Slovakia Today, English Language Current Affairs Programme from Slovak Radio

Anna Podmanická (19) and Tomáš Čermák (18) are two talented young scientists and global winners of the prestigious Earth Prize 2025. This week we delve into their innovative project PURA – a groundbreaking approach to water purification. The conversation explores the limitations of current purification methods, particularly the failure of the quaternary phase to remove antibiotic residues, a major...

This Sunday’s show says hi to our shortwave listeners, shares some great Slovak music, and opens another window to the world.

We take a look back at the week's headlines and some of our best stories from the past week.

In the 5th round of the RSI 2025 competition, we take you to the northern Slovak region of Kysuce. Culture tips present the Month of reading festival in Bratislava, Trenčín and Prešov, the major traditional culture festival Východná and international street show in Zvolen and Banská Bystrica.

Is it possible to talk about the Holocaust from a queer perspective? This is the question posed at the beginning of the first book to explore the desires of queer people during the Holocaust, originally published in German under the title Menschen ohne Geschichte sind Staub (People Without History are Dust: Queer Desire in the Holocaust) by historian and pioneer in the study of queer desire during...

On Friday, June 19th, the Art Film International Film Festival opened in Košice, drawing visitors from across the globe. This celebrated event showcases not only the best of Slovak cinema, but also a handpicked selection of outstanding films from around the world. In this episode, we travel to Košice to meet the people behind the scenes—those responsible for selecting, judging, and presenting thes...

Ben Pascoe takes a look at the cultural programs being offered all around Slovakia this summer.

Matej Tóth, Olympic gold medalist in the 50 km walk from Rio 2016 and one of Slovakia’s most celebrated athletes, founded his Academy back in 2016 to help children fall in love with movement. In this interview, he reflects on the academy’s mission, its unique three-pillar approach — physical training, physiotherapy, and mental preparation — and how it has expanded to over 200 schools across Slovak...

Sunday's are about Slovak music and letters from our listeners

We take a look back at the week's headlines and some of our best stories from the past week.

What's new about Fest Anča, ArtFilm, Kvantum and Pohoda festivals in 2025? Teams, headliners, topics. Culture tips also about the final concerts of 2024/25 season in the Slovak Philharmonic.

Discussing life in Bratislava with two Irish men who found their new home in Slovakia.

A re-run of some of the interviews published before prepared by our colleague Kamila Galjuš.

Ben Pascoe attends the V4 Buisness Conference organized by the Council of Slovak Exporters. He talks with organizers and learns about the MH2 concept car. He also brings you excerpts of speeches by Slovak and Hungarian Foreign Minister and the European Trade Commissioner.

Slovakia’s biggest theatre festival Dotyky a spojenia celebrates its 20th edition this June, running from the 16th to the 21st in the city of Martin. Since its founding, the festival has become a vital platform for showcasing the diversity and innovation of Slovak theatre — from established national institutions to independent companies and emerging artists. Find out more in the interview with Rób...

In this Sunday edition of Slovakia Today, we will present the third part of the Window to the World cycle introducing the pair of the twin cities Bratislava and Kyiv. Next, we play for you some music by various Slovak Romani folk dulcimer bands such as Peter Balogh Orchestra (eastern Slovakia), Manuša (western Slovakia), The Alexander Daško Dulcimer Band (central Slovakia), and Ďusi Band (eastern...

We take a look back at the week's headlines and some of our best stories from the past week.

Masked officials, accompanied by the Culture Ministry’s Chief-of-Staff, removed a bust of Cecilia Gonzaga from the Spiš Museum, prompting legal concerns from opposition MPs. Art historian Marta Herucová links the work to Donatello. The Days of Early Music festival opened with a performance by the acclaimed Sollazzo Ensemble. Founder Anna Danilevskaia spoke about the rare Leuven Chansonnier pieces...

In the programming, we will revisit an interview with Tomáš Eštok in which we’ll explore Spare Parts Theatre, an independent theatre group bringing English-language plays to audiences in Slovakia. Then you are going to hear the second episode of RSI series Window to the World – this time we will visit Slovak town of Michalovce and Spanish town Vila-Real. And finally, we will take a look at who Váv...

In this episode of Slovakia Today, we take you to the heart of Trenčín—a city with a mighty hockey legacy and a school that's been nurturing future stars for generations. As Slovakia marks 60 years of student and sports education at one of its most storied institutions, we explore how this small city has produced some of the country’s biggest hockey names. But with Slovakia finishing 12th at the 2...

Bratislava recently hosted the 4th international hobby horsing competition. Ben Pascoe attended and talked with organizers, participants and parents about this fast growing new sport.

Currently, 1,648 people in Slovakia are living with HIV. In 2024 alone, 63 new cases have been diagnosed. While proper treatment can ensure the virus poses no risk to others, including partners, societal stigma remains strong. Many people, including medical professionals, still lack sufficient knowledge about what it truly means to be HIV positive. Find out more in the interview with HIV/AIDS Slov...

In this Sunday’s music segment, Patrik Sabo showcases an exhibition of unique instruments featured as part of the Days of Early Music festival in Bratislava. Meanwhile, in the 5th round of the RSI competition, Martina Greňová Šimkovičová takes you on a journey to the northern Slovak region of Kysuce, uncovering the mystery behind the local spherical stones.

A look back at the week's headlines and some of our reports.

The Bratislava Declaration was adopted last week in the Slovak capital, calling on the European Union to draft a European Act on Artistic Freedom—a legal framework designed to protect freedom of expression, creative independence, and the autonomy of cultural institutions across member states. The Days of Early Music festival kicks off in Bratislava on June 6 with a special concert by the Sollazzo...