Military history aficionados had a reason to rejoice in May as the Military Historical Museum’s department in Svidnik (Prešov Region) kicked off its high season by opening up some its various attractions in the field The museum’s mission is the research and documentation of the history of warfare in Eastern Slovakia Close to the Polish border crossing at Vyšný Komárnik the Monument of the Czechoslovak Army at Dukla is one of the country’s most popularly visited sites The death toll at this site included more than 60,000 Soviet and Czechoslovak soldiers The 28-meter tall monument was built in 1949 and the military cemetery itself is intersected by a colonnade with bronze plaques commemorating the names and lives of the 1,265 members of the 1st Czechoslovak Army Corps who died there The story of the 1st Czechoslovak Army Corps is a story of a great heroic struggle They weren’t willing to simply wait for the Soviets to free them from the east but instead established the 1st as an exile army It was established in the town of Buzuluk in the Ural Mountains of the Soviet Union under the inspired leadership of General Ludvik Svoboda Another section of the exposition is given over to exhibits and archive materials from the military history of Eastern Slovakia during the peaceful inter-war period between 1918 and 1939 the museum is vaguely reminiscent of an anti-tank mine Visitors to the museum can climb up into an observation tower and look out onto a World War II battlefield at Dukla in addition to touching tanks and other equipment dispersed throughout the grounds of the Museum The monument was completed on the 20th anniversary commemorating the battles at Dukla Pass It includes a bronze sculpture called “I accuse…” the head of the Regional Tourism Organization (OOCR) climbing tanks and taking photos are popular not just with children and youths the museum’s present exhibition was installed in 1996 The exhibition displays the battles of the strategic crossing of the Carpathians during the Second World War There are fifty-five pieces of heavy combat material leftover from the war both in the museum and around the road to Svidnik There are even functional bunkers in the nearby forests The Death Valley includes the villages of Vysna and was the area where the hardest and heaviest tank battles took place From on top of the 160 ft tall observation tower which was re-opened to the public in May 2011 The tower includes three exhibitions and sculptures The Museum in Svidnik documents the battles waged during both World Wars in the northeast of Slovakia various guns and battlefield findings from around Dukla Pass demonstrates the Carpathian-Dukla operation of 1944 that includes an exhibition of personal relics displaying the names of more than 9,000 Soviet soldiers killed in the autumn of 1944 A 13 ft tall brass statue of a Soviet sergeant stands guard in front of the memorial The open-air museum also displays reconstructed firing positions of artillery The cemetery for the German war dead is at Hunkovce where more than 3,000 young German soldiers met their end between 1944 and 1945 Ian Harvey is one of the authors writing for WAR HISTORY ONLINE This website is using a security service to protect itself from online attacks The action you just performed triggered the security solution There are several actions that could trigger this block including submitting a certain word or phrase You can email the site owner to let them know you were blocked Please include what you were doing when this page came up and the Cloudflare Ray ID found at the bottom of this page Various attractions in the open air and on the field have been made accessible the main season has been launched for many sites too: the Military Historical Museum’s department in Svidník (Prešov Region) started the high season by granting access to various attractions in the field Visitors are able to see the World War II battlefield at Dukla from an outlook tower as well as touch the tanks and other military equipment from WWII dispersed about the premises of the Natural History Museum and along the road to Svidník Climbing the tanks and taking pictures are popular activities not only for children and youths Radomír Jančošek told the SITA newswire He is the head of the Regional Tourism Organisation (OOCR) Šariš – Bardejov whose member is also the town of Svidník The Monument of the Czechoslovak Army at Dukla is one of the most visited sites lying close to the Polish border crossing Vyšný Komárnik and commemorating the Carpathian-Dukla military operation that occurred in autumn 1944 More than 60,000 Soviet and Czechoslovak soldiers died here which is intersected by a colonnade with bronze plaques bearing the names of 1,265 members of the 1st Czechoslovak Army Corps who died at the site The monument’s proximity to the cemetery is a vast open-air military museum and the current exhibition was installed in 1996; it documents the battles of the strategic crossing of the Carpathians during WWII In the museum and around the road to Svidník there are 55 pieces of heavy combat material from WWII there are bunkers that are still functional The Death Valley close to the village of Kapišová where the hardest battles involving the mass use of tanks took place Visitors can see the entire battlefield from the observation tower The tower is 49 metres tall and includes three exhibitions and sculptures It is open to the public from Tuesdays to Sundays The battles that were waged in the northeast of Slovakia in both world wars are documented in the Military Museum in Svidník where the exhibition demonstrates the