Slovakia Today, English Language Current Affairs Programme from Slovak Radio

We take a look back at the week's headlines and some of our best stories from the past week.

Roman Bomboš brings another story linked to the centenary of radio broadcasting in what is now Slovakia. This time, he focuses on the first professional symphony orchestra in the country. Culture Tips feature two invitations – one to the international film festival Cinematik, which starts in Piešťany on 8 September, and the second to LingvaFest, a festival of foreign languages that can be studied in Slovakia.

How much can a simple conversation, a cup of coffee or just a little attention mean to an older person? In this programme, we meet Kristína Holecová, the creator of the Instagram profile Senior ťa potrebuje – Senior Needs You. She shares her experiences and friendships with seniors, explains why our presence can sometimes be the most valuable thing we can offer, and tells the remarkable story of an unexpected encounter that took her all the way to India.

As housing prices continue to rise in Slovakia, finding an affordable place to live is becoming increasingly difficult. At the same time, the environmental cost of conventional construction is prompting more people to question how — and from what — we build our homes. In this edition of Green Slovakia, we explore some of the ideas behind natural, low-impact construction.

Our story takes us to Zaježová in central Slovakia, where Paul, a former volunteer at the Sekier Eco-village, found himself looking for an alternative to conventional housing. His search led him to an unusual approach known as Kerterre — a small, organic form of natural building that uses materials such as earth and natural fibres. We hear how the project began, what he learned along the way, and what building a home can mean beyond simply putting a roof over your head.

In honour of the anniversary of the Slovak Constitution, Ben Pascoe brings you interviews with constitutional experts Radoslav Prochazka and Vincent Bujňák.

Experts say that walking to school independently helps children develop self-confidence, responsibility and social skills. Yet many parents remain hesitant, concerned that public spaces and traffic conditions are not safe enough for their children. The Metropolitan Institute of Bratislava's Mesto pre deti (City for Children) project aims to change that by combining urban planning, traffic solutions and community participation to create safer and more accessible streets for everyone. Today, we talk with the project's lead urbanist Sandra Štasselová, MIB architect

Marianna Páleníková, and parenting counsellor Martina Vagačová.

In a playful Children’s Day episode of Slovak Sound Check, we learn useful vocabulary connected to playground activities while keeping things fun, and beginner-friendly.

We take a look back at the week's headlines and some of our best stories from the past week.

Martina Greňová Šimkovičová revisits a report from Banská Bystrica, from Professor Ladislav Sára Street, home to a Slovak Radio studio. The report recalls Anton Prídavok and features an archival appeal from Slovak Radio urging listeners, in the final days of August 1944, not to tune in to broadcasts from Bratislava, but instead to listen to the Free Slovak Broadcaster.

In today’s programme, we will mark the 500th anniversary of the Battle of Mohács, a turning point that profoundly reshaped Central Europe and the territory of present-day Slovakia. We will look at the battle itself, the subsequent Ottoman expansion and its lasting military and cultural impact on the region, while also exploring the Mohács 500 SK exhibition at Zvolen Castle. Our guests are historian Michal Duchoň from the Military History Institute and Denis Haberland, curator of the Mohács 500 SK exhibition.

The Pohoda Festival is known not only for its music, but also for its atmosphere of mutual respect, trust, and a willingness to help. What creates this exceptional atmosphere? Is it the result of the festival’s organization or the visitors themselves? And what does this tell us about the kind of community people long for today? Together with sociologist Dr. Zuzana Kusá, we seek answers to the question of why the crowd at Pohoda becomes a community.