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OUR SUMMER
1996 TRIP TO
SLOVAKIA
PART FOUR
We picked up the kids and
went to open air folk museum Skanzen in Svidnik,
also called the Museum of Ukrainian culture. All exhibits were open and
one truly gets a feeling of how the village used to be in the old days.
The only negative part of the museum was the pub being closed and they
didn't sell any food in the whole complex. Well, maybe they will do it
next year. Svidnik Skanzen is also the new home for nearly destroyed, but
now totally restored and rebuilt Greek Catholic Church of St. Paraskiev
from Nova Polianka originally built in 1766 and restored in 1986. I will
have to return to Jedlinka, located about 25 Km Northwest from Svidnik as
I couldn't find anybody home with the keys to the church. We continued
South to Bardejov and to Hervatov to photograph what I thought was another
wooden Greek Catholic Church. I was very surprised when I was told that it
is Roman Catholic Church of St. Francis from Assisi, the founder of the
Franciscans. This is the only Gothic totally wooden church in Slovakia
built in late 15th or early 16th Century. Most of
the wooden walls are painted with scenes from bible and local history of
the village from around the Turkish occupation.
We returned to Vitaz
later on and I went to see my friend and the instrument maker Tibor
Koblicek in Turicky, cislo domu 15, house number
15. We spent almost whole day talking, video taping and viewing his
collection of instruments, working with his son Laco in the workshop,
creating new ninera. Ninera is an instrument originally from 11th Century,
that sounds like violin and has strings but you play it like playing on
piano and you have no fiddle stick. Instead you have handle that you turn.
The turning wheel rubs against the strings and it gives a sound like
violin. Tibor and his son Laco are the only makers of Ninera's in
Slovakia. Following morning we went
to a green pasture above the village, Tibor dressed in Detvan's folk
dress and played his instruments just for me and my camera.
Next day we were on the
way to Vysehradne again. The weather was
great, we made stop at Spis Castle. Many
times I passed by and didn't go up to the castle because the weather was
bad, in 1994 they were making a movie "Dragon heart" there and
the castle was closed to the public. They were making a movie here again,
but this time the castle was open, so we went and it was worth it. One can
get the true feeling about the immensity of this castle only by being
behind the fortified walls and taking a walk. Later we made a stop in Levoca.
I went to the Church's office. Monsignor Dlugos was just finishing
lunch with visitors from sister’s city in the Czech republic and told me
to wait for him outside, that he will open the door of the chapel for us.
I couldn't believe it. Today was to be my luckiest day of all the years
I am coming to Levoca. Today, I was going to see and photograph and
video tape the master piece of Master Pavol from Levoca, that I was
able to view only from photographs and had a glimpse of the statute
through the key hole on many occasions. The chapel is a national treasure
and it is filled with altars from now non existent churches that were
destroyed in the area that army took over for practices many years ago.
There are artifacts from Levoca area dating back to 8th Century.
There is a collection of monstrances and chalices by Levoca's
famous goldsmith Jan Szilassy from 18th Century. He was the only goldsmith
that was able to enamel gold at that time. Before a carver would be
accepted to a guild, he had to prove himself to the guild. Every master
prior to being admitted had to make three sculptures. Virgin Mary and
Jesus, Crucifixion of Jesus and The Statute of St. George on the horse,
killing dragon. It is believed that the statute of St. George was the
admitting work of master Pavol. I couldn't be happier, all my dreams
have come trough with the help and kindness of Monsignor Dlugos. Once
again many thanks. We went for lunch to my favorite restaurant in
Levoca, "U Janusa," Where the food is great, the prices are
reasonable and service is good too. In fact this is one of the two
restaurants where I always eat, while in Levoca, the other being:
"The
Vegetarian restaurant." Self serve, inexpensive, clean and great food,
and by the way, I am not vegetarian.
