Czech Republic. All about the Czech Republic

Slavic population in the territory of the Czech Republic Frankish chronicles of the XI century. Designated by the term "bohemians" Several tribes settled here. Czechs lived in the Prague Basin, in the region of the city of Zatec - Luchians, in the north of the Czech Republic - Lemuzy, in the region of Melnik - Litomerzhitsy and Pshovans, in the Eastern part of the Czech Republic - Harvats, in the southern part - Dulebs.

In the X - XI centuries. among these tribes, the tribal system is disintegrating and Rennefeudal relations are being formed. Tribal leaders, nobles and other powerful personalities seized common tribal property and, with the help of squads, turned entire villages, clans, tribes into their property and forced them to work for themselves and maintain their yards and squads.

The feudal lords were also constantly at war with each other, trying to annex neighboring territories, thus, the unification of territorial and ethnic units took place, this process was especially intensive in Central Bohemia, where the princes of the Přemyslid dynasty ruled.

Speaking of the Premyslians, we can say that the dynasty originates in Great Moravia at the end of the 9th and beginning of the 10th centuries. The first mention in the sources of a prince of this kind (872) was Prince Borzhivoi, to whom the Czechs, Luchians, Lemuzy, Litomerians obeyed.

In 884, Borzhivoy submitted to Svyatopolk of Moravia.

In 885, Borzhivoy and his wife converted to Christianity, because. he understood the importance of Christianity for strengthening power.

In 895 Bohemia became part of Moravia.

After the great Moravia fell (906), its tribes and the principalities that were part of it began to separate and form independent associations. The Czech Republic - fighting for its independence, fought more than once with the weakened Moravia. After the collapse, the Czech Republic became economically stronger than it was under the rule of the Mojmirovichs and part of the rule of the Přemyslid dynasty.

Prince Borzhivom is mentioned in the chronicle of Kozma of Prague, written in 1102. There is no complete certainty that the chronicle is telling the truth, since Kozma collected information two hundred years ago and the likelihood that many of the data may be unreliable and non-existent is quite high.

After the reign of Borzhivy, the Czech Republic was ruled by his grandson Vaclav. In later historiography, Wenceslas is very popular. He ruled from 921 to 935, planting Christianity in his country, exacting ordinary requisitions from his subjects, and conducting armed conflicts with opponents.

The fact is that at that time elements of paganism were still strong in the country. As a result of a conspiracy in 935, Wenceslas was killed, and subsequently canonized as a martyr for the Christian faith.

Boleslav I, having ascended the throne, refused to pay tribute to the German king and for 14 years successfully repelled the onslaught of Otto I. However, in 950 Boleslav nevertheless recognized dependence on the German king and helped him defeat the Hungarians and annex Silesia and the Principality of the Vislans to his possessions with Krakow. There is also information in some sources that Boleslav took possession of Moravia and part of Slovakia.

Inside the country, Boleslav introduced a new coin - a silver denarius, which lasted until 1300.

Under Boleslav I and his successors, the system of state administration changed significantly. Tribal leaders and elders of the clans, if they did not obey the prince, were exterminated. The state was divided into regions governed from princely castles, where, in addition to service people, headed by the burggrave, there was a garrison and servants.

Decrees emanating from the Prague Castle, which was the center of the Czech Republic, were in force throughout the country.

The prince appointed his warriors to important administrative positions - the chief burggrave, the supreme chancellor, the chief clerk, etc., rewarding them with lands with peasants, villages, fortresses, which they first used as fief possessions, and then began to be inherited. This is how the feudal class was formed.

The first state tax "tribute from the world" was established and zemstvo duties were established.

Bolesław I decided to establish the Prague Bishopric, but died in 972 before he could fulfill his intention.

The prince was his son Bolesław II, who received official regalia for the bishop of the Prague diocese in 973.

The bishopric strengthened the power of the Přemyslids, and the church completely submitted to the prince. He appointed and dismissed priests, collected church tithes from believers, founded three monasteries and was called "Pious".

Military campaigns Boleslav II captured part of the Upper Puddle and Galician land.

In the center of the Bohemian Basin stood the Libice Castle, where the political center. The castle was owned by Prince Slavnik, who considered himself equal in nobility to the Přemyslids and did not obey them. He also, like Boleslav, minted his own coin and independently established relations with foreign rulers.

The Přemyslids saw this as a threat. In 982, a conflict arose between the Přemyslids and Slavnikovs.

In 995, the squad of Boleslav II captured Libice, destroying the Slavnikovs, Boleslav II united the entire Czech Republic under the rule of the Přemyslids.

He was succeeded by Boleslav III (999 - 1003), under which Czech state entered a period of crisis.

The German emperor Henry II forced the Czech prince to recognize vassalage.

And the Czech prince Vratislav II (1061-1092) for loyalty to Emperor Henry II received the title of king, however, without the right to inherit.

In the XI century. the early feudal centralization of the Czech state weakened, the country entered a period of feudal fragmentation. The territory of the state broke up into extreme. The center of each extreme was a city. All the main judicial, administrative and financial positions in the management of the extreme were in the hands of local landowners, in whose favor special incomes were received. Local feudal lords also made up the military militia. They also discussed the affairs of the extreme at the extreme congresses (regional diets). All positions in the central government and the court were also replaced by the feudal nobility. The princes of the Czech Republic were powerless to resolve issues of war, peace or finance without the feudal nobility, who sat in the diets and in the council under the prince. The 11th-13th centuries were a time when the feudal property of large and small landowners, as well as churches, continued to expand and strengthen. Already in the X century. the right to use wastelands and forests, including the clearing of novi and the founding of new villages, depended on the feudal lords. Founding these villages, the feudal lords populated them with dependent peasants and forbade the neighboring population from using communal lands. Free Peasants - Grandfathers Soviet Historical Encyclopedia. -- M.: Soviet Encyclopedia. Ed. E. M. Zhukova. 1973-1982, who owned land plots on the basis of inheritance law and occupied by their specific gravity at the beginning of the 11th century. still a prominent place among the peasants, were thereby placed in a hopeless situation. Ruined as a result of the prohibition to use communal lands, the dedics became dependent on the feudal lords, to whom they were obliged to pay all kinds of dues. An important role in the ruin and enslavement of the grandfathers was also played by the direct seizure of their lands by feudal lords and forcible enslavement.

However, the specific system in the country is not being developed. By the end of the XII century. the Moravian Margrave and the Bishop of Prague were again forced to acknowledge their submission to the Bohemian crown. Fragmentation manifested itself not so much in the direct disintegration of the state into politically separate parts, but in the growth of the privileges of the aristocracy and the entire nobility. The feudal lords secured hereditary rights to land, expanded immunity privileges, etc. The Catholic Church wrested the most concessions from the central government: the subordination of the clergy only to the church court, the right to tithe, etc. An indicator of the increased importance of the Czech Republic in international affairs was the receipt by the prince of the royal title in 1158. The emperor's supreme power over the Czech king was minimal. Relations developed in different ways - from alliances to military conflicts, which went with varying degrees of success. But in general, they were more like a relationship between partners than overlord and vassal. The Imperial Golden Bull of 1212 recognized the special status of the Czech Republic and the Holy Roman Empire: the Czech representatives were required to attend only those Reichstags that convened near the borders of the kingdom; if the dynasty fades away, the Czechs have the right to elect a king themselves, without outside interference, and so on.

The descendants of Vratislav were already fighting for the throne. At the same time, the Czech Republic's fief relations with the empire had a number of features. Imperial laws were not in force in the Czech Republic, but the empire recognized as the rulers of the country only those persons who were elected by the combatants and who had real power.

The end of the XII century was marked by a period of decline not only of the Czech state, but also of the German Empire, which allowed the Czech state to maintain its independence.

In 1306, the Přemyslid dynasty died out, the Czech feudal lords elected John of Luxembourg (1310-1346) as king, obtaining a number of new privileges from him, including exemption from regular taxes. In 1317, the powers of the established at the end of the 13th century were expanded and strengthened. estate representation - the Sejm, in which the nobility, clergy and cities were represented.

