Compact archive August 5, 2008

Judging from what we have seen in the Czech Republic so far, we have a lot of Neo-nazi here, with increasing budgets and improved organization. They managed to turn a peaceful gay-pride parade into a street fight, they also got their behinds kicked when they tried to celebrate the Crystal night pogrom in Prague, and they still want more.

Lidove Noviny informed that Czech Neo-nazis plan ‘the biggest event in Czech history’ on 16th August 2008. The event, called by the right-wing radicals ‘Freedom day’ should be bigger than first-may communist celebrations. The meeting place is not yet known, however it should be somewhere in eastern Bohemia.

The organizers state, there are going to be neo-nazi music groups Before War and Syndicate, women nationalist organization Resistance Women Unity and other connected to the extreme right.

Masarykovo Nadrazi in Prague is being repaired, and the train depo from 19th century is being turned into a Railway museum. It is another confirmation of the new trend: interest in historic industrial, factories, railway stations, manufactures and service stations. The raw remains of human work since the industrial revolution up to recent past are in focus of the conservationists, who try to open it up to as many people as possible. In Prague itself, there are two famous industrial buildings – Vodarenske museum (The Water-House Museum) in Podoli or Cistirna vod (Water Cleaning facility) in Bubenec.

There are going to be for example valuable steam locomotives, the oldest diesel and electrical locomotives or so called saloon-caches. One of these was used by e.g. Edvard Benes or Franz Ferdinand. “We want an interactive project, where the visitors could test out the individual trains in business.” The museum director explains. The Masarykovo nadrazi museum is to be opened in 2014.

On Friday 1st August, the new addition to the family of animals at Prague Zoo arrived. It is a two years old male Malayan Tiger from Borneo. His name is Kawi, coming from zoo Lok Kawi; he was chosen by Prague Zoo experts in person. Kawi arrived to Frankfurt by Singapore Airlines, there he was received by Prague Zoo employees.

The Zoo, which Forbes Magazine evaluated as the 7th best in the world improves all the time. The last famous additions are Gavials, for whom they opened a new pavilion. Out of India, only ten zoos in four countries have them. The Prague group of three males and four females is one of the biggest.

And now, you can enjoy a really sweet video of a tiger in Prague Zoo. They are typical cats – just chilling out lazing around!

The Czech Goalkeeper Petr Cech came to London Chelsea in the summer of 2004 from French Rennes. If he sticks to the present contract, he is going to play for Chelsea for nine years.

Czech stated on his webpage that prolonging of his contract is a great honour and also an appreciation of his work for Chelsea so far. He continues that Chelsea was close to his heart from the beginning, because of “my team-mates, people, who work in the club, and of course great fans” Czech explains, why he didn’t hesitate with signing the contract.

Great pleasure from prolonging the contract was on the side of Chelsea trainer as well. He also stated for BBC that Petr Cech is the best goalkeeper in the world. 90 000 £ weekly for the Czech football representative with the contract until 2010 seals he is going to stay at Chelsea.

Pictures, paintings, theatre or advertisement leaflets of Czech Art Nouveau artists are now being shown to all those who love this light and airy art in the Bethlehem Chapel Gallery in the centre of our metropolis.

The exhibition called Ceska Secese is opened daily from 10 to 18, until 19th September 2008.

Beside the art-pieces of Czech artists, such as Frantisek Kupka, Ludvik Kuba or Max Svabinsky, who were granted the most space of the exhibition, the biggest space traditionally belongs to the Art Nouveau master Alfons Mucha.