Radio Prague International - latest articles

In the past few weeks the Czech Republic has opened its door to over 300,000 Ukrainian war refugees, a great many of whom are children. While their material needs are being taken care of, the process of healing war traumas is much more complicated. I spoke to one of the Czech Republic’s leading experts in the field of child psychology, Petra Winnette Vrtbovska about the problems that need to be addressed and how these children can best be helped to overcome the ordeal they experienced.

The Czech Association of Breweries and Malt Houses (ČSPS) is aiming to get Czech beer culture added to UNESCO’s intangible cultural heritage list. The authors of the application are optimistic about their chances, but warn that it will take at least four years before the effort is successful.

Czech politicians have joined the world in denouncing the atrocities committed by the Russian army in Ukraine, saying that the war criminals must be brought to justice. In the meantime, the Czech government has boosted military support for the country, sending T-72 tanks and infantry fighting vehicles to help Ukraine defend itself.

Following Viktor Orbán’s landslide victory in the Hungarian parliamentary elections this Sunday, some politicians and experts have questioned future cooperation within the Visegrad group, comprising the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Poland and Hungary. I discussed the question with political scientist Pavlína Janebová from the Association for International Affairs.

In recent weeks the Czech Republic has been providing essential services to hundreds of thousands of Ukrainian refugees. Now many are entering the labour force, but what impact will that have? And how best can they be integrated? I discussed this with labour expert Daniel Munich of CERGE–EI, who believes Ukrainian workers could benefit the country.

Czech animated films have enjoyed international popularity and acclaim that far outstrips what you might expect from a small country of 10 million people. A current Prague exhibition aims to show the public that Czech animation is still alive and well and to popularize it, especially among the younger generation.

A new exhibition focusing on Slovene architect Jože Plečnik has opened at Prague Castle, the Czech capital’s iconic landmark that Plečnik himself had a big role in reconstructing. The exhibit, located both within the Old Palace building and the wider Castle complex, marks the 150th anniversary of Plečnik’s birth.

The Czech Republic is bracing for a possible disruption in gas imports from Russia, as Moscow stands firm on its demand for payments in roubles. According to the Minister of Industry and Trade, Josef Síkela, Czech government is preparing for all scenarios, including the possibility of a total shutdown.

A Czech Army contingent headed for Slovakia on Monday where they will lead a multi-national battlegroup of alliance forces bolstering NATO’s Eastern Flank. The Czech troops will be joined by air and ground forces from five other allied states and tasked with protecting the border with Ukraine.

This year marks the 80th anniversary of the daring assassination of Reinhard Heydrich, the governor of Nazi-occupied Bohemia and Moravia. Operation Anthropoid was one of the most successful acts of anti-Nazi resistance in Europe during the Second World War. However, the Czechoslovak government in exile organized literally dozens of other operations in the territory occupied by the Nazi Third Reich.