Czech Republic (Czech Republic)

Introduction

Czech Republic, geographical abbreviation Czech Republic), Czech spelling Česká republika(abbreviation ČR or Česko), English international spelling Czech Republic(abbreviation cz), is a state located on the territory of the "Czech Lands" or in Central Europe. January 1, 1969, the Czech Socialist Republic was officially formed in the federalization of Czechoslovakia, and on March 6, 1990, the current name was given - Czech Republic. January 1, 1993 in connection with the collapse of Czechoslovakia, the Czech Republic became a full-fledged subject international law and from the same date the first constitution of the Czech Republic came into force. The Czech Republic is a parliamentary republic, a democratic constitutional state with a liberal state regime and a political system based on free competition of political parties and movements. The head of state is the president. The only supreme legislative body is the bicameral Parliament of the Czech Republic. The state supports the basic principles of liberalism, capitalism, market economy and free market. Czech Republic is on the list developed countries. According to economic, social and political indicators such as GDP per capita, Human Development Index, Press Freedom Index, Internet Censorship Index, the Czech Republic has been ranked very high among world countries. Economically, the Czech Republic has been ranked among the 31 richest countries in the world by the World Bank with the highest financial income, the Czech Republic has one of the best rates compared to other states in the share of the population living below the poverty line. The Czech Republic has relatively low inequality between the rich and the poor, as well as a relatively balanced distribution of wealth among the majority of the population. The unemployment rate is low compared to other developed countries. The Environmental Harm Index is well below the European average.

The Czech Republic is a member of the United Nations, NATO, Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, World Trade Organization, International Monetary Fund, World Bank, Council of Europe, Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe, European Customs Union, European Union, Schengen Area, European Economic zone, a member of the Visegrad Group and other international structures.

Today the Czech Republic consists of lands (parts) of historical Czech Republic, which were a significant part of the history under the control of the Czech Crown: Bohemia, Moravia (in 1920 the lands of Czech Austria were also annexed), as well as part of Silesia. At the moment the area Czech Republic is 78,867 km 2. At the moment, the country is an internally European landlocked state, in the west it borders on Germany (the length of the border is 810 km), in the north on Poland (762 km), in the east on Slovakia (252 km) and in the south on Austria (466 km). Administratively, the Czech Republic is divided into 14 administrative districts (krai). The capital is the city of Prague, which is also one of the 14 counties. In 2012, approximately 10.5 million people were registered in the Czech Republic. The vast majority of people living in the Czech Republic consider themselves to be of Czech or Moravian nationality.

1. The history of the formation of states on the land of the Czech Republic.

The first documented state structure on the territory of the current Czech Republic was formed in the second half of the 9th century - Greater Moravia. When Great Moravia (about 907) disappeared under the onslaught of the nomadic Hungarian tribes, the state focus of development shifted to the Czech Republic (Bohemia). Local rulers from the Přemyslid family built the medieval "Přemyslid" state, also referred to as the Bohemian State, and from the turn of the 10th and 11th centuries, forming part of the Holy Roman Empire. From 1526, the Czech lands were gradually incorporated into the Habsburg Empire, whose rulers used the victory at the White Mountain (1620) to finally eliminate the last remnants of former independence. From 1749 until the end of the First World War, namely until 1918, the Kingdom of Bohemia, the Moravian Margraviate, the Upper Duchy and Lower Silesia remained the crowned lands of the Habsburgs, which, however, were not connected to each other. From 1804, these lands were part of Austria, and then, from 1867, the Austro-Hungarian Empire. In 1918, after military-political actions, on the basis of cultural and linguistic proximity, the state of Czechoslovakia was created, which included the Czech and Slovak lands. Czechoslovakia, immediately after its emergence, restricts the freedom of its lands, which, with the exception of Slovakia, had their own laws, charters, parliaments, and becomes a strictly centralized state. The Czech lands were part of it until 1992, that is, until the collapse of Czechoslovakia. The Czech Republic was officially established on 1 January 1969 as part of the federalization of the Czechoslovak Socialist Republic under the name Czech Socialist Republic. Revolutionary political changes after November 1989 meant not only changing the name of the federation (Czech and Slovak Federal Republic), but also the Czech Republic (March 1990 Czech Republic, after the adoption of the Constitution, the word "socialist" was removed). The collapse of Czechoslovakia took place without a referendum, the first January 1993 was terminated by the agreement on the formation of the Federation. The successors of Czechoslovakia were the states of the Czech Republic and the Slovak Republic. At the same time, he entered into the first in history, his own, constitution of the Czech Republic.

2. Titles and state symbols of the Czech Republic

It is customary to speak of the territory on which the Czech Republic is now located as the “Czech Lands”, which is an auxiliary historical and geographical term that is used as a general term for the corresponding geographical Czech Republic (that is, three historically Czech lands - Czech Republic (Bohemia), Moravia and the Czech part of Silesia). The term is based on the traditional, historical, geographical division of political entities on the territory of the modern Czech Republic, which lasted from the Middle Ages until 1928 (when Moravia and Czech Silesia were merged into one Moravskoslezské region), after 1948, when the Moravoslezsk region was abolished, "Land Czech" already denoted the Czech part of the state of Czechoslovakia. The concept of "Czech Lands" was now expanded to include part of Czech Austria, which until 1919 were part of "Lower Austria".

The official name of the country according to the constitution is the Czech Republic, the one-word name "Czech Republic" is not used at all in the Czech constitution, part of the society of the Czech Republic refuses to use the word "Czech Republic" as a designation of the state. The first use of the expression "Czech Republic" dates back to 1777 as a synonym for the word "Bohemia", as the official designation of the Czechoslovak Federation, the word appeared in Czech in 1978. During the national revival, the form "Czech" derived from the word "Czech" was also used (and the use of the word "Czech" was recognized as incorrect), in general, the word "Czech" is a translation from the Latin word "Bohemia". Due to tradition, the word "Czech Republic" is still used in circulation, as well as the adjective "Czech".

The state symbols of the Czech Republic are the large and small coat of arms, the state flag (the Czech Republic, after the collapse of the Czechoslovak Federation, took over the original flag of Czechoslovakia, since Slovakia was not interested in the further use of this attribute), the standard of the president, the state seal, the state colors of the republic and the national anthem "Where is my home?" State symbols indicate the traditions of the medieval Czech state (symbol), the Hussite movement (slogan on the presidential standard), national revival (anthem) and democratic Czechoslovakia (flag).

The name "Czech Republic" is the result of a simplification of the word "Czech" derived from the adjective "Czech" (although the historically original spelling is "Chehi", which is Latin for "Bohemia"). The documented entry "Czech Republic" is dated to the 18th century, since the 19th century it is also mentioned as the name of the "Czech Lands". In this status, the word "Czech Republic" since 1938 began to be used by the Moravian linguist Frantisek Travnicek. In the dictionary of the literary Czech language of 1960, the word "Czech Republic" is used both as a designation of the state and as a designation of the region "Bohemia", at the same time it is called obsolete. The 1978 dictionary uses the word "Czech Republic" only as the region "Bohemia". In the spring of 1993, the Czech Office of Geodesy, Cartography and Cadastre, on behalf of the government, appointed to use the word "Czech Republic" as an abbreviation for the "Czech Republic". After fierce controversy in support of the Czech Geographical Society, and despite the opposition of President Havel and other figures, the term was significantly expanded, but not given official status.

3. STORY

3.1. PervonAmooringsettlements

Presumably, the territory of the current Czech Republic was inhabited by humans about 750,000 years ago. About the settlement of people in the territory of the Czech Republic since 28000 BC. confirms a number of archaeological finds. From the third century BC. the Celts (Boii) inhabited this area, and in the first century AD. came the tribes of Germans (Marcomanni and Quadi).

From the end of the fifth century, the first Slavs appeared on the territory of the present Czech Republic. In the 7th century, the Slavic tribes formed the state of "Samo" (ca. 623-659), although the state of Samo was more like big union tribes. Between 830 - 833, on the lands of Moravia, Slovakia, Hungary in the north and west of Transcarpathia, the Empire of Great Moravia was created, which gradually subjugated the Czech Republic (890 - 894), Silesia, Lusatia, Lesser Poland and the rest of Hungary. Great Moravia was the first state formation on the territory of the modern Czech Republic. In 894, Bohemia got out of the control of Great Moravia, and in 906 or 907 was subjected to a devastating attack by the Hungarians.

3.2. Middle Ages and Modern Times

The origins of the Czech state date back to the second half of the 9th century, when the first, documented, Czech prince from the Přemyslid dynasty, Bořivoj I, was christened. During the 10th and 11th centuries, the state consolidated due to which it was territories of Moravia were annexed. The Czech Principality gradually developed signs of a more or less independent state within the medieval Holy Roman Empire (the Prague bishopric was founded in 973, St. Wenceslas became a national saint).

