The reconstructed Slovak National Gallery building. (source: SME - Jozef Jakubčo)
Every week The Slovak Spectator brings you a selection of three short stories from across Slovakia from which pessimism and negativity are absent.
National gallery shortlisted for EU prize
The reconstructed premises of the Slovak National Gallery (SNG) in Bratislava is among 40 structures shortlisted for the EU Prize for Contemporary Architecture | Mies van der Rohe Award (also known as the EUmies) for 2024.
It is only the second time in the country’s history that a site in Slovakia has made the shortlist, the SNG wrote in an Instagram post.
“The aim was to refurbish the existing architecture of the ensemble and supplement it with new spaces for the needs in the 21st century,” reads the EUmies Awards website. “Apart from meeting the requirements of the programme, the essential intention was to significantly open the gallery to the city and thus to the public. Such an area is to be a place of activities that go beyond its gallery function.”
The award has been granted since 2001 to celebrate excellence in architectural works built across Europe. It also highlights the contribution of quality architecture to sustainable development and citizens’ well-being.
Stunning ice sculptures complete the image of winter in the Tatras
The winning sculpture, carved by a team from Mongolia, called Gratified. (source: TASR)
In recent days, the Hrebienok resort in the High Tatra mountains has been adorned with 35 ice sculptures.
They were created by 10 teams from various parts of the world during the last weekend of January, as part of the 10th edition of the Tatra Ice Master event. Apart from artists from Slovakia and neighbouring countries, there were also teams from Mongolia, Spain, Germany and Lithuania working with about 50 tonnes of ice.
The teams focused on two main topics: Love, Understanding and Peace; and the World Under Water. Both categories were won by carvers from Mongolia, who charmed the jury with their sense for ice details and the ability to depict the given topic in wonderful fairytale-fantasy scenes, according to Marián Galajda, the spokesperson of the organiser, as quoted by the SITA newswire.
Some ice sculptures were moved to the Tatra Ice Dome, where they will be on display until the end of the winter season. The rest will be left in the open air, and visitors to Hrebienok can admire them until the weather thaws them out. One ice sculpture, carved by a duo from Spain, was placed near the Skalnaté Pleso lake under Lomnický Štít peak.
A rare surgery to save a child’s life
Surgeons from the National Institute of Children’s Diseases and the Bratislava University Hospital inserted a modular endoprosthesis during the unique surgery. (source: Facebook/NÚDCH)
For the very first time in Slovakia, surgeons performed a rare surgery during which they replaced the entire shoulder bone of a young child suffering from a tumour. They used a modular endoprosthesis to replace the child's shoulder, humerus and elbow.
The operation was carried out thanks to cooperation between doctors from the National Institute of Children’s Diseases (NÚDCH) and the Bratislava University Hospital.
“We’re always doing our best for our patients; the doctors consider all options and propose new solutions,” said Peter Bartoň, director of NÚDCH, as quoted in a press release. “This was also the case with this child, for whom, due to the size of the tumour, amputation of the arm was one possibility to save the child’s life. I’m very glad that the doctors managed to save the child’s hand with this rare operation.”
The child is doing well, and is currently recovering, NÚDCH informed.
Five feel-good stories published by The Slovak Spectator to read:
French musician Jean-Michel Jarre will be one of headliners at Starmus, a major international festival that will held in several Slovak towns and cities in mid-May. “There will be gathered the most brilliant scientists and artists – it will be, I would say, an artistic Davos,” he said in an interview with The Slovak Spectator.
Olga Smorkis is a music teacher by profession. However, she has also pursued her dream of performing as a musician, playing the Ukrainian bandura, an instrument dubbed ‘the voice of Ukrainian people’.
World-renowned architect Ladislav Eduard Hudec, dubbed the father of Asian skyscrapers, also designed a chapel in the Štiavnické Vrchy mountains. It is the only monument left by him in Europe.
Slovak figure skater Adam Hagara won a silver medal at the 2024 Winter Youth Olympic Games in Gangwon, South Korea, after performing a flawless free skating routine to Aerosmith’s 'Dream On' with two triple axles and six more triple jumps.
In three years of goofs (chyby), the one that generated the most laughter involved the words múčnik and mučeník (dessert and martyr), writes Matthew J. Reynolds in his Slovak Matters column.
Political meme of the week
(source: Zomri.online)
Caption: The Grand Prix of Shame 2024 has begun.
This meme, published by the satirical site Zomri on Facebook, depicts five politicians who have officially confirmed their ambition to run for president in the upcoming election. The list includes some rather controversial candidates. The picture features (from top): Peter Pellegrini (Hlas leader, speaker of parliament and former prime minister), Štefan Harabin (a pro-Kremlin former judge), Marian Kotleba (chair of the far-right ĽSNS party), Igor Matovič (leader of the Slovensko movement and another former prime minister), and Andrej Danko (chair of the Slovak National Party). Danko was recently involved in a now-notorious traffic accident in a car he claims to have been "testing" at the time. The first round of the presidential election is scheduled for March 23.
You can send me your tips on good news stories about Slovakia or funny memes at: radka.minarechova@spectator.sk. Thank you!
