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"Cyborgs: Heroes Never Die" is a Ukrainian movie about the defence of Donetsk Airport during the russian invasion of Donbas in 2014. "Cyborgs" are the Ukrainian volunteer soldiers - participants in the defence of the Donetsk airport. The word cyborgs in the sense of "defenders of the Donetsk airport" was used for the first time in September 2014 by an unknown pro-russian militant. he tried to explain why advanced units of russian terrorist troops in full armour could not take the Donetsk airport, which is protected by several dozen of Ukrainian soldiers with small amount of arms. The defence of Donetsk airport lasted 242 days. Glory to Ukraine. Glory to the Heroes. Heroes never die

https://youtu.be/5o9G2AUoJ8g?si=O5s4YZpzk1KqJDNG

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Real story about the first 20 days of russian brutal invasion and occupation of Mariupol - a Ukrainian city that no longer exists. Available on Netflix

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Mustafa, a Crimean Tatar (indigenous people of Crimea, a peninsula that has been illegally occupied by russia since 2014), has his firstborn Nazim dead by russians in the war. The father comes to Kyiv, where his two sons went after the occupation of Crimea, in order to return the younger son Alim home, and to bury the older one in his homeland in Crimea according to Muslim traditions.

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Obchod na Korze (The Shop on Main Street) - Slovakia

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Obchod na Korze (The Shop on Main Street) - Slovakia

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A tragicomic parable about the impossibility of compromise with evil, about weakness, fear, ignorance and stupidity as a breeding ground for the promoters of violence. A chamber story of a simple carpenter who is sold a bankrupt Jewish haberdashery by his brother-in-law, the local commander of the Hlinka Guard, in order not to disturb his cadre profile. The simple carpenter, Tóno Brtko, finds himself between two worlds - the pure, untouchable world of the old, deaf Jewess and the world of reality, symbolized by the nonsensical wooden Tower of Babel in the town square, glorifying the ruling regime. Brtko obscures his transgression, runs away from it. He does not resist the naive vision of getting rich, but wants to remain an honest man. He is until, in a drunken fit of fear of both the fascists and his own conscience, he finally causes a tragedy.

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The Shop on Main Street (1965) ⭐ 8.2 | Drama, War

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Portuguese Revolutionary Song from the 1970s - This song being played on the radio was used as a sign to send the military against the fascist regime and start the revolution 

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Portuguese Revolutionary Song from the 1970s - This song being played on the radio was used as a sign to send the military against the fascist regime and start the revolution 

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https://youtu.be/gaLWqy4e7ls?si=zXM8lU9u1JupPOiH

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https://youtu.be/8uNFvtl1hxY?si=0gsjbt5yoQnLzS5e

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https://youtu.be/YohXXeRE73Y?si=280auJpVg-4BsmE9

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https://youtu.be/k2wpbZa6Yl4?si=E3L8yTa6Umf8DQpA

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TOMÁS WALLENSTEIN (CAPITÃO FAUSTO) | watch.tm 46

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Podcast about society, politics and economics by a Portuguese Politician

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Podcast about society, politics and economics by a Portuguese Politician

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https://youtu.be/R4W6QjEuaaI?si=L1bcPvpYIm_OVWVB

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Mariana Mortágua: quem são os facilitadores?

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Podcast about Portuguese football by 3 comedians 

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Podcast about Portuguese football by 3 comedians 

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FALSOS LENTOS T4 EP 42 - Muito mal tratados na Alemanha

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King Sebastian of Portugal and the Algarves disappeared in a battle in Morocco - there’s a legend that he will come back in a foggy day.  Every time there’s a foggy day people joke that he will come back 

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King Sebastian of Portugal and the Algarves disappeared in a battle in Morocco - there’s a legend that he will come back in a foggy day.  Every time there’s a foggy day people joke that he will come back 

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https://www.algarvehistoryassociation.com/en/portuguese-history/algarve-history/88-d-sebastiao-the-return-of-the-king#:~:text=Legend%20has%20it%20that%20one,as%20indeed%20he%20is%20today.

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There’s a myth that Mary the mother of Jesus appeared on top of a tree to three children in the village of Fatima (Leiria, Portugal)

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There’s a myth that Mary the mother of Jesus appeared on top of a tree to three children in the village of Fatima (Leiria, Portugal)

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https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Our_Lady_of_F%C3%A1tima

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Pastéis de Belém - the place where the pastry pastel de nata was created by monks 

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Pastéis de Belém - the place where the pastry pastel de nata was created by monks 

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https://pt.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pastel_de_nata

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Museum in Lisbon about the resistance against fascism in Portugal during the fascist regime (1930-1974)

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Museum in Lisbon about the resistance against fascism in Portugal during the fascist regime (1930-1974)

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https://www.museudoaljube.pt/

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Dobrada - Portuguese dish made of cow stomach and paprika 

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Dobrada - Portuguese dish made of cow stomach and paprika 

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https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dobrada_(food)

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Punheta de Bacalhau - Raw cod fish dish from Portugal with a funny name 🤨🤨🤨

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Punheta de Bacalhau - Raw cod fish dish from Portugal with a funny name 🤨🤨🤨

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https://pt.petitchef.com/receitas/prato-principal/punheta-de-bacalhau-fid-328587

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Portuguese Vinho Verde from Minho region - The best type of wine in the world

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Portuguese Vinho Verde from Minho region - The best type of wine in the world

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https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vinho_Verde

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New Portuguese Letters - Book about the oppression of the catholic church and fascist regime in Portugal 

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New Portuguese Letters - Book about the oppression of the catholic church and fascist regime in Portugal 

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https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_Portuguese_Letters

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Blindness - Jose Saramago [Nobel Laureate]

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Blindness - Jose Saramago [Nobel Laureate]

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https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blindness_(novel)

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Balas e Bolinhos - Comedy Film about rural Portuguese stereotypes (funny)

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Balas e Bolinhos - Comedy Film about rural Portuguese stereotypes (funny)

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https://pt.wikipedia.org/wiki/Balas_%26_Bolinhos

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April Captains - Movie about the Carnation Revolution of 1974 that deposed the fascist regime and stopped the colonial war (several of our grandfathers were fighting there. Ask Dinis about it ;D)

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April Captains - Movie about the Carnation Revolution of 1974 that deposed the fascist regime and stopped the colonial war (several of our grandfathers were fighting there. Ask Dinis about it ;D)

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https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/April_Captains

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The Gilded Cage - Funny film about the Portuguese immigrants in France 

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The Gilded Cage - Funny film about the Portuguese immigrants in France 

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https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Gilded_Cage_(2013_film)

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Spalovač mrtvol (The cremator) is a 1969 Czechoslovak dark comedy horror film directed by Juraj Herz, based on a novel by Ladislav Fuks. 

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Spalovač mrtvol (The cremator) is a 1969 Czechoslovak dark comedy horror film directed by Juraj Herz, based on a novel by Ladislav Fuks. 

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Set in Prague in 1930s with the main character called Karl Kopfrkingl, the Cremator is often considered to be one of the best films ever made in Czechoslovakia. It has also gathered a prominent cult following.

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Pelíšky (Cosy dens) is a 1999 Czech film directed by Jan Hřebejk, loosely based on the novel Hovno Hoří by Petr Šabach

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Pelíšky (Cosy dens) is a 1999 Czech film directed by Jan Hřebejk, loosely based on the novel Hovno Hoří by Petr Šabach

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Pelíšky is a bittersweet coming of age story set in the months from Christmas 1967 leading up to the ill-fated 1968 Prague Spring. Watching this film on Christmas became like a tradition and it is a very iconic czech film.

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https://www.google.com/maps/d/u/0/edit?mid=1lRuzh-1cphRSnPe8NlIWvZ-siTDAL4o&ll=49.382307978466976%2C15.71949660000002&z=7

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In Spain we have many types of traditional dances and songs, the most popular abroad is Flamenco https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lLwZgZXv0VY

Although we have many more but less known ones such as the Jota Aragonesa https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lLwZgZXv0VY, the Madrid Chotis

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jN4Qw2nAL9Y and the Muñeira

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4uGN9efcACw

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- La Vida y Tal: by Ana Milán and Sebastián Gallego. You know those friends that you fry with audios telling them about your dramas? Those friends that you ask for advice, so you don't listen to them many times, even if their answers hurt? Those that you trust because they will tell you the truth about your new fringes? That's Ana Milán and Sebastián Gallego. That's the spirit of their podcast 'La Vida y Tal'. Anecdotes, stories of love and heartbreak, because the same thing happens to all of us.

https://podimo.com/es/shows/la-vida-y-tal

- Tengo un Plan: Entrepreneurship and Personal Growth Podcast presented by Sergio Beguería and Juan Domínguez. Join the movement and think differently

https://tengounplanpodcast.com/

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Spain is rich with myths and legends that span its diverse regions and historical periods. Here are some notable examples:

1. El Cid

El Cid, or Rodrigo Díaz de Vivar, is a legendary figure from the medieval period of Spain. Known as a national hero, his life and deeds during the Reconquista are celebrated in the epic poem "El Cantar de Mio Cid." He is depicted as a noble and valiant knight who fought against both Moors and Christians, maintaining his honor and loyalty.