The Czech kingdom appeared only in 1198, when the German king recognized the heredity of the Czech royal title, which then recognized the emperor, the pope, and in 1212 the Golden Sicilian Bull was signed, which secured the king of the Czech Republic, Premysl Ottokar I, his royal title and established his heredity, and also bestowed other privileges of the Czech kingdom. The Czech ruler henceforth was to be released from all obligations in relation to the Holy Roman Empire, up to participation in imperial assemblies. Přemysl Otakar II greatly expanded his possessions, which now extended beyond the Alps right up to Adriatic Sea. Wenceslas II turned his attention to the north and east, where he managed to get the lands of Poland with access to the Baltic Sea, and his son Wenceslas III annexed the Hungarian territories. The Kingdom of Bohemia reached its maximum greatness during the reign of the last of the Přemylovich family and Charles IV. (1316-1378), who in 1348 secured the borders of the Bohemian Crown Lands and annexed Brandenburg (in 1415), Lusatia (in 1635) and Silesia (in 1742).

After the burning of Magister Jan Hus in 1415 in Konstanz, Germany, the rivalry between the Catholics and the Hussites turned into open hostility and events led to the Hussite wars. The Hussites founded the city of Tabor, which became the center of the Hussite revolution. Jan Zizka from Trocnov and Prokop Naked were able to repel all four crusades in Bohemia. The war was ended after the signing of an agreement between the Council of Basel and the Hussites in 1436.

In 1526, the Habsburg dynasty came to the Czech throne, which included the country in the Habsburg monarchy. In 1547 and 1618 there were armed uprisings for the sovereignty of the Czech Protestant state. The defenestration (thrown out of the window) of the imperial governors in 1618 was the cause of the Thirty Years' War. The troops of the Czech state in 1620 in the battle of Bela Hora were defeated, and the remnants of the troops who were captured were publicly executed in Prague. The forced re-Catholicization (re-conversion to the Catholic faith) of Czech Protestants began. Most of Czech nobility and intelligentsia became loyal supporters of the Habsburgs. Until the middle of the 17th century, the population declined in Bohemia (Bohemia) and Moravia from 2.6 million to 1.5 million. In 1627, a new collection of laws was adopted in the Czech Republic, according to which the Habsburg family received a royal hereditary title, the only religion was declared Catholic and German received the status of a second state language on a par with Czech.

The proclamation of the lands of the Bohemian crown was canceled in 1749 by Maria Theresa, however, Czech kings continued to be crowned within the Czech kingdom. In 1781, the reforms of Joseph II led to the abolition of serfdom, and also gave rise to religious tolerance in society. From the 17th century until the beginning of the 19th century, processes took place that led to the centralization of the monarchy. This centralization helped the German language to become dominant in state and church administration. In response to the Germanization of culture and language, the end of the 18th century marked the beginning of the era of the "Czech National Revival", attempts were made to restore the Czech culture and language, and then to gain a political force representing the interests of the Czech ethnic group. In the second half of the 19th century, an important economic and cultural upsurge took place in the Czech Republic. Most (about 70%) of Austria-Hungary's industry was concentrated in the Czech Republic.

3.3. Pre-war Czechoslovakia

First world war fought 1,500,000 people recruited from the Czech regions, of which 138,000 were killed defending the monarchy and about five and a half thousand people who fought as part of foreign legions. Over 90,000 volunteers formed the Czechoslovak Legion in France, Italy and Russia, where they fought against the Central Powers and later against the Bolsheviks. After the defeat of Austria-Hungary on October 28, 1918, the Czech lands, part of the Kingdom of Hungary, Carpathian Rus united, creating a new state of Czechoslovakia. Despite the fact that the state was formed primarily on a national basis, however, the state also included Germans, Hungarians, Poles, as well as Romanians (as part of national minorities). After Czechoslovakia gained independence, there were border conflicts on the border with Poland and Hungary, as well as unrest in the German regions of the country (Sudet Germans). Tomas Garrik Masaryk was elected the first president of Czechoslovakia. During the period from the establishment of the state to the dissolution of the "First Republic", Czechoslovakia was a unitary state and remained the only democratic state in Central Europe.

The German population in the border areas, as a result of the Great Depression, mass unemployment and intense, radical Nazi propaganda, began to demand secession from Czechoslovakia. The Sudeto-German Party, led by Konrad Henleine, made the greatest efforts in this area. Under pressure from Nazi Germany and the European powers, in September 1938, Czechoslovakia, under the Munich Agreement, was forced to cede the Sudetenland to Germany. Czechoslovakia ceded the southern regions of Slovakia and Carpathian Rus to Hungary, a small part of Czechoslovak territory (in particular, the region of Teszyn Silesia) went to Poland, so the "second republic" of Czechoslovakia appeared.

3.4. Protectorate of Bohemia (Czech Republic) and Morava

On March 14, 1939, Slovakia declared its independence, and after the occupation by German troops on March 15, 1939, the remaining part of the Czechoslovak territory (that is, the Czech Republic without Sudetenland, annexed in 1938 by Germany, and in the eastern part of the Teszyn Silesia region, which was also annexed by Poland in 1938) was declared the protectorate of Bohemia and Moravia (a very small part of Czech Silesia remained on the territory of the protectorate around the city of Ostrava and Fridka, the rest of the lands, including the eastern part of the Czechoslovak Tishinsky Siliseia, were annexed to Germany). The German occupation of Czechoslovakia was met with massive resistance from the population of the country (Czech sources) and groups supported from abroad, to which the Nazis responded with terror. During the war, the Nazis implemented a policy of forced labor for the Czech labor force in Germany, as well as the extermination of the Jewish diaspora in the protectorate. Despite this, it should be noted that the Czech Republic made a very impressive contribution to the success of Germany in the first years of the war. The lion's share of Germany's armament, incl. and tanks, was produced at factories located in the Czech Republic and where Czechs worked, and cases of sabotage at factories were isolated and did not make any significant contribution to the disruption of production. Also, a large number of citizens of the former Czechoslovakia served voluntarily in the SS troops. So, for example, Knispel Kurt, one of the greatest German tank aces, who destroyed 168 enemy tanks, was from Czechoslovakia. It is worth noting that the partisan movements in the Czech Republic, which appeared almost immediately after the occupation, did not make any significant contribution to the liberation of Czechoslovakia. It is not possible, unfortunately, to reliably determine the mood of the population of the Czech Republic on the day of the occupation, but based on the measures taken or not taken to stop the occupation, it can be confidently stated that the Czechs were not against the inclusion of their country in Germany and considered this as a logical continuation of Germanization countries. The only exception can be considered the heroic deed of Captain Karel Pavlik, who on March 14, 1939, with his company, offered armed resistance to the occupying German troops. He was the only officer who violated the order and resisted.

3.5. Post-war Czechoslovakia

In May 1945, Czechoslovakia was completely liberated by the Allies, which marked the official restoration of the democratic state of Czechoslovakia. However, strange political phenomena took place in the Czech Republic during this period, such as the expulsion of Germans from Czechoslovakia to Germany and Austria or restrictions on party competition, extensive nationalization of key enterprises in heavy industry, energy, film industry, banking, insurance companies, large construction companies, and etc. In February 1948, the Communist Party of Czechoslovakia came to power in Czechoslovakia, the country became a totalitarian state and part of the Soviet bloc (Eastern bloc). The structures of civil society were suppressed, ranging from the self-government of the regions (1949) to the suppression of freedom of speech, the press and canceled market relations in the economic life of the country. State nationalization and monetary reform (1953) led to the fact that millions of citizens lost their property. In 1960, a new constitution changed official name countries into "Czechoslovak Socialist Republic (Czechoslovakia)". In the late 1950s and 1960s, gradual liberalization was observed, which reached its peak in 1968. The period in which there were movements aimed at the liberalization of Czechoslovakia is known as the Prague Spring. The Prague oars were crushed by the invasion of the Soviet Union and other Warsaw Pact countries on the 21st August 1968. After the invasion, the outflow of the Czech intelligentsia began, many educated people in the democratic countries of Europe and the United States emigrated, which further accelerated the economic decline in the country, which survived the violent process of joining the Soviet bloc. At that time, Czechoslovakia was occupied by the Soviet Army, which finally left the country only in 1991, i.e. the “normalization” process, which lasted more than 20 years, completely suppressed the feeling of freedom among the citizens of the Czech Republic.

Post-war Czechoslovakia was not a completely unitary state, but had an asymmetric structure. On the territory of Slovakia, the “Slovak National Council” acted as the legislative body, until 1960 the “Assembly of Representatives” was the executive body, while there were no such bodies on the territory of the Czech Republic. While the mutual borders of the Czech Republic, Moravia and Silesia in the post-war period were subjected to regional division, the border between the Czech Republic and Slovakia was forbidden to change at the legislative level, i.e. Slovakia's borders remained untouched and remained a single entity until the very end. Some of the enacted Czechoslovak laws and regulations were limited to the territorial scope of the Czech region. An example is the state environmental law. The Slovak National Council adopted Law No. 1/1955 "Protection of State natural resources”, valid only for the Slovak region.

