Prague Morning, Author at Prague Morning

The Czech Republic has improved its position in the Reporters Without Borders (RSF) media freedom index, now ranking 14th out of the 180 monitored countries, up from 20th last year. The report released today was the 21st annual study of its kind from RSF.

Czechs still have the most positive view of Slovaks out of all national groups living in the country, according to the latest poll by CVVM released yesterday. Their stance on Russians has become more negative since 2020, while the view of Ukrainians remains almost unchanged. A total of 79% of respondents expressed a liking for Slovaks, followed at some distance by the Vietnamese (50%), Poles (47%) and Hungarians (33%).

Retired footballer Petr Čech has been inducted into the Hall of Fame of England’s Premier League. The Czech, who is now 40, is one of the most successful goalkeepers in the league’s history, notching up 202 clean sheets in the competition, most of them with Chelsea.

The first post-1989 rector of Palacký University in Olomouc, Josef Jařab, has died at the age of 85. Mr. Jařab was appointed in 1990 and remained in the post until 1997. He was an expert on US and UK literature and renowned translator and was a guest lecturer at Harvard University shortly before the fall of communism in Czechoslovakia.

President Petr Pavel will name two new ministers on Thursday, he said after a meeting with Prime Minister Petr Fiala. The head of state will appoint Mikuláš Bek minister of education, in place of Vladimír Balaš, who is standing down citing health reasons.

On May 4- 6, the Czech gastronomy will witness a new chapter.

The Makro Czech Gastro Fest will take place in Prague’s O2 universe, and it is the most massive event of its kind in the Czech Republic.

The event aims to take Czech gastronomy to new heights of excellence. The O2 universe’s four floors will host the national round of the prestigious cooking competition, Bocuse d’Or, expert congresses on current gastronomic topics, and much more.

The event will also feature cooking and bartending shows, new food tastings, pop-up restaurants, institutional catering sections, and a fresh market.

Makro ČR wholesale company, which is currently celebrating its 25th anniversary of entering the domestic market, will organize the Makro Czech Gastro Fest festival, together with the Czech Gastronomic Institute.

The first two days are intended for professionals from the gastronomy sector, while the third day is open to all food enthusiasts.

On the last day, there will be an announcement of the winner of the national round of the Bocuse d’Or competition, who will then compete in the European round in Trondheim in 2024.

The congresses during the festival aim to promote and acknowledge traditional domestic crops in Czech food culture.

For the full festival programme, bonus information and ticket sales for the event, visit www.makroczechgastrofest.cz

Through this event, visitors will get insightful information on the latest trends, practical recommendations on how to save time and costs, or proven cooking tips.

Renowned personalities of the domestic gastronomy scene will share their valuable professional experience, including Patrik Jaroš, the youngest Michelin-starred chef, Zdeněk Pohlreich, chef, and owner of Café Imperial, Klára Kollárová, the national sommelier of the Czech Republic, and Miluše Makó, the chef at Green Table Prague.

This event is an opportunity to experience the diverse and delicious Czech culinary culture and learn all about the latest breakthroughs in the gastronomic industry.

Nearly all the spas in the Czech Republic will hold a celebration to open the spa season in May.

This is usually linked to a number of cultural events and special programmes for visitors.

Karlovy Vary

Karlovy Vary will be holding a ceremonial opening of the season from 5 to 7 May. The busy programme is dominated by the Parade of Czech King Charles IV on Saturday, with a tournament of knights, acrobats and dancers.

Visitors can also look forward to famous film melodies performed by the Karlovy Vary Symphonic Orchestra or the Craft Fair for example. Fans of porcelain will be able to admire and also purchase products by the famous THUN 1794 porcelain factory at the Porcelain Fair in front of the Thermal Hotel.

The Bishop Emeritus of Pilsen will perform the traditional blessing of the springs. The ceremony will begin at 10 a.m. at Mill Colonnade and will culminate at Hot Spring Colonnade. Sunday afternoon will belong to the Sinatra Festival, during which visitors will hear famous ragtime, swing and popular melodies.

Františkovy Lázně

Františkovy Lázně will open its 230th spa season on 20 May. The town has prepared a varied cultural programme, which will take place in the music gazebo by František Spring. The so-called Awakening of the Town will take place during the morning, don’t miss the Mass and the parade through the town.

Teplice

The Beethoven Festival will begin on the evening before the celebrations at Teplice Spa. Beethoven’s best work (according to his words), the Missa solemnis, will be performed here on 25 May.

