VÉČKO 1998

Worldwide reunion of VÉČkÁr's

"Generation 1968"

Thursday I returned to Bratislava and got together with Maksi. We also met Felix, one of the organizers of Vecko reunion 1998. Felix told us that the early arrivals meet every day at cafe Amsterdam near by. So we went there. Had a beer and we noticed a couple talking at the next table. We started to get aquatinted with each other. Milan is now living in Calgary, Alberta and Sonja in Sydney, Australia. She didn't recognize me at the beginning, however after a while we both started remembering the good old times at the V-klub and the parties that followed the dances. Soon we both knew that we were in fact old lost friends from 1968. I remembered her friend by her thick hair. I learned that Maja is now a grandmother and still lives in Bratislava. Next day I met Maja in the V-Klub and it felt like thirty years ago, the atmosphere, the people, old friends were all suddenly there again thirty years later. It was nostalgia. Peter Lipa was singing all night and we danced and were having good time all night as well. It was repeated Saturday and Sunday. Sunday however everybody was tired as we all realized that we are in fact thirty years older and our endurance isn’t what it used to be then.

I must tell you little bit of the history of our Vecko. Vecko was a University Student Club that seen its birth in 1965. Our generation mostly attended the happenings in the V-Klub during 1966-1969 and lived through the loosening of the strings by the ruling Communists in the spring of 1968 and sudden invasion of the arm forces on August 21, 1968. That marked the end of the new beginnings. By end of 1969 many of us left and are spread around the world and we lost contact with each other. This reunion brought us magically together after all this time. One thing made me really sad was the absence of support by any of the government organizations, especially the House of Foreign Slovaks under leadership of Mr. Rastislav Saling. Finally this government organization had a chance to make contacts with some really great and successful people after all these years and they missed their chance totally. This organization is suppose-helping Slovaks living abroad, well where were they when they could have shown they support at this action?

Where is Makši Dubrovay?

Go to  letter from Makši

Go to World wide reunion of Véčkár's "GENERATION 1968"

Go to Makši's pictures over the years

Go to Makši's 62nd Surprise birthday party

Go to Makši's final days

Celebration of Makši's life party at Watch Lake Community Hall on September 28, 2002

Scattering Makši's ashes at his favorite spot near his house on September 29, 2002

Scattering Makši's ashes at Bute Look Out above Watch Lake, BC, on October 13, 2002

Makši's burial in Bratislava on November 12, 2002

Published in the Slovak Heritage Live newsletter Volume 6, No. 3, Fall 1998
Copyright © Vladimir Linder 1998 
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.