architect is known for an apartment complex and several retirement homes in the Czech capital as well as well a day-care center for disabled children in the city of Ceske Budejovice.
The first summit meeting of the new EU-plus forum is to take place in Prague, as the Czech Republic currently holds the rotating EU presidency, just ahead of an informal meeting of EU leaders on 7 October.
“Invitations will be sent out soon” for the summit, scheduled to take place on 6-7 October in Prague, with leaders of the six Western Balkan countries, Norway, Switzerland, Iceland, Liechtenstein, the United Kingdom, Ukraine, Moldova, Georgia, Turkey, Armenia, Azerbaijan expected to receive them, the EU official told reporters.
The idea for the new forum, a brainchild of French President Emmanuel Macron, is to provide a platform for political dialogue and cooperation while including countries aspiring to join the EU and those happy remaining outside the bloc.
The main aim is “to have a political discussion on strategic issues of common interest for the European continent,” the EU official said, adding that the main issues will include Russia’s war against Ukraine, the energy crisis and Europe’s economic situation.
Macron had pitched the idea earlier in May, amid the debate whether to grant Ukraine, Georgia and Moldova EU candidate status, as an option that would allow those EU neighbouring countries currently outside the EU framework to be more closely involved with the bloc.
Some observers had voiced concerns the proposal could mean looking for an ‘alternative’ to EU enlargement, to which France, and de facto most Western European countries, had been sceptical before Russia’s invasion of Ukraine gave the process new momentum.
Czechia’s Minister for European Affairs Mikuláš Bek said on Friday that he doesn’t expect Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky will attend the summit.
According to Mr. Bek, the Ukrainian president will not leave his country until Russia’s invasion comes to an end.
The Czech Republic took over the rotating EU Council presidency on July 1. It has listed the refugee crisis and aid to Ukraine, energy security, defense reinforcement and resilience of the European economy, among others, as its presidency’s main priorities.
Saint Wenceslas Wine Festival happens annually below Prague castle on the oldest vineyard in the Czech republic – Saint Wenceslas vineyard.
It was established in the 10the century and, according to the legend, Saint Wenceslas himself planted wine and harvested grapes in order to produce the sacramental wine.
This year on September 24, for the fifteenth time, you will get a chance to taste the excellent 50 kinds of excellent wines from leading Czech and Moravian wineries and also local wines in the authentic setting of the oldest Czech vineyard with breathtaking views of Prague.
In addition to tasting beautiful wines, you can look forward to many other delicacies. Of course, there will also be traditional burčák – new half-fermented wine.
Different DJs – TGT, I Am Styf, Subgate – will be playing for your listening pleasure, while jazz music lovers will be delighted by the great saxophonist František Havlíček and his band.
In addition, you can look forward to a variety of gastronomic delicacies.
More info on Facebook
- Where: St. Wenceslas Vineyard – Villa Richter, Staré zámecké schody 6, Prague 1
- When: 24 September 2022, from 11 AM to 7 PM Entry: 250 CZK including a tasting glass. Tickets can be purchased at the door. You can pay by credit card.
- Tasting tokens: 10 pcs for 250 CZK A token worth 25 CZK is the official currency throughout the vineyard to purchase samples and gastronomy. Tokens can be purchased at any time during the event at the door or from token vendors. The remaining tokens cannot be redeemed.
About Villa Richter
Villa Richter is an important Classicist monument from the year 1832, and forms an eye-catching architectonic landmark when passing through Chotkovy Park.
It stands in the St Wenceslas vineyard, the oldest vineyard in Bohemia. Exceptional views of romantic Prague are enhanced by sitting in one of three diverse restaurants focused on experiential dining.
The building of architect J. Peschka from 1832 is one of the most significant Classicist villas in Prague, together with the Kinský Summer House. It was the seat of the Cuban Embassy after the war, and later of the State Security Administration; film director O. Vávra used to live here at one time.
Since 1992, the villa has been under the administration of the Prague Castle Administration. In July 2004, the Prague Castle Administration organized a public business tender for repair and lease of the object and the restoration of the adjacent St. Václav’s Vineyard. Since the 20th June 2008, the villa and the vineyard have been accessible for public.
