The Prague Spring International Music Festival (not related to the 1968 Prague Spring) is a festival established by the Czech Philharmonic Rafael Kubel脥k to commemorate the death of Czech composer Bed艡ich Smetana. Every opening night for the last 80 years, Smetana鈥檚 national masterpiece M谩 Vlast is played by a different orchestra. Smetana鈥檚 music life began in his youth, developed further by collaboration with one of his inspirations, Liszt. This 2025, Semyon Bychkov will conduct the next opening.
Bohemian artist Frantisek Kupka is the forefront mind behind the art form of Orphism. Orphism focuses on color and abstraction, similar to Cubism but also an 鈥渆volution鈥 where abstract shapes are given precedence in contrast to solid, known geometric shapes. There are many examples of Orphism to see, spanning many years.
From the Brevnov Monastery to the modern-day Pilsner, the Czech people have been enjoying beer for over a thousand years. Known as the beer of tradition, Czech beer is ingrained into history itself. When beermaking was banned. the Brenov Monastery, as the first-ever Bohemian brewery, was exempt. Initially, after the ban on brewing ended, only noble families or homeowners were allowed to brew beer. It was in 1842 that the famous Pilsner was created.
Eli拧ka Junkov谩 is the first woman to win the Grand Prix, in 1927. Even before, Junkov谩 was 鈥淨ueen of the Steering Wheel,鈥 a well-earned title that she worked towards since 1922. Her dedication to racing began with her dedication to her husband, Vincenc 鈥溎宔n锚k鈥 Junek, whom she met at her job at the Prague Credit Bank.
After the death of Samo, there was uncertainty about the Czech and Moravian lands, but after the rise of Charlamange of the Frankish Kingdom, Moravians were able to recover. The princes of Moravia consolidated their power, and one in particular Mojmir I, rose beyond tribal institutions to establish Great Moravia. After Mojmir I's deposition, his nephew Rostislav became Louis the German's loyal vassal. In secret, however, Rostislav had ambitions beyond this.
In 1912, a strange manuscript surfaced in the collection of an antique-bookseller. It is written in a language that is not found anywhere else, contains pictures of plants that can not be identified, and astrological charts that don't match any records. The text today is known as the Voynich Manuscript, and it has been called one of the most mysterious books in the world.
Prague Castle is one of the biggest tourist attractions in the city. This complex is the largest in the world, and people from around the world visit to marvel at the site. Inside the castle complex lies St. Vitus Cathedral, the biggest cathedral in the Czech Republic and a wonder of Gothic architecture.
Legends and myths permeate every culture on Earth. Every corner of the globe has a harrowing cautionary tale to tell. Here we observe the prominent Czech legend of a Golem brought to life by a Rabbi. To set the scene, we must travel back to Prague circa 1583. It鈥檚 here that we find Holy Roman Emperor Rudolf II and his odd collection of art, practicing scientists, alchemists, and an obsession with occult knowledge.
This ancient Bohemian legend dates back to the 8th century and tells the story of an oracle who foretold the coming of a golden city. 尝颈产耻拧别, and her prophecies, were both a warning and blessing to her people. Ultimately, her prophetic visions would cause a chain reaction that would end her rule and usher in the 笔艡别尘测蝉濒id Dynasty.
There is no denying that 2020 has been an exhausting year. Towards the end of 2019, the Coronavirus reared its ugly head, and the world has been different ever since. Questions arose in all of our minds as to whether or not things will go back to normal. 2020 has seen its fair share of chaos, but the one thing that stands out during these trying times is the lack of social interaction.
The holidays are upon us and I thought we might look into Czech traditions for celebrating the New Year. In the Czech Republic, New Year鈥檚 Eve is called Silvestr, for the anniversary of the consecration of Pope Sylvester I, a saint who served as Pope of the Western Church from 314 to 335. Since the adoption of the Gregorian calendar in 1582, the December 31st feast date has coincided with New Year鈥檚 Eve
One can often perceive the richness of any culture merely by taking the time to sit and listen to the stories it tells. Czech traditions are no exception to this, and this time of year is saturated with history, customs, and celebration of the valuable inheritances we鈥檝e received from those that came before us. Perhaps by peeking into the traditions still celebrated in the Czech Republic and abroad, one can learn something about the history carved into its roots.
Puppet theatre is an integral part of Slovak and Czech local theatre and literary tradition. It also plays an important role in socialization, helping audiences young and old develop as creative thinkers and learn about cooperation, communication, and strengthening their sense of identity in society.
Everyone is familiar with the traditional European Christmas, and of course a jolly St. Nicholas. However, many are unaware of its Eastern origins. Saint Nicholas, a bishop known for his fabled practice of giving gifts in secret, was actually born in modern-day Turkey. In fact, only about a day鈥檚 journey away, this primarily Western tradition is being slowly adopted in Turkey, the so-called bridge between Europe and Asia.
It's quite a difficult thing to pin down an exact historical reason for any significant event. We can, however, follow the lives of a specific royal family and the events that surrounded their tragic lives. Over the course of a seventy-two year span, we will look at the events that led to the creation and dissolution of the Austro-Hungarian Empire.
