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MY
WINTER 2000 TRIP TO SLOVAKIA
October
25, last year I boarded KLM flight to Amsterdam and went on to Munich. The
flight was fantastic, as one would expect from KLM the Royal Dutch Airlines.
Picked up almost brand new Opel Astra with power windows, air conditioning,
and central locking system from Budget Rentals at the airport. I arrived in
evening and decided to drive straight to Bratislava. I arrived shortly after
midnight, but it was now October 27. Early morning I went to the post office
to mail the fall and winter issues of Slovak Heritage Live newsletter to our
members in Slovakia. I have noticed that the mail costs have increased in
Slovakia recently.
Later
on that morning I traveled to Bojnice to attend evening Grand Ball celebrating
the 50th anniversary of the Bojnice’s Castle museum at Bojnice’s Castle in
the Huňady Ball Room.
On
the way to Bojnice I made stop at Lehota near Nitra and visited my friend and
Instrument maker Drahoš Daloš. Drahoš is making whistles, fujaras and bag
pipes for many years and recently his instruments are being sold in
Switzerland, Germany and Austria by a musical instrument mail order
company. From Drahoš I learned that there would be a second year of
Fujara Players....
Before
the start of the Grand Ball at the Bojnice’s Castle I have visited another
good friend of mine and the director of The Bojnice’s House of Culture Elza
Dadíková to discuss the arrangements for my upcoming photo exhibit during
the X. Year of Christmas Carols Festival of Christians of Slovakia in Bojnice,
Chrenovec-Brusno, December 8-10. Here I found that the best Slovak
amateur folk ensemble Lúčnica will be performing at the theater on
Sunday.
This
was a Ball that one will not likely to forget. The exquisite food,
entertainment, fireworks, dancing, all just perfect. Officials from all levels
of government paid tribute to the current director Ph.Dr. Ján Papco, the man
behind all recent happenings at the Bojnice’s castle.
Early
afternoon on Saturday I arrived in Korytárky at the Second all Slovakia get
together of Fujara Players under title: “Remembering the old fujara’s
notes.” The motto of this happening was a sentence of the dean of Detva’s
Fujara players, Jožko Rybár who once said: If somebody would blind fold me
and gave me a fujara, with the first blow I would know if this fujara was made
with love or just like that. This year they were remembering Martin Sanitrár
who was born in Zvolenská Slatina on August 14, 1911. When he was 13 years
old, his family moved to hamlet near Kováčová called Trebule. His job
since his childhood was shepherding and looking after the sheep. Later on with
his brother they worked as shepherds at local coop. We all know that fujara,
whistles or bagpipes belong to the shepherd’s profession. This was also the
case of Sanitrár’s brothers. Their father and grand father used to whistle
on whistles and play fujara and Martin inherited after them his first musical
instrument, a whistle. Martin excelled as a fujara player and
singer. He was an interpreter stressing the story of his songs. In his songs
one could feel national pride and love of his birthplace and he played and
sung his song with heart and spirit. Instruments were made by his brother
John. Martin once said that in the tones of Fujara one can hear happiness and
sorrow. Before he passed away he gave his experience and knowledge to the
younger generation. December 7, 1982 early morning Martin went for the last
time with his sheep to the brownish pasture. He was fresh, agile like other
days filled with the worries of simple and working person. That evening
however the sheep herd returned home without shepherd. After the performance
I stayed at Hotel Poľana, right on the top of Poľana near by.
Next day I went to Bojnice for Lučnica’s performance. As I was
just about to park my car I noticed my friend and the choreographer of Lúčnica,
Prof. Štefan Nosál, I pulled up next to him and he was really surprised
to see me out of nowhere. So after I parked, I took a bottle of
Hubert Sparkling Wine from Sereď, that is made by method champagne, and
I always have supply of it in my trunk. We had a toast together with
Elza Dadíková in her office.
