The reportage focuses on the lives of lesbian women in regions, concentrating mainly on the topics of identity, community, and everyday resistance to social norms. The text is based on interviews with five lesbians and analyzes how regional differences and religious beliefs influence their experience of sexuality. The author explores why the word "lesbian" is often perceived as confrontational and seeks community solutions and online support for the invisible existence of lesbians outside the capital city.
by Aneta Pavčová
first published by Kapitál under the title „Bolo mi ťažké nazývať samú seba lesbou, je to predsa len dosť silné slovo. Úprimne som sa ho dosť bála.“ Reportáž o živote lesieb na Slovensku
The text discusses the continuing segregation of Roma children in the education system in one Slovak village, despite a 2023 court ruling confirming the illegality of this practice. The author returned to the settlement to see if the situation had changed and found that Roma students still experience worse teaching conditions. The text also highlights the housing crisis and hygiene problems in the settlement, which contribute to the children's problems at school.
by Aneta Lakomá
first published by Kapitál under the title Romským dětem knihy nedávají, aby je nezničily. Reportáž o segregaci, která údajně již neexistuje
The author analyzes the television reality show Love Island as a "factory for conformist bodies" and a tool for spreading neoliberal ideals of beauty and competitiveness. The text argues that the show presents a uniform and aesthetically standardized image of reality, where contestants are clones of influencers and their bodies are the result of constant work, thus becoming a commodity.
by Gabriela Lőrinc
first published by Kapitál under the title Love Island: Továreň na identické telá
From Ukrainian motanki to the goddesses of Žítková to contemporary ecological collectives, folk magic is finding new forms in the Anthropocene. Playfulness, rituals, and ancient wisdom are turning into weapons against powerlessness and indifference.
by Ella Katrovasová
first published by Jádu under the title Lidové čarování v antropocénu
Celebration as ritual, rituals as memory aids. For the Rusyns, a people with their own language but without a state, who historically have been subjected to many pressures to assimilate and the consequences of economic emigration, rituals represent a unifying element that contributes to cultural continuity. Joe Palaščák embarked on a journey for JÁDU to cemeteries and festivals in Rusyn communities in eastern Slovakia.
by Joe Palaščák
first published by Jádu under the title Rusínsky roadtrip
Every year, several Ukrainian scientists set off for the Akademik Vernadsky Antarctic station to spend the winter there. 15, 000 kilometres away from home, they have a special mission in a special world. The women in the team tell also about their special rituals.
by Mariana Verbovska
first published by Jádu under the title «Мене просто тягне туди, де холодно»
Many young people with disabilities have a worldview that contrasts with that of their parents. However, because the Slovak state does not provide them with sufficient support, it is impossible for them to become independent. As a result, they struggle with contradictions on a daily basis: they often see no other option than to rely on unpaid help from their families, who often do not respect their identity or ideas about their own lives. Although many people are confronted with such problems, little or nothing is said about them. This is also due to society's very superficial understanding of the needs of people with disabilities and health impairments.
by Petra Eller
first published by Jádu under the title Sme nútení žiť v rozpore s tým, kým sme
Narva, Estonia's third-largest city, has long been culturally and mentally isolated due to its predominantly Russian-speaking population. Separated from Russia only by the narrow river of the same name, Narva is repeatedly cited as a possible first target of Russian aggression on NATO territory. Security policy interests are forcing the Estonian state to do more to integrate the Russian-speaking minority – efforts that are often marked by deep-seated mistrust. In Narva itself, however, a young generation is now confidently standing up for its identity and freedom. We met some of the people driving this change.
by Isabelle de Pommereau
first published by Jádu under the title Zwei Welten am Fluss
The article examines the phenomenon of exophony, i.e., artistic creation in a language other than one's mother tongue, through the works of Japanese-German writer Yoko Tawada. It points out that writing in a foreign language can lead to new perspectives and creative freedom, while challenging traditional perceptions of "correct" language use.