The Czech government, led by Prime Minister Petr Fiala, presented a plan to relieve citizens from unprecedentedly high energy prices, with ministers finally moving to put a cap on the country’s electricity and gas prices.
At the same time, proposals for price caps also came from Brussels. Jakub Kajzler, the advisor to the prime minister, spoke in an interview for Echo24 about how the Czech and European paths are related, who will not be spared by taxation, and how the Czech consumer will benefit from this.
Answering the question as to why the EU price cap being lower than the one approved by the Czech government, Kajzler said that the EU price cap is a reference figure that allows governments to tax revenues from sales for prices higher than €180 per megawatt-hour. The number, however, does not say anything about what the electricity price for the consumers should be. He indicated that the European Commission is only saying that governments can use the money from the taxed income of some producers to compensate the final consumers, i.e., citizens and entrepreneurs.
The Czech and European price caps are thus not comparable. A large part of the electricity that is currently being supplied was already sold in the last two or three years for much lower amounts than the €180 per megawatt-hour.
The energy giant ČEZ, for example, has a large part of its electricity sold at a price below €100 megawatt-hour. In this case, there would be nothing to tax and, therefore, nothing to compensate final consumers.
“The measures approved by the Czech government are complementary to the European ones. The European solution aims at finding sources for compensation while the Czech government is trying to compensate consumers for the costs with a price cap,” Kajzler said. “This ensures that traders cannot supply consumers with electricity for more than €200 per megawatt-hour. “And if traders bought electricity from producers for a higher amount, which of course happened because they had to buy on the spot market, the difference between the actual costs incurred plus the regulated margin and the ceiling of 200 euros will be compensated to them from the state budget.”
Kajzler explained that the compensatory fund of CZK 130 billion is meant for traders, not producers, as many consumers, especially companies, have not purchased electricity either because of their business strategy or because they postponed purchases since they still believed the price would drop.
“Traders must buy electricity for (consumer) somewhere at the current very high market price, and we will compensate them for the difference between this price and the set ceiling,” said Kajzler.
The government is looking for a balanced approach
Concerning the potential windfall tax, Kajzler stated that the government has not yet decided on it, as the European Commission has announced new adjustments that have to be evaluated. According to Kajzler, there is no time pressure, as the tax would only be collected for the year 2023. The government is, nevertheless, counting on additional tax revenue from certain sectors.
Speaking about the price ceiling of CZK 6 per KWh, Kajzler said that it should be a manageable number for most households, even if it is higher than in the previous years. Those who cannot pay can use other tools, like the housing allowance. A lower price ceiling would put too much pressureon the state budget.
Considering the comparison to France or Slovakia, where the price ceiling is much lower than in Czechia, Kajzler noted that low prices only apply to households while industry suffers. The Czech government is looking for a balanced approach that ensures industry can keep functioning and employing people.
When talking about the future, Kajzler said it is hard to predict electricity prices for the upcoming years:
“But let’s say that from a short-term perspective, we cannot expect to reach the level of 2020. But, for example, for the year 2025, electricity is now sold on the market for below 200 euros. If it is possible to increase electricity production, put LNG terminals into operation, and achieve energy savings, there is a strong possibility that the price will go even lower.”
Workshops for children instead of cars, local delicacies instead of fast food and time to get to know your neighbors better instead of hustle and bustle.
On Saturday, September 17, the AutoMat association, together with hundreds of volunteer organizers, is preparing the festival Zažít město jinak (Take Back Your Street) and a varied program tailored to each participating street. This year, with the motto “No boundaries”, they are also trying to overcome barriers in public space and those in our heads.
“Each neighborhood site involved is completely different. It reflects the spirit of the place as well as who undertakes the organization of the program. Sometimes it is a local school or a pub, in others it is an art group, an activist association or even a parish. Some places will become the scene of a larger street festival, while others are planning “just” a neighborhood picnic or a film screening,” explains Tomáš Fridrich, the main coordinator of Zažít město jinak (Take back your street).