Next
few days I was in Bratislava visiting family and friends and of course I went
to Café Amsterdam where I always find some old friends. It seems to me that
Café Amsterdam is like meeting place of the V-CLUB 1968 generation.
I
spent almost two weeks in Italy. I started on the outskirts of Padua visiting
a grand Palazzo Vila Foscari where I seen some magnificent frescos, bed in
which Napoleon slept a room where Mussolini and Hitler met during the WWII.
This time since I had some new guide books to read prior to my trip, I was
prepared, I did know what I want to see and when and I had a plan. I stayed in
Padova in hotel that was just outside the ancient walls of this great city.
Here I visited the Basilica of St. Anthony and I have seen the mortal remains
of St. Anthony, I also visited Basilica of St. Justine, where they believe St.
Luke’s mortal remains are. This is under investigation and the final
decision will be made soon. I went to Scuola del Santo to see some fantastic
frescoes from the lives of St. George, St. Catherine of Alessandria and St.
Lucy and Oratorio di San Giorgio to view 18 paintings depicting scenes from
the life of St. Anthony by several artists and few early paintings by Titian.
Padova has the largest public square in Italy called Prato della Valle. I
visited the Ermitani church, museum and the Scrovengi Chapell built by Enrico
Scrovengi in 1303 and consecrated March 25, 1303. The wall frescoes were
painted by one of Italy’s greatest artists Giotto. On the walls one can see
the episodes of Joachim and Anna, Life of Mary, Life and Death of Christ,
Virtues and Vices and the Last Judgment. I also visited the Baptistry at the
Duomo Cathedral. Frescoes covering the walls and ceiling
Were
painted by Giusto De Menaboui in 1376/78 depict scenes from Old and New
Testament. Padova University was founded in 1222 and it is still open. I also
visited near by renaissance towns of Castelfranco, Citadella and Vicenza where
I visited the Theatro Olympico by famous architect Andrea Palladio built in
1579, Church of Santa Corona where they have thorn of Christ’s Crown of
Thorns, donated by Lois IX of France and Museo Civico. Following two days I
made day trips to Venice visiting churches, museums and galleries and enjoying
this fantastic town. Then I visited Bologna to see the mortal remains of St.
Dominic and went to Florence, where I stayed five days. Florence is beautiful.
First I visited Palazzo Piti, the home of Medicci family and Boboli Gardens,
then strolled through Ponte Veccio to the medieval part of Florence, visiting
the Piazza dela Signoria, Palazzo Vecchio, Uffizi Galery, Accademia, Church of
Santa Croce where Michelangelo, Galileo, and Machiavelli are buried, Badia
Fiorentina, Orsanmichele, Baptistry and Duomo, Chapela Medicci, San Lorenzo,
Santa Maria Novella, San Marco and famous frescoes by Fra Angelico. I also
traveled through the Chianti Classico wine region on the way to Siena where I
visited the famous Piazza del Campo, Duomo and Baptistry. On the way back to
Florence I made a stop at San Gimignano. One of the best-preserved medieval
towns in Tuscany. There are still 14 of the 76 tall towers from 13th century
standing right in the middle of the town.
Upon
my return to Slovakia I visited Detva and two of my very good friends. Iveta
Smileková at her folk store Detva’s Folk Art and Jana Kuzbelová at her
folk store Parta.
Few
weeks prior to my departure I have received a phone call from a priest the
Church of St. Francis in Poniky to bring him a set of pictures that I took of
the church few years ago. By now I learned that His Royal Highness Prince
Charles was visiting Slovakia while I was in Italy and that he also visited
two churches in this region. One was Zolná and the other was St. Francis in
Poniky. So I made a stop at Poniky and delivered the set of
pictures. From Poniky I went through the Upper Hron Valley to Telgárt
visiting my friends the Handula family and Paul who is slowly recovering from
a massive stroke that he suffered in summer. I also visited the
Sanatorium in Červená Skala.
