u/Neuwulfstein

Aleš Brichta - Dívka s perlami ve vlasech (s textem)

Česká kreativita má opět světové parametry! Po Phonopolis od Amanity přichází další vizuální klenot - Scarlet Deer Inn tentokrát od manželského dua Evy a Lukáše Navrátilových ze Znojma.

Na první pohled je vidět, že je hra dělaná opravdovým srdíčkem – zaujme totiž unikátní, kompletně vyšívanou animací postav, hřejivou domácí atmosférou středověkého hostince a nádherným soundtrackem nahraným na tradiční historické nástroje.

Tak hru můžete podpořit, momentálně se prodává v závádějící 10% slevě.

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Ve finále porazila Karolínu Muchovou.

Češky vyhrály tři z posledních čtyř ročníků Wimbledonu. Linda Nosková navázala na triumfy Markéty Vondroušové a Barbory Krejčíkové a znovu ukázala, že český ženský tenis patří ke světové špičce.

Could you at least Czech it out?

For Czechia, I'd say tennis and Kingdom Come: Deliverance. Czechia is arguably one of the world's biggest tennis powerhouses, especially in women's tennis. We currently have around 8 women in the WTA Top 50 and nearly 10 in the Top 100, have won multiple Grand Slam singles titles in recent years through players like Barbora Krejčíková and Markéta Vondroušová, and remain among the world's best thanks to stars such as Karolína Muchová. We also continue to dominate doubles with Kateřina Siniaková, one of the greatest doubles players of all time. The next generation looks just as promising, with Linda Nosková, Tereza Valentová, and Nikola Bartůňková regarded as some of the most exciting young talents in women's tennis. On the men's side, Jakub Menšík is widely considered one of the biggest young talents in world tennis, while Jiří Lehečka has the potential to become a consistent Top 10 player, and Tomáš Macháč has firmly established himself on the ATP Tour. This success isn't a coincidence—it continues a remarkable Czech tennis tradition built by legends such as Martina Navratilova, Ivan Lendl, Jan Kodeš, Hana Mandlíková, Jana Novotná, Petra Kvitová, or Tomáš Berdych.

As for culture, Kingdom Come: Deliverance has become one of Czechia's biggest cultural exports of the last decade, standing alongside traditional Czech exports such as beer, Bohemian glass, Czech literature, Krtek, Pat & Mat, and The Good Soldier Švejk. The series has sold over 16 million copies worldwide, introduced millions of players to Czech history and places like Kutná Hora, and significantly boosted international interest in medieval Bohemia.

For example, Czechia is similar to Belgium, which not many people realize, with which we share several cultural parallels.

Beer

Both countries are damn good at making beer. For Belgium, definitely Stella Artois and Jupiler as very famous brands and a very rich beer culture on the UNESCO list. For Czechia, the world-famous and most famous type of beer - Pilsner-type beer and brands like Pilsner Urquell and Budweiser Budvar and again a very rich beer culture with a great tradition.

Guns

Hm, both countries are on the world map in guns too. For Belgium, definitely the world-famous brand FN Herstal with legendary guns like FN FAL, FN Five-seven, FN P90, FN SCAR and I can't forget the Browning Hi-Power. For Czechia, I can name CZ firearms and legendary guns like Bren light machine, CZ 75, Sa vz. 61 Skorpion and also the world-famous explosive Semtex, which has grown from a product into a concept.

Iconic cartoon characters

This is also a very strong parallel. Belgium gave the world Tintin, whom I absolutely love, and also the world-famous The Smurfs. It also shares Lucky Luke with France, which is very popular in many countries. Then there is The Little Mole (Krtek), one of the most famous animated characters created in Central Europe, Pat & Mat, whose humor has won fans across Europe (incredibly popular for Belgians in the Netherlands), and Good Soldier Švejk, who is still very famous in many European countries.

Surrealism

This is another surprisingly strong parallel. Belgium gave the world René Magritte, one of the most famous surrealists of all time, whose paintings are among the icons of world art. For Czechia, we can mention a significant surrealist tradition represented by figures such as Toyen and Jan Švankmajer, whose films have influenced creators all over the world. The surreal and absurd atmosphere is also often compared to the work of Franz Kafka. Czech surrealism is also one of the strongest and longest-running surrealist traditions outside of France.

Liberal environment for sex and prostitution

An interesting parallel can be found here too. Belgium is known for its liberal approach to issues of sexuality and is among the European countries with a very open attitude towards prostitution. Czechia has a different model – prostitution is not directly legalized here, but has been tolerated for a long time and operates in a certain legal gray area. Czech society is also considered one of the less conservative in Europe when it comes to issues of sexuality. The Czech pornography industry has also left a significant international mark, having become one of the most famous in Europe since the 1990s and contributing to the image of Czechia as a relatively liberal-minded country in this area.

All of these seem to me to be interesting cultural parallels. I am not saying that Belgium is like Czechia – in many ways our countries are quite different. Still, it is fascinating how many similar cultural traces, traditions and phenomena can be found between them. What surprises me even more is that most people are not even aware of this similarity.

Does your country have any other countries with which it shares similar cultural parallels?

Sorry for AI image

In Czechia, we have two famous fictional figures that many people see as embodiments of the Czech national character.

The first is Švejk. He survives absurd authorities not through heroics or open rebellion, but through humor, irony, common sense, and an ability to adapt. Many Czechs see him as representing skepticism toward power, resistance to taking things too seriously, and a talent for getting through difficult situations without grand gestures.

The second is Jára Cimrman, a fictional genius invented as a national joke. He's portrayed as someone who was supposedly behind countless great discoveries and achievements, yet never received recognition. He reflects Czech self-deprecating humor, creativity, intellectualism, and the recurring feeling of being a small nation living in the shadow of larger powers.

Together, these two characters capture many traits commonly associated with Czech culture: humor in adversity, distrust of authority, pragmatism, ingenuity, modesty, and the ability to laugh at oneself.

Does your country have a fictional character, literary figure, folk hero, or national archetype that similarly reflects the mentality of its people?