by Emma Urbanová
first published by Kapitál under the title Hľadá sa slovenčina: Za hranice rodného jazyka s Yoko Tawadou
What is the latest disinformation you have heard about Ukrainian refugees in Europe? Populist politicians and Russian propaganda accuse Ukrainians of everything from Ukrainization of Europe to stealing fish in the Czech Republic. How can we show Europeans that stereotypes about Ukrainians are lies? Reporter Anastasia Aharkova, who came to the Czech Republic to escape the war in Ukraine, shares stories of Ukrainian women who are refuting this disinformation with their attitudes.
by Anastasiia Aharkova
first published by JÁDU under the title Шлях до себе
How can traditions turn a small town into a local tourist hub? Hořice, a Czech town with a population of 8, 000, welcomes 50, 000 tourists every year. Hořice is an example of how developing local tourism can revitalise small communities and help them preserve their identity.
by Anastasiia Aharkova
first published by JÁDU under the title Jak tradice zachránily Hořice
Where does cultural identity begin — in your passport, in your language, in your childhood memories, or in a song you fell in love with without understanding any of the words?
by Danila Sviridov
first published by NARVAMUS under the title Viimne reliikvia, Kevade и пироги по рецепту бабушки: путь к Эстонии без словаря
Kaspar Wang – a TikToker from China who’s fallen in love with Estonia. We met Kaspar in Tartu to walk around his favorite spots and talk about moving, cultural adaptation, and what it feels like to truly belong in a new country.
In a city shaped by centuries of cultural layering and historical trauma, a Ukrainian author explores what Vilnius can teach us about the practice of empathy.
How does ethnicity and anti-ethnic policies manifest themselves in the case of Kurds* leaving Turkey for the Czech Republic?
Second part of the series "Youth in Self-Exile".
by Laura Vassileva
first published by revue Prostor under the title Mládí v sebe-exilu: Vrstvy identit a příběhů odchodu z tureckého Kurdistánu (2)
The young Turkish and Kurdish diaspora in the Czech Republic is still in its infancy. How does it differ from the German one? And under what circumstances would they consider returning? First part of the series "Youth in Self-Exile".
by Laura Vassileva
first published by revue Prostor under the title Mládí v sebe-exilu: Vrstvy identit a příběhů odchodu z Turecka (1)
PEN Ukraine authors regularly visit war-ravaged villages in border regions and near the front lines. They bring books and hope - and a message: in a war over memory and identity, literature becomes a weapon.
by Isabelle de Pommereau
first published by JÁDU under the title Schreiben, um zu überleben
Ukrainian artist Marushka paints with brightly coloured paints. Behind them, she hides her pain over the deaths on the Maidan and in the trenches in eastern Ukraine. With the start of the Russian large-scale attack on her homeland, she stops painting. She feels paralysed in the face of the many deaths and indescribable suffering. But a visit to her hometown of Lutsk gives her the impetus to start a new exhibition. Shortly afterwards, she buys pastel colours and a sketchpad. With new sketches, she breaks out of her three-year artistic paralysis.
by Ulrike Butmaloiu
first published by JÁDU under the title Die Frida Kahlo der Ukraine
The text deals with rave culture and discusses its communal, aesthetic and social aspects. It explores how participants strive to create safe spaces despite inherent risks such as drug use. The text also highlights the importance of risk reduction and the role of volunteers in promoting wellbeing and safety at these events.
by Olga Wawracz
first published by Kapitál under the title Rave je jako mikrokosmos s vlastní gravitací: místo plné síly, nebo nebezpečná tma
The article focuses on the pastoral centre in eastern Slovakia that honours the beatified teenager Anka Kolesárová, who was killed in 1944 when she refused to have sex with a Red Army soldier. The text describes a pilgrimage where participants, mainly young Catholics, are dedicated to spiritual formation and the ideals of chastity.
by Lucia Rončíková
first published by Kapitál under the title Ako sa stať svätou. Reportáž o Domčeku Anky Kolesárovej
Conflict is heating up in the Elbe Sandstone Mountains over the Saxon and Bohemian Switzerland national parks. Some want to protect nature, while others want to enjoy it for their own gain and profit from it. Our author is involved as a volunteer ranger and is following the culture war with mixed feelings.