3.6. The Socialist Republic of the Czech Republic and the Czech Republic as part of a federation.

The longest state-legal consequence of the Prague Spring was the federalization of the Czech Socialist Republic, established on January 1, 1969, when the unitary state became a federation of two sovereign states - the Czech and Slovenian socialist republics.

The Velvet Revolution, launched on November 17, 1989, overthrew the communist regime and provided an opportunity for democratic reforms and the restoration of free enterprise, but also contributed to a sharp increase in crime, a large public debt and provoked the collapse of the Federation. In 1990, the word “socialist” was removed from the name of each federal state, and the Czech Republic received its own symbolism of the state. Differences soon began to appear between the two groups of subjects of the Federation, the Czech Republic and the Slovak Republic, and a split appeared in relation to the two republics, which ultimately led to the rapid disintegration of the unified state. Czechoslovakia peacefully ceased to exist on December 31, 1992, and the new republics divided among themselves the assets and liabilities of the former Czechoslovakia. From this period, the Czech Republic and Slovakia exist as two independent states.

3.7. Independent Czech Republic

Subject of international law, the Czech Republic became the first January 1993, after the collapse of the federation. The Czech Republic has joined Western European political structures. On March 12, 1999, the Czech Republic was admitted to NATO and on May 1, 2004 joined European Union. In 2004, it joined the Schengen Agreement, and on this basis, on December 21, 2007, it became part of the Schengen area.

The existence of the Czech Republic as a subject of international law is recognized by the vast majority of countries in the world. From its inception until July 13, 2009, the Czech Republic was not recognized as an independent state by Liechtenstein alone. Liechtenstein seeks, as a precondition for the recognition and establishment of diplomatic contractual relations with the Czech Republic, to resolve property issues (property disputes have existed between Liechtenstein and Czechoslovakia since the founding of Czechoslovakia, disputes related to the expropriation of Liechtenstein's property according to the Beneš decree). Liechtenstein made considerable efforts to prevent the admission of the Czech Republic into international organizations but this activity was not successful.

4. Geography

The Czech Republic is located in Central Europe and borders four countries: Germany to the west, Poland to the north, Slovakia to the southeast, and the southern border is shared with Austria. The length of the western border with Germany is 810.7 kilometers, with Austria 466.1 km, with Slovakia 251.8 km and with Poland in the north 761.8 km. The total area of ​​the Czech Republic is 78,867 km², of which 2% is water surface. The Czech Republic has mountains around its perimeter and hilly area, most high mountains are located in the north, the Krkonoše mountains. The highest point in the Czech Republic is Mount Snezhka (1602 meters above sea level). The Elbe (Laby) and Vltava rivers flow in the western part of the Czech Republic, while the Oder River originates in the eastern part. Thanks to the rivers, the Czech Republic has access to the North, Baltic and Black Seas. The climate in the Czech Republic is mild, only a week of the year it is “very” hot and a week of the year it is “very cold”, the rest of the time the temperature and weather are always comfortable, without sharp fluctuations (in summer average temperature+20 degrees, -3 in winter). Such an ideal climate is obtained due to maritime and continental influence. Due to the fact that the Czech Republic is surrounded by mountains around the entire perimeter, the negative impact of winds is significantly reduced, in addition, a significant amount of snow falls in the mountains, which makes the Czech Republic a ski country.

4.1. Geology,geomorphologyand soil

Most of the territory belongs to the geologically stable Czech massif, formed in the fourth geological period of the Paleozoic era by the Hercynian folding. The region of the Western Carpathians, in the east of the territory, was formed in the last epoch of tectogenesis by the Alpine folding.

From the point of view of geomorphology, the Czech Republic is located on the border of two mountain systems. The central and western parts of the Czech Republic are located on the “Český masiv” mountain range, mainly consisting of hills and mountains (Šumava, Czech Forest, Krusne Gory, Jizerske Gory, Krkonoše, Orlistsk Gory, Kralicky Snezhik, Jeseniki), and in the east of the Czech Republic there are Western Carpathians (Beskydy). An area of ​​52817 km2, which is 67% of the total area of ​​the Czech Republic, is located at an altitude of up to 500 meters above sea level, 25222 km2 (32%) at an altitude of 500 to 1000 meters, and only 827 km2 (1.05%) are at an altitude above 1000 meters above sea level. The highest place in the Czech Republic is the mountain “Sněžka”, 1602 meters above sea level, and the lowest is the river “Labe” near the town “Hřensko”, 115 meters above sea level. The average height above sea level is 430 meters.

The soil cover of the country is diverse. The most common type of soil in the Czech Republic is "Brown soils", fertile black soils on the plains.

4.2. Hydrology and climate

Through the territory of the Czech Republic passes the main European watershed separating the catchment area of ​​the Northern, Baltic and Black Sea basins. The main river axes are in Bohemia - Labe (370 km) with the Vltava (433 km); in Moravia - the Morava River (246 km) from Taia (306 km); in Silesia Odra (135 km) from Opavou (131 km).

The climate in the Czech Republic is mild, transitional between continental and oceanic. Typical is the alternation of four seasons. Western winds and intense cyclonic activity prevail. Maritime influence is manifested mainly in Bohemia, Moravia and Silesia are more subject to continental climatic influences. The biggest influence on the climate in the Czech Republic is the height above sea level and the relief.

4.3. Flora and fauna

Flora and fauna in the Czech Republic is a classic manifestation of the Central European fauna, which indicates the interpenetration of the guiding principles. Forests, mostly coniferous, cover 33% of the total land area.

4.4. Security environment

The preserved pristine nature is protected in national parks and reserves. supreme body responsible for the protection and preservation of the environment in the Czech Republic is the Ministry of the Environment of the Czech Republic. There are four national parks in the Czech Republic: national parkŠumava, Krkonoše National Park, Bohemian Switzerland National Park and Podyje National Park. Protected areas include: National Parks (NP), Protected Landscape Areas (CHKO), National reserves(NPR), reserves (PR), national natural monuments(NPP), Natural Attractions (PP).

5. Population

The birth rate in the Czech Republic is one of the lowest in the world, in 2012 it was 1.27 children per woman. The total population, according to the Czech Statistical Office, declined slightly between 1995 and 2002, currently the overall growth is near zero (-0.08 in 2003 and +0.9% in 2004) due to increased immigration from abroad, although the natural increase since 1994 has always been negative. Life expectancy continues to increase slowly and exceeds 72 years for men and 79 years for women (2004 estimate). 71% of the population lives in cities.

In the last census in 2011, 63.7% of Czech citizens identified themselves as Czech nationality (86% of those who identified themselves as any nationality), which prevails in all regions of the Czech Republic, 4.9% of the population identified themselves as Moravian nationality and 0.1% to the Silesian nationality, although both nationalities use exclusively the Czech language for communication. According to the opinion of the Czech Statistical Office (CSU), we are talking about the consequences of the division of the Czech nation, as a result of intensive media coverage and politicization of the Moravian national question, as the political party of Moravia actively uses this issue for its political purposes. Before the 1991 census, it was virtually impossible to single out nationalities, since there was no column in which to indicate this, therefore it is not possible to trace the complete demographic situation among each nationality. In the 2011 census, 26% of the population, in the nationality column, did not enter any information, i.e. left the field empty.

5.1. Religion

The Czech Republic has one of the least religious populations in the world. During the Eurobarometer project surveys in 2005, 19% of respondents answered that they believe in God, 50% believe in the power of spiritual life, and 30% Not believe in religion. According to the latest census in 2011, about 3.6 million people do not adhere to any religion. This is 34.2% of the population. Almost 1.5 million people (13.9%) identified themselves as different religions. Approximately 707,000 people (6.7%) identified themselves as believers, but not identifying themselves with any of the existing religions. In general, about 2,100,000 people or 20.6% of the Czech population considered themselves believers (regardless of religion). A total of 4,700,000 people (45.2%) in this voluntary column did not complete the census form.

The most widespread religion in the Czech Republic is Christianity. The largest religious group is the Roman Catholic Church, which has 1.1 million believers (10.26%), which is significantly lower than in 2001, assuming that a total of 2.7 million people identified themselves as believers (26.8%). A high proportion of believers is still in the Orthodox Church, which has a total of 27,000 believers, adherents of Jedi 15,000 people, Jehovah's Witnesses - 13,000. Over 700,000 people identified themselves as believers but did not identify themselves with any organized church. The number of adherents of Judaism is about 1500 inhabitants, Islam is preached by almost 3500 people. 6100 people classified themselves as different branches of Buddhism. 1075 people identified themselves as Atheists, 863 people declared paganism.