2 . The Legend of Don Juan

Don Juan is a legendary character who has inspired countless stories, operas, and plays. Originating in the 17th century, Don Juan is depicted as a wealthy libertine who seduces women and duels their outraged family members. The tale often ends with Don Juan meeting his demise, typically dragged to hell by a statue of one of his victims.

3. The Lady of Elche

The Lady of Elche is an ancient bust discovered in the Spanish city of Elche. While its origins are archaeological, it has given rise to myths and speculation about its purpose and the civilization it represents. Some legends suggest it was a relic of an advanced, lost civilization, imbuing the artifact with a sense of mystery and ancient power.

4. El Hombre del Saco (The Sack Man)

A common legend to scare children into good behavior, El Hombre del Saco is a bogeyman figure. He is said to kidnap naughty children, carrying them away in his sack. The tale varies across regions, but it typically serves as a cautionary story to encourage obedience and good manners.

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- The Alhambra, in Granada, Spain, is a beautiful palace and fortress known for its tilework, courtyards, and lovely gardens. It is a famous example of Moorish architecture and a key part of Spain's history.

https://www.alhambra-patronato.es/descubrir/alhambra-y-generalife

- The Prado Museum in Madrid, Spain, is one of the world's leading art museums, housing a huge collection of European art from the 12th to the 20th century. It is renowned for masterpieces by artists like Velázquez, Goya, and El Greco.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Museo_del_Prado

- Spanish people are known for their love of celebrations and vibrant social life, enjoying numerous festivals throughout the year. Iconic events like San Fermín, Las Fallas or theFeria de Abril. https://www.expatica.com/es/lifestyle/holidays/spanish-festivals-106344/

- The Sagrada Familia in Barcelona, Spain, is an iconic basilica designed by architect Antoni Gaudí. Known for its intricate facades and towering spires, construction began in 1882 and continues to this day. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sagrada_Fam%C3%ADlia

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Spain is one of the leading exponents of the Mediterranean diet, which is based on olive oil, fresh vegetables, and other fresh seasonal food. This healthy, flavourful tradition has earned Spanish cuisine UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage status. Some examples are:

- Gazpacho:

https://spanishsabores.com/recipe-gazpacho-andaluz/

- Tortilla de patata: https://devourtours.com/blog/tortilla-de-patatas/

- Jamón ibérico: https://www.jamon.com/about-jamon-iberico.html

- Churros: https://everydayfoodblog.com/spain/what-are-churros/

- Paella: https://www.thepaellacompany.co.uk/history.html

- Croquetas: https://foodlovertour.com/blog/all-about-spanish-croquettes/

- Chorizo: https://chorizoespanol.es/en/the-spanish-chorizo/

- Turrón: https://theculturetrip.com/europe/spain/articles/a-brief-history-of-spanish-turron

- Sangría: https://baroniadeturis.es/en/how-do-you-prepare-a-traditional-spanish-sangria/

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“El Quijote” from Miguel de Cervantes

https://www.britannica.com/topic/Don-Quixote-novel

“Patria” from Fernando Aramburu

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Patria_(novel)

“Cien años de soledad” from Gabriel García Márquez

https://www.britannica.com/topic/One-Hundred-Years-of-Solitude

“La sombra del viento” from Carlos Ruiz Zafón

https://samannelizabeth.wordpress.com/2015/06/25/book-review-la-sombra-del-viento-by-carlos-ruiz-zafon/

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"Spanish Affair" (2014)

This romantic comedy became one of the highest-grossing films in the history of Spanish cinema. The plot revolves around a young Andalusian man who falls in love with a Basque woman and travels to the Basque Country to win her over. The film is known for its humor and for gracefully addressing regional stereotypes within Spain, offering a fun look at the cultural differences between different regions of the country.

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"All About My Mother" (1999)

Directed by Pedro Almodóvar, this film is an excellent example of contemporary Spanish cinema. It explores themes such as identity, motherhood, and personal relationships. The film offers a deep and emotional look at Spanish society and has received the Oscar for Best Foreign Language Film.

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"The Holy Innocents" (1984)

This film is a raw and realistic portrayal of rural life in post-war Spain. The story focuses on a peasant family living in extreme poverty and subjected to the whims of the estate lords. The film addresses themes of social injustice, oppression, and dignity, offering a profound insight into social inequalities in rural Spain.

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The words "Once upon a time..." open a child's imagination to a world of magic, mystery and wisdom. The fairy tales we hear in childhood prepare us for life's journey, the challenges we may encounter on the way and the skills needed to navigate them. While many elements are universal, unique themes in folklore provide glimpses of a nation's cultural history and values. Ukraine has a rich tradition of folklore, song and music, which have been transmitted in word and song from generation to generation. In this blog we will explore some of the common themes of Ukrainian folklore and learn how they reflect the core Ukrainian values of respect for the natural world, protection of the vulnerable and resilience in the face of oppression.

Despite a history of persecution and suppression, thousands of Ukrainian folk tales have survived and remain a living aspect of Ukrainian culture. Many of the beloved figures of folklore are preserved on Ukrainian postage stamps, and this year, the mystical forest spirits of Ukrainian folklore feature in the cartoon animation film Mavka: The Forest Song, produced in Ukraine.

So, what do Ukrainian folk tales teach us about the core values of Ukrainian culture? First, the Ukrainian love for the natural world is reflected in the abundance of animals in Ukrainian folklore: the fox, the wolf, the bear and the hare frequently appear, reflecting the natural habitat of Ukraine. Domestic animals such as the dog and the cat are also popular. In Ukrainian folklore, these animals show compassion for each other, sometimes when humans fail them. "The Old Dog Sirko" tells the tale of a dog, abandoned in old age in the forest by his human family, who is helped by a wolf. Together, the dog and the wolf work to convince Sirko's owners of his value. Sirko does not forget his debt to the wolf.

Pan Kotsky and Lady Fox as seen by J.1Hnizdovsky. Reproduced in Ukrainian folk tales, translated by Marie Halun Bloch (London, 1964). X.990/127

Similarly, in "Pan Kotsky," an old cat is rescued and given a warm, cosy home by Little Fox. Together, Pan Kotsky and Little Fox outwit predators in the forest. These animal tales convey important messages to the listener about the value of the elderly and frail in society and the importance of remembering our debts to them.

The theme of the rewards of caringfor the vulnerable is beautifully expressed in "The Birds' Gift" a folk tale of the origins of the first pysanka (decorative egg) in Ukraine. In this tale, a girl named Katrusiya and her grandfather take pity on birds who are freezing in the ice and snow of an early winter. Wrapping them in her mittens and her scarf, she takes them to her home. Moved by her actions, the people of her village give refuge to all the birds. Through the winter, the birds' song reminds the villages of the importance of having faith. As the winter eases, the birds begin to fly at the windows of the houses and the villagers realise that they must set them free. When Easter arrives, Katrusiya's compassion is rewarded by the discovery of a beautiful blue and gold painted Easter egg in the grass. Many more, left by the grateful birds, are found around the village. This inspiring tale teaches us not only the importance of protecting the vulnerable, but that freedom is essential to harmony and well-being.

A parallel themeis the constant presence and protection of the past: although we may have lost those whom we love, their wisdom and love remains with us. In " The Doll ", a mother's deathbed blessing to her daughter, Paraksa, protects her from evil forces. Giving her a tiny doll, Paraksa's mother tells her: "Remember, a mother's blessing can save you from the bottom of the sea... my blessing will always be with you." The doll, the embodiment of her mother's blessing, guides Paraksa through a terrifying subterranean world to a happy life.

The heroes of Ukrainian folklore are frequently "underdogs", born from poor or unlikely circumstances, who through persistence, determination and unity overcome seemingly unsurmountable obstacles and enemies. In " Pea-Roll-Over," the hero is conceived to childless parents when his mother swallows a pea. Setting off to meet his destiny with a club forged by the blacksmith for him, our hero finds unity with brothers also conceived by fate in strange ways. Together, the brothers overcome an ogre and live together, creating an abundant and happy family for all.

In Ukrainian folklore, the importance of persistence and resilience is represented by the number three, traditionally a magical number. The heroes and heroines endure triple challenges to overcome evil. In " The Sorceress," a young girl, Lesia, discovers that the King's daughter is a sorceress. Before dying, the princess demands that the girl must say prayers over her coffin. For three nights, each more terrifying than the last, Lesia is besieged by demons, snakes and spirits. Guided by her teacher's wisdom, Lesia survives the ordeal by protecting herself within a magic circle. Lesia's bravery enables the princess to be restored to life and be rid of the sorceress, adopting Lesia as her sister.

These key themes of perseverance and unity in the face of adversity, compassion for the vulnerable and harmony with the natural world not only reflect the history of Ukraine but can be seen in action today in the resistance of Russian aggression: the determination and unity of the Ukrainian people, the communities supporting the vulnerable and the courage of soldiers on the front lines bear witness to values that cannot be eroded.

If you are interested in reading more Ukrainian Folktales, you can find a selection here. Happy reading!

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"Once Upon a Time:" How Ukrainian Folklore Reflects Ukrainian Cultural Values

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Ukraine has a rich tradition of folklore, song and music, which have been transmitted in word and song from generation to generation...

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Ukrainian mythology is full of powerful gods and mystical creatures or beings, surrounded by mystery, magic and legends.

