Detva Photo Exhibit 1999-2

Above pictures
Copyright © 1999
Peter Bercik

Get the history of any
village or town in Slovakia

VLADIMIR LINDER'S

PHOTO EXHIBIT AT DETVA'S FOLKLORE FESTIVAL SUMMER 1999

DETVA'S SOUL SEARCHING
Slovak Heritage Live I

PART TWO

In spring of 1968, before his graduation he applied to study in Prague at the Political University to study diplomacy, where even through his wild past and without any connections, he was accepted.

The summer break of 1968 he was abroad. He was hitch hiking around Europe all summer and visited Austria, Liechtenstein, Switzerland, Italy, San Marino and went all the way to Syracusas in Sicily and then north to Pompeii, Rome, Vatican, Pisa, Florence, Monte Carlo, Paris, Reims and through Germany he returned home to Bratislava at the beginning of September. Immediately after his return he went to study in Prague and since the political situation wasn't evolving according to his vision, he decided to change the university and transferred to study Sociology at University of J. A. Komensky in Bratislava where he was accepted. It was at this time when he purchased a new still camera Praktika. He was taking pictures constantly; he was trying to improve. Because of the disappointment with the situation in Czechoslovakia he decided to go to Austria, from where he immigrated to Canada. He lived in Vienna, for six months and after acceptance by the Canadian Government he flew on December 10 with his friend to Toronto in the eastern part of Canada. They got married in Toronto June 11, 1971. Soon after their wedding they are leaving to Alberta in the western part of Canada where they stay one drastic and very cold winter. In spring of 1972 they moved to Vancouver where they live until now.

Here they are bringing up their two children Julia and Mathew. In 1975 Vladimir purchased new camera Pentax ES II, which allowed him to improve in his photographic creations. This year he also went first time to Europe after his immigration to Canada. They visited London, Paris, French Riviera, Germany, Austria and since they couldn’t go back to Czechoslovakia, they met their family and friends in Hungary. Few years later he purchased another Pentax camera Pentax KII DMD. He used it through his travels around the world.

He took pictures in Alberta, British Columbia, Ontario, Jamaica, Tahiti, Bora Bora, Moorea, Cook Islands, Rarotonga, Aitutaki, Fiji, Bahamas, Mexico, in USA in states Hawaii, islands Maui, Oahu, Kuai, New York, Washington, Oregon, Nevada, California and Florida, in Europe, Austria, Italy, Vatican, San Marino, France, Monaco, Poland.

In 1987 after meeting the members of folklore group Lucnica at Expo 86 in Vancouver and after canceling his Czechoslovak citizenship he finally comes to Czechoslovakia. He visited festivals in Vychodna and Detva. He became very found of them and one could say that he fell in love with the Slovak folklore. From this year he always takes pictures and video tapes almost all summer festivals in Slovakia. In fall of 1989 he formed a folk dance group Bystrina and they put together very successful Christmas program "We are bringing you the news." However Bystrina no longer exists. His enthusiasm from the beauty of Slovak folklore and heritage was an inspiration to incorporate a non profit charitable organization, Slovak Heritage and Cultural Society of British Columbia that has 960 members now.

In 1991 at his request the government of Czechoslovakia has given him back his citizenship, with which his destiny and his trekking around the world came to a full circle. He deepened his contacts with Slovaks around the world and in spring of 1993 he started to publish quarterly newsletter Slovak Heritage Live. The newsletter is being sent to 2000 people around the World and through the internet it is accessible to anybody.

Vladimir owns in Canada rich collection of folk costumes, ceramics, folk music instruments, corn husk figurines, embroidery, ethnographic literature, and vast photographic and video archive. In his video collection he has over 500 hours of Slovak Folklore and Slovak Heritage and over 12000 photographs. Until now Vladimir released over 66 two hour color videos. He is also involved in genealogical research, ancestral village videos, ancestral village photography and publishes in newspapers and periodicals in Slovakia.

This exposition is showing of photographs from Detva from years 1987-1998.

He plans to release his pictures on CD-ROM in the near future and also plans additional expositions of his photographs about the forgotten treasures of Slovakia that he loves so much.

All photographs are for sale

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The above article and photographs may not be copied, reproduced, republished, or redistributed by any means including electronic, without the express written permission of Vladimir Linder. All rights reserved.