Slovakia Today, English Language Current Affairs Programme from Slovak Radio

Recently in Bratislava, the city opened Loom, a center for people of foreign origin living in Slovakia. In addition to basic info, foreigners can find social, psychological, legal and employment counselling, in addition to finding community activities. Ben Pascoe visited the center to find out more.

On September 15, Slovakia commemorates the Feast of Our Lady of Sorrows, the country’s patron saint. To mark this occasion, we have prepared a special programme exploring the origins of this powerful tradition, the meaning of “sorrow” as an expression of love, and the depth of maternal love as the strongest human emotion. The broadcast will revisit Mary’s story, the long-standing pilgrimages to th...

Weekly roundup of news and stories from RSI English.

September 12th marks the name day of Mária in the Slovak calendar. To celebrate the occasion, Martina Greňová Šimkovičová asks: which Slovak Mária do you know? As part of our cultural tips for English speakers at home and abroad, Marek Soltis invites you to the 47th Slovak Heritage Festival in New Jersey. Other cultural highlights include the Cinematik Film Festival in Piešťany, Džem Festival in K...

Do you know the genre World Music? It blends classical musical traditions with modern elements, creating something that feels both new and yet familiar. Which Slovak bands have made their mark on the global World Music scene? Radio FM editor Vladimír Potančok, who has been following this topic for years, will tell us more — and he’ll also invite you to the 10th edition of the World Music Festival...

In the next episode of our Window to the World series, we’ll visit the Slovak town of Bojnice – famous for its beautiful castle and zoo – and the Italian town of Rosta to explore their partnership and shared activities. Later, we’ll take you to a unique event, LingvaFest, a festival that brings together language lovers and polyglots from near and far.

Ben Pascoe meets the organizers of two upcoming events aimed at helping everyone better enjoy Slovakia. Director of the Milan Simecka foundation, Veronika Fishbone Vlčková, introduces the 20th edition of Fjuzn festival. Illah van Oijen one of the founders and organizers of Dobry Trh lets us know what we can look forward to at the fall edition.

The eighth episode of the Window to the World series takes us to the historic Slovak town of Banská Štiavnica. From there, we travel nearly 1,000 kilometers west to its twin town, Hünenberg, in Switzerland’s canton of Zug. Along the way, we’ll explore how the two towns have built a lasting partnership — through cooperation in areas such as social support, education, music, and even waste managemen...

Week in Slovakia. Window to the World: Bojnice - Rosta.

Gigi Green sat down with Syrian musician Lara Abou Hamdan, who moved to Slovakia at 18 and has since made her mark on the local music scene. In their conversation, Lara reflects on her upbringing in Syria, her journey to Slovakia, and how she bridges cultures through her music. Looking for cultural events this weekend and next week? Don’t miss what's happening in Devín, Rača, Gelnica, Prešov, and...

Today we’ll take you to the final stop in our Diaspora on the Airwaves series — this time to the Vatican, where, surprisingly, you can also hear broadcasts in Slovak. In the second part of the program, we’ll turn to our series Who Was That and introduce you to the Evangelical pastor Samuel Zoch. We’ll look at his life story and the important role he played in Slovak history.

In September 2021, Pope Francis made his first—and only—visit to Slovakia. Despite strict COVID-19 restrictions, thousands of Slovaks traveled across the country for a chance to see the beloved pontiff. Among them were filmmakers Stanislav Piatrik and Mária Piatriková, who documented the historic visit through powerful footage and interviews with notable Slovaks. Their work culminated in the new d...

Eating disorders have long been a problem. After covid, with so much social media it seems they are more prevelant and problematic than ever. Eating disorders are not just the problem of young girls, unfortunately they don’t discriminate and can affect anyone, even someone close to us. Ben Pascoe sat down with Veronika Kolejáková a psychologist from Chuť žiť, an organization dedicated to helping a...

On Constitution Day, we bring you an interview with Marián Giba, head of the Department of Constitutional Law at Comenius University in Bratislava. Together, we look at the strengths and weaknesses of Slovakia’s Constitution, its frequent amendments, the role of the Constitutional Court, and how politics and ideology shape constitutional debates. As the Slovak Constitution turns 33, we ask: how sh...

Diaspora on the Airwaves - part 8. Slovak Sound Check. Slovak music.

On the occasion of the 81st anniversary of the Slovak National Uprising (SNP), Martina Greňová Šimkovičová visits the SNP Museum in Banská Bystrica, while Kerstin Plaschke Jakubik speaks with the daughter of Anton Ivan Szekely, the uprising’s only official photographer. The program will also feature music from the time of the rebellion.

In today’s programme, we bring you the seventh part of the series Diaspora on the Airwaves, this time dedicated to Ukraine. Afterwards, we’ll look at the life and work of theatre artist Andrej Bagar and also talk about the theatre in Nitra that bears his name.

A re-run of some of the interviews published in the previous years by our colleague Kamila Galjuš.

Ben Pascoe talks with former MP, MEP and founder of political party SMER, Boris Zala. They discuss how and why SMER was formed, how it has changed over the years and how Slovakia in the 1990's has an influence on Slovakia today.

For the sixth installment of our summer mini-series Diaspora on the Airwaves — originally produced by Ingrid Slaninková from RSI’s Slovak section — we head to the Austrian city of Eisenstadt to meet Mirka Špring and Monika Caudr, members of the editorial team behind the local Slovak radio programme Rádio Dia:tón and the TV show Czech and Slovak Echoes. In their native language, they spotlight the...

Diaspora on the Airwaves - 7th round. Liptovská Mara dam and its hidden histories. Slovak Sound Check

On the 57th anniversary of the Soviet-led Warsaw Pact invasion, Martina Greňová Šimkovičová reflects on the memories of those who were in their twenties at the time, filled with hopes for a better future. Radio broadcasts played a crucial role during those days when tanks rolled through the streets of former Czechoslovakia. The bravery of radio workers is commemorated by a plaque in Bratislava's P...

This year marks the 50th anniversary of the construction of the Liptovská Mara dam. On one hand, the reservoir offers numerous opportunities for recreation, water sports, or relaxing by the water with views of the Tatras. On the other hand, this water reservoir on the Váh River also carries the story of 13 villages and their inhabitants who lost their homes due to its construction. I discussed thi...

This year, Mira Tus Manos — the solo project of Argentine producer Cristian Estrella — released a new album titled The Future Sounds of Slovakia. The record journeys through Slovakia’s rich folkloric traditions and regional cultures, but with a modern twist. Each expansive track, created in collaboration with musicians from around the globe, fuses traditional Slovak sounds with diverse influences...

Ben Pascoe talks with former Slovak Minister of Finance and architect of the flat tax in Slovakia, Ivan Miklos, to discuss the not so distant past so we can better understand how we got to Slovakia today.