The Daily Dozen: 12 things to know about Czechia today

The Czech group Gift for Putin (Dárek pro Putina) has collected CZK 33 million to buy a tank for Ukraine thanks to contributions from over 11,000 people, the organizers tweeted. They said the tank was named Tomáš, like Tomáš Garrigue Masaryk.

The money is sufficient to buy an upgraded T-72 Avenger tank. The collection started in early September. The group will now focus on buying ammunition. The Czech Republic is now the first country to have collected money for a tank to send against the Russian military.

Another package of sanctions against Russia is currently being debated in the EU, Czech Foreign Minister Jan Lipavský said, declining to disclose specifics until the debate is over. The sanctions in response to Russia’s illegal annexation of parts of Ukraine could be agreed on at an EU meeting in Prague later this week.

The Foreign Ministry also called on Czech citizens to leave Russia due to the threat of worsening security in the country. The office called on the Czechs now staying in Russia to be registered in the Drozd system for travelers, and told them to observe maximum caution, watch trustworthy media, and have a plan to leave Russia if need be.

A new sculpture by David Černý has been installed in Prague’s Karlín district. "Lilit," a 24-meter tall chrome-plated steel figure of a woman, holds up the side of the Fragment apartment complex.

Two other sculptures, a hand, and a leg, also support the building. Together, the artworks weigh almost 60 tons. According to developer Trigema, the figure shows that people can't live without the support of others.

Senator Pavel Fischer decided to run in the Czech presidential election, and will make an official announcement in late October, news server iDnes reported. Fischer is collecting signatures from the senators. In order to run for president, he needs 10 of these signatures. An alternative would be to collect 20 signatures from the deputies in the lower house or 50,000 signatures from the voters.

Fischer ran in the last presidential election in 2018. He gained 10 percent of the votes and ended third. Fischer’s experience includes being an advisor to President Václav Havel and serving as ambassador to France and Monaco.

People hoping to visit Prague Castle later this week will be disappointed, as the entire Castle will be closed to the public from Oct. 4 to 8 due to two international conferences and the visits of foreign leaders. The first meeting of the European Political Community takes place on Oct. 6, and an informal meeting of the European Council the following day. The European Political Community meeting will have representatives of the EU plus 17 other countries, while the European Council meeting will host EU leaders.

A survey looking at the prices of meat and non-meat hamburgers in stores found that in the Czech Republic, vegan hamburgers are up to 40 percent more expensive than meat ones, according to news server Metro.

Despite the price, interest in vegan and vegetarian burgers is growing the fastest of any food sector, retailers said. The survey also showed that while meat prices have been increasing significantly, the prices for meat-free alternatives have fallen or stayed the same, so in some cases the price gap is closing.  

Prague drivers who have the PID Lítačka app on their phones can use it to pay for parking using the one-click option. Municipal company Operátor ICT in cooperation with the Technical Road Administration (TSK) is expanding the capabilities of the app to bring all transit options together in one place. Previously, people were redirected to use a third-party app, which made paying more complicated. The city is also changing the current parking zone website from www.parkujvklidu.cz to parking.praha.eu.

People passing through Prague’s main station Hlavní nádraží were in for a shock over the weekend, as the platforms were draped with Nazi flags. Prague Integrated Transit (PID) assures people the return to dark times was only temporary.

The décor was for a British-American film called “One Life” about Sir Nicholas Winton, who saved the lives of 669 children just before the start of World War II. Anthony Hopkins stars in the film as the older Winton and Johnny Flynn plays him as a younger man.

From November, Czech Post will increase the price of sending letters, packages, and postal orders report Penize.cz. Delivery of an ordinary letter will become more expensive by CZK 2 to CZK 21 crowns; priority letters delivered by next-day mail will cost 28 CZK instead of 26 CZK. 

Price increases reflect the rising costs. The post office last increased the price of a stamp in 2018, by CZK 3. The change will take place from Nov. 1

It is the end of a hockey era: Jaromír Jágr said that he might not return to ice as an active player, due to his busy schedule. Still, Jágr added that he would like to keep his options open in light of the upcoming Winter Classic outdoor hockey event.

The hockey legend is the president and owner of the Rytíři Kladno hockey team, and also plays in their home games.

Between 1,500 and 5,000 people die of flu every year in the Czech Republic, ČTK reports. One of the reasons is the low vaccination rate, which last year was 23 percent of people over the age of 65 were vaccinated, or about a third compared to Western Europe.

"Influenza is not just a bad cold. It is characterized by rapid onset, high temperature, muscle, and joint pain," said Jan Kynčl, head of the Department of Epidemiology of Infectious Diseases at the State Health Institute (SZÚ).

The month of October brings a plethora of exciting events to the Czech capital. The 24th edition of Prague International Design Festival Designblok will take place between Oct. 5 and 10, and offer support programs for young designers.

Taking place between Oct. 13 and 16, the Signal festival celebrates its 10th edition with events connecting art, urban space, and modern technology. Last but not least, Be2Can brings to Prague "award-winning movies from festivals in Berlin, Venice, and Cannes that are shaping the art film world."