Slavin monument

The Slavin monument, on the highest hill north of Old Town, is visible from just about everywhere in Bratislava. Today I decided to make the trek to see it up close.

Here is the main monument, with a mausoleum used for official events. The site is a military cemetery built by the Communists in 1960 to honor the 6,845 Soviet Red Army soldiers who died here fighting the Nazis.

Here is the main monument from the west. The names of Slovak cities "liberated" by the Soviets are engraved on the sides. Slovakia had been a separate nation from 1939-45, with a Nazi puppet government. The Communists took control in 1948, leading to a skeptical view of what "liberation" had meant.

At the far west of the site is a Peace Garden, installed at the urging of Alexander Dubček, the Slovak who led Czechoslovakia during the doomed "Prague Spring" in 1968. The signs are in both Slovak and English. It's easy to miss unless you are looking for it.

A map and sign are in several languages, including English. I wonder when that was installed. I understand that the teaching of English was prohibited by the Communists -- but many learned it anyway from television and radio signals they picked up from nearby Austria.

The site has a few rows of named markers, but most soldiers are buried in mass graves. I understand that some had been buried in Soviet Square closer to Old Town, and the remains were moved here when the site opened. As soon as Communism fell in 1989, that square was renamed to Floriánske námestie. This row of snow-covered markers looks to the east and a spectacular view of the city below.

This is the entrance marker with steps up to the site. The signage is entirely in Russian. I understand that the Communists required everybody to study Russian in school, but now hardly anybody admits to knowing it.

Visiting this site takes some effort. A small parking lot by the entrance is available for visitors who drive, but none of the public transportation lines goes near it. I took a tram headed toward the main train station and got off on a busy east-west street, Šancová. From there, I headed west over a pedestrian bridge crossing a busy north-south street, Štefánikova, then south for a block on Križková

From there, I trudged up endless flights of sidewalk steps to the site. It's impossible to get lost -- that monument is visible from everywhere. Here's one flight of steps. I took pictures of each flight, but you get the idea. For the trip back into town, I caught a south-bound bus on Štefánikova.

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Ambassador's residence

We drove by the residence of the U.S. Ambassador back in September during our sightseeing orientation for the Fulbright program. Today I went back to get some pictures.

This road is the west side exit from the Soviet-built Slavin Memorial, a military cemetery for Soviet soldiers killed defeating the Nazis in Slovakia in 1945. The Ambassador's residence is down the block on the right.

Here's a better view of the residence, with the American flag in front and rounded balconies that remind me of the Truman balcony on the real White House. I knew from our earlier tour that this is heavily guarded with ominous security fences, so I decided not to prowl around too close to the property.

This is the highest elevation in Bratislava. The world's remaining superpowers after World War II knew a good location when they saw it. I took this a little to the east of the residence. The Bratislava Castle is visible in the distance.

Back in September, I said that these narrow winding streets carved into the hillside reminded me of the Hollywood Hills, with those spectacular views of Los Angeles. But there's no snow or ice in the Hollywood Hills! I have seen some evidence of shoveling and plowing after the snow here, but no trace of ice-melting salt or sand to help drivers or pedestrians avoid calamity. I'm glad I'm not doing any driving here -- and I'm sure the other drivers appreciate that, too!

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Foreign affairs

I've passed by this beautiful building so many times on my way somewhere else that I decided to track down some information on its history.

This is the ceremonial office for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. It's located a couple of blocks west of the main train station on a busy street, Pražská. Known as the Palugyay Palace, it was built in neo-Renaissance style in the late 19th century for a wealthy wine merchant and restored in 2000.

There is also a Palugyay House on the Main Square, also from the 19th century, but with a French Baroque style. The wine business must have been good back then. I took this last Friday while it was being decorated with Christmas lights. If you like the smell of chocolate, you'd love the Maximilian Delikateso on the first floor. It has a chocolate "fountain" -- and fabulous coffee of all kinds.

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Police station

This police station at Račianska 45 caught my attention on my way to the tram stop.

This one has wheelchair access ramps on the right, something I rarely see here.

And more statues, which I seem to see everywhere in this ponderous style . . . . I couldn't find any attributions or dates on these. This is the statue to the left of the main entrance.

This one is to the right of the entrance. I've had some interesting discussions with students about the meaning to them of all these relics from the past. One said that the Communists used to crank out multiples of these statues and install them all over Slovakia, so it's not unusual to see the same things again and again.

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Communist headquarters

Back in September, I mistakenly went to the Račianska 59 building looking for my office building. It houses the Dean's office for the Faculty of Education at Comenius University, and it had previously been the local headquarters for the Communist party. I went back today to take some pictures.

It's a very ordinary-looking office building from the outside, surrounded by some nice landscaping and green space.

The interior also looks like any typical administrative building at a university -- except for this huge wood-carved statue of patriotic figures in the lobby. I didn't see any attribution to the artist, but you have to think this was installed by the Communists in their day.

The office building is surrounded by acres of high-rise housing. The complex to the north needs some serious attention. Is it a coincidence that all those weather-beaten balconies are red?

