Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

Ed Ley @edley.bsky.social · 12h

9) And of the failed library? Let’s just say that you’d have noticed it: cesky.radio.cz/realizace-ka....

Realizace Kaplického návrhu Národní knihovny je zřejmě v nedohlednu

Zdá se, že realizace Kaplického návrhu nové Národní knihovny je v nedohlednu. Tým Jana Kaplického projekt upravil a chobotnička, jak se také knihovně podle jejího tvaru…

cesky.radio.cz

3

Ed Ley @edley.bsky.social · 12h

8) MArvellous 2012 photo of the Selfridge’s Centre below, by Bs0u10e0 (www.flickr.com/photos/bs0u1...).

1 2

Ed Ley @edley.bsky.social · 12h

7) Just before Kaplický moved to the UK in 1968, he created this house for two friends of his parents, the painter František Dvořák (1925-2002) and his wife Ludmila.

1 1

Ed Ley @edley.bsky.social · 12h

6) It was built by Jan Kaplický (1937-2009), who you might know best for his Neofuturistic Selfridges Building in Birmingham, and whose plan for a National Library in Prague was commissioned in 2007, but cancelled in 2008.

1 1

Ed Ley @edley.bsky.social · 12h

5) I always try to avoid taking photos of people’s homes that could be deemed intrusive – hence these two not showing you a great deal – but number 1, Na Dobešce is interesting.

1 1

Ed Ley @edley.bsky.social · 12h

4) Čapek said that – as is the case for so many of streets we’ve covered so far – Na Dobešce is named after a former farmstead called Dobeška (Dobeš is an old Czech variant of the name Tobiáš).

1 1

Ed Ley @edley.bsky.social · 12h

3) However, for the other story, we can go to the 1931 writings of Karel Čapek (see whatsinapraguestreetname.com/2024/01/30/p... for a post I particularly enjoyed writing).

Prague 2, day 24: Sady Bratří Čapků

Originally published on Twitter on 30 November 2022. Sady Bratří Čapků was created (sort of) in 2016. This was part of a larger park, opened in 1903, and, originally called Městský sad (City Garden…

whatsinapraguestreetname.com

1 1

Ed Ley @edley.bsky.social · 12h

2) It’s been said that this is named after a massive oak tree in the vicinity (an oak is a ‘dub’, and more on that in a few streets’ time).

1 1

Ed Ley @edley.bsky.social · 12h

1) What's in a Prague 4 Street Name, day 192: Na Dobešce, built in 1925.

1 1 3

Ed Ley @edley.bsky.social · 1d

2) ‘Příkrá’ means ‘steep’ or ‘precipitous’, and this describes the slope the street is on (and why it includes steps).

1

Ed Ley @edley.bsky.social · 1d

1) What's in a Prague 4 Street Name, day 191: Příkrá, built in 1925.

1 1 3

Ed Ley @edley.bsky.social · 2d

(First time I was confident that there was no sign unless somebody had stolen it: whatsinapraguestreetname.com/2023/03/08/p...)

Prague 3, day 172: Horní Stromka

Originally published on Twitter on 12 October 2022. Horní Stromka was built in 1925. There’s no street sign (more on that later). For the story of Horní Stromka, please go back 24 hours to On…

whatsinapraguestreetname.com

Ed Ley @edley.bsky.social · 2d

There've been a handful that don't so far.

Admittedly didn't check the other side, mainly due to not being very good at dealing with dogs who aren't on leads, and those are... quite numerous these days.

1

Ed Ley @edley.bsky.social · 2d

2) For this one, I’m going to take you back to whatsinapraguestreetname.com/2025/10/02/p..., AKA I Want To Know What Lom Is (sorry).

Prague 4, day 187: Nad lomem

Nad lomem was built in 1925. Braník is known for the Branické skály, or the Braník Rocks, designated as natural monument in 1968. From the 1700s (maybe earlier) until 1928, limestone was mined roun…

whatsinapraguestreetname.com

1 1

Ed Ley @edley.bsky.social · 2d

1) What's in a Prague 4 Street Name, day 190: U pražských lomů, named before 1938.

I’m not too sure if it has a street sign, and it definitely fits into the ‘street? really?’ category.

2 1 6

Ed Ley @edley.bsky.social · 4d

One of which wasn't there back in 2009, and one of which was then the newest station on the green line!

I really should have mentioned that Háje was originally called Kosmonautů, and still has an ultra-Soviet statue outside to prove it.

2

Ed Ley @edley.bsky.social · 4d

5) My Facebook post from 2009 with this photo involves me saying I can't believe I just spent six hours of my life on taking all those pictures. We really know so little sometimes, don't we.

1 2

Ed Ley @edley.bsky.social · 4d

4) People familiar with Prague are most likely to hear ‘Háje’ and think of the last stop on the red line of the metro, in Prague 11. This pic is from when I decided to take a picture of every metro station in 2009 – looking back, a clear precursor to this series (and much shorter).

1 5

Ed Ley @edley.bsky.social · 4d

3) This area used to be a grove; while there’s still a good deal of greenery around here, the grove itself is no more.

1 2

Ed Ley @edley.bsky.social · 4d

2) A ‘háj’ is a a grove; you may also know its diminutive form, ‘hájek’ (but note that, no, Mexican-American actress and producer Salma Hayek doesn’t have secret Czech roots – her father is of Lebanese descent).

1 2

Ed Ley @edley.bsky.social · 4d

1) What's in a Prague 4 Street Name, day 189: U háje, built in 1925.

1 1 5

Ed Ley @edley.bsky.social · 4d

Thanks for this. As someone surrounded by this election in Prague (and has the ČT24 tracker reloading every 30 seconds), sober analysis is always welcome.

Ed Ley @edley.bsky.social · 5d

5) I don’t expect to get any further details, nor do I automatically believe these articles, but I do know that, when your searches reveal just how many men called Nikolai Kovrigin have died in battle, let alone all the other names, it reconfirms just how f**king pointless all this fighting is.

2

Ed Ley @edley.bsky.social · 5d

4) He was believed to have been killed, but, according to an earlier article from the same paper in 2013, was found to be alive and back in his home village in 1965.

1

Ed Ley @edley.bsky.social · 5d

3) As well as Honcharenko, the crew of tank no. 24 included a loader, Nikolai Kovrigin. According to an article published earlier this year by a local newspaper in Samara, he was 19 and came from a village called Borskoye.

1