I made a stop at my favorite place Pension Dolinka in Liptovská Teplička
and next few days I was visiting different craftsmen and folk artists with our
new correspondent Marcela Smolárová. Then I made a day trip to Osadné a
village north of Snina to do ancestral video.
Friday
November 17 was the first gala 45-anniversary performance of a folklore group
MOSTÁR from Brezno. So I took Marcela, her husband Jozef and his brother Dano
to this performance, which was great. Reception at a local hotel followed the
performance. My friend and photographer Peter Berčík arranged our
accommodations in a building located right at the town’s square and the next
morning I took my friends to Vienna, Austria to Kärtner Strasse for some
great Italian Ice Cream. Next day I went to Eastern Slovakia again, visiting
the Stašík’s family in Víťaz and my friend Jaroslav Biroš in Okružná
near Prešov. Here I found that the greatest Eastern Slovakia’s
folklore group ŠARIŠAN would be performing in Široké later on in the
afternoon. You guess it right I went to see them as I never miss
their performance if I have chance to see them. Next day I returned
to Bratislava and while there I went to opera and seen Guiseppe Verdi’s
AIDA with my friend Miroslava Dulová. I also went to see another Verdi’s
opera NABUCCO. Friday I went to Prešov, Eastern Slovakia again to see KRYSAŘ
(Ratman) a Czech musical. Saturday I attended 40th birthday celebration of
Marcela’s mother Mária Janíková attended by the whole family. Sunday
I visited my friend and folk instrument maker Tibor Koblíček in
Turičky. Next day I went to Bratislava and opera again to see
Barbier from Seville. Then I did ancestral village videos in Čachtice,
Klobušice, Beluša, Pružina and Budatín for clients from England and
California. Friday December 1st, I went to set up my exhibit at the House of
Culture in Bojnice, due to open December 8. Here I dad a first hint
that not everything is going to be as we had planned. I was told that
there is going to be another exhibit here at the same time and that my exhibit
will more than likely be moved to a building across the street during the
festival. Anyway I installed my photographs as planned. In the evening I
attended 10th anniversary performance of children folklore group MATIČIARIK
in Banská Bystrica. Our correspondent Dana Hodúlová-Trstenská promised to
write about the performance and it will be in the next issue. Dana is the
director of the children’s folk music ensemble.
December
2nd my friends in Liptovská Teplička were slaughtering a pig. I have
never been to one before, so I was really anxious to see it all. It started
early in the morning and everything was done, including sausages by the
afternoon. Sunday I went to Košice to see performance of my friends the
folklore group JAVORČEK from the Institute of Social Care of Children and
Adults, together with folklore group LIPA in Bratislava and my friend Drahoš
Daloš from Lehota by Nitra, performing with folklore groups ŽELEZIAR and ŽELEZIARIK
from Košice and ILOSVALI from Veľká Ida. This was very emotional
performance as all members of the folklore group Javorček have Down
syndrome. The program was titled: “PEACE TO THE PEOPLE FO GOOD WILL.”
From
Košice I went to Bratislava yet to another opera performance, this time it
was Gaetano Donizetti’s Elixir d’amour. Next day it was time to go to
Hrabištín a village in Czech republic near Šumperk to do Genealogical
Research.
