Director General of HR Martin Jakál pays homage to the Slovak National Uprising victims in commemorations held in Zlatno and Skýcov

Commemorations have been held today in the villages of Zlatno and Skýcov to pay homage to the memory of the victims of the 1944 Slovak National Uprising (SNP). Director General of the Human Resources (HR) Department Martin Jakál represented the SVK Ministry of Defence at the commemorative ceremonies.

Reflecting on the SNP uprising, Martin Jakál said: “Today, we stand here to show our respect not only for the core values upon which our modern Slovak statehood is founded, but also to all those who fought and died for these values. It was them who embodied the will of the independent sovereign Nation to take its destiny and future in its own hands for the cause of freedom. Letʼs make sure no one ever forgets these heroes and heroines by keeping their legacy alive forever.”

He went on to highlight the SNP's unequivocal moral, political and military contribution to the Slovak and European history of the anti-Nazi resistance movements. Thanks to this, the uprising formed part of the European anti-Nazi resistance and national liberation wave.

As part of the SNP 78th Anniversary Commemorations programme, the 34th edition of the Zlatno - Skýcov Educational Partisan Trail Walk was organised in order to put the history of Slovakia's WW2 Resistance in the region below the Tribeč Mountain Range in the spotlight. The Partisan Trail Walk, initiated by ex-partisan Lt Gen (Retd) Ján Husák and the mayors of Zlatno and Skýcov, has taken place since 1988.

Residents of Zlatno and Skýcov, located in County Zlaté Moravce, participated in the Resistance during the SNP, whether it be as resistance fighters standing up to Nazi troops or as helping hands supporting the local partisan groups with intelligence and supplies. For aiding anti-Nazi resistance, 13 residents of Skýcov were taken to the concentration camps and the village was burned down by the Nazis on 16 March 1945. The WW2 Memorials in Zlatno and Skýcov serve as a permanent reminder of the sacrifices made by the SNP and WW2 victims.