Music stages of various genres will also be present at the ceremonial opening of the 869th spa season. Lázeňská ulička will be newly introduced as an unexpected outing into the history of Teplice Spa during the Historic Market. An entire parade of kings and emperors, who were partial to ruling from the thermal baths at Teplice, will look down on you from the Royal Gallery of Guests, and the emblems of the greatest figures of music, who found inspiration in Teplice, will fly above your heads.

Mariánské Lázně

The spa season in Mariánské Lázně will open with a concert by the West Bohemian Symphonic Orchestra on Friday 12 May in the Casino Social Building. The official part will continue on Saturday 13 May with a Mass in the Church of the Virgin Mary Assumption, which is located near the colonnade. The ceremony on the colonnade after the Mass will include church officials blessing the springs of Mariánské Lázně.

Jáchymov

Cultural performances will take place throughout the day on Saturday 27 May at Jáchymov Spa and the spa town will dance to the rhythm of swing. A blessing of the springs ceremony will take place and visitors to the spa are invited on a free tour of the Astoria Mine Gallery.

Konstantinovy lázně

Konstantinovy lázně will launch the season on Friday 19 May with an exhibition vernissage in Švihák Pavilion. The next day, the Bishop of Plzeň will bless Prusík Spring and then you will be able to see a Beautiful Ride of Veteran Cars, an exhibition of costume jewellery from Jablonec and the actual ceremony of the opening of the season with two concerts and an evening fire show. Visitors will also be able to enjoy a promenade concert on Sunday after lunch.

Luhačovice

The start of the season and the coming of spring are traditionally celebrated at Luhačovice Spa with the Festival of the Opening of the Springs, which takes place on 12- 14 May. You can look forward to a parade in historic costumes and a music and dance programme. The traditional blessing of the springs will also be held.

Opening of the 2023 spa season in the Czech Republic overview:

Františkovy Lázně: 20 May
Karlovy Vary: 5 – 7 May
Konstantinovy Lázně: 19 – 21 May
Lázně Bělohrad: 20 May
Hodonín Spa: 6 May
Jáchymov Spa: 27 May
Klimkovice Spa: 6 May
Lázně Kynžvart: 27 May or 3 June
Lednice Spa: 20 May
Lázně Libverda: 27 May
Luhačovice Spa: 12 – 14 May
Náchod Spa: 20 May
Poděbrady Spa: 13 May
Slatinice Spa: 25 March 2023
Teplice Spa: 26 – 28 May
Mariánské Lázně: 12 – 14 May
Mšené Lázně: 6 May

Like most countries, the people of the Czech Republic descend from multiple genetic groups, and about 90% of Czechs can be traced to other ethnic groups that migrated into the country.

Genomac, a Czech firm specializing in genetic analysis, found that their country was about “half Slavic”, otherwise the Czech genome was a very colourful mix of different genes. They found that 20% of people they tested had relatives in another country they had no idea existed, and that some common genetic traits were rooted beyond the middle ages.

It’s believed that the people of the Czech Republic are made up of:

-37% Slavic peoples

-25% Western Europeans, mostly French, German, and northern Italy.

-9% Balkans

-9% Semitic, (arabs and jews)

-7% Germans and Scandinavians

-3% from other random parts of the world

-10% are “purebred” Czechs whose genetics are almost exclusively found in the northern Czech Basin (české kotlině.)

The first known people in recorded history to inhabit the Czech Republic were in fact Celts, who have left behind a visible genetic legacy on the Czech people today.

A genetic mutation called G551D which causes cystic fibrosis in Czechs and Austrians can be traced back to Celts.

But the distant history of Czech genetics gets even more convoluted and interesting.

When British Egyptologist Howard Carter discovered King Tutankhamun’s 3000-year-old mummy in 1922, geneticists assessed his entire genome structure and found that he had a direct descendantliving in Kopřivnice named Josef. Although we can safely assume that Tutankhamun never had a chance to learn Slovak or Czech, and never even visited, this interesting piece of trivia shows how interconnected we all are.

The study of Czech genetics isn’t just for fun, firms like Genomac can use their information to make important progress in medical research, like testing people’s DNA to decipher which diseases they are prone to, and which treatment they will best respond to.

Over the past four years, more than 1,300 pubs have disappeared in Czech villages, almost fifteen percent of the original number. According to data from Plzeňský Prazdroj, which classifies villages with less than 5,000 inhabitants as rural communities, over 250 rural pubs closed down last year alone.