Carpathian-Dukla operation in 1944 through photos various guns and findings from the battlefields around Dukla Pass The nearby park includes the external exhibition of heavy military equipment and the Monument of the Soviet Army (dating to 1954) where more than the 9,000 soldiers killed in autumn of 1944 are buried Looking to access paid articles across multiple policy topics Interested in policy insights for EU professional organisations Several cases of vandalism towards Soviet war memorials have been reported in central and eastern Europe as a result of the Russian invasion of Ukraine national authorities were more understanding of perpetrators the second biggest city of the Czech Republic anti-Russian graffiti was sprayed at several locations including a statue representing a soldier of the Soviet army [EPA-EFE/CLEMENS BILAN] The rector is one of the personalities featured in the oldest ethnic museum in Slovakia Svidník is better known as a place of harsh WWII battles but this eastern Slovak town is also home to the oldest ethnic museum in Slovakia The Ukrainian minority fought for its own museum from the 19th century until it opened in 1956 the Museum of Ukrainian Culture has three branches scattered around the town: a museum A very old house called a “dymňanka” with an unusual heating system a film that didn't get recognition in Czechoslovakia due to villagers speaking Ruthenian and a painting of Michail Balugjanski are just some of the most interesting things visitors can see in the museum Balugjanski was born in Vyšná Olšava He became the first rector of Saint Petersburg State University in Russia “Unknown people from a small unknown region can achieve great things,” the museum worker Miriam Božíková says on the Spectacular Slovakia podcast Dezider Milly and Eva Bissová are other names known to the minority but the former is a village in eastern Slovakia Listen to the podcast to find out what the two personalities are known for This article is part of the Our Minorities project carried out with the financial support of the Fund for the Support of the Culture of National Minorities The winning beech grows in front of the mountain rescue service in Starý Smokovec A 70-year-old common beech growing in Starý Smokovec has been voted Slovakia’s most beautiful tree of 2021 followed by a 300-year-old common oak from Giraltovce A 170-year-old southern catalpa that grows in Hnúšťa which is dubbed the tree of people in love and the Tatras umbrella will represent Slovakia in the European Tree of the Year contest next spring no one has been able to find out who planted this beech and why “It probably happened in the 1950s thanks to students led by Bohdan Wagner from the Horticultural School in Lednice, Moravia, as part of the ‘Big Cleaning’ project,” said Martina Hromadová from the Ekopolis Foundation, which organises the Tree of the Year contest in Slovakia The tree is under the protection of Mountain Rescue Service members whose headquarters stands next to the winning beech They even saved the tree from being cut down Although the common beech is the most common tree in Europe there are very few beech trees in the High Tatras The 15-metre-high common oak growing in Giraltovce used to be part of the large Bán Park adjacent to a manor house built by the Šemšei Family in the 17th century While the manor house is used as a venue for various events the park no longer exists – except for the old oak the tree is surrounded by several churches Locals say it is the oldest tree in the town The eleven-metre-tall catalpa growing in the Mariáss Garden in Hnúšťa is the most exotic tree of the twelve finalists in this year’s competition This species was imported from North America to Europe in 1726 Hromadová noted the Hnúšťa catalpa is probably the thickest and oldest southern catalpa in the country A helping hand in the heart of Europe thanks to the Slovakia travel guide with more than 1,000 photos and hundred of tourist spots Detailed travel guide to the Tatras introduces you to the whole region around the Tatra mountains Lost in Bratislava? Impossible with our City Guide Deputy Prime Minister for Economy Ivan Mikloš is regarded by economists both at home and abroad as the driving force for reform in the current government the country would not enjoy a fraction of the credit it currently does on international financial marketsBorn in the eastern Slovak town of Svidník Mikloš was barely in his thirties when he was appointed Minister for Privatisation in the Slovak National Council When the controversial Slovak separatist politician Vladimír Mečiar was re-elected in 1992 Mikloš founded the economic think tank MESA 10.During the third Mečiar government of 1994 to 1998 Mikloš's MESA 10 analyses were an invaluable source of informed economic criticism Mikloš and his colleagues warned the country of the dangers of deficit spending and of the dangerous direction the economy was heading in - all of which proved to be accurate when the new government elected last September opened the books of its predecessor Deputy Prime Minister for Economy Ivan Mikloš the country would not enjoy a fraction of the credit it currently does on international financial markets Born in the eastern Slovak town of Svidník Mikloš was barely in his thirties when he was appointed Minister for Privatisation in the Slovak National Council When the controversial Slovak separatist politician Vladimír Mečiar was re-elected in 1992 Mikloš founded the economic think tank MESA 10 During the third Mečiar government of 1994 to 1998 Mikloš's MESA 10 analyses were an invaluable source of informed economic