Ukrainian Mythology

The Ukrainians were a free population with beliefs in mystical beings and creatures since their origins. It was not until the arrival of Byzantine missionaries that the Christian faith was introduced into the Ukrainian religion.

Their religion and the different churches built with the arrival of the Christian faith were very especially connected with the "Patriarchate of Constantinople". However, it was in 988 that the Christian religion was proclaimed by Vladimir Sviatoslavych, prince of Kiev, as the official religion covering the whole territory of Ukraine.

Ukrainian mythology is full of powerful gods and mystical creatures or beings, full of mystery and magic. Where the magical and unknown invade the imagination with evil beings but with others also kind and protective.

Cosmology of Ukrainian mythology

Ukrainian cosmology could be classified into three worlds: Prav, Nav and Yav. Long before the advent of Christianity, in the ancient Slavic tribes had a strong belief that creation was divided into these three worlds.

Ukrainians believe in the existence of the "multiverse"; and this was the function of these three existing worlds. As well as the existence of infinities of universes coexisting parallel to our own universe.

For this reason it is considered that "dreams", are the method of travel to cross all that infinity of invisible worlds parallel to ours. And even have visions of this or other lives in different dimensions.

Yav

In this world live the gods, humans and the solar system. The world of Yav is within the world of Nav. The name Yav, comes from the word "jawa"; within Ukrainian mythology this word means "not a dream, something real".

Yav is a world that exists in 4 dimensions, and represents the border between the Nav and Prav worlds. It is also believed that in the world of Yav exist celestial beings that are invisible to our sight.

Nav

Also known as Navi; presented as the world of the immaterial, because in Nav is where the dead and their souls exist and are represented by the stars.

Unlike the world of Yav which has four dimensions, the width, length, height of things and time as the fourth dimension. Nav has a greater number of realities and dimensions.

Prav

The world of Prav has its origin of formation by the diversity of existing realities and dimensions. Prav is the oldest of all worlds, the first to be created.

Customs of Ukrainian mythology

In ancient times in the Slavic community it was a custom for women to go to the village waters to throw hemp, in order to please the goddess Makosh; it could be from a well to lakes or rivers and they asked her to grant them fertility.

The kings or chiefs of the tribes, had the custom of touching the statue of the goddess Makosh; to obtain the necessary protection for their people. When they closed a deal they had to place the head on the earth. The sins of the men had to be confessed in a hole made in the ground.

In marriage ceremonies, it was a very strong custom to give each other a handful of earth and treasure it all their lives. Another very strong custom was the traditional celebration of the spring equinox every March 21, which brings the winter season to an end.

It is a ritual where they make a doll made of Marzanna; they make a procession to the nearest water source where men, women and children of the region participate. This is in honor of the goddess Mara, to say goodbye to her who represents winter and death.

Back from throwing the doll into the water, Ukrainians celebrate a feast in the village to welcome spring. Depending on the region the ritual may vary a bit; even today this holiday is still a great tradition in some Ukrainian villages.

Legend of Iianopomb

Iianopomb is the fern flower, also called the flower of happiness. According to Ukrainian mythology, this flower comes out once a year; just on the night of "Ivan Kupala". Its color is a deep red, and when it opens at exactly midnight that night, it only lasts for a few minutes and then disappears in a blue flame.

Ferns are not "gymnosperms", this means that they are capable of flowering; they do not produce reproductive organs like flowers, on the contrary, they only produce spores on the back of their leaves called "sori". It is for this reason that this particular fern is considered magical, because of the flower that emerges from it.

The legend tells us that the person who manages to find and get hold of the fern flower will obtain universal knowledge; he will even be able to understand and speak the language of animals and plants, thus becoming a clairvoyant.

By placing the flower in his hand, using it as a vase, the fern flower will become one with the person and will grant him unimaginable magical powers. He will also become the possessor of incredible wealth by finding a great treasure in the place where the fern was buried.

Finding the fern flower is a very difficult task, because due to the great secrets and powers it grants, the demon and his helpers do everything possible to prevent anyone from finding it.

Gods of Ukrainian mythology

Mokosh

Also known as Makosh, she is the goddess of fertility, weaving and women. She manages the destiny of human beings and gives advice through dreams. She is in charge of protecting livestock, and women at the time of childbirth.

The name Mokosh comes from the union of the words "ma" and "kosh", which means "mother" and "destiny", for that reason she is called the mother of destiny. Her day of celebration from October 25th to November 1st of each year, where they make a festival in her honor.

There are textile companies named after her in her honor, through the yarn she is dedicated to "spinning destiny". Mokosh had two children, Marena and Jarilo; and was the wife of the god Perun. To whom she was unfaithful with the god Veles, causing this betrayal the separation and fight between these two gods; reflected in storms and natural disasters.

Mokosh represents in the vyshyvanky and rushnyky, which are embroidered cloth canvases as a female figure that has both arms raised and has two horses at her side. Some peoples even associate it with representing the sun. These canvases are portals between the worlds of creation.

As the goddess in charge of weaving the threads of each person's destiny, she is also in charge of placing them in the world that corresponds to them to live, and even if a person dies before reaching their goal, she knows to which world to redirect them to fulfill their life purpose.

Despite being the only deity that survived the arrival of Christianity, the worship practices of the goddess Mokosh were forbidden. Thus remaining in history not as a goddess, but rather as a protective spirit that dwells in every home.

Marena

Depending on each region, this goddess has different names within Ukrainian mythology; among them we have: Mara, Marzanna, Moré, Morana, Morena, Morena, Marzena, Mora and Marmora. She is the goddess of evil, associated with winter, death, diseases, nightmares, among others.

History of Marena

Her birth was on the great night, known as New Year's Eve; she was the wife of her brother Jarilo. This happens because the god Veles, abducts Jarilo the day of his birth and takes him to the underworld to raise him as his own son.

One day when Marzanna is on earth for the celebration of the spring equinox, Jarilo returns to the world and courts Marzanna. They marry on the day of the feast of Ivan Kupula, which is celebrated on the summer solstice. When this occurs Jarilo as god of vegetation brings greenery to the world from the underworld and Marzanna leaves behind her powers of death and destruction.

After the wedding between the brothers sons of the god Perun, fertility and abundance come to the world; since the god Veles being the adoptive father of Jarilo and the god Perun father of Marzanna now become in-laws, the storms of the god Veles cease on earth.

However, Jarilo later becomes unfaithful to Marzanna; for this reason she leaves him and Jarilo goes back to the underworld. Angered by Jarilo's betrayal, Marzanna goes with Cmiñ; she is a kind of serpent-dragon with whom she ends up having 13 daughters.

The separation causes the gods Veles and Perun to become enemies again and the storms return to destroy the crops in the land. Already without the presence of fertility and vegetation in the world due to the separation of Marzanna and Jarilo, Mara becomes a dangerous and old goddess.

Thus Mara brings with more force against the world the winter, freezing everything and becomes the goddess of death and darkness. So she went around the world from house to house, calling everyone by name and whoever answered her would be death for her.

Daughters of Marena

1. Triaseya: her name means "to tremble"; her powers provoke in human beings strong convulsions accompanied by fever until they cause death.

2. Vogneya: her name indicates "fire"; she is a woman with a bony body and her eyes are full of fire. She brings tufus or the so-called "inner fever" to all mankind.

3. Lodeya: means "to freeze". When she touches a person she causes them to freeze, starting with the fingers, then the limbs and so on to the organs. She is a woman with eyes full of ice.

4. Hneteya: they call her stomach, she makes people vomit non-stop and lose their appetite when she puts pressure on their stomach. It is also responsible for the appearance of ulcers and all kinds of gastrointestinal diseases.

5. Hrynusha: her name means "to cough", she is described as a woman with blue lips and very sharp teeth, she is responsible for causing all kinds of heart diseases.

6. Hluheya: she is also called "Hlukhanya", it means "to become deaf". She is a woman who looks like a monster without ears, when she touches people they become deaf, and also creates discord among humans.

7. Puhneya: called "nabujaty" means "to swell"; she is the cause of edema.

8. Zhovteya: her other name is "Zhovtyanytsya", it means "to turn yellow". She has the appearance of a very old and weak old woman who has yellow eyes; and she is the cause of people getting jaundice.

9. Korkusha: she is a horrible woman whose body is totally full of shells and scabs and who infects human beings with all kinds of diseases that produce shells and scabs such as measles, rubella, among others. Its name means "scabies".

10. Hlyadeia: commonly known as "Kikimopa", her name means "to observe". It is a woman that causes insomnia in people, she lives in all the constructions where humans live. She creates economic and family problems for them.

11. Lomeya: she is a woman with a deformed body, upside down head and full of bones. Her name is associated with the word "break". It causes diseases that have to do with bones and joints. Such as arthritis and others.

12. Sukheya: its name means "to dry up". It touches people to make them timid and full of fear for any reason.

13. Neveya-Pliasanytsia: when a person is touched by this woman, he/she has no salvation and falls into madness, always laughing frantically.

Mythical creatures and beings in Ukrainian mythology

Skarbnyk

It is an impure spirit that guards treasures, also known as Karzelek. He helps his master and protects his treasures from thieves who try to seize it. When Skarbnyk dies, he returns in the form of crows and takes away anyone who is a great sinner.

