Dominik Černý and Hana Burzalová after proposal. (source: Pravda)
Every week The Slovak Spectator brings you a selection of three short stories from across Slovakia in which pessimism and negativity are absent.
1) 160 year-old mountain hut
Peter Petras Sr. in "Rainerka", High Tatras. (source: SME)
Rainer's Cottage, known officially as a mountain shelter, marks its 160th anniversary this year and 25 years since being re-opened. It is the oldest hut in the Tatras.
Originally constructed by Ján Juraj Rainer (1800-1872), it saw its significance diminish with the establishment of the nearby Kamzík Cottage.
But in 1997, Peter Petras Sr., an educator and mountain porter, embarked on a restoration of what is the oldest chalet in the Tatras. The chalet opened in 1998.
Presently, neither he nor his son, the current caretaker of "Rainerka", own the state-owned property and have obtained rights through public tenders to lease it periodically.
Recent legislation has extended their lease for another 15 years.
Read more in Slovak.
2) Popping the question at the finish line
Dominik Černý and Hana Burzalová after proposal. (source: Pavol Uhrin)
As for Slovakia, walker Dominik Černý was responsible for two notable achievements at the 2023 World Athletics Championships in Budapest.
First, he finished an impressive 19th in the men's 35 km walk with a personal record time of 2 hours, 32 minutes, and 56 seconds. Then shortly after he proposed to his girlfriend and walker, Hana Burzalová, as she crossed the finish line in her own race. They have been together for nearly four years.
Černý knelt down and presented the engagement ring, which he had carried in his pocket during his race.
"I thought of asking Hana to marry me the day before yesterday. I quickly ran to the nearest shopping centre and bought a ring, for a few thousand..." (referring to forints, the Hungarian currency), he said.
Read more in Slovak.
3) Unusual discovery in an attic
Historic wheelchair in Kvačany (source: KPÚ ZA)
During an inspection of a historical building in Kvačany, Liptovský Mikuláš district, conservationists made an unusual discovery in the attic - a historical wheelchair.
The exact dating of the wheelchair is uncertain, but experts speculate that it could date from the first half of the 20th century.
Conservationists now want specialists from the Liptov Museum to assess and potentially acquire the intriguing find.
Read more in Slovak.
Here's more good news published by The Slovak Spectator:
The souvenir business is already globalised in Slovakia;
Zvolen plans to build a lakeside pool in muddy waters;
Countdown to Slovakia's largest festival celebrating foreigners;
Thousands of people have signed a petition calling for better funding of castle restoration initiatives;
Beating the queues in Slovenský Raj: Tips and alternatives.
FUNNY MEME FOR THIS WEEK
Dallas boys
Translation: (Above) "What you ordered...". (Below) "...what you got". (source: ta toten)
The Košice-based political party "Princíp" (Principle), which represents Roma people, recently became the target of people who poke fun at politicians. They made fun of two party members, Mikuláš Vareha and Rudolf Felšöci, for their appearance.
Some people compared them to US actors Larry Hagman and Patrick Duffy from the famous US soap opera "Dallas".
They are really hard to tell apart, aren't they?
Vareha, also known as the self-titled King of Zemplín (an area in eastern Slovakia), was convicted several times for various frauds. Princíp had different names in the past, including the Party of the Roma Union in Slovakia (until 2016) and the Sport to Košice and the East (2016-2019). The party was linked to Antonino Vadala in the past. Vadala, an Italian businessman and a mafia group member, was found guilty of drug smuggling in Italy in 2019. He is believed to have smuggled drugs through Slovakia. Vadala also appeared in stories written by the murdered Slovak journalist Ján Kuciak. For a short period of time, Vadala was a suspect in the Kuciak murder case. He was released from prison last year.
You can send me your tips on positive news stories about Slovakia or funny memes at: yehor.zhukov@spectator.sk. Thank you!
