Czechia in 30 minutes

From Čapek and Einstein to Protectorate-era hockey and OMD. Dive into the 90-year history of international broadcasting that shaped the image of Czechoslovakia around the world and became the voice of hope, art and political propaganda.

Trauma of betrayal we should learn from: Political leaders honor victims of 1968 invasion, “He was sending a message to future generations”: Artist Hynek Martinec on Jan Palach’s legacy, Broken angel, believed to have inspired one of Karel Kryl's 1969 protest songs, coming home

Measures against drought, exhibition of 1968 letters to RPI, history of the Šumperak houses

From reflections in the ionosphere to the musical oasis of Interprogram. Dive into the history of Radio Prague, which connected countries and offered popular music in exchange for political proclamations.

The voice that was meant to conquer the airwaves: How Radio Prague spread communism around the world

Okamura in China, Radetzky monument returning to Prague's Malá Strana, Phonopolis computer game

Iconic Barrandov Bridge sculpture collapses, Czechia's first train-tram hits test track, President Pavel interview

Shortly after the end of World War II, free voices returned to Prague’s radio studios. However, hopes for independent broadcasting were soon wiped out by the arrival of the Cold War and the Iron Curtain. Within a few years, Czechoslovak Radio’s international broadcasts had been transformed into a strategic weapon, tasked with spreading a particular message to every corner of the globe.

Stone heart of Europe monument, Vamos Argentina! The team's biggest football fan lives in Czechia, Rudy Linka and Bohemia Jazz fest

The government is planning legal changes that would impact Ukrainian citizens; an artwork by a Czechoslovak soldier based in England during WWII has gone back there.

RPI will celebrate its 90th birthday on August 31. In our 8-part series we look back at the history of Czech Radio’s international service and the events that shaped the station over the years. Part 1 focuses on the station's early years.

Ninety years ago, a broadcast first went on air from Prague’s Strašnice district with a single mission: to make heard the voice of Czechoslovakia, a small country in the heart of Europe.  Radio Prague International was not created as a pastime, but as a strategic weapon against Nazi propaganda. Through the crackle of the airwaves, presidents, ordinary people and visionaries spoke to listeners abroad. This is the story of courage behind the microphone that began in 1936 and had to withstand attacks, lies, and the fateful Munich Agreement. Discover an era when radio connected continents in the struggle for freedom.

Colours of Ostrava festival has new stage, oldest oak in Czehcia is 492, Czech Technical University has 2 fission reactors for training students

General Hlaváč takes over Czech military, pledges stronger army and closer NATO readiness, Scholars from around the world gather in Prague for World Czech Studies Congress, Irish Ambassador Alan Gibbons: “Each member has different history, but EU project has been transformative”

Three royal officials were thrown from a window at Prague Castle in 1618—and survived. But the Second Defenestration of Prague helped ignite the Thirty Years’ War, one of the deadliest conflicts in European history . The weekend edition of Czechia in 30 Minutes presents an abridged episode of Blood in Bohemia.

NATO summit dispute linked to next presidential election, Prague to boast one of Europe's longest street art murals, Ostrava Zoo: home to 451 species, including some extinct in the wild

Czech public broadcasters hold warning strike over funding reform, “Incredible excitement”: Hollywood icon Dustin Hoffman set for 60th Karlovy Vary Film Festival, Four-year ban leaves Vondroušová's tennis future in doubt

Julian Lennon: “Behind the camera I could be anybody, which is what makes me happy”, Rare Roman jug buried in 5th-century grave found almost intact in Moravia, Ukrainian veterans are helping build the future of drones in Czechia

Funding shake-up sparks political storm over Czech public media, After decades in exile, a Hollar masterpiece returns to Edvard Beneš's home, Friendship, culture and giving back: Diplomats raise CZK 1.3 million for Czech causes

A giant of glass and sound: St. Vitus Cathedral gets powerful new voice, unique archive documents thousands of Jews connected to Ostrava, St. Martin in the Wall: one of Prague's oldest—and most welcoming—churches

The latest episode of Blood in Bohemia, presented in the weekend edition of Czechia in 30 Minutes, explores one of the darkest episodes of early Czech history. British journalist Rob Cameron and Vít Pohanka discuss the remarkable life of Duke Jaromír—a Přemyslid prince who survived castration, decades of imprisonment and blinding, only to meet a violent end. Together with medieval historian Jan Zelenka, they examine what this extraordinary story reveals about power, violence and the making of the early Czech state.

SpaceBuzz in action: Rocket shaped simulator enabling virtual journey to space touring Czechia, praying mantis named Czechia’s Insect of the Year as the species spreads across the country, new Prague exhibition explores the hidden architecture behind Czechia's cottage culture

Sudeten German Congress in Brno stirs controversy, WWII paratroopers get lindent tree memorial, Vojta Náprstek Reloaded exhibition

Firefighters hold line in Bohemian Switzerland as drought fuels fire risk across Czechia, Priceless Great Moravia finds displayed in Modrá Treasury, From Prague to Australia: the lost photographs of Jiří Viktor Daneš

United Islands festival to take place in Prague this weekend, Ledecka reshuffles team in pursuit of Crystal Globe dream, Štvanice Island in Prague

Politicians clash over Czechia's defense spending shortfall, Czechia ranks high in Prosperity Index, but sociologist Daniel Prokop warns results can mislead, Klánovice Forest

The weekend edition of Czechia in 30 Minutes brings a conversation with Mexican expat Alejandro Cruz, who has made Prague his home. He reflects on culture shock, identity, and adapting to a very different society. His story offers insight into what it means to live as a foreigner in Czechia.