The housing immediately to the south appears to be getting a nice facelift. Amazing what a coat of paint will do.

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Opening night

The first night of the Christmas Bazaar was jammed, with crowds no doubt encouraged by the balmy weather in the high 40s today.

This is the Radisson Hotel and the Christmas tree in front of the Opera House.

Lights and crowds fill Rybárska leading to the Main Square.

A marionette show draws attention outside McDonald's. He welcomes donations in that orange boot.

The tree on Main Square looks enchanted after dark. A musical group was playing Christmas carols on the temporary stage right behind the tree, but I couldn't get anywhere near it.

The stalls sold all sorts of Slovak craft items and what seemed to be great food. But the crowds for the food stalls were so jammed, I decided to skip them tonight, especially as I need time-consuming remedial help ordering from Slovak menus. I'll try again tomorrow during the day. That's the tower for the Old City Hall in the center.

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Final preparations

I walked through Old Town this morning to look at final preparations for the big month-long Christmas Bazaar, which opens later today.

Workers use a crane to decorate the tree in front of the Opera House on Hviezdoslavovo námestie as a glass-enclosed nativity set is put in place.

Another worker repaired some missing stones in the intricately patterned plaza. The sign behind him announces the music performance schedule from 4-5 pm on weekends for the next month at the "Old Town Christmas Bazaar."

A shopkeeper perches on a ladder to post the menu at his food stand on the Main Square. I noticed signs that many stalls accept Slovak Crowns, Czech Crowns, and Euros, but no signs welcoming credit cards. I decided to cash in another precious Travelers' Cheques in Euros so I had currency for the bazaar. I bought those last summer when the Euro cost $1.33 and thought that was expensive. Today the Euro hit $1.49 -- and I only wish I had bought more of them.

Another crane lifts workers decorating the tree on the Main Square. Another temporary stage has been set up here for musical performances throughout the month. This will be one busy place!

The sheeting just came down from this newly restored building on Rybárska, the little street that connects the Main Square and Hviezdoslavovo namestie, and a crew of painters is doing final touch-up. I hope the scaffolding comes down soon so I can get a good view of the building.

Every detail is ready for the grand opening later today.

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Lost history

The abandoned buildings here can be as intruiging as the restored ones. On U.S. buildings, you can typically find a cornerstone recording the year in which it completed and something about its history, but I cannot find anything comparable on Bratislava buildings.

I've been fascinated with what appears to be an abandoned hospital on Bezručova and Gajova, just opposite the beautiful Art Nouveau Blue Church. A small sign on one of the doors directing visitors to the Lekaren (pharmacy) makes me think it was a hospital. The plain concrete structure suggests it was built in the 1950s, but perhaps it was earlier.

Especially intriguing about this building are two statues on either side of what was apparently the main entrance. They have a ponderous Soviet Realist feel to me, but both have small plaques saying 1936 -- and the Communists did not take over here until 1948. Is it a coincidence that 1936 was the start of the Spanish Civil War? Were the statues originally located somewhere else and moved here later?

Here is a close-up of the one on the right. The small plaque on this says "R. Ban 1936."

Here is a close-up of the one on the left. The plaque reads "L. Majersky 1936."

Sometimes I see what appears to be an abandoned building, but on closer inspection discover that it is still used for flats or offices. Not this one! Here is the other entrance on the north side of the building. The entire place has broken windows, boarded-up doors, and no evidence of occupancy.

I have googled every which way to try to learn more about this building, and especially those statues. If anybody reading this has some information, shoot me an e-mail or post a comment.

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Unveilings

The scaffolding and sheeting covering restoration work on three historic buildings in Old Town came down in recent days and the results are magnificant.

This building is on Štúrova, a busy street with several tram lines. It appears that the street level will be shops or restaurants. Perhaps the upper levels will be flats. The sheeting remains on the side street, so it will probably be some time before it is completed, but the work so far is impressive.

The sheeting just came off a restoration project on the pink building between the Czech Embassy (left) and the German Embassy (right). It appears it will be used as an office building, with one of the occupants Holcim, a worldwide cement supplier based in Switzerland.

This building is located on the opposite side of Hviezdoslavovo námestie. It is not yet occupied, so I don't know what is planned, but the restoration is quite beautiful.

Old Town is filled with these on-going restoration projects. I hope I will be able to see progress on a few more before returning to the U.S.

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Christmas bazaar

This morning I walked up to the 17th Annual Christmas Bazaar, a big charity fund-raising event sponsored by the International Women's Club of Bratislava and the unofficial kick-off of the Christmas season. The event started less than two years after the fall of Communism here.

The Bazaar was held at Stará Tržnica, the "Old Market" building dating to 1910 at the northern edge of Old Town. Normally, this is the site of a modest farmers' market, with fresh produce and flowers. Admission was 100 SKK (about $4.00). The place was absolutely jammed today.

