Karel Komárek Family Foundation

🇺🇦 As part of his official visit to Kyiv, Czech President Petr Pavel recognised the importance of protecting Ukraine's cultural #heritage - and visited Ark I, a mobile conservation unit hosted at the Yaroslav Mudryi National Library of Ukraine. 📚 This moment highlights not only the urgency of cultural #preservation in times of war, but also the power of #cooperation. The Ark for Ukraine project is possible thanks to the joint efforts of the National Library of the Czech Republic (Národní knihovna České republiky), the Ministry of Culture (Ministerstvo kultury), the MND, the National Museum (Národní muzeum), our Foundation, and other dedicated partners.

👏 We are proud to share that Adam Znamirovský, a 15-year-old pianist supported by our #scholarship programme, has been accepted into the prestigious Verbier Festival Academy!    ♫ Verbier is home to one of the most renowned classical music festivals in the world, located in the breathtaking Swiss Alps. The Fondation du Verbier Festival is one of the most renowned classical music events in the world, bringing together legendary #musicians and the most promising young #artists. The core of the Verbier Festival Academy is a premier music education programme, where selected #talents receive world-class mentorship, intensive training, and unique performance opportunities.    🎹 For Adam, this means the chance to learn from the best, refine his artistry, and immerse himself in an environment that has shaped many of today’s leading musicians.    ✨ At the Karel Komárek Family Foundation, we are committed to nurture young musical talents and help them reach their full potential. Adam’s journey #inspires us all, and we can’t wait to see what the future holds for him!

🏙️ How do young people see their city? 🌿 At the House of Nature in Hodonín, students had a unique opportunity to step into the role of urban planners and explore their city from a fresh perspective. Led by renowned architect Osamu Okamura, the interactive seminar sparked engaging discussions on the strengths and challenges of Hodonín, allowing students to reflect on the spaces they use every day.   💬 Through open debate, they examined the advantages and drawbacks of the city's urban landscape—considering topics like public spaces, mobility, #sustainability, and #community life. This format encouraged critical thinking and active #participation, highlighting the importance of youth voices in shaping the future of our cities. 🌱 We believe in fostering open dialogue and inspiring young minds to rethink the spaces they live in. By creating opportunities like this, we foster a community of young minds eager to rethink, reshape, and improve the environments they call home. 💚 A huge thank you to Osamu Okamura and all the students who took part in this #inspiring session!  Your perspectives are shaping the cities of tomorrow! 

✨ Inspiration for all of us! Osamu Okamura, a leading voice in urban planning and public space design, visited the House of Nature, a modern architectural landmark supported by our foundation in the South Moravian region of the Czech Republic. There, he led discussions with architects and officials on today’s most pressing urban challenges. 👨👨👦👦 He addressed the impact of monofunctional city zones, brownfields, and suburbanization, as well as the role of participatory planning in building resilient #communities. Osamu Okamura also highlighted the long-term process of landscape restoration and how thoughtful urban interventions can create meaningful spaces for future generations—just as we are doing in Hodonín following the tornado. 🎓 As an urban architect, former dean of the Faculty of Arts and Architecture at the Technical University of Liberec, and an influential figure in urban development, he has dedicated his career to improving the liveability of cities and #inspiring communities to rethink how we shape our shared spaces. 🌿 At the Karel Komárek Family Foundation, we believe that creating #sustainable, inspiring environments requires #visionary thinking and #collaboration. We are honoured to have hosted Osamu Okamura and to support discussions that drive forward smart, human-centred urban development.  

👏 Congratulations to Knihovna Václava Havla on their new director. The position has been taken up by economist, philosopher, and writer Tomáš Sedláček. Tomáš Sedláček is a former economic advisor to Václav Havel. The Presidential Office was his very first employer. He had already been involved with the library even before its establishment. "I was 24 years old, had long hair, and was excited about everything. Now I'm returning to my roots! I’m returning to Václav Havel. To what will remain of him forever," he says about his appointment. 💡 A respected global thinker with experience from prestigious institutions and international environments, he will lead the library with the aim of developing its legacy for future generations. He also plans to strengthen Havel's #optimism and values and build a platform of global significance that will engage a new generation and further develop Václav Havel’s legacy. 🤝 We wish Tomáš Sedláček much success and look forward to collaborating not only on the development of the Havel Channel platform, which we have long supported at the foundation.