The proportion of people who declared themselves believers, in comparison with previous censuses, in 2001 significantly decreased. The number of people who did not declare any religion has significantly decreased. An innovation in the 2011 census was the ability to register as believers without belonging to a particular church, almost 7% of the population used this opportunity, but the percentage of people who chose not to answer the question about their religion also increased. The largest number of religious people live in the eastern part of the Czech Republic - Moravia.

5.2. Ethnographic groups

In the Czech Republic, there are several ethnographic groups closely related to the region where they live, which in the past had cultural differences, as well as peculiarities of dialects. In Bohemia, these are: Hody, Plzenatsi, Blataci, Duleby, in Moravia: Horati, Hanaki, Moravian Croats, Moravian Slovaks, Podluzhatsi, Wallashi, Lashi and others in Silesia, for example, Guraly. Differences between ethnographic groups began to blur after the "Second World War", however, some regional features are still maintained. In addition to these geographically diverse ethnographic groups, it is necessary to note groups that are not geographically tied to their place of residence, but are also significant, these are: the Romanesque and Israelite ethnographic group.

5.3. Foreigners

In general, in the Czech Republic, in 2011 the number of foreigners decreased compared to 2010 by almost 8,000 people to 416,700 people (4%). Prague and the Central Bohemian Region account for more than half of total number foreigners living in the Czech Republic. Most immigrants came from Slovakia (1.4%), Ukraine (0.5%), Poland (0.4%), Vietnam (0.3%), Germany (0.2%), Russia (0.2% ) and Hungary (0.1%). Compared to other European countries, the Czech Republic remains a relatively homogeneous country, such as neighboring Germany, the largest number of foreigners living in the EU, i.e. 7.2 million foreigners (9% of the population), Austria 10.8% and Spain 12% . An indisputable advantage is the fact that in the Czech Republic such ethnic groups as Turks and Negroes are represented in small numbers and are not a problem for the state, unlike Germany and France.

Entities of the Czech State

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1.3 Formation of the Czech State

Slavic population in the territory of the Czech Republic Frankish chronicles of the XI century. Designated by the term "bohemians" Several tribes settled here. Czechs lived in the Prague Basin, in the region of the city of Zatec - Luchians, in the north of the Czech Republic - Lemuzy, in the region of Melnik - Litomerzhitsy and Pshovans, in the Eastern part of the Czech Republic - Harvats, in the southern part - Dulebs.

In the X - XI centuries. among these tribes, the tribal system is disintegrating and Rennefeudal relations are being formed. Tribal leaders, nobles and other powerful personalities seized common tribal property and, with the help of squads, turned entire villages, clans, tribes into their property and forced them to work for themselves and maintain their yards and squads.

The feudal lords were also constantly at war with each other, trying to annex neighboring territories, thus, the unification of territorial and ethnic units took place, this process was especially intensive in Central Bohemia, where the princes of the Přemyslid dynasty ruled.

Speaking of the Premyslians, we can say that the dynasty originates in Great Moravia at the end of the 9th and beginning of the 10th centuries. The first mention in the sources of a prince of this kind (872) was Prince Borzhivoi, to whom the Czechs, Luchians, Lemuzy, Litomerians obeyed.

In 884, Borzhivoy submitted to Svyatopolk of Moravia.

In 885, Borzhivoy and his wife converted to Christianity, because. he understood the importance of Christianity for strengthening power.

In 895 Bohemia became part of Moravia.

After the great Moravia fell (906), its tribes and the principalities that were part of it began to separate and form independent associations. The Czech Republic - fighting for its independence, fought more than once with the weakened Moravia. After the collapse, the Czech Republic became economically stronger than it was under the rule of the Mojmirovichs and part of the rule of the Přemyslid dynasty.

Prince Borzhivom is mentioned in the chronicle of Kozma of Prague, written in 1102. There is no complete certainty that the chronicle is telling the truth, since Kozma collected information two hundred years ago and the likelihood that many of the data may be unreliable and non-existent is quite high.

After the reign of Borzhivy, the Czech Republic was ruled by his grandson Vaclav. In later historiography, Wenceslas is very popular. He ruled from 921 to 935, planting Christianity in his country, exacting ordinary requisitions from his subjects, and conducting armed conflicts with opponents.

The fact is that at that time elements of paganism were still strong in the country. As a result of a conspiracy in 935, Wenceslas was killed, and subsequently canonized as a martyr for the Christian faith.

Boleslav I, having ascended the throne, refused to pay tribute to the German king and for 14 years successfully repelled the onslaught of Otto I. However, in 950 Boleslav nevertheless recognized dependence on the German king and helped him defeat the Hungarians and annex Silesia and the Principality of the Vislans to his possessions with Krakow. There is also information in some sources that Boleslav took possession of Moravia and part of Slovakia.

Inside the country, Boleslav introduced a new coin - a silver denarius, which lasted until 1300.

Under Boleslav I and his successors, the system of state administration changed significantly. Tribal leaders and elders of the clans, if they did not obey the prince, were exterminated. The state was divided into regions governed from princely castles, where, in addition to service people, headed by the burggrave, there was a garrison and servants.

Decrees emanating from the Prague Castle, which was the center of the Czech Republic, were in force throughout the country.

The prince appointed his warriors to important administrative positions - the chief burggrave, the supreme chancellor, the chief clerk, etc., rewarding them with lands with peasants, villages, fortresses, which they first used as fief possessions, and then began to be inherited. This is how the feudal class was formed.

The first state tax "tribute from the world" was established and zemstvo duties were established.

Bolesław I decided to establish the Prague Bishopric, but died in 972 before he could fulfill his intention.

The prince was his son Bolesław II, who received official regalia for the bishop of the Prague diocese in 973.

The bishopric strengthened the power of the Přemyslids, and the church completely submitted to the prince. He appointed and dismissed priests, collected church tithes from believers, founded three monasteries and was called "Pious".

Military campaigns Boleslav II captured part of the Upper Puddle and Galician land.

In the center of the Bohemian basin stood the castle of Libice, where the political center began to take shape. The castle was owned by Prince Slavnik, who considered himself equal in nobility to the Přemyslids and did not obey them. He also, like Boleslav, minted his own coin and independently established relations with foreign rulers.

The Přemyslids saw this as a threat. In 982, a conflict arose between the Přemyslids and Slavnikovs.

In 995, the squad of Boleslav II captured Libice, destroying the Slavnikovs, Boleslav II united the entire Czech Republic under the rule of the Přemyslids.

He was succeeded by Boleslav III (999 - 1003), under which the Czech state entered a period of crisis.

The German emperor Henry II forced the Czech prince to recognize vassalage.

And the Czech prince Vratislav II (1061-1092) for loyalty to Emperor Henry II received the title of king, however, without the right to inherit.

In the XI century. the early feudal centralization of the Czech state weakened, the country entered a period of feudal fragmentation. The territory of the state broke up into extreme. The center of each extreme was a city. All the main judicial, administrative and financial positions in the management of the extreme were in the hands of local landowners, in whose favor special incomes were received. Local feudal lords also made up the military militia. They also discussed the affairs of the extreme at the extreme congresses (regional diets). All positions in the central government and the court were also replaced by the feudal nobility. The princes of the Czech Republic were powerless to resolve issues of war, peace or finance without the feudal nobility, who sat in the diets and in the council under the prince. The 11th-13th centuries were a time when the feudal property of large and small landowners, as well as churches, continued to expand and strengthen. Already in the X century. the right to use wastelands and forests, including the clearing of novi and the founding of new villages, depended on the feudal lords. Founding these villages, the feudal lords populated them with dependent peasants and forbade the neighboring population from using communal lands. Free Peasants - Grandfathers Soviet Historical Encyclopedia. -- M.: Soviet Encyclopedia. Ed. E. M. Zhukova. 1973-1982, who owned land plots on the basis of inheritance law and occupied by their specific gravity at the beginning of the 11th century. still a prominent place among the peasants, were thereby placed in a hopeless situation. Ruined as a result of the prohibition to use communal lands, the dedics became dependent on the feudal lords, to whom they were obliged to pay all kinds of dues. An important role in the ruin and enslavement of the grandfathers was also played by the direct seizure of their lands by feudal lords and forcible enslavement.