“She remembered every word”: Former ambassador recalls Queen Elizabeth II at book launch, The Přemyslids: A dynasty that shaped Europe revisited at National Museum, From London to Bohemia: Benjamin Souček on restoring stately homes and family roots

Public service media debate escalates: Employees in strike alert as Babiš meets Chudárek, Young Czech pianist Jan Schulmeister wins prestigious BBC music award, Dancing House exhibition marks 30 years of Prague landmark, A Czech Harry Potter collector: the Weasley twins are the quickest to send their autographs

Plzeň to celebrate liberation by US troops, 81 years later; Composers Summit draws film music authors to Prague; Mexican musician based in Prague Omar Rojas.

Amnesty’s Martina Nejedlá on Czechia’s human rights record, Karlovy Vary festival to pay tribute to Havel, Vášáryová, Mariánské Lázně, Rare aardwolf cubs born at Dvůr Králové Safari Park, Women in high places: meet two women who thrive in unlikely jobs

Clash over state plane reflects foreign policy switch; Czech-made video game takes BAFTA; smelly Czech cheese marks anniversary; US woman brings authentic bagels to Prague.

In the weekend edition of Czechia in 30 Minutes, we speak to Martin Sklenář of Globsec about how ready Czechia really is to respond to a crisis. His report ranks the country as a “mid-tier” performer—well-equipped, but slower in decision-making. What does that mean for NATO and European security?

NATO chief Mark Rutte in Prague for talks on defense spending, actor Jan Potměšil death, Dvorecký Bridge opens in Prague

William Kentridge exhibition at Kunsthalle, Elias Grandy on leading the Prague Radio Symphony Orchestra, interview with linguist Jan Bičovský on what dead languages sounded like

Concerns over public media independence in Czechia, as government unveils funding shake-up, Globsec report: Czechia strong in defence industry but lags in crisis decision-making, The National Library in the Clementinum

Prague City Tourism, Czech scientists develop new implants, Czech "Route 66" event, financing of public media

Hungary after Orbán: What to expect from Péter Magyar, Czech women seal dramatic comeback to reach Billie Jean King Cup finals, Moravian Karst caves may become next Czech UNESCO natural heritage site

In the weekend edition of Czechia in 30 Minutes, Petr Dudek, a current affairs editor at Czech Radio, looks back at the 1990s and their lasting impact on Czech society. He reflects on how Czech media and political communication have evolved over the past three decades. The interview also explores how today’s atmosphere compares to that earlier period.

Czech Radio radio play centered on Pussy Riot takes award in the UK; first Czech village gets AI mayor; end of mining in North Moravia after over two centuries.

Czech-Vatican treaty hits the rocks, Kateřina Šedá's book National Collection of Bad Habits, Imrich Bugar dies at 70, trip to Holešovická tržnice

Pavel and government at odds over NATO summit; WWII hero Peřina remembered; Mark Baker on 1990s Prague English-language media; Kačina Chateau's grand library.

Czech government introduces daily fuel price ceilings, economists remain sceptical, The most leaning tower in the world? Michalovice aspiring for place in Guinness World Records, From “dark mode” to real-life connection: How Pavlína Louženská reads the future

The Maidens' War -story of famous Czech legend, and village church cut off by water - Pasohlávky seeking to save St. Linhart’s

In Czechia in 30 minutes, journalist and veteran broadcaster Petr Brod looks back at the history of international broadcasting and its role during the Cold War. He also reflects on how global media have changed in the digital age. And he considers what future there may be for services like Radio Prague International.

Alice Masaryk's "Easter truce" - a legacy of peace and compassion,  Josef Šíma painting rediscovered after nearly a century to go to auction in New York

Mental health, digital risks and family conflicts among top priorities for new Children’s Ombudsman, Czech Technical University launches Visual Computing and Game Design studies, “We could not rely on international law”: Matviichuk speaks to Czechs about justice in Ukraine

Euphoria in Prague: Czechs end 20-year World Cup wait with dramatic win, Demographers ringing alarm bells: Czech birth rate falls to lowest level since 1785, Prague’s National Museum to display Olympic gold medal of Olga Fikotová-Connolly, Library of the Archbishop’s Castle in Kroměříž, Following in Henry’s footsteps: KCD fans flock to real-life Bohemian locations

Czech-Slovak joint cabinet session, push to criminalize drink spiking, Czech scientists develop probiotic dental nanofloss, Pisek bridge

News. Editors vs. PM Babiš: Czech media push back over attacks on journalism, Czech experiment with cash and social help for homeless people challenges stereotypes, How Liberec Zoo became a global leader in bird of prey conservation