Czech and Slovak Cultural Center

A Book of Condolence for former President of the Czech Republic Vaclav Havel  will be opened at the Czech Honorary Consul Office, Sokol Hall (CSPS) 385 Michigan St., St Paul, MN on Wednesday, December 21, 2011 between the hours of 1:00 p.m. and 6:00 p.m.  Anyone who would wish to send a condolence, but is unable to get to the Honorary Consul Office can e-mail their message to me and I will include it with the Book that I will be sending to the Czech Embassy in Washington D.C.  My email address is: vanasek@bevcomm.net

“He was the most famous Czech, recognized all over the world. Unfortunately, he was more welcome and revered abroad than at home.  Though a modest and shy man, he stood his ground when meeting and dealing with the world’s most powerful people.  I only hope that at least now we will realize what a man we had in our fellow citizen, and will look up to him as an example.”  Karel Schwarzenberg

I am deeply touched by the kind words and floral tributes from many Americans who are expressing their compassion with the Czech nation mourning the loss of a man of great courage and profound wisdom.  President Havel was not only one of the greatest Czechs of our times but also a true European visionary who has always kept very close to his heart our friends and compatriots in the United States.  Though he will be sorely missed, the legacy of his respect for human rights and fight for democracy shall prevail.”  Czech Ambassador to the United States Petr Gandalovic

Robert Vanasek
Honorary Consul, Czech Republic

Former Czech president and Nobel peace laureate Vaclav Havel, hero of the Velvet Revolution that gave his country independence from Soviet rule in 1989, died on this Sunday (12/18/2011) at the age of 75, his office said.

Havel, who served as head of state from 1989 to 2003, died in his sleep at dawn after a lengthy illness, his spokeswoman Sabina Tancevova said.

Consular days will be focused only on consular activities requiring personal appearance of applicants:

1. Submitting applications for and issuing ready Slovak national passports (appointment required),
2. Submitting applications for a Certificate of Slovak Citizenship,
3. Authentication of signatures,
4. A ceremony of granting of the Slovak Citizenship,
5. Submitting Visa applications.

Consular activities which do not require personal presence of applicants will not be excepted, for example applying for marriage, birth certificates, authentication of translations etc. Such applications can be mailed to the Consulate General of Slovakia in New York.

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By Donald Pafko, Honorary Slovak Consul

On Thursday evening, April 21st, 2011 the Museum of Russian Art in Minneapolis hosted a cocktail hour and dinner for the international officers attending the National Defense University in Washington, D.C. Military officers from 47 different countries and senior leadership from the University attended this gala event and the Minnesota Consular Corp was invited. Attendees of the National Defense University travel throughout the United States during their course work with the University.

My wife and I were honored to be seated with Lt. Col. Slavomir Staviarsky, of the General Staff of the Slovak Armed Forces. Lt. Col. Staviarsky was very pleased to find that there was a Slovak connection here in Minnesota, and indicated he would be very happy to have future involvement with Minnesota Slovaks as well as with my functions as Honorary Slovak Consul. Members of the Minnesota Consular Corp were paired with military personnel from the countries they each represent, and were able to establish a relationship with these military officers and to make plans for future similar events. Seated also at our assigned tables were military officers from Japan and Columbia. All told, there were 88 attendees, military and consular corp.

A sincere thanks goes out to the Museum of Russian Art, and to Mr. Alain Frecon for hosting this event.

By Donald Pafko, Honorary Consul for the Slovak Republic

The annual conference on Czech & Slovak Culture & History was held March 10th-12th, 2011 in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, under the sponsorship of the National Czech & Slovak Museum & Library.

The conference kicked off with a welcome reception held at the Kosek Building in the Czech Village. Dignitaries who were invited to be presenters at the conference were introduced, and Director Gail Naughton welcomed all conference attendees and promised a very interesting and stimulating conference.

The conference officially began Friday morning, March 11th. Subjects covered on the first day of the conference included a very broad range such as “Czechoslovakia 1989-1992″, “What We Know About Slovakia’s Last Two Decades and Why We Should Care”, “The Czech Republic 1993 to 2011″,. The day concluded with a gala dinner and a presentation entitled “1989-2011 Transitions to Democracy”, featuring Slovak Ambassador Peter Burian, former Slovak Ambassador Martin Butora and Jiri Ellinger, Head of the Political Section, Embassy of the Czech Republic.

Saturday’s conference activities commenced with a welcome by Gail Naughton who gave an update on the status of the new National Czech & Slovak Museum & Library. Presentations for the second day of the conference included subjects such as “Being Hungarian in Slovakia: The Politics of Minority Rights”, ”The Collision of Nationalism, Democratization, and Europeanization in Post Socialist Slovakia”. The day concluded with a gala dinner reception at the Marriott Hotel. Ambassador Adrian Basora, former US Ambassador to Prague, made a presentation entitled “The Velvet Revolution 22 Years Later”.

This concludes a series of conferences dealing with Czech & Slovak Culture & History. Many thanks to the National Czech & Slovak Museum & Library for promoting and organizing, and sponsoring this every informative and productive conference. I look forward to more of such conferences in the future.

Pictured from left to right.
Slovak Ambassador Peter Burian, Gail Naughton, Director – NCSML, Dr. Pavel Cernoch, Czech Representative to the EU in Brussels, Sharon Valasek, Honorary Czech Consul, Donald Pafko, Honorary Slovak Consul

By Donald Pafko, Honorary Consul of the Slovak Republic

On Wednesday, December 15, 2010, the National Czech & Slovak Museum & Library hosted a groundbreaking ceremony to initiate the move and expansion of the flood damaged building currently located in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. During this ground breaking ceremony, the Board of Directors of the library announced they had met a major milestone in the reconstruction of the museum following the devastation of the June, 2008 flood. With funding from the State of Iowa, individuals and businesses in the Cedar Rapids area, Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) assistance and national and international donors, the library reached its capital fundraising goal of $25 million, which made it possible for the museum to officially break ground on the site of the new museum and library.