Peggy Lohse
first published by Jádu under the title Streit im Sandsteinparadies
Grass is green and football is a way out of the periphery. A report from a place characterised by major and minor historical events, by oppression and a lack of understanding, where life forces its way through the cracks in the concrete and pushes beyond the city limits, extending its feelers into the district and throughout the Czech Republic.
Bára Bažantová
first published by Jádu under the title Fotbalový klub ve vyloučené lokalitě: Zaříkávadlo jménem Mongaguá
New music is in the air in Kyiv - not only on the radio and on stage, but also on the streets and in the subway. Ukrainian culture returns to people in the most difficult times to support, unite and help them find themselves and a new identity.
Yulia Surkova, Oleksii Filippov
first published by Jádu under the title Саундтреки війни - Зцілення музикою
This text explores the roller skating community Ahojwrld in Bratislava, describing how members found and connected through skating, often after feeling disconnected or searching for their place. The text highlights that for many, especially LGBTI+ and marginalised groups, skating is not only a sport but also a form of activism, self-realisation and building a safe space where they can be themselves.
by Michaela Nagyidaiová
first published in Kapitál under the title Aktivizmus na štyroch kolieskach. Ako sa buduje feministická korčuliarska komunita
This text can be seen as an attempt to proactively help shape the meaning of history. "A look back at an issue of revue Prostor on the „history of the present“ penned by film essayist Jan Gogola Jr., director of films such as Excursion, or the History of the Present (2015) and Prison of History (2023). According to him, the world "does not belong to us, but it is we who belong to the world."
by Jan Gogola ml.
first published by revue Prostor under the title Vibrující dlaždice textu
The text discusses personal memories of an unhealthy relationship with food, which emerged in adolescence under the influence of the cultural trend "heroin chic" and the pressure to be thin. The author connects these experiences to the traumatic legacy of the Holodomor and the Soviet era in Ukraine, which influenced previous generations' attitudes towards food. She explains how deprivation and fear of hunger shaped eating habits and how this influence was felt in younger generations despite greater affluence.
by Anna Siedykh
first published in Kapitál under the title Za mamičku, za otecka: Ako politika vplýva na nezdravý vzťah k jedlu
Some people believe that there is no life outside of so-called civilisation. But it does exist, sometimes it is more complicated and brings with it a number of challenges, but it does not disappear. The inhabitants of Orbita know this from their own experience. Somewhere in the forests of Ukraine, the ghost town, abandoned after the Chernobyl disaster, has found new hope through the war.
by Yulia Surkova, Oleksii Filippov
first published by JÁDU under the title Загублена Орбіта
Glimmers are micro-moments of joy and calm that help cope with everyday stress and restore a sense of safety. How do they work, why are they important for mental health, and how can they be found?
by Julia Dem
first published by NARVAMUS under the title Триггеры наоборот: что такое глиммеры и чем они полезны?
The text considers the perception of neurological differences such as autism and ADHD in the context of capitalism, arguing that the pressure for efficiency and uniformity in society pathologises neurodivergent conditions.
by Matúš Lupták
first published by Kapitál under the title Som človek alebo stroj?
This interview explores the realities of war, its environmental consequences, and the societal shifts in Ukraine due to the ongoing conflict. It highlights the personal journey of a Ukrainian woman engaged in activism and military service, emphasizing the role of culture, identity, and resilience in times of war. The narrative also addresses the broader struggle of post-colonial nations resisting imperial aggression.
by Olena Apczel, Nataliya Parshchyk
first published by Kultura Liberalna under the title Poezja i kule, plastik w okopach
In July 2022, Prisca Pascalina crossed the border between Lithuania and Belarus because she was facing death in her native Cameroon. After two years and several court hearings, she was granted asylum in Lithuania. Prisca is now starting her life as a transgender black refugee. In a society that is often hostile to her.
Julija Stankevičiūtė
first published by NARA under the title Kamerūne Priscai grėsė mirtis. Ar Lietuva taps jos naujais namais?
