Good evening. Here is theMonday, August 28 edition of Today in Slovakia - the main news of the day in fewer than five minutes.
Two holidays this week, don't forget to do shopping
Together Against Fascists, reads the banner. (source: TASR)
Slovakia is observing two national holidays this week, meaning that most shops and other retail outlets will be closed.
Tuesday, August 29 will mark the 79th anniversary of the Slovak National Uprising (SNP). There were several reasons, military and political, behind the SNP. If you want to learn more about this part of Slovakia's history, this podcast can explain it to you in 30 minutes.
The uprising was a significant moment in Slovakia's history. However, it was not just Slovaks who fought; there were foreigners as well, including Americans and French soldiers, who showed great bravery in the battle of Strečno.
On Friday, September 1, the country celebrates Constitution Day, marking the 1992 adoption of the supreme law by lawmakers.
Most people will have the day off work on both of these days. In addition, most retail shops such as grocery stores and those selling clothes, shoes or toys must be closed, so do your shopping in advance if you need to. There is an exception allowing businesses to open if the owners are there themselves, but they cannot involve their employees.
MORE STORIES FROM THE SLOVAK SPECTATOR WEBSITE
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Air space: Flight through Slovak airspace very expensive, more than double than the price over Hungary for example.
Last Week in Slovakia: What Sme Rodina leaves behind at the intelligence service, and what message it is sending to potential coalition partners.
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FEATURE STORY FOR MONDAY
Tourists not bothered by lack of "made in Slovakia" souvenirs
Corn husk dolls called šúpolienky. (source: SME - Jozef Jakubčo)
Drinking glasses depicting the works of Czech painter Alfons Mucha or Gustav Klimt, T-shirts professing love for Bratislava and Slovakia. A torrent of magnets and wooden barrel organs. Matryoshka dolls.
All this can be found in souvenir shops in Bratislava. According to shop owners, visitors are more interested in the price and whether they can transport the souvenirs in their own luggage than in phrases such as "Made in Slovakia" or "handmade".
EVENT FOR TOMORROW
Remembering the Slovak National Uprising
Last year's Povstanie Pokračuje (Uprising Continues) antifascist march in Bratislava. (source: TASR)
Tuesday marks the 79th anniversary of the Slovak National Uprising. In Bratislava, an informal initiative of people opposing any kind of oppression, called Povstanie Pokračuje (Uprising Continues), is once again holding a march through the capital.
Starting at Námestie SNP square with speeches including the father of Daniel Tupý, a murder victim of Neo-Nazis, the event will continue with the march towards the Tyršovo Nábrežie embankment where concerts and a documentary showcase will take place. For more information about the programme, click here (in Slovak).
IN OTHER NEWS
The Defence Ministry has received bids for air-defence systems from six of the eleven countries that have been approached. The ministry is currently evaluating the bids and would like to complete the process by the end of August.
According to the 2021 census, a total of 564,228 adults in Slovakia (population of 5.5 million) live in a single household with at least one of their parents. Men make up almost 70 percent of the group; in the age category of 30-49 years, it is more than 73 percent. The number is a significant reversal in societal trends in comparison to the 2011 census, when it was mostly women in their thirties who lived with their parents.
The construction of a 9.3-kilometre section of the R2 expressway between the villages of Kriváň and Mýtna, Banská Bystrica Region, could be delayed due to the unexpected size of a waste dump near Kriváň, says the National Highway Company. The original documentation stated that the 50-year old landfill would be ten times smaller than it actually is. According to the company, it could increase construction costs by €5-7 million.
Both Smer and the far-right Republika parties have refused to take part in election debates on private television network Markíza, questioning the TV's objectivity and impartiality. Markiza responded by stating that its news are produced according to strictly set editorial rules, based on objective, impartial facts, in accordance with the law and respectful of human rights. According to Smer, its representatives will not show up until the network returns to operating as a serious, broadly watched medium.
WEATHER FOR TUESDAY
Mostly cloudy, in many places showers, rain, and storms expected. Daily temperatures between 22 °C to 27 °C, and up to 33 °C in southern areas. Level 1 storm warning applies from Monday evening to Tuesday morning for the west half of the country and later Tuesday for southeastern districts. See map. (SHMÚ)
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