The first Love Bank is situated in Banská Štiavnica, central Slovakia. (source: REAL LOVE BANK)
Every week The Slovak Spectator brings you a selection of three short stories from across Slovakia from which pessimism and negativity are absent.
Popular love attraction makes the pages of a prestigious American daily
Bank of Love museum, Banská Štiavnica, before the fire. (source: TASR)
A popular Slovak tourist attraction has been featured in a report by prestigious American daily The New York Times.
On Valentine’s Day, it published a story about the Love Bank museum in Banská Štiavnica, central Slovakia, describing among other things the efforts to restore it after last year’s fire. The building’s underground vault where the love messages and totems are left in special love boxes survived the fire.
“For romantics looking to display their passion and devotion, the Love Bank in Slovakia has plenty of room in its Love Vault where 7,000 people have already deposited their keepsakes and symbols of affection, whether reciprocated or unrequited,” the story reads. “But this Valentine’s Day, the bank will be closed. Its medieval building, once home to the muse for what is called ‘the world’s longest love poem,’ almost burned down last March – the result, apparently, of an electrical fault, not rapture run amok.”
The report goes on to describe the museum and the idea of creating it, and even contains parts of the poem, Marína, and the love story behind it.
The representatives of the Love Bank called it a great promotion for not only Banská Štiavnica, but the whole of Slovakia.
“We’re on the title page of the international print version, The International New York Times, which has more than 10 million subscribers, which is an absolute top,” said Igor Brossman, one of the museum’s founders, as quoted by the SITA newswire.
Ukrainians decided to thank Slovaks in unusual way
Ukrainians thanked Slovaks for their help by planting a tree of gratitude near the Kuchajda lake in Bratislava. (source: SITA)
Ukrainian communities in Slovakia decided to thank Slovaks for their help and acceptance since the start of the Russian full-scale invasion of their homeland, which occurred almost two years ago.
They joined forces under the #ĎakujemeSlovensko (Thank You, Slovakia) initiative, and planned a series of volunteering events for the month of February.
The activities include the planting of a tree of gratitude in Bratislava, cleaning up the city of Košice, painting a mural at a secondary vocational school in Galanta, and a thank you event in Banská Bystrica, where Ukrainian refugees help at a centre for children with autism spectrum disorder.
“Although being in a foreign country, where they escaped the war, the Ukrainian citizens want to be active members of the society that has welcomed and protected them,” said Ukrainian Ambassador to Slovakia Myroslav Kastran, as quoted by the TASR newswire. “These activities show our gratitude for the extensive and varied help we have received from Slovakia and Slovaks from the entire country, from Michalovce to Bratislava, from Nové Zámky to Žilina.”
Slovak ice hockey star made his fan's day
Montreal Canadiens left wing Juraj Slafkovský celebrates his goal during the third period of an NHL hockey game in front of Washington Capitals goaltender Darcy Kuemper and right wing Nic Dowd. (source: AP/TASR)
Ice hockey player Juraj Slafkovský, a forward for the Montreal Canadiens who became the highest-drafted Slovak player in the history of the NHL, made a nice gesture.
During a warm-up before the match against Washington Capitals, he noticed a fan holding a Slovak flag with an inscription saying HC Košice, a team where the young Slovak started his career.
Slafkovský then came to her and gave her a puck. As the posts on social networks commented, she was clearly touched by the gesture.
Five feel-good stories published by The Slovak Spectator to read:
After working in America and Greece, Yiannis Fanourakis opened a bistro in Slovakia a decade ago. The restaurant is a dream come true for him.
Following in the footsteps of his great-grandfather abroad, Emil Parizek found his cousin Pablo, a descendant of immigrants. All that because of an old dusty trunk.
“You can have talent, but without hard work, it’s not going to last for long. You have to be disciplined,” says Richard Varga, the most successful Slovak triathlete, in a podcast.
The Zemplín Museum in eastern Slovakia has opened a new archaeological exhibition. Notable artefacts include the remains of a woolly mammoth, one of the earliest working tools, and an ashtray with oldest depiction in central Europe.
Arnout Bloys van Treslong believed that a career in surgery was his future, but a change of heart saw him put down his scalpel and choose business instead. Last year, he became the CEO of ING Hubs Slovakia.
Political meme of the week
How to sort waste properly. (source: SME/Mikuláš Sliacky)
How to sort waste properly: glass, plastics, metals, Fico’s Penal Code.
The meme proposes what the Constitutional Court should do with the amendment to the Penal Code, adopted by the fourth Robert Fico government. Last week, President Zuzana Čaputová signed the draft amendment to the law, but announced she would challenge it at the Constitutional Court.
You can send me your tips on good news stories about Slovakia or funny memes at: radka.minarechova@spectator.sk. Thank you!