Anyone who tries to take a treasure that is not the owner, Skarbnyk turns it to ashes. Another function of the Skarbnyk, was to protect the kind miners and help them to find the exits when they are lost in the labyrinths of the mines. On the contrary, the miners who insult him, he guides them into the mines until they get totally lost.

Perelesnyk

In Ukrainian mythology the Perelesnyk is a creature of demonic origin. It falls from the sky like a shooting star on the houses of widowed women, when they land they become the loved one they lost.

Thus impersonating the loved ones they begin a relationship with the women, even having children. The Perelesnyk are discovered through their children, since they never develop and are always hungry. They are called "odminky", which means "a child replaced by a demon".

Once a Perelesnyk has decided to stay in a home, it is very difficult to remove it. Attempting to do so can make them angry and burn the house to the ground. He gives very expensive gifts to his wives and has a very passionate love. However, he feeds on his victim by drinking his blood until he strangles him to death.

Odminky

So called to the children who are replaced at birth, they can be changed by a fairy or a demon. Usually this action is performed by the Perelesnyk, and it is believed that this is because the true children of the Perelesnyk need mother's milk to survive.

The monster of Lake Somin

Lake Somin is located in Western Ukraine, very close to the village Lukiv. There lives a monster that for more than a century has been the source of terror among the inhabitants of this village.

It is described as a crocodile of gigantic size but with a head like that of a snake. It lives in the cave system below Lake Somin and comes out at night to hunt. Its prey are animals including: horses, sheep, dogs, among others.

However, some locals say that from time to time if a human being is distracted by the lake at night, he is devoured by the monster; some children have even been victims of this creature.

Chemer's monster

Chemer is a village, where a monster appears that has an appearance similar to a mixture of a fox, a dog and a kangaroo; it is orange in color and has no hair. It feeds on domestic animals, such as dogs, rabbits, chickens, among others.

The Ukrainian population was shocked when , in 2007, one of these creatures was captured. Veterinarians were totally shocked when they analyzed the creature's carcass. It was sent to the zoological museum of the University of Zaporizhia. They were never able to identify what kind of animal it was.

Other creatures of Ukrainian Mythology

Duo Anna Maria: is a Vazhayetsya or weaving that represents the destiny of man at birth, happiness or unhappiness.

Ivan Kupula: is one of the main characters of Ukrainian mythology, he is described as a kind and always cheerful being.

Witch: it was a mysterious women of great beauty.

The devil: is a characteristic creature of Ukrainian mythology, it is usually present in most Ukrainian tales and legends. The most famous of them was Hutsul.

Bereginya: he is a protector of ancestors, who keeps diseases away from children and protects homes from evil.

Molfar: so called magicians with supernatural powers over humans.

Mermaid: were beautiful creatures that seduced men.

Polevik: was the owner of the fields and was a very common character in the tales of Ukrainian mythology.

Conclusion of Ukrainian Mythology

Ukrainian mythology since ancient times before the advent of Christianity, was characterized by the belief in the multiverse. The existence of different universes that are parallel to each other.

The presence of a variety of mystical creatures, demons and supernatural beings that influence the life and nature of Ukrainians. These beings that represent good and evil, where they are evil and create calamities as well as others are in charge of protecting them.

Ukraine is still a mystery that has many mystical secrets to describe and even today they have strong beliefs in various spirits and creatures of the forests. They have strong customs from their origins and even in some villages they are still practiced.

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▷ Ukrainian Mythology: Customs, Gods, Creatures +15 Legends

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Ukrainian mythology is full of powerful gods and mystical creatures or beings, surrounded by mystery, magic and legends.

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Approximately 8489 named mountains mold Slovakia’s 49,035 sq. km landscape, with peaks spanning almost the country’s entire dominion except its southwestern corner. Gerlachovský štít proudly holds the title of Slovakia’s tallest and most prominent mountain, at 2,655 m in elevation and 2,356 m in prominence, which also makes it one of the ten tallest mountains in the Carpathian Mountains.

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Neplecha ukončena is a Czech podcast about Harry Potter, where the narrator goes through chapters of books and finds small bits and pieces, which she then talks about. Then she finds translators' mistakes, the meaning of czech words and others.

On her Herohero she goes deeper in movies, interviews with JK Rowling and others.

In the last few years, this podcast has always been in the top 10 in podcast of the year in CZ.

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Listen to Neplecha ukončena on Spotify. Podrobný průnik do světa čar a kouzel zprostředkovaný skrze mikrofon samozvaného Potterologa par excellence. Čtení knih o Harrym Potterovi kapitolu po kapitole s elektronickou tužkou za uchem. Rozbor všeho, co jste o brýlatém hrdinovi věděli i nevěděli. Podcast vychází každé pondělí, obsahuje spoilery a není určen pro děti.

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Jan Dobrovského and Jindřich Šídlo are both journalists, and their podcast is made with Paměť národa.

Paměť národa (memories of nations) is a nonprofit open internet database full of memories of ordinary and unordinary people who saw important milestones in the 20th century.

In this podcast Mr. Dobrovský and Mr. Šídlo talks about crazy 90s, were both active journalists, about democracy, not so far history and things that shaped Czech people as they are today.

Memories of nations collections: https://www.memoryofnations.eu/en/about-project

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Listen to Dobrovský & Šídlo on Spotify. Dobrovský & Šídlo. Váš oblíbený podcast z produkce Paměti národa. Pravidelná dávka názorů, vzpomínek, informací a sentimentu. Od devadesátých let po současnost. Čím jsme si prošli a jak jsme to přežili? Politika a historie v unikátním mixu.

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The Most Attractive Places In Ukraine   

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The Most Attractive Places In Ukraine   

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The Vinohradská 12 podcast is a production of the public service broadcaster Czech Radio for anyone keen on staying informed about both local and global affairs. They provide in-depth information on various topics, situate them in a wider context, and offer insights into all their interconnections.

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Vinohradská 12 podcast is a public broadcasting service produced by Czech Radio about both local and global affairs.

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Bohemian traditional music includes that of Chodsko [cs], where bagpipes are common. Moravian traditional music is known for the cimbalom, which is played in ensembles that also include double bass, clarinet and violins. The traditional music of Moravia displays regional influences, especially in Valachia with a Romanian and Ukrainian legacy, and has close cultural relations with Slovakia and Lachia (the borderland of northern Moravia and Czech Silesia) with its Polish aspects.

A famous dance from the region is the Bohemian polka. (source form Wikipedia)

Czech folk music is usually collected in hymn books and Czech children usually learn them in music classes in school or they can play them in music (artistic) schools on different instruments. The Czech expression  "every Czech is a musician" is somewhat true.

Bohemian polka: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JoV6aujg8_E

Bagpipes from Chodsko: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fy3dud5b4OQ

Moravian music: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KidNfrM2Mlk

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Songs mentioned below are on one hand czech pop music from the 20th century, on the other they are so printed in one's mind, that every Czech knows them. So you can say they are traditional :)

Karel Gott

Karel Gott is greatest czech musician, he won 42 times czech music award Český Slavík (Czech bird), he composed 2 500 songs (more than half of them is czech translations and covers of popular songs at world) and is famous  both in Germany and Czechia.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c-IxXblfXHs

Waldemar Matuška

Waldemar Matuška is a Czech country singer. His songs are in musicals, as well as background music in Czech TV series.

In the 80s he emigrated to the US due to problems with communist regime and his name for 10 years disappeared from credits and his music could not be played.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jWTpivYjPbg

Jaroslav Ježek- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0elkSCTHecg

Helena Vondráčková- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=keoVENYhyYY

Hana Zagorová- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YXX-SA0GZS8

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Nesnesitelná lehkost bytí (The Unbearable Lightness of Being) by Milan Kundera

R. U. R. by Karel Čapek (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/R.U.R.)

Proměna (The Metamorphosis) by Franz Kafka (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Metamorphosis)

Babička (The Grandmother) by Božena Němcová

(https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1478958.The_Grandmother)

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I definitely feel this way! I wish I had read this book so much sooner. It is beautiful and so full of rich metaphors and unapologetic in their use.I definitely feel this way! I wish I had read this book so much sooner. It is beautiful and so full of rich metaphors and unapologetic in their use. And most importantly, as someone who struggles often to resolve existential angst, it is really insightful in regards to the issues which cause this. ...more (less)

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I definitely feel this way! I wish I had read this book so much sooner. It is beautiful and so full of rich metaphors and unapologetic in their use.I definitely feel this way! I wish I had read this book so much sooner. It is beautiful and so full of rich metaphors and unapologetic in their use.

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Czech beer is known as the best beer globally. It is no coincidence that Czech Republic has the highest beer consumption per capita in the world.

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Time Travel Bee | Responsible Travel Blog

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This Czech beer guide is a side effect of my one year stay in the magical city of Prague. Tasting beers from local breweries was part of my daily life as well as traveling. Now, I would love to share my knowledge about Czech beer and tips regarding the etiquette in this unique beer culture.

Beer (pivo) in Czech Republic is like a bread. It's super cheap, often cheaper than any other beverages in a restaurant, and the quality is just fantastic. Plenty of kinds, degrees, colors, flavors and it's never ending because there are hundreds of breweries in Czechia. What I really loved about this country, was that many restaurants or pubs have their own, unique micro-brewery, some of them carry the tradition for centuries. In this Czech beer guide I will tell you about the confusing beer degrees, beer drinking etiquette and beer kinds.

