Rusovce Lake. (source: SME Archive)
A proposal for a generally binding regulation prohibiting nude swimming and sunbathing without clothing or in clothing that does not cover intimate parts has appeared on the official notice board of the Bratislava's borough of Rusovce.
The police approached the borough after allegedly dealing with several cases of public outrage or, conversely, harassment at the lake. According to the police, there were even individuals engaging in disorderly conduct by watching naked visitors and masturbating while doing so.
The nude swimming tradition in Rusovce began 50 years ago when artists from [folk ensemble] SĽUK, based in Rusovce, used to swim there. Rusovce Lake and the nearby Čunovo Lakes were chosen by the pioneers of nudism in Slovakia.
Today, the area is significantly more frequented due to a popular cycling route, and visitors in swimsuits also swim in the lakes.
The nudists who spoke to the Sme daily did not experience any conflicts. "On the contrary, I have more privacy at Rusovce Lake than elsewhere thanks to heads and peninsulas," says young Bratislava resident Peter Tilajčík.
According to him, people generally observe and judge each other less on nude beaches compared to regular beaches.
He considers the ban on nudism in Rusovce absurd. "We might as well ban screaming children in places where people are relaxing; it would be just as nonsensical and an equally unnecessary infringement on freedom," Tilajčík says.
Local Rusovce councillors will probably vote on the regulation at the next council meeting on June 20.
No other solution
"It is forbidden to bathe, sunbathe, and perform other activities naked or in such clothing that does not fulfill its basic function - which is to adequately cover the body, especially its intimate parts - in public areas of the Bratislava borough of Rusovce," reads the regulation proposal.