Sugar prices in the EU have increased by 61% YoY, making it one of the most expensive food items. The Czech Republic saw the highest YoY increase of 98%. Experts attribute it to multiple factors, including a decrease in sugar production in Brazil and disruptions in global supply chains due to the pandemic.

Foreign Minister Jan Lipavský met with his American counterpart Antony Blinken on Tuesday, the first day of Mr Lipavský’s diplomatic trip to the United States. The pair discussed strengthening bilateral relations, support for Ukraine, cooperation in the Indo-Pacific, energy security, and defence cooperation.

The Czech pension insurance system ended the first quarter of this year with a deficit of 25.7 billion crowns, the biggest ever Q1 pension system deficit in Czechia. The government has stated that the current pension system is unsustainable and wants to present proposals for its reform this month.

A monument commemorating the crash of an American military aircraft in December 1944 in the town of Polná has been spray-painted with graffiti of a white letter Z, the symbol of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, the Czech News Agency reports. Police are investigating the matter.

The Czech Republic is recognized as one of the least religious countries in Europe and potentially the world.

The reason for this is commonly explained as the result of Communism. Suppressing religion is a tactic for the Communist regime, which was intended to fight against any organized power that could challenge them, such as the Catholic Church.

However, the Czech Republic is a leader in secularism and non-religion among its neighboring countries, many of whom were also under Communist rule.

Take, for example, our next-door neighbor Poland, which remains largely Catholic beyond the fall of Soviet influence. The only nearby country that comes close to the Czech indifference to religion is Estonia.

While Estonia did fall under the Communist regime like Czechoslovakia, it is a sizeable distance away and has a vastly different history. Consequently, it is logical to conclude that you cannot merely point to Communism as the answer to why Czechs are not religious.

So, what is the answer?

As might be expected, there is not simply one event that changed the country’s religious views. Rather, many historians believe that a long history of anti-Catholic sentiments and rejection of organized religion led to the prominent atheism seen in the Czech Republic today.

One definable moment in the Czech Republic’s religious history was in 1415 when Jan Hus was burned at the stake for heresy by the Catholic Church.

Jan Hus was a Catholic priest who had a large following known as the Hussites in what was then Bohemia. His death only led to a further uprising of the Hussites’ influence and rejection of the Catholic Church.

Over two hundred years later, the Thirty Years War came to an end, and the Catholic Austro-Hungarian Empire ruled over what would become the Czech Republic.

The people of Bohemia were forced to adopt a religion they had not agreed with for centuries.

Unsurprisingly, this did not lead to positive feelings towards the Catholic Church. The distaste for Catholicism lasted for generations and only grew throughout World War I.

It was not until the war was won and Czechoslovakia became its own country that the people were finally free from Catholicism in the very recent year of 1918.

Therefore, Communism did not bring its rejection of religion until centuries of disfavor for Catholicism in Czech culture.

From then, it was not difficult for atheism to become solidified in the nation’s beliefs. The fall of Communism did lead to a short spike in the people’s interest in organized religions, but it did not endure.

In modern times, Czech people primarily identify as atheist, agnostic, or personally spiritual.

A majority believe in spiritual concepts such as fate or miracles, but in a recent Pew Research Center survey, 72% of Czechs said they do not identify with any particular religion.

As with most historical questions, the non-religious Czech cultural phenomenon is the result of centuries of experiences.

The Czech economy probably pulled out of recession in the first quarter with slight growth driven by trade, preliminary data indicated, although high inflation continued to bite.

Gross domestic product in the Czech Republic increased by 0.1% quarter-on-quarter, defying a Reuters poll forecast for a 0.1% drop. GDP shrank by a less-than-expected 0.2% year-on-year, the data showed.

The Czech Republic is the first economy in central Europe to report first-quarter GDP data, but all have felt the strain of high inflation, driven by steep energy price rises last year.

At the end of 2022, the Czech and Hungarian economies slipped into technical recession, defined as two consecutive quarters of declining quarter-on-quarter GDP.

“So it is confirmed, the recession really ended (last quarter),” Komercni Banka economist Jan Vejmelek said in a Twitter post after the data.

The Czech statistics office did not give details of the preliminary data but said external demand buoyed the economy while household consumption decreased. Updated data is due on May 30.

Inflation has surged to double-digit rates across central Europe but looks to have passed a peak. Interest rates remain elevated and central banks are not in a hurry to ease policy until price growth is under control.