Next day, Saturday,
August 3, we went to the International Folk Festival in Terchova called:
XXXIV. Janosikove Dni '96, or the XXXIV. Janosik's Days. We went
to the organizing office where I met many friends. Among them, Fero
Mucha from the famous Mucha Brothers folk music. They have just
returned from folk festival in Wales, England, winning the top price in
their category and were invited to participate at the next year’s
festival.
Afternoon program was in
small amphitheater under the statute of Janosik. Folk groups from Terchova and close by villages were performing. Later on in the
afternoon, folk dance group Turiec from Martin performed, and as usual,
they were great. After their performance we ended up singing with the
musicians playing, next to their bus, for hours. Kids went to the rides in
near by mobile amusement park, despite that it started to rain really
heavy. We bought grilled chicken for dinner, coke and a bottle of really
good Tokay wine and went to our hotel. The evening performance was to be
at the amphitheater above the village, but due to the heavy rain it was
canceled. This amphitheater was designed by Villiam Gruska who designed
many amphitheaters in Slovakia over the years. This one is fantastic, as
it sits on a slope and there are huge spaces and rooms under the stage. So
in one part there was Julo Bartos from
Cierny
Balog playing and singing and in another part it was a folk group
from Vernár. Ján Ambróz from Telgart was to perform also, and he was
rained out to.
Sunday we traveled
through Dolny Kubin and Oravsky Podzamok to Zuberec and the XXI. Podrohacske Slavnosti or in English XXI. Folk Festival under mount
Rohac. Here in the cultural center I met my old friend Mary Peterson
from Milwaukee, whose children's group "Tatra Slovak Dancers"
was performing in the program called: "Jarmok is here." They
were great. It was nice to see Mary. I haven't seen her since 1990. The
little cultural center was packed, ventilation was poor, it was really hot
there. It was raining again outside. We were hungry, so we decided to go
to a restaurant near by right in the center of Zuberec called: "Oravska
Izba." What a mistake. The food was bad, as was the service. The
staff was slow and arrogant, and the prices were high. One think for sure
I will not be returning to "Oravska Izba" again in Zuberec.
Afternoon program continued in Habovka's cultural centre. There was no
electricity, so it was all natural lighting, no microphones etc. We stayed
for a while, seen the performance of our friend Tibor
Koblicek and the music of Jarosalav Hazlinger. Their
performance was to be followed by one of the best amateur folk dance
groups: "Zeleziar," from
Kosice
under directorship of my friend Vlado Urban. As I had seen this program
before and because of the uncertainty about the power, we decided to leave
and go back to Vysehradne through Ruzomberok
and Martin.
On Monday my friend
Rasto had made arrangements to visit one of the best folk artist of
Slovakia, Ujcok Lenhart. I visited his
work shop, had a really nice talk with him and took lots of pictures. I
will write about Ujcok Lenhart in the future.
Tuesday, early morning we
said final god byes to our friends in Vysehradne and went East again, to
Damanova Ice Cave and then to visit our
friend Norika, that used to work as a nanny for several years in
Vancouver. She moved back in March and now works in the Poprad brewery,
has a modest apartment and yesterday I got email from her telling me that
she now has a phone too. It used to take years to get a phone installed.
In the evening we went to an Italian restaurant. The prices were high,
service was good, the food, well so, so. The kids liked their pizza, but I
rather not talk about my spaghetti.
Wednesday we went back to
the Demanova valley to visit yet another cave, Demanova
cave of freedom. This cave is fantastic and really big. We had a
special guide assigned to us and went on a circle tour not open to the
public at all times. It was 3 Km long instead of the usual 2 Km. Demanová creek runs though the cave and this cave has the largest
natural underground open space in whole Slovakia. This in fact is so big
that they hold philharmonic orchestra concerts there some times.
GO
TO PART FIVE
GO
BACK TO TRAVEL
Published in the Slovak Heritage Live
newsletter Volume 4, No. 3, Fall 1996
Copyright © Vladimir Linder 1999
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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