Slovakia Today, English Language Current Affairs Programme from Slovak Radio

Sundays are about Slovak music and listener's letters. This time also edicated to Mother's Day.

Week in Slovakia

Leopold Lahola was an acclaimed Slovak filmmaker who fled Czechoslovakia in 1949. His only collection of short stories, The Last Thing, is unsettling in the extreme situations in which his characters find themselves during the Second World War. A selection of them has recently been published in English translation, secured by Julia and Peter Sherwood. In this interview, Julia also introduces Alfon...

In today’s program, you’ll hear an interview with historian Anna Hájková about her book People Without History Are Dust: Queer Desire in the Holocaust, as well as a conversation with historian Peter Šumichrast about the Second World War.

In this episode, we will bring you two previously-run interviews with the director of the East Slovak Gallery in Košice Dorota Kenderová and Miroslav Kleban, the curator of Rudolf Dzurko’s exhibition titled Only with Me Can You Hear the Grass Grow. We will also revisit the interview with Barbora Botošová, a Romani violinist coming from Slovakia, about her newest record Roshambo and her views on th...

It is spring in Slovakia, which means it is time for the world championship of hockey. To discuss the national sport of Slovakia Ben Pascoe sat down with Slovak Radio sports journalist Martin Kaigl.

RERURN: Eva Mosnáková was not only a holocaust survivor, but also a long-standing figther against extremism. Even in her old age she invested a lot of time in discussions with younger generations about war, holocaust and extremism. She died in December 2024 aged 95 years old. And what is her message for the next generations and how to people remeber her? We talked to Madeline Vadkerty, Andrej Bán...

Sunday show presenting the winner of the third round of the "Mysterious Slovakia" competition, annoucing the fourth round, and introducing the artists on the Slovak music scene that come from the third largest city in Slovakia, Prešov.

Overview of news and stories RSI brought to you over the past week.

Martina Greňová Šimkovičová takes a trip down memory lane as she recalls the days when Slovakia joined the European Union.

Today we explore the history and symbolism of May 1st in Slovakia, from its socialist-era significance as Labour Day to its roots in international workers’ movements. We will also look at traditional Slovak customs such as Maypole-raising, which continue to bring communities together today.

In recent years, international relations have faced a series of setbacks. Yet amid the challenges, there have been encouraging examples of how people from diverse backgrounds and cultures can come together to share, learn, and collaborate. One such example is the project Trebo – Culture Connects. RSI traveled to Trenčín to meet with organizers from both Slovakia and Norway, discussing the successe...

For the 15th year the artists and artisans at Nova Cvernovaka will open their doors to the public and there will be a day full of programs. On 10th May will be the spring edition of Dobry Trh. Ben Pascoe talked with Laco Oravec and Boris Meluš from Nova Cvernovka about the history of the institution and what we can expect this first of May. Illah van Oijen and Barbara Zavarská from Dobry Trh intro...

This Monday show will commemorate the 80th anniversary of the Centre of Folk Art Production (ÚĽUV) in Slovakia. The discussion will feature Eva Ševčíková, the General Director of ÚĽUV, and Milena Holánová, the Director of the Regional Crafts Center of ÚĽUV in Bratislava. They will share insights on the institute's important role in preserving and promoting Slovak folk art and crafts, as well as it...

Sundays are about Slovak music and listener's letters.

A look back at headlines and the stories brought to you as a tribute to the late Pope Francis.

2024 Radio_Head winner for Best Experimental Album, Michaela Turcerová, lives in Copenhagen, where she studied at the prestigious Rhythmic Music Conservatory. In this interview, she reveals what lies behind her eagerness to challenge the saxophone. In this week's cultural tips - 1 May events.

In this episode, we focus on two unique natural sites and the efforts to protect and restore them. First, we visit the Šúr nature reserve, located near Bratislava. Despite its international ecological value, it remains little-known to the public. Conservationists are now working to revive this rare wetland forest—using traditional methods like grazing cattle. Then, we turn our attention to the Dan...

In this episode of the Slovakia Today programme, we bring you a tribute to the late pope Francis in the form of an overview of contributions previously presented by RSI’s Zuzana Botiková and Elena Seeber when the head of the catholic church visited Slovakia in 2021 and in the interview with Erika Godlová, a Romani journalist from eastern Slovakia, we will look back at his visit of Lunik IX, a Roma...

Ben Pascoe attended the Start with Children conference (2024) in Bratislava and talks with experts both foreign and Slovak about the importance of thinking about the needs of kids when planning a city.

We all celebrate Easter in Slovakia at the same time, but completely differently, especially when it comes to food. In today's holiday show, we'll talk about traditional Easter cuisine in Slovakia across regions -- the history, symbolism, and religious significance of Slovaks' favorite Easter dishes.

This special Sunday edition, broadcast on Easter Sunday, will include letters from listeners and the programme will also focus on the life and work of Alice Garrigue Masaryková, founder of the Czechoslovak Red Cross, with particular attention to her Easter Truce initiative. Music.sk: world music made in Slovakia.

A look back at headlines and stories from the past week in Slovakia

Good Friday special with the Holy Sepulchre in Spišská Sobota, the Calvary in Prešov and a talk with Ben Kosnac about Roman Catholic Good Friday practices, as Roman Catholics account for 81% of Slovakia's Christians, who represent 56% of the country's population.

In today’s programme, we’ll explore the life and work of Alice Garrigue Masaryková, a key figure in the development of the Czechoslovak Red Cross and the daughter of the first president of Czechoslovakia. Our guests — Marek Jukl, president of the Czech Red Cross, and historian Dagmar Hájková — will discuss her professional legacy, her relationship to Slovakia, and her role in the humanitarian init...