However, the specific system in the country is not being developed. By the end of the XII century. the Moravian Margrave and the Bishop of Prague were again forced to acknowledge their submission to the Bohemian crown. Fragmentation manifested itself not so much in the direct disintegration of the state into politically separate parts, but in the growth of the privileges of the aristocracy and the entire nobility. The feudal lords secured hereditary rights to land, expanded immunity privileges, etc. The Catholic Church wrested the most concessions from the central government: the subordination of the clergy only to the church court, the right to tithe, etc. An indicator of the increased importance of the Czech Republic in international affairs was the receipt by the prince of the royal title in 1158. The emperor's supreme power over the Czech king was minimal. Relations developed in different ways - from alliances to military conflicts, which went with varying degrees of success. But in general, they were more like a relationship between partners than overlord and vassal. The Imperial Golden Bull of 1212 recognized the special status of the Czech Republic and the Holy Roman Empire: the Czech representatives were required to attend only those Reichstags that convened near the borders of the kingdom; if the dynasty fades away, the Czechs have the right to elect a king themselves, without outside interference, and so on.

The descendants of Vratislav were already fighting for the throne. At the same time, the Czech Republic's fief relations with the empire had a number of features. Imperial laws were not in force in the Czech Republic, but the empire recognized as the rulers of the country only those persons who were elected by the combatants and who had real power.

The end of the XII century was marked by a period of decline not only of the Czech state, but also of the German Empire, which allowed the Czech state to maintain its independence.

In 1306, the Přemyslid dynasty died out, the Czech feudal lords elected John of Luxembourg (1310-1346) as king, obtaining a number of new privileges from him, including exemption from regular taxes. In 1317, the powers of the established at the end of the 13th century were expanded and strengthened. estate representation - the Sejm, in which the nobility, clergy and cities were represented.

Chapter 2. Development of law in the Czech Republic during the Middle Ages

Relations between the Grand Duchy of Lithuania and Rus'

The emergence of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania is attributed in various sources from the reign of Mindovg (approximately 1251) to the reign of Gedemin (1316 - 1341). The centralization and growth of the Principality of Lithuania were dictated by one goal - to survive ...

The emergence of Russian statehood. Ancient Rus'. Kievan Rus

The lands of the East Slavic tribes united into a single state were called Rus. The arguments of the “Norman” historians who tried to declare the founders of the Old Russian state the Normans, who were then called Varangians in Rus' ...

Statehood of the Eastern Slavs

The moment of the emergence of the Old Russian state cannot be dated with sufficient accuracy. Obviously, there was a gradual outgrowth of those political formations, which were mentioned above ...

Mughal India

The existence of the Delhi Sultanate, the emergence of the ruling class of Muslim feudal lords, the long cohabitation and mutual influence of Hindus and Muslims prepared the emergence of a new powerful Muslim empire in northern India...

Mongol-Tatar invasion of Rus' and its consequences

At the beginning of the XIII century. in Central Asia, the Mongolian state was formed, uniting numerous tribes of nomadic cattle breeders and hunters. Mongolian tribes roamed the steppes of Transbaikalia and the northern part of modern Mongolia...

Formation of the Old Russian state in the IX-XI centuries.

Formation of the Old Russian state. Criticism of the "Norman" theory

Abundant material from diverse sources convinces us that the East Slavic statehood matured in the south, in the rich and fertile forest-steppe zone of the Middle Dnieper ...

Education and the main stages in the development of statehood in Sparta

The Spartan state arose as a result of the movement of the Dorian tribe along Balkan Peninsula. The Dorians captured Laconia, located in the Eurotas valley, and in the 9th century the Spartan state was formed ...

The formation of the Novgorod state in the 9th century

At that time, in the northwestern lands of the Eastern Slavs, in the area of ​​​​Lake Ilmen, along the Volkhov and in the upper reaches of the Dnieper, events were brewing that were also destined to become one of the most remarkable in Russian history ...

Entities of the Czech State

In Czechoslovak historiography, the question of the genesis of the first Slavic principalities on the Middle Danube in the first third of the 9th century (Moimirovskogo in the valley of the Morava river and Pribipovskogo in the Nitrya region) remains unresolved due to a lack of sources ...

The development of Russian law in Ancient Rus'

Of a number of concepts of the state existing in historical science, the formation of the origin of the Slavs most fully meets the requirements of modern science, the so-called Dnieper-Oder concept of the origin of the Slavs of Academician B.A. ...

Rus' in the IX-XIII centuries: from unity to fragmentation

emergence Kievan Rus fits into the process of state formation, taking place in the 9th - 10th centuries. throughout the vast territory of Northern, Central and Eastern Europe. According to The Tale of Bygone Years...

Rus' and the Horde: points of view in Russian historical science

At the beginning of the XIII century. in Central Asia, in the territory from Lake Baikal and the upper reaches of the Yenisei and Irtysh in the north to the southern regions of the Gobi Desert and the Great Wall of China, the Mongolian state was formed. Named after one of the tribes...

Frankish state

The tribal union of the Franks took shape in the 3rd century. in the lower reaches of the Rhine. It included the Hamavs, Brukters, Sugambrs and some other tribes. In the IV century. the Franks settled in northeastern Gaul as allies of the Roman Empire ...

The number of foreign tourists who come to the Czech Republic is increasing every year. Many tourists who have visited the Czech Republic once return there again and again. People fall in love with this country at first sight, and this love can last a lifetime. Tourists come to the Czech Republic for the sake of unique historical and architectural monuments, magnificent nature, real Czech beer, balneological and ski resorts.

The Czech Republic is located in Central Europe. The Czech Republic borders Slovakia to the east, Germany to the west, Austria to the south, and Poland to the north. The total area of ​​this country is 78,866 sq. km, and the total length state border– 2,310 km.

In the west of the country in Bohemia, there are low mountains - the Krkonoše, which are structurally included in the Sudetenland mountain range. It is in the Krkonoše that the highest Czech peak is located - Mount Sněžka (1602 m). In the east of the country in Moravia, the terrain is hilly with low mountains.

Several big rivers– Elba, Vltava, Morava, and Odra. Some Czech rivers are an important part of the local national parks of the Krkonoše, Šumava, Podiya, and "Bohemian Switzerland".

The capital of the Czech Republic is Prague, which is now home to about 1.3 million people. Archaeologists believe that the first Slavic settlement on the territory of modern Prague appeared in the 6th century AD.

The official language in the Czech Republic is Czech, which belongs to the Western subgroup. Slavic languages.

About 30% of the population of the Czech Republic are Catholics (Roman Catholic Church). Another 2% of Czechs are Protestants, and more than 32% of the Czech population do not believe in God.

According to the 1990 Constitution, the Czech Republic is a parliamentary republic in which the President is the formal head of state, but his powers are significantly limited. The Prime Minister has significant powers, however, he is appointed by the President and approved by the Parliament.

Legislative power belongs to the bicameral Parliament, consisting of Poslanecká sněmovna (200 deputies) and the Senate (81 people).

Until 2013, the President of the Czech Republic was elected by the Parliament of the country, but now it happens by popular vote.

The climate in the Czech Republic is temperate continental with rather hot summers and cold snowy winters. In the west of the country, the average annual air temperature is +7C, and in southern Moravia - +9C. In Prague in July, the air temperature can reach +33C, and in the west of the country in February it can drop to -17C.

In winter, there is a lot of snow in the mountains of the Czech Republic, and this guarantees a long ski season.

Average air temperature in the Czech Republic:

January - -3C
- February - -2C
- March - +3C
- April - +8C
- May - +13C
- June - +16C
- July - +18C
- August - +17C
- September - +14С
- October - +8C
- November - +3C
- December - -1С

Several large rivers flow through the territory of the Czech Republic - Elbe, Vltava, Morava, and Odra. In addition, there are many natural small lakes in the Czech Republic, as well as about 150 artificial lakes.

Around the 4th century BC. Celtic tribes settled on the territory of modern Czech Republic, but after a few centuries they were supplanted by Germanic tribes. The Slavs appeared in the Czech Republic at the end of the 5th century AD.

In the 9th century, the flowering of the Czech Republic begins, which is associated with the rule of the Přemyslid dynasty. The Czech state manages to actually maintain its independence, although it was in vassal dependence on the Holy Roman Empire.

In 1085, the Holy Roman Emperor Henry IV granted the Czech prince Vratislav the right to use the royal title. However, the independence of the Kingdom of Bohemia was proclaimed only in 1212.

From 1419 to 1436, the religious Hussite wars continued in the Czech Republic, as a result of which the Hussite religion was recognized by Catholics as one of the religions in this country.

