Ryan Reynolds with wife Blake Lively. (source: AP/TASR)
Every week The Slovak Spectator brings you a selection of three short stories from across Slovakia from which pessimism and negativity are absent.
Sneakers from Partizánske are popular with celebrities
Ryan Reynolds wearing Novesta sneakers. (source: Reprophotography Instagram)
Popular Hollywood actor Ryan Reynolds has a piece of Slovakia in his wardrobe.
For years, he has been wearing sneakers that were produced by the shoemaking company Novesta, situated in Partizánske, western Slovakia, the Dobrenoviny.sk website reported.
The firm has even published a video showing the actor wearing them.
The company’s history dates back to the 1930s, when shoemaker Jan Antonín Baťa opened a factory in Partizánske (the town was even, briefly, renamed Baťovany in the 1940s). It made shoes with rubber soles, such as gym shoes, working and sport shoes, and rubber boots for the army.
The original Novesta company ended production in 2007, after going bankrupt. The brand and the factory were then bought by Slovak shoemaker Vulkan in early 2010. The revived brand now remains one of the last purely European shoemakers still operating in its original premises and using its original production methods. The company uses materials like cotton, linen and natural rubber, according to the official Novesta website.
Novesta shoes have other famous fans abroad. Apart from Reynolds, they have been worn by musician Liam Gallager, actor Ashton Sanders, rapper Kendrick Lamar and model Georgia May Jagger. The sneakers even appeared on the title page of prestigious Rolling Stone magazine, Dobrenoviny.sk wrote.
Young scientist wins international competition
Michal Lajčiak won the international science competition. (source: Stredná priemyselná škola Dubnica nad Váhom)
A project by a talented young student from a secondary technical school in Dubnica nad Váhom, western Slovakia, has triumphed in a global competition.
Michal Lajčiak, who is only 17 years old, won the Robotics and Intelligent Machines category of the Regeneron ISEF 2024 (Regeneron International Science and Engineering Fair 2024) competition, which took place on May 11-17 in Los Angeles, and involved 1,699 students from 67 countries from across the globe.
The talented young scientist created a control system to direct robotic swarms using a neural network algorithm. Subsequently, he made his own experimental hardware on which he tested the software solution, while processing his own graphical interface for further simulations and creating an application for robotic swarms where they can reconfigure production lines, the MY Považská regional newspaper reported.
“My victory at ISEF means a dream come true for me, but also achieving a goal that I had set before the preparation,” said Lajčiak, as quoted in a press release of the Slovak Academy of Sciences (SAV). “New opportunities are now opening up for me, where to move, either in the form of studies or developing the project further into the business sphere.”
Volunteers set new record for trees planted
Volunteers plant trees in the Slovak mountains every year. (source: Lidl Slovensko)
Dozens of volunteers have broken a record for the number of trees planted in a single day.
They managed to plant 10,000 new trees near Malužiná, in the Low Tatras, a mountain range in northern Slovakia. The event was part of the Water for Trees initiative, running under the auspices of the retailer Lidl.
“At the same time, the two millionth tree was planted in the Tatra mountains today as part of this project, which has been helping Slovak forests for years,” said record-keeper Igor Svítok, as quoted by the TASR newswire. As a result, the total planting area exceeded 800 hectares.
Lidl spokesperson Tomáš Bezák added that the project is carried out in cooperation with the state-run company Lesy SR, to which they have donated 185,000 young plants this year.
Five feel-good stories published by The Slovak Spectator to read:
There are various ways people can start volunteering. But what all volunteers can share is a feeling of fulfilment and reward.
The Patak Motors company will produce a retro city car at the former industrial premises of Kovosmalt in Fiľakovo, southern Slovakia.
The observatory in Hlohovec will invest €2 million into reconstruction and new equipment. The institution is to become one of the most modern astronomical facilities in central Europe.
A manor house once owned by a lady-in-waiting to Sissi – Empress Elisabeth, the wife of Austrian Emperor Franz Joseph – now serves as a hotel, but also offers guided tours through its unique premises.
Two Instagrammers are concealing money all around Slovakia – and people seem to be going crazy for their treasure hunt.
Political meme of the week
(source: Facebook/Zomri)
Caption: Currently the most watched programme on TV Markíza.
The satirical website Zomri has published a meme that reacts to the current turmoil at Slovakia's most-watched TV station, private broadcaster TV Markíza. On Sunday, May 26, the host of the popular political talk show Na Telo, Michal Kovačič, talked on air about the pressure to soften coverage of politicians that he and his colleagues from the station's news team have faced since getting a new boss last December. Several media reported on the tense situation at the broadcaster earlier this year. After making his comments, Kovačič's political talk show was cancelled until further notice, and his access to TV Markíza premises was restricted. Trade union members at TV Markíza then announced a strike alert, after the management of the broadcaster refused to accept their demands, which included that the show be restored with Kovačič as host. They say they are ready to strike if their conditions are not met.
You can send me your tips for good news stories about Slovakia or funny memes at: radka.minarechova@spectator.sk. Thank you!