The ceremony was held on the building site followed by a reception at the museum’s Kosek Building, its home since the flood. Along with thirteen other individuals, including state senators and the mayor of Cedar Rapids, I was honored as Slovak Honorary Consul to be part of the groundbreaking ceremony. We were all issued white construction hard hats and golden shovels with which to break ground as television cameras and photographers snapped pictures.

Site preparation has begun, with the move of the damaged building scheduled for May, 2011 and opening of the new expanded library scheduled for May, 2012.

By Donald Pafko, Honorary Consul for the Slovak Republic

On Thursday, November 4th, 2010 the Embassy of the Slovak Republic hosted a reception to announce the publication of a new book entitled Slovakia! Traditions Old and New.

The editor of this book is Helene Cincebeaux, director of the Slovak Heritage and Folklore Society, leader of countless tours to the Slovak Republic and author of several other books on Slovakia as well as editor and publisher of a periodical entitled Slovakia. Helene has divided her newest book into four sections according to the four seasons of the year: Summer, Fall,Winter and Spring. She highlights all of the traditions and customs relative to each of the seasons and does so with countless numbers of photographs and illustrations.

I was honored to be Master of Ceremonies at this gala event and as such was privileged to introduce Helene and her book to the gathered audience and the Embassy staff. A fantastic Slovak buffet was prepared by the Embassy staff which added to the festivities of the evening. Ambassador of the Slovak Republic to the United States, Peter Burian, and other diplomatic staff were in attendance at this event. In addition to all of the above, Helene also exhibited a portion of her collection of Slovak folk dress which added color to the evening.

For further information about obtaining a copy of this fantastic book about Slovakia you may contact me at 952-831-1440 or email dpafkoskconsul@aol.com

By Donald Pafko, Honorary Consul for the Slovak Republic

During the third week of September, the President of the Slovak Republic, Ivan Gasparovic, visited New York for purposes of attending sessions at the United Nations. While at the United Nations, President Gasparovic also attended the General Assembly meeting.

During his visit, a reception for the President was held at the home of the Slovak Ambassador to the United Nations, Milos Koterec. In attendance at this reception were many politicians, Slovak emissaries, diplomats, as well as Honorary Consuls of Slovakia in the US. The reception was hosted by the Ambassador to the UN, Mr. Koterec, as well as the Slovak Ambassador to the United States, H.E. Peter Burian. During the course of this reception President Gasparovic conducted a private audience with the Slovak Honoroary Consuls, of which I am one of twelve. Spouses of the Consuls were also invited to this private audience, so my wife Jeanette was able to attend. During this private audience with the President, he discussed many issues including Slovak/Hungarian relations, dual citizenship, economy, and other issues of interest to the Honorary Consuls. We were all impressed with the President’s candor, his grasp of the issues and his political acumen.

As a finale to his visit the President attended a Slovak festival in New Jersey. This festival is a gala event which is held annually and many Honorary Consuls as well as Slovak delegates accompanied the President to New Jersey.

It was an honor to have President Gasparovic visit the USA and we will be equally honored in November when Prime Minister Iveta Radicova is scheduled to visit Washington, DC. and the Slovak Embassy. Prime Minister Radicova is the first woman to be elected Prime Minister of the Slovak Republic

After presenting his credentials to the President of the Slovak Republic today Ambassador Sedgwick released the following statement: “I am extremely excited and privileged to be here in Slovakia to represent President Obama. I had a cordial and productive conversation with President Gašparovič and Foreign Minister Dzurinda this morning on the wide range of issues upon which our nations cooperate. I believe that there is a nexus of opportunity in this new era of relations for increased cooperation between the Slovak Republic and the United States of America. Some of those opportunities include common goals in the fields of business and trade development, transparency and rule of law, and education and cultural exchange

Ambassador Theodore Sedgwick grew up in Cleveland, Ohio. He graduated with honors from Harvard College, cum laude, where he majored in Ottoman History.

This announcement is provided by the Slovak Embassy in the United States,  Donald Pafko – Honorary Consul for the Slovak Republic in Minnesota.

The Census Bureau workers will deliver the form packages between March 1 and April 30, 2010 to every household in the U.S.A. I would like to highlight, that the census form should be filled out by everyone regardless of immigration or citizenship status including foreigners temporarily staying in the U.S.A. and illegal immigrants. Title 13 section 221 of the U.S. Code requires that the Census Bureau keep respondent’s answers confidential and do not reveal any personal data about individuals or households to any federal agency including immigration authorities. In the context of the Census 2010 we would like to encourage everyone Slovak national or people with Slovak origin/roots to indicate “race” in question No. 9 of the census form by filling out “Slovak” in this space. It would eventually provide us with official demographic data about the Slovak population living in the United States. In this connection we created the Facebook page SLOVÁCI V USA…koľko nás tu je? to provide basic information about the Census 2010. The page provides essential information regarding the Census 2010 (direct link to http://2010.census.gov/2010census) emphasizing a possibility to indicate “race” (Slovak) in question No. 9 of the census form. More information on the Census 2010 could be found on the website:  http://2010.census.gov/2010census/how/interactive-form.php

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