OUR SUMMER 1996 TRIP TO SLOVAKIA

PART TWO

Next morning I went to another festival in Nitrianske Rudno. This is also a small festival and everyone is really close. It seems as the performers and spectators all know one another. There was an exhibition called: "Given from Love," traditional items that were given from love. I really liked a program called: "Love, o God, Love," it guided the spectator through the customs and traditions of courtship. The guest of the festival was the Folk dance group Vtacnik from Prievidza. They dedicated their program to the memory of one of the greatest folklorists of Horna Nitra, Jozko Strecansky from Poluvsie that tragically died in car accident in February 1996. Jozko Strecansky was my friend. He was a husband and father of six children, the youngest one, less than one year old. We have all became used to his humor, singing, him being where the folklore was. Folklore was his life, all his 39 years. He led folk dance and singing group Lubena in Poluvsie, he led a music and children's folk dance group. With his violin and songs he made old and young people happy, he was entertaining and giving happiness to all. He not only loved folklore, he lived it. He used to go to it’s source to the oldest people in the valley, he gave the almost forgotten folklore new life, arranged it and present it. He was everywhere. Jozko is sadly missed by many, with me amongst them.

On Monday morning I went to visit my friend and now the director of the Bojnice's cultural center, Elza Dadikova who arranged for me to photograph the famous and now returned Bojnice's Altar, in spite of being Monday and the castle being closed to visitors.
Later on, I wanted to photograph the Piarist Catholic Church in Prievidza, but I was kind of shot down by the flower woman that screamed at me really loud with others that it is forbidden to take pictures in the church. So I went to the office of the church, got permission and went back with the priest who explained to them that I do have permission and took some nice pictures.

Following day I was on the way to Vitaz in Eastern Slovakia's Saris region. Just before Poprad three is a town called Svit. I went through a photo radar and was logged at 87 Km in 50 Km zone. The police officer very politely asked me for the driving license and I was told it will be 500 Sk. I told him where I was going and that if I pay him, I won’t have enough to buy the needed gas, so he dropped the fine to 300 Sk, which I taught was a great gift from him. I went through Poprad, where my friend artist Jan Tapak was creating a new sculpture for permanent display there. Later on stopping in Levoca's Church of St. James where I delivered 200 copies of the latest issue of the Slovak Heritage Live Newsletter, dedicated to Levoca, to be given to English speaking tourists for free. Many of them were pleasantly surprised and many since then, have become members of the society.

In Vitaz I have learned from my friend and singer Lucia Stasikova that she is planning to record a tape and is in need of sponsors. So the Slovak Heritage and Cultural Society of British Columbia became the first sponsor by donating 10000 Sk towards the project, that is about $335.00 US.

Later on in the same day I did some genealogical research for my friend that I know only through Internet and visited his family in Sindliar and Lipovce near by. It is quite interesting to be able to find someone’s roots.

While in Vitaz I had realized that I have left my permission to photograph Greek Catholic wooden churches of Slovakia at my home in Bratislava. Next morning on the way to do another genealogical research for another Internet friend in Vinné, I did stop in Presov at the Greek Catholic Bishop's office. The officer in charge had told me that he didn't give any permissions to photograph inside their wooden churches for several years. I explained to him that I got one in 1995. He went to the office and returned with copies of my original permission. That's what I call organization.

My first stop was the wooden church of St. Michael in Inovce, built in 1836, almost at the Ukrainian border. From there I went to Ruska Bystra near by. The Church of St. Michael was built at the beginning of 18th Century. The main iconostas wall, the Czar's door and the main altar are beautifully carved out of wood and colorfully decorated. From there just over the hill in Hrabova Roztoka is church of St. Bazili the Great. I wasn’t aware that this is a Byzantine rite church. That I discovered after showing my permission from the wrong bishop. I was allowed to take pictures anyway, since they felt bad to send me away.