Embassies in Bratislava set up stands selling food and other wares from their countries, with all proceeds going to charity. In the middle left here is the Italian stand. It took a long time, but I eventually worked my way to the counter for a perfect espresso for a mere 20 SKK (about $0.80).

The French were selling fabulous pastries and other goodies at their stand to the left of the Christmas tree here. I had a huge slice of the best bacon quiche of my life here for only 40 SKK (about $1.60).

Staff from the U.S. Embassy were selling quintessential American convenience foods -- Jiffy muffin mix, graham-cracker pre-made pie crusts, pancake mix, etc. No pumpkin pie, alas, even with Thanksgiving next week.

A sign listed the corporate sponsors, a "who's who" of investors in Bratislava in recent years. Many had also donated prizes for the drawings throughout the day.

For most of the event, recorded American Christmas music in English blared from the sound system. One modest improvement for future bazaars might be more international holiday music from the many countries represented, whether recorded or live.

A group from Nitra, a nearby city in Slovakia, wore authentic costumes and sold a wide range of pastries and other goods. Here is a brief clip of their singing of a traditional folk song.

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National holiday

Today is a national holiday, the Day of the Fight for Freedom and Democracy. November 17, 1939, had been the day of student protests in Prague against the Nazi occupation of what was then Czechoslovakia. Those rallies resulted in the execution of nine of the student organizers, the transport of over 1000 student protestors to concentration camps, and the establishment two years later of International Students Day. Protests to mark the fiftieth anniversary in 1989 are recognized as the final events leading to the fall of Communism.

I wondered if this might be celebrated as something like the Fourth of July independence day celebrations in the U.S., with parades, concerts, and rallies, but my students had warned me not to expect much. Here is a shot today of a deserted Námestie SNP (Slovak National Uprising), site of the rallies in 1989 to celebrate the fall of Communism. Apparently there were more visible celebrations today in Prague. I could not find anything in Bratislava.

One of my students remembers being carried on his father's shoulders to the 1989 celebrations in this square. All my students know of the historical significance of the day. One of my University colleagues told me of attending the peaceful celebrations in this square in 1989, with everyone wondering when the Soviet tanks would roll in and crush the protest, as they had in 1968, but the tanks never appeared. I don't know how to confirm this, but the Slovaks are under the impression that the order to the Soviet troops occupying Bratislava to stand down during those demonstrations came directly from Mikhail Gorbachev.

One more surprise today: I wondered if this national holiday had been turned into a shopping event, like Presidents' Day or Veterans' Day in the U.S. Nope! Many stores, including many that cater to tourists, were actually closed for business in honor of the holiday. I guess they didn't get the memo on how to exploit national holidays to improve sales.

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New theatre

Today I went over to see the new Theatre complex by the Danube just east of the Old Town area. Some of the ballets I am seeing next month are performed here, so I wanted to check out the bus routes. One line runs from two blocks from my flat to within one block of the complex -- perfect!

The complex has several theatres. The front facing the river has a mirror-like quality that reflects some of the many construction cranes nearby. Construction on the theatres began in 1986, while the Communists were still in charge, but it took 21 years to complete, due mainly to a lack of funding. It finally opened on April 14, 2007.

The back of the complex houses offices and rehearsal halls. The silver dome protects an outdoor spiral staircase leading to the lower level. The parking garage is underground below the complex.

A sprawling construction site surrounds the theatre complex by the river and to the west. This will be the new Eurovea complex with shops, offices, and housing, built by the Irish development company, Ballymore. The complex will include a 5-star Sheraton Hotel.

Southeast of the theatre plaza is the Apollo Bridge, opened in 2005. The Theatre complex is located on the site of the Nazi Apollo gas refinery, obliterated by U.S. bombers in September 1944. Soviet ground troups from the east defeated the Nazis here in April 1945.

The web site for the new Theatre is here: http://www.snd.sk/?home

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More snow

Our first snowfall last Sunday melted off by Tuesday, with temperatures well above freezing. More snow returned with a vengeance Thursday while I was at the conference.

The view from the conference center is whited out as the snow started Thursday. Light snow continued Thursday night and Friday. Temperatures are only in the high 20s and low 30s (Fahrenheit, obviously), and they're predicted to be in the 30s next week, so this will probably melt again.

Here is the Main Square Christmas Bazaar on Friday, with fresh snow on the booths being set up. I understand it opens November 25.

That Napoleonic soldier is covered with snow too now, as the Bazaar booths get set up.

No decorations on the tree yet, but the snow looks nice.

From the signs, it appears that the courtyard of Old Town Hall (adjacent to the Main Square) will be for wine-tasting. Slovakia has a wine-growing region and wineries in the Small Carpathians north of Bratislava. I hear that Slovaks prefer wine while Czechs prefer beer, although both seem plentiful in Bratislava and Prague.

Previous Fulbrighters have recommended the Cafe Mayer on the southwest corner of the Main Square for its scrumptious pastries and coffee, but it's usually jammed. As it was deserted today during the snow, I finally tried it and would recommend it myself. I tried the truffles torte. In the fall, those doors now guarded by evergreens were opened for outdoor dining.

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