Beer culture

Do you know that Czech Republic has the biggest beer consumption per capita in the world? Statistics say that one Czech adult person drinks average 160 liters of this golden liquid per year! You can drink pretty much everywhere on the streets and it's even common to have beer during the lunch break at work. The beverage is part of most of the celebrations, ceremonies and festivals around the country and drinking competitions are a popular form of entertainment in beer culture of Czechia. I was always loosing, by the way.

So how did Czech beer culture developed in this land? Briefly, brewing tradition started around 10th century in the monasteries. When monks started to produce more beer, than they can consume, they began to sell it outside and this is how the breweries were growing. Brewing became common and most of the towns of Bohemia (western part of Czechia) had at least one brewery.

Czech beer degrees

The most important part in this Czech beer guide is to understand the degrees. It's confusing when in most of the world, what you find on the label is the alcohol percentage, while in Czechia, you will find degrees. If you see 12° or 14° , don't panic that you will get drunk fast, that's not percentage of alcohol. Degrees in Czech beer culture are according to the Balling scale (or Plato scale) which is a measure of gravity or density on the day the beer was brewed. It's expressed as a weight percentage of sucrose and indicates the percent by weight of extract (sucrose) in a solution. For instance 10 degrees states that a beer is 10 degrees Balling, and it means that if the extract in solution were 100% sucrose, it would be 10% of the total weight.

The most popular beverage in Czechia is 12 degrees, which is the regular lager. 10 degrees is also lager beer but weaker extract, and it's considered less filling (you are able to drink more of it). Although 12° has more flavor, more extract. Higher brew degrees are not only stronger in taste (extract) but also in the amount of alcohol. Respectively, a 10 degree beer is about 4% alcohol and a 12 degree is about 5%, 6° is 6.5% alcohol and 19° has 8%. Too complicated? This is centuries old Czech beer culture!

Czech beer etiquette

Czech beer guide cannot come without information on how to drink beer in Czechia. First of all, coming to Czech Republic, you have to know how to say Cheers! Na zdraví - means "to your health" and saying those words you must always keep eye contact with each person, otherwise it's not polite even offensive.

Secondly, when ordering beer at the bar, use your thumb to represent "1" beer, your thumb together with a forefinger for "2," and so forth. In most of the places you won't need gestures, as waiter comes to each table to take orders. When you are about to finish your glass, expect a waiter to come bringing you next one, sometimes without even asking. Don't worry about getting drunk fast, though, beer in Czechia is not as strong as Belgium beers and foremost, they are the best quality ever!

Size of the glass is very important as well. In most of the pubs, waiters won't even ask if you want big or small, they will just bring you 0,5 liter because this is a standard. In some pubs (very traditional) they won't even ask you if you want beer, they will just bring it. If the place is famous for a certain kind of brew and people go there just to drink it, no need to make an order, right?

In some traditional pubs, you will get a small bill on your table where waiter will mark each beer you are ordering. After all, it is easy when it comes to paying.

Giving tips in Czechia

You are expected to tip in Czech Republic. There is no certain percentage you should tip, it depends of your will. If you are used to leaving small change of money on the table as a tip, Czechs do something quite the opposite. The common habit for Czechs is to give as much tip as necessary to make the bill an equal number, without need to have a small change back. For instance, if the waiter asks for 234 Kc, the customer will say: Ok, I give you 250Kc while giving the money. If the bill is 120Kc, you can say 130 or 150 depends of your will. In this way, the waiter knows how much to type in the cashier or how much change to give you.

Be ready for rude customer service

The customer service, especially waiters in the pubs are sometimes very rude in Czechia. Of course, I am not talking about the touristic places, but real Czech experience. If you are used to polite customer service, you can get very disappointed. In other words when a waiter doesn't want to serve you, never smiles and looks at you like you at least want him to carry a wardrobe on the third floor. When they finally come, they roll their eyes that you bothered them to ask just for a small beer. And after all, they expect you to tip. I was asking my Czech friends for explanation, why they work as a waiter, if they seem to hate this job so much. They explained, that it's common for other jobs as well, people generally suffer doing any job and they are not willing to pretend and be nice to the customer, no matter what.

Czech beer price

Satisfying is the price of beer in Czechia. In the restaurants it used to be cheaper than water or any other beverage. Nowadays there is a government rule that at least one non-alcoholic beverage has to be cheaper than beer. For a good draft beer, you can pay from 1 to 2 € for 0,5 l. In the supermarket you can get a bottle for less than 1 € but beer from the bottle is considered much worse. For Czech people good beer comes straight from the tap! Draft beer also should have pipes cleaned every day. They rarely take bottles and cans are the lowest quality. Czechs would take it for a picnic or trip and any other opportunity when they cannot find draft beer.

Kinds of Czech beer

The most popular is simple lager, light beer often called Pilsner because first beer of this kind was made in Pilzen - city one hour from Prague. If you have time, don't hesitate to go there and visit the brewery, to try beer straight from the barrel in the basement. That brewery makes the most popular Czech beer - Pilsner Urquell. The name means something like "the original source of Pilsner", and it's the first place in the world where this beer was born. Nowadays, in every corner of the world, you can taste Pilsner beer type, from the original recipe from Pilzen.

Popular is also dark beer, in Czech: tmavé. Czech people talk about it as a girl's beer because usually it's sweeter. I also heard sayings that girls drink it because it makes boobs bigger. Well, for the same reason probably many boys don't even want to taste it.

Some breweries make " řezané pivo " which is a mixture of half-dark and half-light beer. Is it for boys or girls? Probably it's an option for both. Who knows, maybe it makes bigger something else...

Another popular kind is Pšeničné Pivo - wheat beer - my absolute favorite type. It's not bitter and very refreshing. Especially in summer, they tend to serve it with a lime.

Exploring Czech breweries, you can see many kinds of special beers for example: pale ale beers IPA and APA, various fruits beers, coffee beer, chocolate beer or even made out of nettles. You simply can't get bored with Czech beer as there is always some new brew to try. Some Czech breweries serve small "shot" glasses of beer to give you a bit of few kinds before you decide which one you want to continue with. Isn't this beer culture amazing?

Czech Beer Foam

Czech beer culture is truly unique and worth exploring. Also czech beer foam is particular way of serving beer, I haven't seen elsewhere. Pouring beer is like an art in Czech Republic. If you have ever tried beer in Czechia, I am sure you noticed that the foam is very thick. The waiter has to really know how to poor it from the pipe to have the proper consistency and amount. Czech beer foam is very important in beer culture and there are 4 ways of serving.

ČOCHTAN

Brew with no foam. People consider it as beer for real connoisseur who knows how to drink it. Besides, it has the biggest amount of CO2 and seems to be very strong and full. Since Czech people love beer foam, it is not popular kind at all.

ŠNYT

ŠNYT is a glass filled in 2/3 part with few centimeters of brew covered with big foam. Like the previous kind, it's poured at once which makes the foam thick and refreshing. Some people joke that it's a small beer in a big glass and be cause real man doesn't order small glass of the beverage, it is for girls.

3. HLADINKA

Hladinka means smooth, and it's very popular kind which is brew with a thick beer foam on the top. This kind is a masterpiece for a waiter because he has to pour all at once without break with a perfect smooth and flat foam on it.

4. MLÍKO Beer without beer

Mliko (means milk) is a whole glass of beer foam. It visually looks like milk but when you drink it you don't taste a foam but real taste of beer in a creamy form. Foam is really thick. Usually drinkers order it in the end of a feast and drink all at once shortly after pouring. It is favorite kind for woman as well as old people or those who don't appreciate bitter beers as milk tastes sweeter.

This Czech beer guide would't be completed, if I didn't advise you downloading the great mobile app called Pivovary which helped to find amazing micro-breweries. The app displays a map of all big and small breweries in Czechia. It's in English and Czech language. Very useful when you travel around!

Do you like locally crafted beers?

Buying locally is a form of responsible travel, as you can support local breweries and reduce carbon footprint. Every import and export produce pollution based on the distance alcohol has to travel. A responsible customer prefers to buy local crafts, cognac or wines and add to the local economy. When traveling I am trying to buy products from local farmers and manufacturers. I love to support local producers, bee-keepers and appreciate regional traditions around the world.

Do you want to go for a beer now? Skip touristic pub crawling which is just a waste of money. I will show you the best places to go for a beer in Prague for free. A must try during your next visit! I also prepared a guide around Prague, with which you will visit the city like a local, see the most important attractions as well as spots of the beaten path in Prague.

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Czech Beer Guide - all you need to know before getting drunk | Time Travel Bee | Responsible Travel Blog

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This Czech beer guide is a side effect of my one year stay in the magical city of Prague. It's a unique beer culture worth exploring.

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This Czech national dish features tender beef sirloin slow-cooked in a creamy vegetable sauce, traditionally served with “knedlíky” (Czech bread dumplings)

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Thick creamy sauces or omáčky are the basis of traditional Czech cuisine - be it mushroom sauce, tomato sauce or dill sauce. But standing above all of these is svíčková omáčka, literally candle sauce, called after beef tenderloin which in Czech is called svíce or svíčková.

The meat is baked with onions and root vegetables, including carrots, parsley and celery, spiced with black pepper, all spice, bay leaf and thyme, and blended with cream. It is traditionally served with bread dumplings and a dollop of preserved cranberries.

