Radio Prague International - latest articles

Adam Whybray, a lecturer in Film Studies at the University of Suffolk, has just published a comprehensive English-language account of the history of Czech animation, from the 1920s to the present. As the book’s title would suggest – The Art of Czech Animation: A History of Political Dissent and Allegory – he takes a keen interest not just in the craft but in the oft hidden, ambiguous or subversive messages therein.

Senate chairman and speaker Miloš Vystrčil is headed to Taiwan, along with a nearly 100-member delegation of businessmen, academics and seven fellow members of the upper house of parliament. The week-long visit starting Saturday seeks to strengthen bilateral ties and trade, in the face of fierce protest from China – and sharp criticism from some Czech officials.

Colonial history has increasingly come into the spotlight over the past years. The Czechs of course didn’t colonise any other countries – but that doesn’t mean they had no involvement at all in this controversial episode in European history. Charles University historian Markéta Křížová, an expert on pre-Colombian civilisations and American colonial history, has done a lot research into Czechs and colonialism. In part one of this two-part interview with Professor Křížová, the focus is on the activities of Czech adventurers and missionaries during the early days of colonial settlement.

Starting Saturday, people arriving in England from the Czech Republic will have to self-isolate for two weeks. The British government says it made the decision after data showed a significant increase of confirmed Covid-19 cases in the Central European state. I asked the director of CzechTourism in the UK and Ireland, Katarina Hobbs, whether she was surprised by the decision.

Prague’s Kampa Island, located on the west bank of the Vltava River, is among the Lesser Quarter’s most idyllic and romantic spots. The verdant oasis is set apart from the historic district by the Devil’s Canal and dotted with historic mills along its edges. Many celebrated Czech actors, musicians and other artists have called Kampa home, no doubt drawn to its tranquil atmosphere, and the waterways reminiscent of Venice.

Honouring the dead and caring for burial grounds is among the highest mitzvahs – religious duties or good deeds – that an observant Jew can perform, as it is a service for someone who can never return the kindness. With few members of the once thriving Jewish communities of Bohemia and Moravia left to tend to the cemeteries, local volunteers often step in to help.

Work is set to begin on a memorial to WWII resistance hero Josef Mašín and what are known as Czechoslovakia’s “three resistances”. It will be located at the farm that was home to the Mašíns, a family who left their mark on the country’s modern history.

Colonel Zuzana Kročová this month became the first woman ever to lead the University of Defence, a branch of the Czech Armed Forces that offers a wide range of advanced degrees. The freshly minted university rector will also soon officially become the second female general in Czech history.

US company Novavax is developing a vaccine against Covid-19 at a plant near Prague. The vaccine is set to go into trial production in October ahead of full production next year – and should be tried out on Czech volunteers in the final test phase.

A unique diary belonging to a Czechoslovak legionary named František Krejčí was recently discovered and published by his descendants. Filled with accomplished images, drawn by Krejčí himself, the diary provides a fascinating portrayal of a soldier’s experiences on the Eastern Front.