Easter is a popular Christian holiday celebrated by many around the world. However according to the 2010 Eurobarometer Poll, Czech Republic is the 5th most atheist country in Europe. According to this poll, 16% believe that there is a God, 44% believe that there is some sort of spirit, and 37% don’t believe in any type of spirit, God or life force. But Czechs still love to celebrate Easter and have many unique customs, some involving whips…
Month: March 2015
Proud to be Romani?
The Roma are a controversial topic in the Czech Republic, and people of Roma origin are often mistreated. After the fall of the Communist regime in 1989, the country began opening up to other ethnicities, and the treatment of minorities improved gradually. But there is still a lot of stigma regarding the Roma.
Age Shouldn’t Matter: Story of Successful Student’s Startup
“Having a challenge and doing new things that no one has ever done before motivates me,” says Vojtech Stehno, the owner and CFO at Foreigners.cz. Together with Andrea Teichmannova they started the company in 2009 when they were both 23-year-old students at the University of Hradec Kralove.
Afghan War Veterans – War in Ukraine
I spoke to Oleh Michnev, the head of the Afghan war veterans. He was very busy and was holding an important meeting, but Eduard who I wrote about in a previous article got me a few minutes with him.
When I asked him what role the Afghan war veterans played at Maidan he said, “Roles are for actors in theaters, we are Ukrainians and our most important function is to protect Ukraine.” He said that an unjust was done to Ukraine and the veterans want “European standards, not Yanukovych’s standards.” He went on to explain that under Yanukovych there were six different living standards depending on who you were, and those who have the least would get the least governmental support, and this is not the European way.
He told me that protests started with students who were living below normal standards. When they were beaten for protesting, their parents and grandparents were angered and joined the protests. “We don’t support any political party,” Michnev said, “we stand between protestors and aggressors to avoid the spilling of blood, and we of all people understand the value of blood.”
I asked him when they will leave Maidan. “We will leave last,” he said, “we are used to fighting for life.” He explained that Ukrainians can’t trust anyone; some of the politicians could be “wolves hiding in sheep skin.” They won’t leave “until the promises of new politicians are fulfilled.” They believe that it’s necessary not only to change the
government, but the entire system. They want a “birth of a new system,” he says, adding, “we will stand until then.”
https://olenakaguiukraine2014.wordpress.com/2014/03/16/afghan-war-veterans/
Second Hand Shopping in Prague
Many newcomers to Prague don’t know how long they’ll be staying. This makes shopping for furniture and clothes difficult. However Prague has a lot of second hand shopping options, and even places where you can easily sell everything once you move!
Russian Auto Tech Slowed by Economic Uncertainty
The Russian auto market, like others in Europe, is moving towards more connected and autonomous features, but as Olena Kagui reports, Western firms must navigate a tricky road due to that nation’s policies and steep economic slowdown.
http://analysis.tu-auto.com/telematics/russian-auto-tech-slowed-economic-uncertainty
