Smilno mayor Vladimír Baran and former MP Anton Korba donate funds to Russia. (source: Facebook - Russian embassy in Slovakia)
A small village in eastern Slovakia is back in the headlines, once more because of its controversial mayor.
The mayor of Smilno visited Moscow on November 20, a day after Ukraine marked 1,000 days since the start of Russia’s unprovoked invasion of its neighbour. Vladimír Baran, a former soldier and supporter of the far-right Slovak National Party (SNS), one of the three coalition parties, travelled to Russia with Anton Korba, a former SNS lawmaker and a former soldier.
Dressed in military uniform, Baran handed over €52,000, raised by Slovak and Czech citizens, reportedly for humanitarian aid in Russia’s Kursk region, according to the Russian embassy in Slovakia. In August, Ukraine occupied parts of the region, marking its first effort to shift the war onto Russian territory since the invasion began.
Several Russian media outlets decided to report the story, despite the fact that the two Slovaks are barely known to the Slovak public. Meanwhile, the Armed Forces of the Slovak Republic distanced themselves from the actions of the two Slovaks.
“They are not active members of the Armed Forces of the Slovak Republic, and their actions do not reflect the values or official stance of the Armed Forces of the Slovak Republic regarding Russia’s aggression in Ukraine,” reads the official statement.
Baran calls Ukraine a “Bandera regime”
The fundraiser was launched on August 21, coinciding with the anniversary of the Warsaw Pact invasion of Czechoslovakia in 1968. Slovak media first reported on the initiative in September.
Baran calls Ukraine a “Bandera regime supported by US and UK intelligence”—a reference to Stepan Bandera, a divisive figure celebrated by some Ukrainians for his nationalist efforts, but condemned for collaboration with Nazi Germany and alleged war crimes. Baran’s actions have drawn criticism from local residents and political commentators.
“Smilno is not pro-Russian, and I publicly condemn our mayor’s stance. Glory to Ukraine!” one resident told Pravda in September. In fact, the village raised funds for Ukrainian refugees right after the war broke out. Local journalist Mario Hudák has labelled the Moscow visit “nonsense” and “stupid.”
In the Slovak village, someone painted benches in Ukrainian colours in protest, as noted by Denník N.
An announcement about the Kursk fundraiser featured on the Smilno website. (source: Smilno (website))
Russia-friendly leadership
Smilno has a history of hosting controversial events. In July, Baran invited Russian ambassador Igor Bratchikov and members of the pro-Kremlin motorbike group Brat za Brata to a ceremony commemorating the restoration of a First World War cemetery. Together, they also planted a birch tree in the village.
The controversy extended to nearby Bardejov, where the mayor, Boris Hanuščak of the Hlas party, one of the three coalition parties, invited Bratchikov to the UNESCO-listed town. In response, Bardejov’s city council condemned the visit, declaring the ambassador “not welcome” until the war in Ukraine ends. Political analyst Grigorij Mesežnikov criticised such engagements as “inappropriate displays towards a state waging an aggressive war against Ukraine.”
This is not Baran’s first brush with controversy. In 2016, he physically attacked activist Marianna Varjanová, who was protesting against plans by a US company to drill for oil near Smilno.