Friday
December 8, I arrived at the X. YEAR OF DAYS OF CHRISTMAS CAROLS OF
CHRISTIANS OF SLOVAKIA in Bojnice and the problems started. Perhaps
I should tell you that I was asked during the VIII. Year of
Christian Carols of Christians of Slovakia in 1998, to exhibit my pictures at
the X. Anniversary year of the festival by Elza Dadíková of the House of
Culture in Bojnice and Emil Trgiňa, mayor of Chrenovec-Brusno, the main
organizer of this festival. Here I found out that:
Megalomaniac
Mr. Viliam Gruska, the undertaker of the Slovak folklore was very busy and of
course made sure that my name and my photo exhibit won’t be included in the
festival official poster, there was no banner at the building and there was no
official opening planned as well. Friday at 5:00 there was a great performance
by children folklore group ZÁZRIVČEK from Zázrivá named
“Zazrivá’s Caroler’s.” After the performance I met Mr. Gruska
and he tried to play a person that knows nothing about my exhibit, despite
that it was being planned for two years and he was notified by the organizers
on several occasions. Mr. Gruska used to be good, however that was long time
ago. He is getting old and don’t want to leave and don’t want to admit
that he really lost it and there is nobody in Slovakia that has enough guts to
tell him the fact that his time is long gone and it was time to go long time
ago! As his programs and anything he gets involved in are one great fiasco
after another. A perfect example was his latest creation called
“THANKSGIVING TO THE ONLY TRINITY” a total fiasco performed in the Roman
Catholic Church in Bojnice. The program started after the mass and full church
of people. Two hours later into this fiasco there were only 12 people left in
the church, including me, and I left and returned just to see how it looked
towards the end.
Later
on that night I went to the village offices in Chrenovec-Brusno only to find
that Mr. Gruska was using 46 of my pictures without my permission and breaking
my copyright in his exhibit documenting ten years of this festival. He
didn’t even have so much decency as to put my name as the author of the
photographs and that shows you how much character he has. After a loud
discussion I forced him to put at least my name as the author as I felt if I
told him to remove all my photographs his exhibit wouldn’t be worth a coin.
Personally I feel he has a problem, creating things of no value to anybody,
just trying to prove that he is somebody and there is nobody better than him.
Well I have news for you, Mr. Gruska is nobody. Nothing he ever does gets
completed on time; this was evidenced at his exhibit. The opening of the
exhibit was to be at noon and it was barely installed at 10:00 PM after the
main program. So I got cured yet from another Slovak Folk Festival.
Saturday
afternoon there was rehearsal of all the groups and here he were able to see
what each individual group have prepared for the festival. From this the
organizers picked out the best parts of each group and created the evening
program. The evening program was very touching. My favorite was Zázrivček
from Zázrivá and my friends from Tepličan from Liptovská Teplička.
Other groups performing were: Topoľná from Czech republic, Hájiček
from Chrenovec-Brusno, Vernár from Vernár, Tepličan from Liptovská
Teplička, Antom Bendík from Hrušov, Maňa from Veľká Maňa
and Lubená from Poluvsie. This program vas repeated in the Roman Catholic
Church in Chrenovec after Sunday’s Mass. After the performance the festival
ended with lunch at the local elementary school.
Mr.
Gruska somehow got in again to the organizing of the DETVA’S FESTIVAL and
from what I heard, last year it was a total fiasco and he is there this year
again and I refuse to go and watch his creations, as they are too
philosophical, too long and make no sense. I strongly urge the government
authorities that have anything to do with any of the Slovakia’s festivals
that Mr. Gruska likes to put his foot in, to refuse his help. It is time for
folklore groups and the festival organizers as well to wake up and tell Mr.
Gruska enough is enough leave and please do not return to any folklore
happenings. I strongly feel that he will bury all the folklore in Slovakia.
I
will not go to Východná as the NOC the national Culture Center didn’t pay
me the agreed upon amount of money for photo exhibit at Východná festival in
1999, Detva Festival is under Mr. Gruska, so I will forget that one as well,
and the Christmas carols of Christians of Slovakia? Well, they did more harm
to me in three days that I experienced in 31 years living in CANADA and I will
not come to that festival again. So the only festival I will attend in 2001
will be the VI. Year of the greatest festival in Slovakia, The Festival Under
Kráľová Hoľa in Liptovská Teplička.
Vladimir
GO
BACK TO TRAVEL
Published in the
Slovak Heritage Live newsletter Volume 9, No. 1, Spring 2001
Copyright © Vladimir Linder 2001
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.
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