Over the years, the term svíčková started to apply to the creamy sauce itself rather than to the meat, and the sauce in fact became the central part of the dish.

I asked Marek Janouch, the chef of the Lokál restaurant chain, which focuses on Czech specialties, to share his secret of making the best svíčková:
"The most important thing is to have a good vegetable basis and quality meat. You have to roast the vegetables really well and not to rush anything, and then just add the meat and keep it simmering until it's tender. "My advice is to put the meat aside overnight and finish it the next day, when it has soaked in the flavour of the sauce. "Every svíčková is slightly different and everyone remembers most fondly the sauce prepared by their mother or grandmother. The best svíčková will always be the one from their childhood."
While for Czechs, svíčková is something like a national treasure, foreigners often find the cream too heavy and the dumplings a bit tasteless.

Despite the trend to eat lighter and healthier meals, chef Marek Janouch believes that svíčková will continue to remain popular even among younger Czechs and families will continue to pass on their svíčková recipes from generation to generation:
"I think svíčková is as popular as ever and it will remain so. People will always like the sauce, which is simultaneously sweet, salty and slightly sour. Similar creamy sauces are of course made all over Europe, namely in Austria and Germany, but I think our svíčková is definitely the best."

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Svíčková: more than beef sirloin, it's a creamy national treasure

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Svíčková na smetaně or simply svíčková is a traditional Czech dish and one of the most popular Czech meals. The beef sirloin in a thick, creamy vegetable sauce is a staple...

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The legendary Czech party food. If you ever attend Czech family celebration, there is 99% chance that you will taste a Chlebíček and fall in love with it.

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Art on Bread
Czech cuisine does not have a reputation for being particularly artistic when it comes to presentation. Many Czech dishes are hearty and delicious, but put presentation second to piling the plate high. The ubiquitous Czech open faced sandwich, the chlebíček, flies in the face of that norm.

If the Czechs demonstrate their artistic side in culinary endeavours anywhere, they do so most visibly when creating chlebíčky. Everything from the bread the snacks are made on to every one of the possible toppings are carefully considered and placed.

The chlebícek is likely to be one of the first items of traditional food that a new arrival in the Czech Republic will encounter. The snack's popularity as a quick bite on the go and as party food make it a staple product for delicatessens (lahůdky) across the country and display cases full of the snacks are a frequent sight anywhere you go.
A Taste of History
The chlebíček traces its history to 1916 and was created by Prague deli chef, Jan Paukert. From his deli, Paukert served the who's who of Czech society of the day including the first president of Czechoslovakia, Tomáš Masaryk and opera soprano, Ema Destinnová.

Paukert's creation was a hit from the start. In his original recipe, Paukert spread potato salad made with homemade mayonnaise on the bread and then topped it with Prague ham, hard boiled egg, Emmental cheese, Hungarian salami and a slice of tomato.

It was designed to be a quick and convenient snack for busy people that they could consume in just a few bites while on the go. It worked back then and it still works today.

Chlebíčky, Bottom to Top
The toppings on a chlebíček can be highly variable and limited only by the imagination of the maker. However, there are certain things that help keep a chlebíček traditional in the truest sense. Let's take a look:

While it is possible to find or order chlebíčky on different types of bread, the proper type of bread is called veka. It's a white bread that is similar in look to a French baguette.

Before the toppings go on, a base is spread over the slice of bread. There are a few different base spreads: butter, mayonnaise and horseradish cream are typical as are vlašský salát and pochoutkový salát. Often, the toppings will govern which base spread is used.

Traditional topping components include slices of cheese, hard boiled egg and meat along with fresh vegetables like lettuce, tomatoes, cucumbers and sweet peppers. Typically, you will also see a slice of pickle and sprig of parsley to fully top things off.
Getting Your Hands on Chlebíčky
If you come to the Czech Republic, accessing this snack will be no problem at all; perhaps the biggest issue you may face is which to choose. Every delicatessen and bakery will have a selection, sometimes very wide, and you could find yourself with more choices than you imagined possible.

If you don't live in the Czech lands, but in an area with a significant Czech ethnic community, you will probably be able to find chlebíčky without to much problem if there is a traditional delicatessen or bakery in the area.

Don't fear if neither situation applies to you, this link will take you to a website that will give you the recipe for veka bread and all the other information you need to make this Czech treat for yourself.

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Delicious Chlebíčeks about to be savoured at the Ema delicatessen in Brno. Art on Bread Czech cuisine does not have a reputation for being particularly artistic when it comes to presentation. Many Czech dishes are hearty and delicious, but put presentation second to piling the plate high.

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the book Voroshilovgrad was written by Serhiy Zhadan (modern Ukrainian writer, singer and public figure.)

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the book Voroshilovgrad was written by Serhiy Zhadan (modern Ukrainian writer, singer and public figure.)

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Voroshilovgrad is a 2010 novel about Eastern Ukraine in the twentieth century. Zhadan’s prose is poetic, and his poetry is prosaic. You can bask in the language, but the novel also anticipates the big war to come.

It was written before Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, and it talks about the homecoming of the main hero. He comes back to his hometown, where he has to learn how to defend his values and how to stand up for what is important to him.

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Poem by ukrainian writers (Taras Shevchenko, Lesia Ukrainka and Ivan Franko)

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Poem by ukrainian writers (Taras Shevchenko, Lesia Ukrainka and Ivan Franko)

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2.https://tarnawsky.artsci.utoronto.ca/elul/English/Ukrainka/Ukrainka-ForestSong.pdf

3.https://tarnawsky.artsci.utoronto.ca/elul/English/Franko/Franko-Weir-Poems-Stories.pdf

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John Weir (Ivan Fedorovych Viv'yurskiy), a Canadian of the Ukrainian lineage, was a talented English-speaking translator of the second half of the 19ih century. During his life he translated 29 Shevchenko's poetic works, a prosaic foreword to the poem of "The Haidamaky", the narrative "The Artist", the poet's autobiographic letter and some excerpts from his diary. John Weir, being a translator with the Ukrainian root, felt melodiousness of Shevchenko's lines, understood a social foundation of the poet's artistic images.
The translation of the poem "The Caucasus" in John Weir's interpretation is reckoned as one of the best acquisitions of the English-language Shevchenkiana. It should be noted that this work ranks a particular place in creativeness of Taras Shevchenko himself and his translators. The poet embodied the idea which is common to mankind, that is the idea of peoples' struggle for freedom as an expression of higher justice. When in 1840 and later years the tsarist Russia led the war of grasp against the liberation movement of highlanders, the official press cynically called those actions the subduing of wild tribes. A common thinking of the Russians was offended by the vice of chauvinism and the imperial patriotism. Only some people had the boldness to sent a voice for the defense of freedom. Taras Shevchenko was amongst them. The lines from The Caucasus' seem to sound actually as never before, and the English-language rendering bears the idea of will, freedom and human dignity in the whole world.
Source:М М. Goriunova

Taras Shevchenko. Selected poetry. Kiev,
Dnipro, 1977. Title page of the book.

Poems of Taras Shevchenko translated into English by John Weir:
"A Dream" (поема "Сон" / "У всякого своя доля")
"Hamaliya" (поема "Гамалія" / "Ой нема, нема ні вітру, ні хвилі")
"Heretic" / (поема "Єретик" / "Запалили у сусіда нову добру хату") "N.N." ("I Was Thirteen" - "Мені тринадцятий минало")
"Perebendya" ("Перебендя" / "Перебендя старий, сліпий - хто його не знає?"
"The Caucasus​​" poem (поема "Кавказ" / "За горою гори, хмарою повиті...") "The Days Go By" ("Минають дні, минають ночі") "The Heretic" / (поема "Єретик" / "Запалили у сусіда нову добру хату")

Taras Shevchenko, "The Caucasus​​"
"Kavkaz" / "Za goramy` gory`, hmaroyu povy`ti...
("Кавказ" / "За горами гори, хмарою повиті...")
Pereyaslav, November 18, 1845

Translated by John Weir

Taras Shevchenko's poem
"The Heretic" / "Bad neighbours came and sat afire"
("Єретик" / "Запалили у сусіда нову добру хату")
Village Maryinske, October 10, 1845
Translated by John Weir

Taras Shevchenko
" Hamaliya " / " Translated by John Weir Oh, the winds are mute, the tides do not carry "
("Гамалія" / " Ой нема, нема ні вітру, ні хвилі")
[October - first half of November, 1842]

Taras Shevchenko
"Perebendya"
("Перебендя")
1839, St.-Petersburg
(Санкт-Петербург)
Translated by John Weir

Taras Shevchenko

"Катерина", поема / "Кохайтеся, чорнобриві"

"Kateryna", poema / "Kokhaytesya, chornobryvi"

St. Petersburg, 1838

Translated by John Weir

Taras Shevchenko, "Calamity Again"​ 1859, S.- Petersburg (Санкт-Петербург)
"Mii Bozhe mylyi, znovu lykho!"
("Мій Боже милий, знову лихо!")

