Slovakia – Michael Elyard

Bratislava, Kuchyna, Trencin, Zvolen

JUNE 2001

When I was serving as a pianist in the US Air Forces in Europe Band (Germany: 2000-2002), we were invited to tour Slovakia and perform several outdoor concerts. Going by what I had seen on TV, I was a little nervous and did not know what to expect. Well, almost immediately, I was very pleasantly surprised by the nice people, beautiful scenery, and cities that were a perfect blend of old and new.

In 1918, the Slovaks joined the closely related Czechs to form Czechoslovakia. Following World War II, Czechoslovakia became a Communist nation within Soviet-ruled Eastern Europe. Soviet influence collapsed in 1989, and Czechoslovakia was once again a free nation. The Slovaks and the Czechs agreed to separate peacefully on January 1^st, 1993. Slovakia has experienced more difficulty than the Czech Republic in developing a modern market economy, but is progressing rapidly.

**UPDATE: MARCH 2022**
Slovakia (left) is located on the western border of Ukraine (right). The two countries share appx 50 miles of border.
Poland is to the north, Austria and Czech Republic are to the west, and Hungary is to the south.

JUNE 2001

Slovakia has a population of about 5 ½ million people. It is about twice the size of New Hampshire. The economy is strongly supported by the natural resources of the region, including coal, iron, copper, and manganese. In the past, neighboring countries have used Slovakia mainly for producing raw materials for manufacturing. This means the factories producing most of the pollution are located here, and the low-cost raw materials are sent to other countries which in turn produce high-tech items for greater profit. Efforts are being made to turn Slovakia into a manufacturing country, so it can share in the profits of technology.

We flew into Vienna, Austria and picked up our rental cars (2 new Volvos) and drove the 150 miles to Bratislava, Slovakia. Here, we are at the border getting ready to enter Slovakia.

A view of Bratislava, Slovakia, from the Novy most Bridge tower.
The Danube river is in the foreground. (It’s not blue!)
Our hotel is the first building on the right.

The Novy most Bridge over the GREEN Danube River. The photo before this one
was taken from the circular dining area at the top of the bridge tower.
No swimming is allowed in the river because of unexploded bombs from World War II.

Bratislava Castle as viewed from the Novy Most Bridge.

The Main Square in Bratislava. Our band performed here one day.

Later that day, we performed at the town square. We were the first United States military band to perform in Slovakia since the Iron Curtain fell. Very friendly and welcoming crowd!

One of the highlights of the week was working with the Slovakian military dance troupe. These men and women performed after us at each concert, and were GREAT!!! A superb small orchestra of traditional instruments accompanied them in a very carefully planned sequence of song and dance. It was also a pleasure and honor to get to know many of the Slovakian military men (the women are all civilians).

Part of the Slovakian Dance Troupe Orchestra

Afterwards, I got to meet a few of the dancers. Strictly for international relations. Yup!

We were fortunate to travel with the Slovakian Dance Troupe the next few days and enjoyed watching their very professional presentations. All of the members were very friendly and made us feel welcome in their county.

After the concert, we had one day off to explore the historic old city of Bratislava.

St Martins Cathedral, one of many magnificent churches in Bratislava.

Church and Convent of St Elisabeth in Old Town Bratislava.

Inside the Church and Convent of St Elisabeth in Old Town Bratislava.

Ceiling of Church and Convent of St Elisabeth in Old Town Bratislava.

Walking around the Old Town section of Bratislava – Many interesting store fronts. This is a pharmacy.

Many Old-World craftsmen still at work.
Bratislava is a wonderful mix of old and new.

In the main square, each town had a measuring rod for the unit of measurement, the “arm”. Of course, every town’s stick was different. Here, Jerry (our guitarist),
compares his arm’s length to that of the marks on the rod.

Here is a photo of the Novy Most Bridge from the opposite side of the Danube River. I rode the elevator up to the circular observation deck.

This gentleman was dressed in his finest suit to take me on the elevator to the top observation deck of the Novy Most Bridge.

View of Bratislava from the Novy Most Bridge observation deck. The Danube River is in the foreground. It is not blue, but dark green. Swimming is not allowed since there is still unexploded ordnance from WWII.

Next, I headed down to walk around Bratislava. Lots of outdoor cafes and vendors.

Bratislava Opera House. Very impressive!!

The fountain in front of the Bratislava Opera House.

Following in the footsteps of Mozart. He performed here when he was 6 years old. I waited until I was 40+.

Franz Liszt also performed in Bratislava, at the age of 9. Quite a musical town!

Hey, a piano bar with local beer. I’ve found my retirement job!

Lot’s of choices for places to quench your thirst!

How about a direct flight to Moscow on Aeroflot (the official Russian airline)? No, thanks!

Bratislava Jewish Memorial – engraving on granite. In the 1930s, there were approximately 15,000 Jews in Bratislava – about 10% of the population. Many came from Germany hoping to escape persecution, but most were murdered during the Holocaust.

CLICK HERE FOR HISTORY OF JEWS IN BRATISLAVA

Jewish Holocaust Memorial in Bratislava.

In the town square is this fountain.
I guess the little boys discourage folks from drinking out of the fountain.

More interesting art in the town square. Watch you step!!

Nearby is his friend, the “Top Hat Man.”

This old abandoned building on the outskirts of town was decorated by artists.

Sign advertising local cafe near the town square. RIP probably translates into something different than I know, but I still think I will pass. LOL

“Radnicka” – I wonder if this is a redneck bar?

Walking around and enjoying the outdoor cafes and shops.

Trolleys every few minutes provide quick, easy, and CHEAP rides all over town.

Kuchyna

The next morning, we were off to Kuchyna to meet the Slovakian Dance Troupe and perform a concert outdoors at a Slovakian Air Base.

These guys were lined up for beer at 6:00 am.
Gets the day off to a good start!

The Slovakian Dance Troupe went out into the audience for “volunteers” to join them.

For a final number, the Slovakian Dance Troupe joined us for the most interesting presentation of
“Who Let The Dogs Out?” I ever performed!! Music crosses all cultural lines.

And, of course, I had a little more “International Relations” work to do. Tough job!!

After the concert, I had time to walk around and meet these Slovakian Air Force
men and their truck for refueling airplanes.

They also have these really cool vehicles for moving the airplanes around.
I think it would make a great off-road vehicle, except the top speed is probably about 15 MPH.

Solosnica

The next day, I had the morning off, so I took a little drive out into south-west Slovakia. My rental car (a nice Volvo S60) had unlimited miles, and I paid for the gas myself. The first town I headed out to was Solosnica.