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Článek v ČEŠTINĚ dole (Klikněte na “Read the rest …”)

Melodies that bring a smile to your face, clever lyrics and recitation “charged” with a peculiar charm - no wonder that the compatriots in Australia evaluated a concert by Peter Nagy as one of the coolest they have ever experienced here.

Again, I had an opportunity to participate in the implementation of the Melbourne tour, organized in October in Sydney Australia by, as usual, an impresario Peter Vitek. Unlike singers Karel Gott, Helena Vondráčková, Marta Kubišová, and Olympic that we presented to Czech and Slovak viewers living in Australia in the past ten years, a Slovak singer Peter Nagy is not as known in the former exile since the beginnings of his artistic track dates from 1983. Read the rest of this entry (Čtětě více ZDE) »

Článek v ČEŠTINĚ dole (Klikněte na “Read the rest …”)

Exactly 70 years ago hundreds of mostly Jewish Czechoslovak children were saved from their eminent deaths in Nazi concentration camps. All of them and their descendants owe their lives to one man, a Briton named Sir Nicholas Winton, who organized the Winton Train rescue mission from the Czech Republic to Great Britain. Winton, who just recently celebrated his 100th birthday, did not speak about his heroic act for 50 years. Thanks to his wife, the rest of the world could learn about the rail “Czech Kindertransports” that he organized at the outbreak of World War II in 1939. The steam train transport reenactment, with some of the now-elderly “Winton children”, brought lots of emotions and awareness to the rest of the world and reminded everybody that even one person’s heroic act can have a great impact on the lives of many others. Read the rest of this entry (Čtětě více ZDE) »

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Today Slovakia commemorated another anniversary of the adoption of its Constitution. This binding document was adopted by the Slovak parliament on September 1st, 1992 to establish the independent Slovak Republic. The Czechoslovak Federation was subsequently disbanded on January 1st, 1993. This important day in the Slovak calendar was celebrated in many ways. You could see folklore dances, listen to traditional songs, tour the National Council of the Slovak Republic (the parliament) or the Bratislava castle, or enjoy the evening concert featuring the bands Desmond and Kalinka. The day was concluded by the ceremonial lighting of the Bratislava Castle. Read the rest of this entry (Čtětě více ZDE) »

Článek v ČEŠTINĚ dole (Klikněte na “Read the rest …”)

Today, like every year, Czechs and Slovaks commemorate the infamous anniversary of the invasion of Czechoslovakia. On that day the former liberator put an end to Dubcek’s effort to build “socialism with a human face.” The invasion reflected the disapproval of the rebirth of social and political freedom known as “Prague Spring.” On the night of August 20 to 21, 1968, the country was invaded by five Warsaw Pact countries. On that day the Prague Spring ended and was followed by the cold “Brezhnev’s Doctrine” that brought a new chill to the Cold War. The “Détente” was over. Read the rest of this entry (Čtětě více ZDE) »

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“Czech and Slovak Americans: International Perspectives from the Great Plains,” is the theme for an international conference planned by the Center for Great Plains Studies at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. The conference on April 7-10th at the Nebraska Union will examine Czech and Slovak immigrants and their descendants in the North American Great Plains region; their relationships with other Czech- and Slovak-Americans, and with Czechs and Slovaks in Europe and other parts of the world. Keynote addresses will be presented by Toni Brendel, author of “Slovak American Touches;” Martin Mejstrik, a pivotal student leader in the “Velvet Revolution” and former senator in the Parliament of the Czech Republic; Daniel E. Miller, professor of history, University of West Florida; Martin Palous, Czech Republic permanent representative to the United Nations; and Milada Polisenska, vice president for educational development and chair of the School of International Relations and Diplomacy at the New Anglo-American College in Prague. Read the rest of this entry (Čtětě více ZDE) »

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This year we had the great honor of hosting the Slovak singer Peter Nagy. The word “we” here actually means all of us living in North America. This May, Peter Nagy visited Canada and the USA and performed at four concerts: Toronto, New York, Boston, and Los Angeles. From what we have heard from him and organizers, we can tell you that he felt like at home here. He had a very good time while meeting new people, sightseeing, and of course at his concerts; thanks to the audience and everybody who was involved in organizing the concerts. Moreover, he was even able to make a new video clip for his song named “Rozhladna 25.” Read the rest of this entry (Čtětě více ZDE) »

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Czech and Slovak Scouts had a tough past during communism and the Nazi regime. Their activities that taught young children democracy were prohibited. This youth organization is on the rise again and on the 24^th of April it celebrates a holiday for two main reasons. This day is dedicated to Svaty Jiri (St. George) in the calendar of Czech name days or Svaty Juraj in the Slovak calendar. The British funder of the scouts, Robert Baden-Powell, chose St. George as the scout’s patron saint for his good scouting qualities: faith, truthfulness, and dedication to help others. This day is also dedicated in remembrance of 18 Czech scouts that were executed at a Jewish cemetery in Poland. This holiday is, therefore, very significant for all young people with strong values and respect for others that fought for democracy in the past.

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Článek v ČEŠTINĚ dole (Klikněte na “Read the rest …”)

Our website was originally created to close the gaps between Czechs and Slovaks abroad and their home country. Little did we know, that it would also serve as an information source for other people that are interested in our country and people, or that the interest in our articles would be bidirectional - read by our countrymen in the Czech Republic or Slovakia. Our site is not, however, the only site that offers information about both of these countries. About six months ago, we discovered a site that offers exquisite information about Slovakia from the perspective of a foreigner, therefore, giving valuable information to everybody that is planning on visiting the country for fun or even business.

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Finally, the “election fever” in Slovakia is over and the country can welcome its re-elected incumbent Ivan Gasparovic. As you may already know, Gasparovic was running for the Slovakian President post against Iveta Radicova. The first round of the election ended up with 46.71 percent of votes for Gasparovic and 38.05 percent for Radicova. The second election round resulted in the majority of the votes (55.53 percent) for the current president and 44.47 percent for his opponent.

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We are starting a new series of articles to describe culture shock that we, Czechs and Slovaks, experience abroad. It is not easy to learn to understand different cultures and accepting them can seem impossible. Hopefully, our posts will make it easier for you to cope with different cultures and help you understand why things are the way they are. This will, however, require your input as well. One or two individuals can’t describe different situations that many of us may encounter while living abroad. Therefore, we hope that you all will help us to capture situations, experiences, and solutions related to culture shock.

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Článek v ČEŠTINĚ dole (Klikněte na “Read the rest …”)

Visiting the Czech Republic can bring many experiences. Some of them may be good ones, while others can bring negative impressions or embarrassment. Our new series on Czech etiquette should help you to overcome the culture shocks that visitors to the Czech Republic may experience. You may also follow these rules when visiting Slovakia, since the Czech and Slovak cultures are very similar to each other.

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Anna Pospichalova is not an ordinary woman. As you may have recently heard on news, she just received the award of Righteous Among Nations. Why did she receive this prestigious prize that so far only 22,000 people from around the world have received? She just wanted to save the lives of three Jews during World War Two, while risking imprisonment, torture, or even death. This Slovak-born lady, now living in the Czech Republic, already received one award for her good deed about five years ago, thus, she was very surprised when she found out she had won this award as well.

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