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In late October a fire virtually destroyed a 17th century wooden church in Prague’s Kinsky Gardens that had been transported from Carpathian Ruthenia in 1929. Plans are already afoot to rebuild the Church of St. Michael – and a highly detailed 3D image created by US photographer Jeffrey Martin could provide a great deal of help in that regard. I asked him about his model – and his connection to the church.

Jara Dušátko has been teaching Czech for over two decades at Stanford University in California and is also president of the San Francisco branch of Sokol, the Czech gymnastics and sports organisation. Recently Mrs. Dušátko was honoured with the Czech Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ Gratias Agit award for promoting the good name of the Czech Republic internationally. I spoke to her from her home near San Francisco and began by asking why she had left Czechoslovakia, where she was a teacher of Czech and Russian.

Despite the Czech Republic currently being in the grips of the second wave of the coronavirus pandemic, people remain quite active in some parts of the country. At least according to anonymous movement data gathered by T-Mobile and analysed by a supercomputer at the Technical University of Ostrava. It shows that there are significant differences depending on the region.

The annual festival Made in Prague organised by Czech Centre London is currently underway in Britain, bringing the best of Czech film, visual arts and music to the UK audience. I discussed the event with the head of Czech Centre London, Přemysl Pela, and I first asked him to explain the title, which this year comes with a postscript On/Off.

On November 8, 1620, a major clash took place outside Prague between the Imperial Army of Emperor Ferdinand II. and those of the Bohemian Revolt. It would become known in history as the Battle of the White Mountain (Bílá hora). In a relatively short time the battle decided the fate of the Czech lands for the next three centuries. It was also the first clash between Protestant and Catholic armies in what would become a continent changing European conflict.

More than half of the Czech Republic’s biotopes are endangered, including peat bogs, marshlands and fens, Czech scientists have found. To raise awareness of the problem, they have put together the country’s first red list endangered biotopes.

From Monday the Czech Republic will classify virtually all other EU states as either medium or high risk on its “traffic light” map. This means people entering the country from most other members will need to enter quarantine or provide a negative Covid-19 test.

Tereza Rosalie Kladošová is one of the Czech Republic’s top young fashion designers. Known for eye-catching bright colours and bold, fun cuts, she frequently uses her own materials – including from the waste products of wool manufacturing – to conjure up genuinely one-of-a-kind pieces. She also makes various other items and in her guise as a stylist co-created the look of popular Prague restaurant Eska. Last year the designer, who is in her mid 30s, took the overall prize in the prestigious Czech Grand Design awards.

With the Czech healthcare workforce decimated by Covid-19, medical students and volunteers have stepped in to help out wherever needed –in hospitals, old age homes and Covid-19 test centres. I spoke to Šimon Kopp, one of the many students who are now dividing their time between their studies and helping the Czech healthcare system.

Despite the coronavirus epidemic leading to a severe curtailing of normal economic activity, Czechs have not lost their taste for entrepreneurship. According to data from Bisnode, around 2,000 companies have been launched every month since the pandemic arrived in the country in March.