“But they are all united by the fact that Zažít město jinak event is open to everyone – children, seniors, people with health restrictions and, on the fringes of society, our neighbors from Ukraine and other countries. This is also reflected in the program of festivities, which want to break down barriers and prejudices between people,” adds Tomáš Fridrich.
Tips from the program
It does so on several levels, e.g. in Ve Smečkách street. The festivities there reveal that the notorious street is home to a number of interesting businesses and institutions, such as a print shop and a library for the blind. There you can also try reading by touch. Bílá Vrána Cafe, which employs people with mental disabilities, will be involved, and the Living Library will also be on the program. This time, the festivities will cover the entire street and part of the program will take place outside on the sidewalk and on the comfortable terrace above Prague.
Na Bělidle street begins right next to Prague’s Anděl, where the Elpida center is preparing a sock knitting workshop, cooking soup together, swing lessons or a concert by the local choir. So Elpida will celebrate its twentieth birthday on the street in the immediate vicinity of one of the busiest places in Prague.
In Břevnov, they want to draw attention to what a barrier Bělohorská Street represents to the movement of pedestrians and to the life of the locals in general. This four-lane street with a tramway, which separates the Břevnov Monastery from the western part of Břevnov, interrupts the historical axis of the Břevnov Monastery – the Ladronka estate. The organizers plan to overcome it together, run, jump over it or cycle through it. Parents with prams, senior citizens and even a giant chicken will get space. In addition to the happening from 6 p.m., you can look forward to an all-day program including bicycle painting, hill running or a garage sale.
Za Poříčskou branou street near the Florenc metro station is not one of the most sought-after locations. This time, however, it will be transformed into a pleasant meeting place. You can look forward to a varied musical production, goodies to eat and drink, a sand painting workshop, work with a potter’s circle or a neighborhood swap.
We engage the Ukrainian community
The effort to get to know new Ukrainian neighbors and help them get involved in community events is one of the goals of this year’s Zažít město jinak.
How did they approach it in individual locations? Reflection of Russian aggression through the eyes of Ukrainian authors is the name of a bilingual moderated segment consisting of readings and discussions with viewers. This is what they are preparing for visitors in Horská street in Prague 2. You can also listen to Ukrainian poetry in Jilská.
A dance performance by the Focus Ukraine group awaits you at Krenovka. In Hostivařská street you will be able to experience a Piece of Ukraine through dance, violin, chatter and nice neighbors from Nová Ukrajina (New Ukraine). At the intersection of Pernerova and Prvního pluku streets, you can watch a dance group of Ukrainian dancers with their performance and an interactive workshop Na Cestě (On the Way), which was created as part of the project Tanec Praha to Ukraine.
Refugees who are accommodated in the Větrník dormitories will also offer traditional Ukrainian food and their own handmade products at Petřiny. Come and taste or buy anything you like and support them financially. Involvement of the Ukrainian community in neighborhood festivities Zažít město jinak you can support by purchasing a charity t-shirt. Proceeds go to translations of materials into Ukrainian.
The Security Information Service (BIS) of the Czech Republic exposed a former Foreign Ministry employee, who allegedly handed over classified information to the Foreign Intelligence Service (SVR) of Russia, Mlada Fronta Dnes reported Thursday.
According to the report, the suspect, a long-time Foreign Ministry employee, was under counter-intelligence surveillance for several years.
The publication said that while working at the embassy of one of the African countries, the Czech diplomat met a Russian couple, of whom the man was an employee of the Foreign Intelligence Service.
Then the relationship between them turned into full-fledged cooperation – the Russian intelligence officer demanded information from his informant, including classified information.
At the same time, the law in force in the Czech Republic does not allow the use of intelligence data in court, so the sources interviewed by the publication could not answer the question of whether the former employee of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs is facing criminal prosecution.
Prime Minister Fiala praised BIS, who had surveilled the man for years, for uncovering his activities.
One source told Deník N that the Russian spy agency had capitalised on the man’s “weakness for women and money”.