JOURNALISM

2021 IN PICTURES

TORNADO HIT SOUTH MORAVIA REGION, JUNE 24, 2021

At least five people have died and hundreds have been injured after a tornado hit more than 1,000 homes in southeast Czech Republic. The tornado, accompanied by hailstones the size of tennis balls, struck several towns and villages including Hodonin, where, in addition to causing injuries, the extreme weather destroyed a retirement home and the local zoo.

CZECH PRIME MINISTER ANDREJ BABIS

Ups and downs of Andrej Babis, founder and leader of the populist ANO party, in pictures

Slovak-born oligarch and former secret police agent, Andrej Babis, became the head of a center-right populist political movement , ANO (which means YES in Czech, and stands for Association of Dissatisfied Citizens), following the fall of the Czech government due to allegations of corruption in 2013. Babis's anti-corruption platform appelaed to many voters, and, in 2013, ANO became a junior coalition partner in the new Czech Social Democrats (CSSD)-led government. Babis was named finance minister but was forced to resign following charges of misappropriation of EU funds. But when ANO won the 2017 general election, Babis became prime minister, and after prolonged  and fraught negotiations with the CSSD, he formed a minority government. For the first time since the collapse of communism in 1989, a government was created with parliamentary support from the Communist Party. Despite multiple allegations of fraud, Babis remains the most popular politician in the Czech Republic.

Published in the The Guardian, CNBC, El Pais, Politiken, Suddeutsche Zeitung, Washington Post , New York Times, BBC, RFERL, etc.

Awards: Czech Press Photo 2018

TWO YEARS OF COVID PANDEMIC IN CZECH REPUBLIC

At the start of 2020, news about a mysterious new illnes started to arrive from China. In early March, the first cases of COVID-19 were diagnosed in the Czech Republic. By mid-March, the country went into nationwide lockdown to combat the spread of the virus.The vaccine rollout has been spotty and disorganized. At this time the Czech Republic remains one of the most affected countries in the world.

Published in the RFERL, EURONEWS, The Guardian, BBC, TIME, Liberation, The Atlantic, CNN, The Jakarta Post, El Pais, USATODAY etc.

NEWS SINGLES

NEWS SINGLES

Published in the NYT, San Francisco Gate,  Foreign Policy, Aftenposten, The Guardian, Montreal Gazette, EL PAIS, TIME, CNBC, Die Zeit, Politiken,Die Tagesspiegel,  The Telegraph etc.

Awards: Czech Press Photo 2018, Czech Press Photo 2009, Czech Press Photo 2009, Czech Press Photo 2006, Czech Press Photo 2005

PROTEST AGAINST THE CZECH GOVERNMENT

Protest against the Czech government's new measures to slow the spread of the Covid-19 coronavirus at the Old Town Square in Prague on October 18, 2020.

WINTER SPORT B&W PORTFOLIO

Winter sport B&W features portfolio

Some of these photos were published: Chicago Sun Times, The Guardian, Boston, Il Post  etc

Awards: Czech Press Photo 2015, Czech Press Photo 2008

STARS ON THE STAGE - KARLOVY VARY INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL

Published in the The Guardian, The Boston Globe, Vancouver Sun, etc.

Awards: Czech Press Photo 2015

CZECH PRESIDENT MILOS ZEMAN

Life of Czech President Milos Zeman in pictures

Some of these photos were published here: NPR, The New York Times, BBC, National Post, The Telegraph, etc

CZECH PRESIDENT VACLAV KLAUS

Last three years of Czech President Vaclav klaus in his presidential office

Awards: Czech Press Photo 2009

SPORT SINGLES PORTFOLIO

Sport singles portfolio

Published in the The Guardian, Liberation, Baltimore Sun, New York Times, Vencouver Sun, The Times, Gazeta Esportiva, Suddeutsche Zeitung, Panorama, The Star Phoenix, MSN etc.