criticism Mikloš and his colleagues warned the country of the dangers of deficit spending Although Mikloš's current position of Deputy Prime Minister for Economy carries little real political power his authority as a cool and determined reformer has pushed the Slovak cabinet into faster and more extensive reform than would otherwise have been possible Mikloš told The Slovak Spectator on November 9 that he had mixed feelings about the results he has achieved He said he was happy to see the country's economy headed in the right direction but added that he was a bit discouraged at the resistance that reforms still met in the cabinet by making a compromise you can reach at least part of what you pursuing," he said "And if you don't compromise you accomplish nothing - I think the choice is clear." Much is made of Mikloš's apparent isolation in the cabinet and the feeling that he often defends reforms alone Mikloš himself does not feel isolated "There are others in the government who share the same opinions I do but they aren't often mentioned in the media," he said Although Mikloš himself refused to name his supporters a recent and rather public meeting of the minds emerged between Mikloš and Deputy Finance Minister Viliam Vaškovič during negotiations on cutting the country's corporate tax rate Mikloš looks south to Hungary for a positive example of economic transformation done right he believes that the current government will be hard pressed to match Hungary's accomplishments in the near future "They had four years to transform their macro and micro economies," he said "But they didn't have to transform both at the same time Slovakia boasts a rich and long-rooted tradition of folk costumes and various traditional architecture This article was prepared for an edition of the Spectacular Slovakia travel guideand was published in the travel guide Slovakia ​The small village of Čičmany in Žilina Region resembles a village of gingerbread homes.To prevent the wood from rotting residents began a tradition of painting the outer wooden beams with white lime – it soon blossomed to ornamental paintings on the front side of the houses These unique patterns inspired the embroidery in the region and have come to represent the country as a whole Slovak Olympic teams of recent years have included such patterns on their official uniforms ”The pattern is supposed to symbolise Slovakia so that our sportsmen would be easily recognised,” Ľubomír Souček from the Slovak Olympic Committee told The Slovak Spectator While the embroidery tradition has been maintained “This version [of the village] is a result of a big effort of architects [Dušan] Jurkovič and [Jindřich] Mergan,c who measured and documented the village in detail in 1920s,” says Nadežda Hrašková from the Faculty of Architecture at the Slovak University of Technology “Based on their work it was possible to reconstruct Čičmany completely after it burned almost to ashes in 1921.” The aesthetically pleasing houses were declared a historical reserve of folk architecture in 1977 and some are available for use as accommodation facilities interesting architecture took its inspiration from abroad The types and styles of houses often vary from region to region and are a symptom of not only natural conditions but also surrounding nations and cultures “The region of western Slovakia is for example notable for the cultural impact of Moravia and Austria who settled here,” says ethnologist Matej Kotal Practicality and frugality prevailed in these areas In this vein, an appropriate exhibition of folk architecture is the village of Vlkolínec, near Ružomberok, with its still-inhabited, preserved wooden houses. The area is a unique display of rural life in the foothills of the Veľká Fatra mountain range. More information about Vlkolínec can be found in our Žilina region guide History buffs have ample opportunity to visit museums and castles in Slovakia but another possibility is an open-air museum that replicates a traditional peasant village the name comes from the designation of the first open-air museum in Sweden established in 1891 which became the model for other such sites in Europe Check the list. is in the town of Martin and represents the architecture of various regions “Many visitors could be labelled as tradition enthusiasts alternatively people often come here to look for inspiration when renovating reconstructing or building their own houses,” says Slávka Straková spokeswoman for the Museum of the Slovak Village Folklore fans eager to experience more than just traditional buildings and who enjoy traditional music and dance should not miss the annual festivals held in summer in various regions of Slovakia Čierny Balog: Opening of the Čiernohronská railway and forestry outdoor museum, www.chz.sk Skalica: Trdlofest, www.trdlofest.sk Terchová: World Cup in Cooking and Eating Sheep Cheese Dumplings, www.haluskyterchova.sk Svidník: Festival of Culture of Ruthenians in Slovakia, www.rusinskyfestival.sk Myjava: International Folklore Festival Myjava, www.myjava.sk Košice: Cassovia folkfest, www.folkfest.sk Detva: Folklore Fest Under Poľana, www.fspdetva.sk Korytárky: Slovak Fujara Player Exhibition in Korytárky, www.fujara.sk Kežmarok: European Folk and Crafts Festival, www.elro.kezmarok.sk Východná: Folklore Festival Východná, www.festivalvychodna.sk Terchová: Jánošík’s Days, www.janosikovedni.sk Bratislava: Craftsmen Days ÚĽUV, www.uluv.sk Trnava: Traditional Market, www.tic.trnava.sk Oravská Polhora: Bagpipes festival, www.gajdy.sk The Centre for Folk Art ProductionB Bratislava: Ústredie ľudovej umeleckej výroby (ÚĽUV), www.uluv.sk Every year the second weekend of July is dedicated to the Podpolianske slávnosti festival or Folklore Fest Under Poľana The region is rich in traditions and typical folklore phenomena blend history with music and dance ensembles amid hundreds of participants from all around the world It all takes place in a wooden amphitheatre The oldest folklore festival however is in the village of Východná in the Liptovský Mikuláš district It has taken place every year in the first weekend of July since 1953 The organisers of Východná Festival are aiming to present the national culture interactively and do so with new and creative approaches Fifty years ago it was still possible to spot older women dressed in richly embroidered folk costumes walking to church on a Sunday morning in the Slovak countryside While traditional folk costumes are gradually disappearing as everyday wear awareness of their cultural value seems to be growing – fuelling a whole segment of craft businesses Slovak couples more and more frequently opt for a traditional-style wedding and wear folk costumes for their big day The number of websites offering part or whole sets of traditional attire from all over Slovakia is growing while wearing a folk costume at formal occasions is no longer considered only a sign of nationalism Slovakia boasts a rich and long-rooted tradition of folk costumes with many remaining well preserved in regions until the mid 1950s ethnographic collections as well as performances of folk ensembles display a variation of these traditional costumes Clothing indicates not only the region the owner came from but often the social status “I see the folk costume at its utmost as a work of art which in traditional culture bears similar importance to architecture a song or a tale,” said Karel Plicka folklorist and one of the founders of the ethnographic film genre in his homeland Folk costumes have been created and formed by generations of folk artists which Plicka cites as occuring after World War I Plicka describes folk costumes as an exhibition of “refined beauty material” and “an ideal harmony of all elements” from head to toe Plicka noted that the person dressed in a folk costume is no longer anonymous because he or she has identified themselves with a “concrete human and spiritual community” and at the same time they were obliged to “preserve the good name of the community” as the folk costume “spiritually united people” as it also fulfilled a function of signals and signs – it became the identification of the person who wore it “a kind of non-verbal communication between wide communities of inhabitants” specialising in traditional folk costumes explained in a piece written for the Centre for Folk Art Production (ÚĽUV) Our Spectacular Slovakia travel guides are available in our online shop there were 60 folk costume regions in Slovakia according to Gazdíková.Slovak folk costumes preserved some archaic elements the creators were able to transform several details of the fashion of particular periods in a way that other members of the village community accepted The costumes often feature embroidery inspired by Renaissance ornaments Western and central Slovakia – mainly areas around Trnava and Krupina – boast richly embodied clothing while bobbin or braided lace was a popular technique throughout the country a variety of weaving techniques rich in different patterns and colours can be found Parts of the traditional folk clothing include a baranica a warm hat made of sheep’s fur; a jacket apron and vests or lajblíks in Slovak When asked to pick the most remarkable Slovak folk costume Gazdíková told The Slovak Spectator that “each of these have something remarkable” Traditional forms and ornaments are also making it into mainstream clothing today an organisation for documenting and protecting traditional crafts and folk production has attempted to inspire young designers to create modern products that combine the traditional elements through a competition called Circles on Water head of the ÚĽUV marketing department told The Slovak Spectator.​ ​Most artisans delivering their products for ÚĽUV work at home but there is an exception with the pottery studio in Pezinok (20 kilometres from the capital) one in Banská Bystrica and one in Tatranská Lomnica there are leaflets in English and an English-speaking guide is available Brhlovce (rock dwellings), www.muzeumlevice.sk Cigeľ: Upper Nitra Open-air Mining Museum Cigeľ Mine (Hornonitriansky banský skanzen), www.banskyskanzen.sk Myjava - Turá Lúka: Traditional farm (Gazdovský dvor),www.myjava.sk Nitra: Slovak Agricultural Museum, www.spmnitra.sk Banská Štiavnica: Open-air Mining Museum (Banské múzeum v prírode), www.muzeumbs.sk Čierny Balog - Vydrovo: Forestry Open-air Museum (Lesnícky skanzen), www.lesy.sk Čičmany (traditional Slovak village), www.cicmany.viapvt.sk Havránok: Open-air Celtic Museum, www.liptovskemuzeum.sk Martin: Museum of the Slovak Village, www.skanzenmartin.sk Osturňa (traditional Slovak village, exterior views only), www.obec-osturna.sk Podbiel (traditional Slovak village, exterior views only), www.podbiel.sk Pribylina: Museum of the Liptov Village, www.liptovskemuzeum.sk Stará Ľubovňa: Ľubovňa Open-air Museum, www.hradlubovna.sk Vlkolínec (traditional Slovak village), www.vlkolinec.sk Vychylovka: Museum of the Kysuce Village, www.kysuckemuzeum.sk Zuberec: Museum of the Orava Village, muzeum.zuberec.sk Bardejovské Kúpele: Museum of Folk Architecture, www.muzeumbardejov.sk Humenné: Open-air Museum of Folk Architecture, www.muzeumhumenne.sk Svidník: Museum of the Ukrainian Culture, www.svidnik.sk