As it was getting late I went to Snina to hotel KAMEI, that I found in really great publication that I purchased during my trip in March and left on the plane in Calgary, while returning to Vancouver. My friend Mira from Bratislava had air mailed me another copy, so I was able to read about the Slovak accommodations. The book is called: "The Slovak Republic Hotel Guide 1996." This book has it all. It’s written in Slovak, English and German languages and the information is very accurate. They have split Slovakia into 38 tourist district and there is a small write up about each one of them. The signs in Slovakia aren't as obvious yet as in Canada or USA and I can honestly tell you that had I not known from the book about the hotel, I would have never found it as the sign by the road at the turn off was about 2 by 3 feet big. The room was to North American standards, big and really clean. The food in the restaurant was simply superb, in fact so good that I returned for lunch from far away next day.

In the morning I went to Kalna Roztoka, only to find that the verger was at work, so I have to return at some later date. From here I traveled again to almost Ukrainian border to a village called Ulicske Krive and the Church of St. Michael from the first half of 18th Century. Later I continued to Rusky Potok near by. The church of St. Michael was closed and the people of the village are currently building new brick church right next to the old one. From there I went to Topola. The Church of St. Michael was built around 1700.

Early Thursday afternoon I rushed to Vychodna, to the 42nd Folk Festival. In the evening there was to be a performance of the best amateur folk dance group Lucnica with one of the best Slovak rock groups, Elan. I have never seen folk dance mixed with rock music, but truthfully I did enjoy this performance. Vychodna folk festival also gives room to performers from abroad through UN organization called CIOFF. At this year's festival, Friday evening, we were able to view and hear folk groups from: Senegal, New Zeland, Argentina, Switzerland an a lone performer and singer from Bangladesh. They were all great. Later on in the evening there was a program called: "From Roots to Flowers." Performing were Folk dance groups: Gymnik, Polienko, Zemplín, Plus, Dance studio Dad and the Slovak Bag piper's association under the directorship of Milan Rusko.

Saturday morning started with a program called: "Behind that hill, behind that mound," a literary and musical composition of soldier's poetry and historic ballad songs. I have seen the performance at the Roman Catholic church. At 2:00 PM as usual on Saturday there was a parade of all participants through Východná ending at the amphitheater. One of my favored programs was: "How kids fought with the Krivan peak" a program of children’s folk ensembles from all regions of Slovakia. Another really good program was: "20 year anniversary of The Slovak Radio and Folk Instruments Orchestra" and its soloists, which included: Jaroslav Dudik, Stefan Molota, Darina Lasciakova, Helana Zahradnikova, Anna Svedova-Servicka, Jan Ambroz, Michal Seredic, Jozef Pesko, Miroslav Rajt, women's folk singing group "Vajana" and a men's folk singing group. Unfortunately part of the program was rained out. Late in the evening was a performance of the folk ensemble Liptov that celebrated it's 50 anniversary with program called: "Liptov people from Cebrat." The gala program of the festival was called: "The time of ripening is coming towards us." Only the best groups of the festival had performed in this program. This program had brought the end to the 42nd Vychodna festival. I have met many new people, seen friends that I haven't seen for years and I am really happy that I was there.

After the festival I went to Vitaz again to visit my friends, the Stasik's family. Lucka and Lenka have just returned from a 30 kilometer walking pilgrimage to Levoca and they were totally exhausted by the time I got to Vitaz. The next morning since they were still very tired from all the walking, I went past Vranov nad Toplou to do another research for my Interned friend to a town called Rafajovce. From there I went to se my friends visiting from Vancouver, in village called Oreske. Upon my return, my friends felt better so we decided to go to Spisska Kapitula and Levoca. In Spisska Kapitula we have learned about tragic passing of my friend, the reverend father of Zehra, Father Krajnak. In Levoca I paid visit to the Dekan of Levoca Monsignor Dlugos and asked for his permission to photograph the jewel of Levoca, the chapel of St. George, totally closed to the public. He agreed, but since he had some health problems that afternoon, he didn’t let me in. So I said to myself: "Well there will be another day."

GO TO PART THREE

GO BACK TO TRAVEL

Published in the Slovak Heritage Live newsletter Volume 4, No. 3, Fall 1996
Copyright © Vladimir Linder 1996 
3804 Yale Street, Burnaby, British Columbia, Canada V5C 1P6
The above article may not be copied, reproduced, republished, or redistributed by any means including electronic, without the express written permission of Vladimir Linder. All rights reserved.