Slovaks in Serbia from the cultural aspect

In the Government hall of the the Assembly of the Autonomous Province of Vojvodina on January 18^th 2012 there has been held a promotion of a book called Slovaks in Serbia from the cultural aspect, which has been published by the Cultural Institute of Vojvodina's Slovaks. As a result of a long term work, various field and manz different literature researches, is comprehensive and thoroughly prepared book which is dedicated to over 260 year old history of Slovak minority on the land of Vojvodina.

One of the founders of the Cultural Institute of Vojvodina's Slovaks is the the Assembly of the Autonomous Province of Vojvodina and to the occasion few word dedicated the president of the the Assembly Dr. Bojan Pajtić who said “ Slovak minority is one of the one of the biggest minorities which live on the territory of Vojvodina, also it is one of the best organized minorities and has a menaingfull role in preserving national and cultural identity. He also has uderlined the fact that this book promotion has a historical meaning which is of a great importance for Slovak minority living in Serbia.

The president of the National Council of Slovak Minority Anna Tomanová Makanová has reminded everybody present that, 9 years ago we have founded the National Council of Slovak Minority. Three years ago we founded the Cultural Institute of Vojvodina's Slovaks. We all persist to cherish our identity with all our differences which our minority haves.

To the realization of the publication in a great manner has contributed also the Slovak Republic by a donation of Slovak Aid. With enthusiasm the assistant of the Embasador of Slovak Republic Embassy Rastislav Kostilník has also said few words to the promotions. I am sure that this book will be a source of information for generations to come. Personally when I came to Serbia I was searching for a literature which will have all information needed about Slovaks living in Serbia and their history.

Many visitors during the promotion had an opportunity to watch a video which has presented shortly every place or town where Slovaks are inhabited and which are mentioned in the book. A part of the cultural life of Slovaks was performed by a piano player Ivana Nováková, singing of the youth choir called Agapé from Novi Sad and there has been performed a part of a theatre play made on a music of Miroslav Bako and the actors-dancers were a group of Miroslav Kožík form Slovak town Stará Pazova.

The book Slovaks in Serbia from the cultural aspect is first in a row book edition which is a result of research, informing, documentary and presentation work of the Cultural Institute of Vojvodina's Slovaks. Publication on its 400 pages offers comprehensive taxts and attractive photogrphies, which are documenting history, present and a complex infrastructure of vojvodina's Slovaks cultural life.

The texts are written bz manz authors. The publication was compiled by Milina Sklabinská and katarína Mosnáková. The reviewers were Vladimír Valentík and Ladislav Čáni. The professional consultant was Dr. Samuel Čelovský and the design is made by Đula Šanta. Many professional photographies were mostly made by photographers like Michal Madacký, Đula Šanta a Igor Bovdiš.

In the end of the promotion everybody present got a copy of their own.

Culture in this publication is understood as a way of life and as a consious interference of an individual to his enviroment. We tryied to define the basics on which the culture has evolved and its form in which it has had shaped. In this publication we map the religious life, forms of the folk culture and art. To balance these fields was probably the hardest thing to do. Every field has developed thanks to certain individuals who are the barriers of the Slovak culture, their creative work, which have made a way for the development of this culture – Milina Sklabinská.

This book offers to readers a meningful informations about Slovak culture and life in Serbia.