Since 1526, the Habsburgs became kings of the Czech Republic, and thus this country became part of the Holy Roman Empire. By the way, the Czech Republic was part of Austria until 1918.

After the end of the First World War in October 1918, a single state was formed from the Czech Republic and Slovakia - Czechoslovakia.

As a result, the so-called. "Munich agreement" in 1939, Czechoslovakia was occupied by German troops. The Germans turned the Czech Republic into the Protectorate of Bohemia and Moravia.

After the end of World War II, socialist Czechoslovakia was formed. In 1968, the Warsaw Pact countries were forced to send troops to Czechoslovakia in order to support the socialist system in it.

In November 1989 in Czechoslovakia there was a so-called. "Velvet Revolution", which removed the Communist Party from power. Vaclav Havel became president of Czechoslovakia.

On January 1, 1993, two new independent states appeared on the political map of the world - Slovakia and the Czech Republic.

In 1999, the Czech Republic became a member of the NATO military bloc, and in 2004 it was admitted to the EU.

Czechs are proud of their traditions and carefully pass them on from generation to generation. So, in one of the Moravian villages of Vlcnovo, the “Ride of Kings” festival is still held every year, during which local boys and teenagers ride horses decorated with colorful ribbons throughout the region. At the same time, the riders themselves are dressed in traditional folk costumes. The boy-king is guarded by two bodyguards with sabers.

The fact is that in the Middle Ages in Moravia (and in the vicinity of the village of Vlchnovo) local princes often traveled, who for the peasants were real kings.

Czechs love to celebrate Walpurgis Night (from April 30 to May 1). Sometimes the Czechs call this holiday "Witch Burning Night". Of course, no one has been burning witches in the Czech Republic for many centuries. Now, in order to maintain this ancient custom, the Czechs set fire to brooms and throw them into the air (to see how witches used to fly in the air).

Czechs believe that at midnight on May 1, treasures can be found. However, at this time, the forces of evil are capable of harming a person. Therefore, treasure seekers on the night of May 1 need to have a fern leaf on their heads (on their faces).

IN last years in the Czech Republic, they began to pay more attention to healthy eating and various new recipes. However, traditional Czech recipes are still very popular in the Czech Republic.

- "bramborová polévka" - potato soup
- "zelná polévka" - sauerkraut soup
- "kuřecí polévka" - chicken noodle soup
- "hovězí guláš s knedlíkem" - beef goulash with dumplings
- "pečené kuře s brambory" - fried chicken with potatoes
- "knedlíky" - dumplings are made with a variety of fillings
- "jablečný závin" - apple strudel
- "Medovník" - cake with honey

The traditional Czech alcoholic drink is beer. As in some other European countries, beer in the Czech Republic began to be brewed in the early Middle Ages in monasteries. Now Czech beer is famous all over the world.

For lovers of attractions, the Czech Republic is an ideal country. There are many different attractions in the Czech Republic, and it is difficult for us to choose the best of them. Nevertheless, in our opinion, the top ten attractions in the Czech Republic include the following:

Castle Hluboka nad Vltavou

Hluboka Castle was built in the second half of the 13th century. Hluboka Castle received its current magnificent neo-Gothic appearance thanks to the Schwarzenberg family, who owned it since 1661. Today the castle houses a museum.

Cherven Lhota Castle

Chervena Lhota's castle South Bohemia was built during the Renaissance. It is located on a rocky island in the middle of the lake. The castle is connected to the ground by a narrow stone bridge. Chervena Lhota Castle got its name from its red-painted walls.

Karlštejn Castle

Karlštejn Castle was built in 1348 by the Czech king and Roman emperor Charles IV. Once upon a time, the treasures and regalia of Czech kings were kept in this castle.

Caves in the Moravian Karst Nature Reserve

The territory of the Moravian Karst Nature Reserve is about 92 sq. km. There are about 1,100 gorges and caves here.

Geopark " Czech paradise»

In the north of the Czech Republic, there is the Bohemian Paradise geopark, which has a large number of mineralogy, paleontology and archeology monuments.

Vysehrad Castle

Vysehrad Castle, as historians believe, was built on a hill above the Vltava in the 10th century. According to legend, it was in Vyšehrad Castle that the Czech princess Libuše foretold the future greatness of Prague.

Konopiste Castle

This castle is located 50 kilometers from Prague. It was built in the 1289s in the style of French fortresses with round towers. Konopiste Castle was once the last residence of Archduke Franz Ferdinand.

Singing Fountains in Prague

The Singing Fountains were built in 1891. Later, the Czech engineer Frantisek Krzhizhikovy made them lighting. Now the "Singing Fountains" are one of the most favorite places for recreation of the inhabitants of Prague.

Charles Bridge in Prague

The Charles Bridge across the Vltava was built in the 14th century. The bridge is decorated with 30 statues that were erected by various universities, religious orders, archbishops, princes, etc.

St. Vitus Cathedral

The construction of St. Vitus Cathedral in Prague lasted from 1344 to 1929. It is considered one of the most beautiful Gothic cathedrals in the world.

The largest cities in the Czech Republic are Brno, Pilsen, Ostrava, and, of course, Prague.

The Czech Republic is known for its ski resorts with excellent developed infrastructure skating. The most popular Czech ski resorts are Harrachov, Jablonec nad Jizerou, Rokytnice nad Jizerou, Spindlerov Mlyn, Pec pod Snezkou, Hruby Jeseník, Velké Losiny, Boží Dar, and Liberec. Due to the large amount of snow, the skiing season in the Czech Republic lasts from December to April.

Tourists come to the Czech Republic not only to admire the sights of this country and go skiing at local ski resorts. In the Czech Republic there are a large number mineral springs, and, as a result, tourists also come to this country very often for the sake of balneological resorts. Karlovy Vary has a reputation as a world-class balneological resort.

Other popular Czech balneological resorts- Marianske Lazne, Frantiskove Lazne, Jachymov, Teplice, Luhačovice, and Poděbrady.

Tourists from the Czech Republic usually bring dishes, porcelain, Bohemian glassware, ceramics, jewelry with semi-precious Czech pomegranate, Czech beer, Becherovka liqueur, plum brandy, which is made in South Moravia, as well as Czech waffles (from Karlovy Vary) and chocolate.

Story

The Czech lands have been known since the end of the 9th century, when they were united by the Přemyslids. The Kingdom of Bohemia had considerable power, but religious conflicts (the Hussite Wars in the 15th century and the Thirty Years' War in the 17th century) devastated it. It later came under the influence of the Habsburgs and became part of Austria-Hungary.

Due to the collapse of this state after the First World War, the Czech Republic, Slovakia and Subcarpathian Rus united and formed independent republic Czechoslovakia in 1918. This country had a large enough ethnic German minority that was the reason for the disbandment of Czechoslovakia when Germany secured the annexation of the Sudetenland as a result of the Munich Agreement of 1938, which led to the secession of Slovakia. The remaining Czech state was occupied by Germany in the (Protectorate of Bohemia and Moravia).

Sights of the Czech Republic

Main article: Sights of the Czech Republic

Political structure

Main article: Political structure of the Czech Republic

According to the Constitution, the Czech Republic is a parliamentary democracy. The head of state (president) is indirectly elected every five years by parliament. The President is given special powers: to propose judges to the Constitutional Court, to dissolve parliament under certain conditions, to veto laws. He also appoints the prime minister, who sets the direction of domestic and foreign policy, as well as other members of the government cabinet on the advice of the prime minister.

Among all the post-communist states, the Czech Republic has one of the most stable and successful economic systems. Its basis is industry (mechanical engineering, electrical engineering and electronics, chemistry, food industry and ferrous metallurgy) and the service sector. The share of agriculture and forestry, as well as the mining industry, is insignificant and continues to decrease.

The monetary unit of the Czech Republic is the kroon (1 kroon = 100 hellers), which has been fully convertible since 1995. Unlike almost all other post-communist countries, the Czech Republic managed to avoid hyperinflation and sharp devaluations. national currency. After some weakening of the crown in the late 90s. to date, its rate relative to the main world currencies has increased markedly.