Translated by John Weir

Poem of Taras Shevchenko, "Don't Envy" ​

Translated by John Weir

Taras Shevchenko, "Don't Wed"​

Translated by John Weir

Poem of Taras Shevchenko, "A Reflection"
"Dumka" / "Teche voda v synie more"
("Думка" / "Тече вода в синє море")
1838, S.- Petersburg (С.- Петербург)

Translated by John Weir

"Prychynna" / "Reve ta stohne Dnipr shyrokyi" Taras Shevchenko, poem "The Mighty Dnieper"

("Причинна" / "Реве та стогне Дніпр широкий")
1837, S.- Petersburg (С.- Петербург)

Translated by John Weir

T "A Dream" aras Shevchenko, poem

Translated by John Weir

Taras Shevchenko's poem, "Silver Poplar"
(Maiden's song from "Topolya")
"Topolya" / "Po dibrovi viter vyje"
("Тополя" / "По діброві вітер виє")
1839 р., S.- Peterburgh (С.- Петербург)

Translated by John Weir

Taras Shevchenko, " Haidamaki"
Translated by John Weir "Haidamaki" / "Vse yde, vse mynaie - i kraiu nemaie"
("Гайдамаки" / "Все йде, все минає - і краю немає")
1841, S.- Petersburg (С.- Петербург)

Taras Shevchenko, " It's not that I'm of God complaining"
"Ne narikaiu ya na boha"
("Не нарікаю я на бога")
1860, S.- Petersburg (С.- Петербург)

"Isaiia. Hlava 35. Podrazhanie" / "Raduisia, nyvo nepolytaia!" Taras Shevchenko, poem "Isaiah. Chapter 35. An imitation"

("Ісаія. Глава 35. Подражаніе" / "Радуйся, ниво неполитая!")
1859, S.- Petersburg (С.-Петербург)

Translated by John Weir

Taras Shevchenko, "I'm not unwell, it's just that I..."
"Ya ne nezduzhaiu, nivroku"
("Я не нездужаю, нівроку")
1858, S.- Petersburg, (С.-Петербург)Translated by John Weir

Taras Shevchenko, poem " The half-wit " "Yurodyvyi" / "Vo dni fel'dfebelya-tsarya")
Во дні фельдфебеля-царя"
1857, Nizhny Novgorod (Нижній Новгород)

Translated by John Weir
("Юродивий" / "

Taras Shevchenko, poem "Lights Are Blazing"

Translated by John Weir

Taras Shevchenko, p oem "Young masters, if you only knew"
"Yakby vy znaly, panychi"
("Якби ви знали, паничі")
1850, Orenburh (Оренбург)

Translated by John Weir

Taras Shevchenko, poem "The Lily"

Translated by John Weir

Taras Shevchenko, poem "The Days Go By"​
"Mynaiut dni, mynaiut nochi"
("Минають дні, минають ночі")
1845, Viunyshche (В'юнище)
Translated by John Weir

Poem of Taras Shevchenko, "My Thoughts" "Dumy moji, dumy moji,

Lykho meni z vamy!"
("Думи мої, думи мої,
Лихо мені з вами!")
[1840, Sankt-Peterburgh (Санкт-Петербург)]
Translated by John Weir

Taras Shevchenko's poem, "Fate"​

Translated by John Weir

Translated by John Weir Taras Shevchenko, "N.N."
"Meni trynadtsiatyi mynalo..."
("Мені тринадцятий минало")
1847, Orska Fortecia (Орська фортеця)

Taras Shevchenko, poem "My Testament"

Translated by John Weir

Споріднені публікації, за тегами:

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poems of taras shevchenko translated into english by john weir

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Poems of Taras Shevchenko translated into English by John Weir

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John Weir (Ivan Fedorovych Viv'yurskiy), a Canadian of the Ukrainian lineage, was a talented English-speaking translator of the second half of the 19ih century. During his life he translated 29 Shevchenko's poetic works, a prosaic foreword to the poem of "The Haidamaky", the narrative "The Artist", the poet's autobiographic

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Popular themes of Slovak folk music are love, alcohol, work, banditry and, last but not least, amazing nature. These songs are usually fast, rhythmic and edgy to dance to. Slovakia is a small country and is divided into many regions. Each region has a unique costume, customs and songs. The music of the Terchová region is even included in the UNESCO list. Here is a selection of songs from Terchová that we will dance to and many others.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lm_hW11fyso

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0dd1g8Fzyg0

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uuKftxa0RWI

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b-k-YZHQG_8

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mXJZ4JvMiBY

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Hrajže mi, muzička – V pondelek doma nebudem

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Jánošík - Slovakia's legendary hero, who took from the rich and gave to the poor.

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Super hero. Jánošík rides in all his spleandor.Courtesy of Liptov regional office

The legend of Juraj Jánošík goes back a long time in Slovakia. Fairy tale books show him with great jumping ability leaping over high walls, or walking through fire, all to avenge injustice by the rich toward the poor. He was known to be a leader of merry men who could get out of any scrap or close call. This band used the forest as their home, tricking the authorities and stealing from rich travelers. Then they would enter towns suffering from war to share the riches.

In real life, Jánošík was a soldier, taking part in the revolt of the estates of František II Rákóczi. The 1703 - 1711 revolt was aimed against the Habsburgs who were seeking to gain more control over the Slovak lands while limiting the power of the Hungarian nobility and restricting religious freedom.

Jánošík left the army in 1711 and became the leader of a band of bandits operating in the woods of northwest Slovakia, then later in Moravia and Silesea.

He was eventually captured on a fluke, according to legend. One day he was sitting in a pub with his men when word came out that the authorities were going to make another attempt to grab him. As he moved to escape from the pub an old, ugly, evil woman took a bowl of peas and dumped them on the ground causing him to slip and fall. Only then was he caught.

During the trial of Verboczy in 1713, he was found guilty and taken in shackles and imprisoned in the small castle "Vranovo." Torture then followed. Jánošík was chained to the wall in the castle dungeon, and interrogated in the torture room. Stretched flat and cuffed to a wooden rack or tied and attached to a pulley on the ceiling, he was beaten. Wood was shoved under his nails, and his legs were fitted with nails encased in a piece of armor to rip into the leg. Despite all this torture, historical records show no confession by Jánošík.

His suffering ended quickly when he was pierced by a hook through his left rib to his heart and hung from a tower at the prison. There he remained for three days when a great uproar over his trial prevented the guards from removing his body.

Evidence of Jánošík's painful ending can be found on Liptoský Mikuláš's west side in Palúdzka. At a manor house where Janošík was taken at Vravovského 1 torture instruments are on display and the museum keeper is happy to share all the myths, rumors, and facts surrounding his life.

Jánošík's importance to Slovak folklore cannot be overestimated. His traditional dress has contributed greatly to Slovak identity. There are many characteristics that stand out:

zapletaný vrkoč - Long braided hair

opasok - His belt with iron buckle

zbojnicky klobúk - Hat named after person who steals from the rich to give to the poor.

valaška - An ornamated axe

vestička - Ornamated vest

krpce - Goat skin shoes

Special reporting by Kim Briggs.

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The legend of Juraj Jánošík goes back a long time in Slovakia. Fairy tale books show him with great jumping ability leaping over high walls, or walking through fire, all to avenge injustice by the rich toward the poor. He was known to be a leader of merry men who could get out of any scrap or close call.

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Eat Local in Slovakia, try Bryndzové halušky!

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Explore 47 national, regional and local dishes and products of Slovakia. Cooking Slovak: learn to cook with the best authentic Slovak recipes. What to eat in Slovakia? Great traditional Slovak restaurants.

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This page contains a list of the greatest Slovak Writers. The pantheon dataset contains 7,302 Writers, 20 of which were born in Slovakia. This makes Slovakia the birth place of the 51st most number of Writers behind .

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This page contains a list of the greatest Slovak Writers. The pantheon dataset contains 7,302 Writers, 20 of which were born in Slovakia. This makes Slovakia the birth place of the 51st most number of Writers behind .

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Key people: Janko Kráľ, P. O. Hviezdoslav, Ján Kollár...

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Conversation piece | Social Interaction, Character Development & Dialogue

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Conversation piece, a piece of writing (such as a play) that depends for its effect chiefly upon the wit or excellent quality of its dialogue. The term is also used to describe a poem that has a light, informal tone despite its serious subject. Examples include Samuel Taylor Coleridge’s “The

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1. Golem

The most famous old Prague legend is about Golem in 16th century. Rabbi of Prague Judah Leow ben Bezalel created human body from soil and water to protect Jewish ghetto from Christians. Rabbi Leow with helpers did ritual to bring golem to life. He gave him a name Joseph. Golem was really good servant until he had nothing to do, then he started to destroy things and hurt people. Rabbi Leow deactivated him. By the myth Golem was stored in the attic of the old synagogue.

2. Polednice / The Noon

Mysthical creature in slavic folklore who walks on fields around noon and punishes all who worked on fields that time or steal unattended children. She is mostly describes as ugly old lady with white dress. Among Czech people poem about Polednice is the most known poem of all the time probably because all elementary schools teach this poem from Karel Jaromír Erben.

https://youtu.be/cqgAL-zlzzE?si=rwAfMYKdY_GFwli4

3. The White Lady

A benevolent ghost said to haunt mostly all of the castles in the Czech Republic. Sometime she was just a ghost and scare people and sometimes she appeared before significant events (death, child birth, wedding etc...) either as a warning or a blessing.