Awards: Czech Press Photo 2011

OFFBEAT SINGLES

OFFBEAT SINGLES

Published in the TIME, ABC, The Telegraph, O Globo , etc.

CZECH TEK

Czech Tek Techno party in Mlynec village , West Bohemia 2005.

In 2005, the CzechTek festival took place in Mlynec village close to the German border in the west of the country. The organisers claimed to have permission from the landowner to set up the event, but shortly after the festival began, around 1,000 riot police arrived, using heavy equipment including tear gas, water cannons and the military BVP vehicle. Police cited damage to private property, and argued that the owners of the neighbouring properties had not agreed to allow access to vehicles and that the authorities had not been informed of the event.

The police damaged cars, electronic equipment and other property, and clashes between police and revellers resulted in multiple injuries on both sides. Police used massive amounts of tear gas and stun grenades, broke car windows with iron bars or threw gas grenades in. One participant was killed by a truck on his way to the festival in the early morning hours.^[ Several dozen festival-goers were injured, fifteen seriously, and about fifty policemen were injured, five seriously.

Awards:  Czech Press Photo 2005

SEDIVACKUV LONG RACE

"You're not doing this to win. In fact you can't win this race, you can only lose." Sedivackuv Long is one of the hardest sled dog races in Europe.

The rest of the pack from 11 countries including Austria, Croatia, Germany, the Netherlands and Serbia competed on a 200-kilometre track with four stages and an elevation of of 7,000 metres (23,000 feet). Besides mushers, the race is also open for bikers -- out of 10 taking part this year, three have set out on the longer track.The race is called "Sedivackuv long" in Czech, named after head organiser Pavel Kucera's dog Sedivak, who strayed just before the first race in 1997 and was shot dead by a local man.

Published in the The Guardian, Washington Post, etc.

FLOOD IN CZECH REPUBLIC 2013

Triggering memories of the 2002 floods that ravaged the country, the European floods of 2013 have caused considerable damage in the Czech Republic during late May and early June. As of June 4, eight people have died due to the raging waters while five are missing. The cost of the damage exceeds a billion Czech crowns. More than 1,000 members of the Czech Army have helped construct flood barriers. Seven regions have been classified as state of emergencies.

Published in the The Atlantic, Boston, Ottawa Citizen, Huffington Post, The Guardian, etc.

AMATEUR BODYBUILDING WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP

60th Men's World Amateur Bodybuilding Championship in Ostrava, October 29, 2006.

Awards:  Czech Press Photo 2007

EGGS FOR JIRI PAROUBEK

Eggs for the Chairman of Social Democrats Jiri Paroubek during his party's European Parliament election meeting in Prague on May 27, 2009.

Some of these photos were published here: NRC, Globo, The Irish Times, Epoch Times, Publico etc.

Awards: Czech Press Photo 2009

HORNI LHOTA MAJORETTES GROUP

Elderly Czech women, aged between 57 and 72, from ''Horni Lhota Majorettes'' group

Czech women, aged between 57 and 72, from ''Horni Lhota Majorettes'' group performing in villages near the town of Ostrava, August 8, 2008. The group has been touring public fairs in the Czech Republic for the past two years, among performances are their own version of French Cancan and Swan lake. Before becoming Majorettes, they worked in post offices, schools and local companies.

This series was published here: El Mundo, La Repubblica, etc

Awards: Czech Press Photo 2008

ULTRA-WING DEMO IN JANOV, LITVINOV SUBURB

About five hundred ultra right-wing demonstrators protested against the ''positive discrimination'' at Roma settlements in Janov, part of North Bohemian town of Litvinov, November 17, 2008.

About five hundred ultra right-wing demonstrators protested against ''positive discrimination'' at Roma settlements in Janov, Litvinov suburbs, November 17, 2008 . There are about 250,000-350,000 Roma out of a population of about 10 million in the Czech Republic. About one-third live in ghetto style communities, according to recent data published by the Czech News Agency.

These photos were published here: Aftenposten,

Award: Czech Press Photo 2009