🇺🇦 Prominent figures from business, culture, and politics gathered at London’s Victoria and Albert Museum to support our Ark for Ukraine initiative to protect Ukrainian culture from the devastation of war. But the Ark is much more than just a vehicle for 3D scanning rare cultural objects. This unique publicly & privately funded partnership represents a steadfast commitment to preserving the identity, dignity, and freedom of the Ukrainian people—and not just theirs! As our Ukrainian partners say, this war is not just Ukraine’s struggle, it concerns the entire civilized world. Now we must now stand together to defend its independence, culture, and history. That is why we launched the Ark project. Find out more about the preservation of Ukraine’s cultural heritage and join our initiative at: https://lnkd.in/eXxSDTA8 🤝 Partners: Ministerstvo kultury, Národní muzeum, Міністерство культури та стратегічних комунікацій України, International Council of Museums (ICOM)

Three Years of War. Three Years of Aid. Our Three Key Themes. The day after the Russian invasion, we began sending humanitarian aid. We dispatched a total of 16 trucks carrying 310 tons of supplies to Ukraine and assisted refugees in the Lviv region. In the following days, we provided shelter and a sense of security to mothers who fled the war to our country. And in the months that followed, their children were able to form new friendships at school, in extracurricular activities, and at summer camps that we organized. Now, we are helping to protect Ukraine’s cultural heritage, where, according to UNESCO, nearly 500 cultural monuments have already been damaged by the war. We believe that culture connects the past and the future—and that it is our duty to help preserve it. We have stood with Ukraine since day one and we will continue to support them. 💙💛

🌿 Wonderful changes are coming to Třebechovická Kindergarten in Hradec Králové!   🌳 Thanks to our Transformations of Gardens program, a new educational garden will soon take shape, designed to spark curiosity, encourage movement, and inspire creativity in young children. 🌲 This beautifully planned outdoor space will offer a diverse landscape full of hidden corners, inviting children to explore, play, and find moments of quiet reflection. From playful uplands inspired by the region’s landscape to cozy nooks for storytelling and discovery, every element has been carefully designed with the children in mind.    🤝 We are grateful to the city of Hradec Králové and landscape architects Radka Matoušková and Tomáš Černý from Rehwaldt Landscape Architects for bringing this vision to life. 💚 At the Karel Komárek Family Foundation, we believe that a garden is also a classroom—a place where children can grow, learn, and build a deeper connection with the world around them. We can't wait to see the transformation begin.

📍 A significant milestone in the Ark for Ukraine project has been reached. The specialized mobile unit, Ark I, has now been formally handed over from the Czech side to our partners in Ukraine, marking a crucial step in the preservation of Ukraine’s cultural heritage.     🤝 Developed through international cooperation, Ark I is equipped to safeguard rare manuscripts, books, and archival documents that are at risk due to ongoing conflict. In addition to the physical transfer, comprehensive training for Ukrainian experts by Czech specialists is now underway, ensuring that this invaluable resource is used to its full potential.     🙏This initiative would not have been possible without the dedication and collaboration of our partners. We extend our deepest gratitude to the Czech Ministry of Culture (Ministerstvo kultury), the Ukrainian government, the National Library of the Czech Republic (Národní knihovna České republiky), the National Museum of the Czech Republic (Národní muzeum), the Yaroslav Mudryi National Library of Ukraine, the Ukrainian Library Association, MND, Allwyn, entrepreneur Libor Winkler, and all those who have contributed to this effort.

🔎 A recent STEM study found that 85% of young people want the #1990s to be a firm part of #history education. 👉 That’s why the Václav Havel Library (Knihovna Václava Havla) is launching "Devadesátá", a new online #educational series bringing this #transformative decade to life through engaging video lessons, lectures, and podcasts. 👐 At the Karel Komárek Family Foundation, we believe that #democracy, #freedom, and civic engagement must not be taken for granted. That’s why we proudly support initiatives like this, ensuring that the lessons of the past remain relevant for the next #generation.