Following the initial difficulties caused by the collapse of the CMEA, the division of the country and the change in the structure of the economy, and the subsequent growth of the Czech economy in 1997-1998. experienced a certain crisis, from which it began to emerge only from mid-1999. The result was an increase in foreign debt and a jump in unemployment. The crisis phenomena were overcome by increasing exports to market economy countries, primarily the European Union (and within its framework - Germany), attracting foreign investment and increasing domestic consumption. After joining the EU in May 2004, the economic growth of the Czech Republic accelerated markedly and, despite the largely populist economic policies of several governments of the Social Democrats, reached 6-7% per year. The share of industry in GDP, which reached 62% by 1990, having decreased by half at first, is now growing and reaches 38%, which is a rather rare occurrence among developed countries. Ferrous metallurgy and the military industry have lost their importance due to the automotive and electrical industries, thanks to the development of which the Czech Republic has had a positive foreign trade balance since 2004, despite the rapid rise in prices for imported energy carriers (oil and gas). In terms of foreign trade per capita, the country is one of the leaders, ahead of such countries as Japan, Great Britain, France or Italy.

Population

The building of the Consulate General in St. Petersburg

The basis of the population of the Czech Republic (95%) are ethnic Czechs and speakers of the Czech language, belonging to the group of West Slavic languages. Foreigners make up about 4% of the country's population. Among immigrants, the largest diaspora in the Czech Republic is Ukrainians, who at the end of 2007 lived in the country 126,500. In second place are Slovaks (67,880), many of whom, after the separation in 1993, remained in the Czech Republic and make up approximately 2% of the population. On the third - citizens of Vietnam (51,000). They are followed by citizens of Russia (23,300) and Poland (20,600). Other ethnic groups include Germans, Gypsies, Hungarians and Jews. The border between the Czech Republic and Slovakia is open to citizens of the former Czechoslovakia.

According to the language, the Czechs belong to the West Slavic peoples. The language of central Bohemia was put at the basis of the early works of Czech writing of the 13th-14th centuries. But as influence grows in the country catholic church, German feudal lords and the patriciate of cities, the Czech language began to be subjected to oppression in favor of the German and Latin languages. But during the period of the Hussite wars, literacy and the literary Czech language became widespread among the masses. Then came the two-century decline of Czech culture under the rule of the Habsburgs, who pursued a policy of Germanizing the subject Slavic peoples (by the middle of the 19th century, 15% of the population spoke Czech, and the possibility of taking one of the Slavic languages, in particular the Russian literary language, was considered as a literary language). The Czech language began to revive only at the end of the 18th century, its basis was the literary language of the 16th century, which explains the presence of many archaisms in the modern Czech language, in contrast to the living spoken language. The spoken language is divided into several groups of dialects: Czech, Middle Moravian and East Moravian.

The Czech Republic is one of the densely populated states. Average density The population is 130 people. per 1 sq. km. The distribution of the population on the territory of the republic is relatively even. The most densely populated are the areas of large urban agglomerations - Prague, Brno, Ostrava, Pilsen (up to 250 people per 1 sq. km). The regions of Cesky Krumlov and Prachatice have the minimum population density (about 37 people per 1 sq. km). As of 1991, there were 5,479 settlements in the Czech Republic. The Czech Republic belongs to highly urbanized countries: about 71% of the population lives in cities and towns, while more than 50% live in cities with a population of over 20 thousand inhabitants, the share of the rural population continues to decline. The only metropolis in the Czech Republic is Prague, which has a permanent population of 1,188,000 inhabitants (as of December 31, 2006; the population of Prague has been slowly decreasing since 1985). As of 2006, the Czech Republic has 5 cities with a population of more than 100,000 inhabitants (Prague, Brno, Ostrava, Pilsen, Olomouc), 17 cities with a population of more than 50,000 inhabitants, and 44 cities with a population of more than 20,000 inhabitants.

The total population of the Czech Republic, having reached a post-war maximum in 1991 - 10,302 thousand people - then slowly decreased until 2003, when it amounted to just over 10,200 thousand people, but since then there has been a slight increase to 10,280 thousand pers. - mainly due to an increase in the flow of migrants (primarily from Ukraine, Slovakia, Vietnam, Russia, Poland and the countries of the former Yugoslavia). Natural population growth was negative in the period 1994-2005, in 2006 there is some positive growth due to an increase in the birth rate and a decrease in mortality. At the same time, the level of female fertility is still deeply insufficient for the reproduction of the population (about 1.2 children per 1 woman of reproductive age). In recent years, the Czech Republic has become one of the states with the lowest level of infant mortality (less than 4 per 1,000 births). Since 1990, there has been a steady decline in the number of abortions and induced abortions in the Czech Republic.

Most of the population - 71.2% - is in the productive age (from 15 to 65 years), while 14.4% of Czech citizens are under 15 years old, and 14.5% are over 65 years old. In the productive age, the number of men slightly exceeds the number of women, but in the post-productive age, women noticeably prevail (for every two women there is one man). The average age of the population of the Czech Republic is 39.3 years (women - 41.1 years, men - 37.5 years). Average life expectancy is 72.9 years for men and 79.7 years for women (as of 2006).

The majority of the adult population is married, although the proportion of singles is relatively high, with one in five men and one in eight women unmarried. Currently, men marry at 28 years old, women - at 26 years old, which is close to the European trend (for comparison: in 1993 these figures were 23 and 19 years, respectively). The first child appears in the family most often within 6 months after the wedding. Czech families are characterized by a high divorce rate. Currently, almost every second marriage ends in divorce, as a result of which almost 80% of all children under the age of 15 live in single-parent families. The average family size has decreased over the past 30 years from 3.5 to 2.2 people.

The economically active population is 51.5% of the total. A specific feature of the Czech Republic among other countries is the high level of employment of women, who make up about 48% of the total economically active population. Most women work in the service industries - health care, education, trade and catering. Most women work out of economic necessity in order to maintain the family's standard of living. The unemployment rate is 7.3% (November 2006), which is more than in 1990-1997. (3-5%), but noticeably less than in 1999-2004. (up to 10.5%).

A significant part of Czechs lives outside the Czech Republic - in Austria, Germany, USA, Canada, Australia and other countries. This is the result of economic migration in search of work, which took on noticeable proportions in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, and political emigration after the political upheaval of 1948 and the occupation of 1968.

Illiteracy in the Czech Republic is practically absent (occasionally found among older Roma). A high level of literacy was typical of Czechs even during the First Republic (1918-1938): at that time, about 95% of all residents had a basic education. In recent years, the level of education has increased markedly. Every third economically active resident of the Czech Republic has completed secondary education (corresponding to the level of 12-13 years of education), and every tenth citizen of the Czech Republic has or is receiving higher education. A typical worker has at least a secondary vocational training. The high qualification of Czech workers is one of the main advantages of the Czech economy. So far, the country lags behind the most developed European countries in terms of the proportion of the population with completed secondary and higher education.

culture

Orlik Castle

Main article: Culture of the Czech Republic

• Famous people of the Czech Republic
• Music of the Czech Republic
• Cinema of the Czech Republic
• Literature of the Czech Republic

Humanitarian organizations

Czech Red Cross(Czech. Český červený kříž, English Czech Red Cross)

The Czech Red Cross (ČKK) is a humanitarian organization operating throughout the Czech Republic. In its activities, the ChKK concentrates on humanitarian issues and the provision of medical and social assistance to the population.

Currently, the number of members of the ChKK reaches 70381 people working in 1712 local organizations.

The Czech Red Cross is the only internationally recognized National Red Cross Society in the Czech Republic that is recognized by the state. In accordance with the Geneva Conventions, the CRC provides assistance and support medical service armed forces.

The status of the ČKK and its objectives are regulated by the Law on the Protection of the Emblem and Name of the Czech Red Cross and on the Czechoslovak Red Cross (Act No. 126/1992).

On August 26, 1993, the ChKK was recognized by the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) and on October 25, 1993 admitted to membership in the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC).

The Czech Red Cross continues the activities of its predecessors - the Patriotic Society for Aid of the Czechoslovak Kingdom (Czech. "Vlastenecký pomocný spolek pro Království české", English. "Patriotic Society for Aid in the Czech Kingdom.") (founded on September 5, 1868) and the Czechoslovak Red Cross (founded February 6, 1919).

As an independent organization of the ChKK, after the division of the Czechoslovak Red Cross, it was registered by the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Czech Republic on June 10, 1993 (Ministerstvo vnitra ČR dne 10. 6. 1993 pod čj. VS / 1-20998 / 93-R)

Notes

Links

Information

• Official portal of the Czech Republic (Russian) (Czech) (English) (German) (French) (Spanish)
• Official portal of the Government of the Czech Republic (Czech)
• Official website of the President of the Czech Republic (Czech) (English)
• Official website of the Chamber of Deputies of the Czech Republic (Czech) (English)
• Official website of the Senate of the Czech Republic (Czech) (English)
• Train and bus timetables (Czech) (English) (German)
• Embassy of the Czech Republic in Moscow (Russian) (English)