4. Čert / Devil

The most known and favorite Czech creature. There is load interpretations mostly it is servant of hell. He tries to trick humans into making deals that usually end up in the human's favor through cleverness or divine intervention. Despite his devilish nature, Čert is not always entirely evil and can be outwitted. Mostly he has horns, tail and sometimes pitchfork.

https://youtu.be/vbDdTE6S-Tc?si=r2Mim4300gtJX2My

5. Vodník / Water Goblin

An old man with green hair, a frog-like appearance, and often dressed in a green coat. He lives in ponds, rivers, and other bodies of water. Vodník is known for his trickster nature, often luring unsuspecting people, especially young women, into the water. He is said to capture their souls in jars. However, Vodník can also be benevolent, helping those who respect the waters. He simbolize the dangerous power of water. One of the scariest Czech written stories is about Vodník from our writer Karel Jaromír Erben.

https://youtu.be/xhknQSIE6f0?si=waHB6JPAZ05g2zA_

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The Mystery of Prague's Golem | The Most Famous Prague Legend

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This is a traditional Latvian folk song to which mostly men dance to. This song is about a young man who goes exploring and realizes his home is the place where he wants to be.

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Home of the golden fall.🍁

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Sigulda aicina iepazīt pilsētu vietējo acīm

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Sklandrausis🥕

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Limuzīns Jāņu Nakts Krāsā - HD - English subtitles

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Latvian music classic- "Saule, Pērkons, Daugava"

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Latvian music classic- "Saule, Pērkons, Daugava"

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In english it would be Sun, Thunder, Daugava" (Daugava is a major river in Latvia). One of the most iconic and significant traditional Latvian folk songs. This song is almost like our national anthem. This song is often performed at the Latvian Song and Dance Festival and everyone is crying.

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Saule, Pērkons, Daugava - XXV Dziesmu svētku un XV Deju svētku noslēguma koncerts. 07.07.13

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In english it would sound "braid open" wich sounds really funny. This podcast is well known for its humorous approach and witty discussions, often addressing current events and societal issues with irony and sarcasm.

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Bize Vaļā - 150 - Pa ceļam uz Līgo 5 ft. Kugrēns

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Grey Peas with Bacon (A traditional dish made from grey peas, similar to chickpeas, cooked with fried onions and diced bacon. Often served during Christmas as a symbol of prosperity. https://www.tasteofshetland.com/explore/recipes/latvian-grey-peas-with-onions-bacon

Rye Bread https://kulturaskanons.lv/en/archive/rudzu-maize/

Cold Beet Soup (A refreshing cold soup made with beets, kefir or buttermilk, cucumbers, and dill. Commonly eaten during the summer months.) https://latvianfood.lv/cold-beetroot-soup/

Drink- Kvass A traditional fermented beverage made from rye bread. You can drink it all year and its always tasty and refreshing. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kvass

Drink- Riga Black Balsam (Is a traditional Latvian herbal liqueur made with various natural ingredients.)

https://www.rigablack.com/en

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Sapņu komanda 1935 (Dream team 1935) is a Latvian historical sports drama film directed by Aigars Grauba, released in 2012. The film is inspired by true events and tells the story of Latvia's national basketball team, which won the first-ever European Basketball Championship in 1935.

Blizzard of souls ( Film about war and love! The love story of the sixteen-year-old Arturs gets interrupted by the First World War. After losing his mother and his home, he finds some consolation in joining the army, because this is the first time the Russian Empire permits national battalions.) https://www.imdb.com/title/tt6084202/?ref_=tt_sims_tt_i_2

The Foundation of Criminal Excellence (Action, comedy, crime) Film about two friends who are trying out fake schemes and ends up in real criminal schemes) https://www.imdb.com/title/tt7953814/?ref_=tt_sims_tt_t_1

Soviet milk (Astra, a promising young doctor, loses everything in the conflict with the totalitarian Soviet regime - her career, her love of life and even her mother's instinct by denying her child breast milk. The life stories of mother and daughter take place in Soviet-occupied Latvia from 1945 to 1989, when the Soviet Union collapsed)

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt20882162/?ref_=tt_sims_tt_i_10

Emīla nedarbi (Emil's misdeeds) One of the iconic Latvian movies. Based on Astrid Lindgren's book 'Emil of Lönneberga'. A story of a little boy, Emil, who, according to others is incredibly naughty, but actually Emil is a lot more kind hearted than all the rest. And everything he does is to help someone. But somehow it all the time turns out like a prank. https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0265577/

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Dream Team 1935 (2012) ⭐ 7.9 | Comedy, Drama, History

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In the age of fake news and in the light of celebrating Riga's birthday, we could not resist but tell some weird stories about our Old Town that are most likely the fake news of our great-grand-parents. Or maybe not, who knows, right? Before the seriousness of a second covid-19 wave and new studying season begins, let's have fun with a bouquet of some of our favourite legends of Riga with screenshots from video stories we made for Goethe-Institut Rīga this summer.

THE GREAT CHRISTOPHER

When the Great Christopher was a young boy, strong and tall, he used to work as the lifter, carrying people across the river Daugava. One night, before going to sleep, he heard a baby cry across the water. Driven by curiosity and empathy, Christopher went across the river and decided to carry the baby to safety at his hut.

With each step he took, the child, put on Christopher's shoulders, became heavier and heavier; he almost sank before getting to the other side. When bringing the baby to safety, Christopher felt so tired and immediately hit the sack. Next morning there was no trace of the child, but where it slept, a chest full of gold was laying. For the money, the Great Christopher bought some land, and the land is now called Riga!

Once in hundred years a mysterious sprite comes out of the river Daugava to ask the citizens whether Riga is ready and finished. If the first person the spirit encounters answers that it is, Riga will be flooded and and will sink!

There is a legend of two medieval monks that wanted to be famous and become saints without lifting a finger. They asked the city to build themselves in the wall of St. John's church and only leave a cross-shaped hole for them to breathe and beg for some food.

Soon after being a saint might have gone out of fashion, the city also might have became Lutheran by then, and the real saints would be living humanists. People say the monks were only remembered two hundred years ago when the church underwent reconstruction. But were they found? One can only guess.

When reconstructing St.Jacob's church, a wall was found hollow with bones dressed in an exotic costume before falling out. The remains of this man were documented, drawn, and his garment might have been saved, but how did he get inside the wall and from where, no one knows!

Long time ago, Old Town was one long one-way street. If you wanted to get from one corner to the other only 20 metres apart, sometimes you needed to ride for an hour. Needless to say, the traffic was wild. On one night, a candle maker's daughter was out on streets selling the tappers when she was fatally hit by a carriage. On very dark nights one can still meet the candle maker's daughter asking to buy her tappers or just saying - will you light a candle for me?

THE FORBIDDEN LOVE STORY

Once, it might have been wartime between Russian and Swedish kingdoms, a local woman from inside the town fell in love with a foreign soldier outside the walls. The secretly met by the Swedish Gate at nights from time to time until they got caught.

Who knowns how the soldier was punished, but the woman was built inside the wall by the gate so she can always wait for her man until the end of days. Many centuries have passed, but on a quiet night one can still hear her last words - but I still love you!

Some say that in the Museum of the History of Riga and Navigation there is an extraordinary exhibit - a hand of a thief cut off by the executioner long time ago. The legend states that the one fulfilling a set of spells can gain the possession of this hand, and it will serve the person until death. Some also say that when the hand gets too bored, the death of its owner might mysteriously occur earlier than expected.

THE CURSE OF THE CROSSES

In 1961, the Culture minister of the Soviet Union, Yekaterina Furceva, visited Riga. When she saw the Orthodox Cathedral of the nativity of Christ, comrade Furceva demanded this place to be closed for religion since it cannot exist within the USSR. All the crosses on top of the cathedral were cut off, and the building was soon turned into a planetarium, gallery, lectorium, and even café. The legend states that, some time after the crucifixes being gone, 9 out of 10 men who did the job were mysteriously dead.

Long, long time ago, a guard at the Dome Cathedral fell asleep and was awaken by a band of men asking to be let inside the church crypts. "We will not harm you," they said, "and if you let us in, it will be generously awarded." Driven by curiosity, the guard allowed them to enter. He was blindfolded, the gang took him underground, measured many steps, went under low arcs, narrow caves, opened and closed secret doors. Eventually, they opened the terminal ones, uncovered the guard's eyes, and there was a large room full with treasure and precious metals. "Keep silent, and we will give you gold!"

When the men took everything they needed, they brought the guard back and left to sleep. Next morning he tried looking for every door and gate do the crypt, but only found solid walls and dead ends.

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THE HAND OF A THIEF. 9 funny and mysterious legends of Riga.

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Weirdest stories people still don't know the answers to in Riga.

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What is your favourite food from your own country and if you've tried food from the other persons country

What are your dream destinations to visit and why?

Recommend a tv-series, a movie and/or a song.

What is the most beautiful thing you've ever seen?

If you could live anywhere in the world where would it be?

What would you take with you to a desert island?

What time in history would you have liked to be born in and why?

What is the most adventurous thing you have ever done?

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Plogging time by the city! Sustainability as citizen!

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Plogging time by the city! Sustainability as citizen!

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1st Intercultural Evening - Czechia, Slovakia and Ukraine

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1st Intercultural Evening - Czechia, Slovakia and Ukraine