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SUMMARY OF THE WINTER ISSUE
Volume 9, No. 4, Winter 2001

Slovak Heritage Live
A Newsletter of the
Slovak Heritage and Cultural Society of British Columbia
published four times a year

Fall issue was published in January 2002 and it was mailed to 1500 recipients world wide. 

Display at ULUV Courtyard of Crafts in Bratislava

FROM THE EDITOR 
2002 is here. As you noticed we are a bit late with our winter issue as I was in Slovakia late October and November, somehow there wasn’t enough time to finish it all prior to the Christmas Holidays so I decided to do the winter 2001 issue in early 2002 and it will be followed very shortly by the Spring 2002-10 year Anniversary issue.
Our web pages are getting lots of hits and the 20 most active countries are: United States, Slovak Republic, Canada, Netherlands, Poland, Czech Republic, Germany, Switzerland, Great Britain, France, Australia, Spain, Belgium, Romania, Italy, Hungary, Japan, Austria, South Africa, Russian Federation...

MY WINTER 2001 TRIP TO SLOVAKIA
...Monday morning I went to Telgart visiting friends and delivered pictures together with video of the first mass of newly ordained Greek Catholic Priest Martin Mekel, to his father the Mayor of Telgart. I learned from him that there will be a large celebratory Beatification mass in Presov on November 17 at which the humane remains of martyr Bishop Pavol Peter Gojdic, OSBM will be put into his final resting place at the cathedral in Presov. So I will be there. From Telgart I went through Brezno, Cierny Balog, Hrinova and Korytarky to Detva. Here I visited my friend and deputy director of Detva’s cultural center Milka Sekeresova and learned that 

MEGALOMANIAC GRUSKA

IS GONE FROM DETVA’S FESTIVAL FOR GOOD

Apparently he couldn’t take the objective criticism his disastrous programs and creations were subjected to and he walked out of the review meting. You see he didn’t get it yet that he lost his touch with reality and that what he once had is all gone forever. There is a sign of relief in Detva since then. As it will take years to repair the damage he has done to DETVA’S festival and it’s reputation. However there are still several members of what I call 

FMS-THE FOLKLORE MAFIA OF SLOVAKIA

involved in organizing committee of Detva’s festival....

30th ANNIVERSARY OF FOLKLORE GROUP DETVA
Folklore group DETVA was founded on January 18, 1971 at the Andrej Sladkovic’s House of Culture in Detva, central Slovakia. For its inspiration they are using incredibly rich spring of habits and customs of Podpolanie region. Their repertoire consists of authentic folklore of this region and some arranged choreograpies. Inseparable part of their program is typical “ROZKAZOVACKY”- free improvised dancing and singing of the boys in front of the musicians and girl’s dancing wheels. Folklore group DETVA consists of women singer’s group, soloists-singers and instrumentalists (shepherds fujara, whistle, concertina, heligonka, bagpipes and ninera).

BEATIFICATION OF MARTYR BISHOP PAVOL PETER GOJDIC, OSBM
Early morning on November 17, I went to Presov and picked up my video assistant for the day, my long time friend Jaroslav Bohumile Onasisse Biros and we went to the Sport’s Hall to attend the Second Beatification mass and moving mortal remains of Bishop Pavol Peter Gojdic into the cathedral’s crypt. My pass worked and we were allowed to park really close, however there were people everywhere and as soon as we entered the hall through the back door we realized that perhaps we should have come earlier as the place was already packed with people and dignitaries from all over Slovakia, Europe and even North America. To mention just few, Mrs. Steven Roman from Canada, Premier Mikulas Dzurinda, former president Michal Kovac, leaders of political parties, members of parliament, as on this day, this was the place to be and be seen. 

It is very sad that most of the leaders of the political parties and members or parliament in Slovakia are former communists and suddenly they all turned religious.  

There were several choirs and solo songs were sung by Monika Kandracova and Hanka Servicka, both excellent folk and sacral singers. From speeches by different dignitaries and priests we learned a lot about the life and martyrdom of Bishop Gojdic...

FOLKLORE GROUP JANOSIK 45th ANNIVERSARY
Folklore group Janosik is one of the first amateur folklore groups in Slovakia that started to collect, adapt and interpret the most beautiful customs, songs and dances of the Slovak people. Janosik is based in an industrial town of Svit under the High Tatra Mountains. During its existence they were awarded numerous recognitions and awards for their participation in folk culture and arts.
From their beginning in 1956 they exploit Slovak traditions from regions of Zemplin, Spis, Zamagurie, Liptov, Hron valley, Upper Hron, and Podpolanie...

MAKSI DUBROVAY IS 62
Early December I got a long distance phone call from John Duthie friend of Maksi and also our friend. He lives close by Maksi at Watch Lake near 70-Mile House in Cariboo, Northern British Columbia, and over the years all of us became really good friends. John told me that his wife and him are organizing a surprise party for Mksi’s 62 birthday on December 15. Of course we said that we would be attending. We phoned several of Maksi’s friends in Vancouver and told them about the happening.

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