Industrial output figures in the region mostly showed declines in January and February, and activity is likely to remain sluggish.

Activity in Poland’s manufacturing sector deteriorated in April, according to S&P Global’s Polish Purchasing Managers’ Index, released on Tuesday.

The index fell to 46.6 from 48.3 in March, staying below the 50.0 line that separates growth from contraction.

For the first time in history, more than one million Czechs may visit Croatia on vacation this year.

In 2o22, slightly less than 850,000 people visited, the second highest number after 2017.

Domestic travel agencies are already reporting a fifth to a quarter increase in interest in visits to the seaside country.

Although prices in Croatia have risen significantly since last year, they remain lower than in the Czech Republic. Food costs, for example, jumped by almost 17 percent year on year in March, compared to 24 percent in the Czech Republic.

Furthermore, the Czech koruna has strengthened significantly against the euro in the last year, which Croatia switched to this year.

The koruna is at its strongest against the euro since 2008, making shopping in Croatia far more inexpensive than last year. The exchange rate against the euro was around 24.50 last summer, and it could be around 23.30 this summer.

When we consider the aforementioned lower inflation in Croatia, it is more expensive than last year from the Czech perspective, but the year-on-year increase is notably lower than what the Czechs are used to from their home country.

In March, Croatia’s annual inflation rate was approximately ten percent, while the Czech rate was fifteen percent, which is substantially higher.

Croatia tours have become more expensive

Czechs seem don’t mind that vacations to Croatia are now more expensive than tours to any other popular locations, including Egypt, Greece, and Turkey.

The main reasons are price of air tickets, i.e. air fuel, ergo energy.

However, direct train connections from the Czech Republic are also becoming significantly more expensive due to more expensive energy.

Night Trains to Operate Again From Mid-June to September 30

Night trains between Prague and Rijeka will run again this summer three times per week, starting from June 16 to the end of September.

The return of the connection offered by RegioJet comes following the successful operation of the same line last year, which in particular has attracted great interest amongst Czech and Slovak tourists.

RegioJet is also offering summer bus services to another two cities in Croatia – Split and Ogulin, though only until August 31. In total, the same provider offers services through either bus or train to a total of 56 destinations in Croatia.

Regarding the night train to Rijeka, the same will start its journey in Prague to Rijeka, will pass through Břeclav and Bratislava in Slovakia to its final destination in Celje in Slovenia.

The train from Prague will operate every Tuesday, Friday, and Sunday from 4.45 pm, the while the train from Rijeka will depart on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Saturdays at 2.55 pm.

A huge public park will be developed in the south of Prague. It will cover an area equivalent to ten Stromovka.

The river floodplain on the confluence of the Berounka River and Vltava River on the southern edge of Prague covers an area of over 1300 hectares, which is almost 300 x Wenceslas Square side-by-side.

The area is divided between five Municipal Districts and the town of Černošice.

An international landscape-architectural competition was held by the Prague Institute of Planning and Development (IPR) to select a design team for this project. The winning team consists of three studios from Catalonia, France and the Czech Republic: EMF, Norma and Pareto.

IPR Prague has received funding from the Norwegian Funds grant call “Bergen” for the project “Periurban park – a Tool for Reducing the Impacts of Climate Change”.

This initiative will contribute to the planning of the Confluence Periurban Park, which will be the first of its kind in the Czech Republic.

“The whole area is quite unlucky as it squeezed in a vise between a motorway, a train line and the Prague ring road. At the same time, however, we believe that a big park is already there, we just needs a bit of magic to bring it to life,” says geobotanist Albert Šturma.

It should also act as flood protection, and secondly, it will be a drought-resistant place, creating a pleasant microclimate in the highest temperatures.

The condition of pubs in Czech villages is incredibly alarming as more than 1,300 pubs have vanished in the last four years, which accounts for nearly 15 percent of the original number.

In 2019 alone, over 250 rural pubs closed their doors, according to data provided by Plzeňský Prazdroj, which categorizes communities with less than 5,000 residents as rural.

Although there were 8,929 pubs in March 2019, the number has decreased to 7,604 this year.

These figures take into consideration only pubs and restaurants, excluding bistros and cafes. The reasons for the decline in rural pubs are diverse.

The significant rise in input prices has adversely affected the gastronomy sector, especially the rural pubs have to decrease the customers” prices because they are open to any increase.

Furthermore, many people in villages and smaller towns prefer drinking beer at home than go to the pubs, which has resulted in a difficulty attracting new customers for rural pub owners.

Luboš Kastner reiterated that the revenues are increasing only for Prague’s restaurants and pubs, with a 36 percent revenue surge while there is a reduction in business profitability in rural areas.

As many rural pubs are shutting down, people living in secluded areas are having a hard time finding a nearby spot for socializing. This may lead to migration from rural to urban areas for socialization.

The scenario seems unlikely to improve in the future.

Ukraine’s EU accession could begin soon if all EU member states can be persuaded, said Czech Foreign Minister Jan Lipavsky after President Petr Pavel vowed to push for accession talks to be opened by the end of this year.

Pavel previously said he would be pushing for this in line with the position of Czech diplomacy, which Kyiv also seeks.

“I can imagine it, but there must be consensus in the entire EU-27,” Lipavsky said. However, many EU member states are sceptical, and Czechia is trying to allay their fears. Ukraine would have to meet all the conditions and “cannot enjoy any reliefs” in this respect, Lipavsky said.

Ukraine was granted candidate status for EU membership in 2022.

It received seven recommendations from Brussels last year that it should follow to move closer to membership in the bloc.

European Commission Chief Ursula von der Leyen said in January this year that Ukraine had made good progress in implementing those recommendations related to domestic politics and the judiciary, such as the fight against corruption and the procedure for approving judges of the Ukrainian Constitutional Court.

Czechia, in cooperation with other allies, will seek ways to increase the supply of ammunition to Ukraine, Czech President Petr Pavel said after returning from a two-day visit to Ukraine.

According to Mr. Pavel, Ukraine has a critical shortage of ammunition, which is essential for the country to launch a counter-offensive against Russia and regain control of its territory.

Get to know Israeli culture up close – the second year of the Israel on the River festival returns to Strelecky Island on Sunday, May 21

MINT Market, in cooperation with the Israeli Embassy, brings the second year of the Israel on the River event. On Sunday, May 21, Strelecky Island will come alive with Israeli music, great cuisine and lots of talsk, workshops and entertainment.

The entry to the event is free and four-legged pets are welcome.

Throughout the day, visitors will be accompanied by great music produced by live bands, DJs, or choirs. The headliner is the Israeli band Anna RF playing upbeat electro-trad reggae. They have already presented themselves to the Czech audience at the Colors of Ostrava festival. Singer and songwriter Ran Nir was born and raised in Jerusalem.

His musical journey began in the streets of the city, where he discovered a wide range of musical influences. He is known for his emotional and introspective music as well as his deep voice.

The Shiran choir is a representative choir of the conservatory in Akko, which has been operating for 30 years. During his existence, he performed at many concerts not only in Israel, but also in the USA and Europe. The members of the choir are young Jewish and Arab women, led by conductor Luba Alexandrovič. At the end of the day, DJs Avi&Lir and DJ DubTazer will perform.

In addition to the musical production, visitors can look forward to a variety of talsk and workshops that will present Israeli culture from all possible angles. Comic Book Guide So here we are, Moses!!! tells the story of the exodus of the Jews from Egypt in such a way that it will captivate even the biggest atheist.

On the occasion of the Israel on the River festival, the authors will also prepare a fun educational game for the whole family, in the style of a comic book. Moshe Kepten is one of Israel’s most respected directors and currently also the artistic director of Israel’s National Theater “HaBima”.

During the discussion, Moshe Kepten will reveal when and in which theater performance you can see star actors from Israel in Brno. Alžběta Glancová, who translated it into Czech, will present the book by the Israeli author Shemi Zarchin One Beautiful Day.

For the second year already, Omer Tal – a music and dance director with more than 10 years of experience on the Israeli scene – leads the children’s dance group of the Lauder School in Prague. Visitors can therefore look forward to a performance full of various dance techniques and special choreographies.

They will then be able to try out some traditional Israeli dances at a workshop organized by the Besamim dance group.

They will also be able to participate in a workshop that will introduce the typical Israeli martial art of Krav Maga, play backgammon also known as Shesh Besh in Hebrew, learn the basics of Hebrew and watch short films that will be screened in collaboration with the Israeli Kolnoa Film Festival.

In cooperation with the MINT Market, there will be stalls with great food and drinks, which visitors will be able to enjoy right on the island in the middle of the Vltava, full of greenery, as if it were made for family picnics. In addition to authentic food, there will also be booths featuring fashion, jewelry, books by Israeli authors and with Jewish themes, and other accessories from creators with Israeli roots.

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