I always knew I was Roma, since I was very little i.e. 3 or 4 years old but it never bothered me. I can't say I was proud of being a Roma, I wasn't conscious about it in this way back then. It didn't bother me at that time. I don't care whether I would be born a Chinese or as anybode else. I only want few things from the society – basic civil rights, basich human rights, let me work somewhere, give me a sense of freedom and leave me be. That is how I understand the Roma spirit. Being a Roma I understood later when I had my own children. But I did realize the tensions in the society in which I live in which we all live are rising. Because of various form of myths, stereotypes the values in the society have been deforming. The rasismg and discrimination has been rising. That is why I have felt Roma more. As a person, it is a cliché I know, I am a happy to be born a Roma, even though I didn't choose it.
There was a saying – Guest in the house, God in the house. We are still one of those families that can honour a guest, we show respect. Our family never had any conflicts in Spišský Štvrtok and I am convinced we are very hospitable. The fact our family never had conflicts doesn't mean we were isolated. We are very op people.
I always wanted to become a soldier. My grandfather from my mother's side from Spišské Tomášovce, Gabčo, he was in Dachau concentration camp. He survived because one of the guards chose him to cut the wood etc. When he returned home as 23 years old, he got married. He died in the age of 53 years of liver cancer. I remember him from when I was 5 or 6 years. I remember him very well, he taught me to ride a bicycle when I was 12 years old. He built a model of a plane for me. It was yellow and we still have it stored in the attic, I believe. He was very skilled mason. Because he died yound I told to myself I would become a soldier. To put it jokingly, I wanted to make sure that people wouldn't shoot one another, kill one another. I carry in myself the Gandhi pacifism since I was very young. I was raised that way as well, it is true. That is what made me go to the army college.
One should love the others, it is every man’s responsibility to be kind to others and to love someone else’s child as his own. This is the only way to become a true man.
Ing., Mgr. Ivan Mirga
photo: Archivne foto: archív Ivan Mirgu; Aktuálne foto Alexander Mušinka
photo: Archivne foto: archív Ivan Mirgu; Aktuálne foto Alexander Mušinka
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M.Eng. Ivan Mirga was born on 6th April 1968 in the village Spišský Štvrtok. Most members of his family were masons. In the past they were a significant blacksmith’s family. Ivan Mirga went to elementary school in Spišský Stiavnik and to Gymnasium in Levoča. Afterwards he studied at Army College in Vyškov, Moravia region (present-day Czechia). He graduated in 1990 receiving engineering degree and the rank of pilot officer. Afterwards he was transferred to the combatant troops in the town of Stříbro. When Czechoslovakia was dissolved in 1992 he was transferred to the garrison in Komárno, and upon his request further to the garrison in Spišská Nová Ves in 1994. In the same year he was demobilized on his own request with the rank of captain. He worked in many professions between the years 1994 and 2005 mostly as a casual workman in building industry, in a manufacturing company Embrako, in police forces etc. From 1999 to 2004 he studied distantly social work at Constantine The Philosopher University in Nitra (detached department in Spišská Nová Ves) and he graduated earning master’s degree. In 2005 he became employed as a social worker by the city municipality of Poprad. From 2007 until April 2017 he work at regional office of the plenipotentiary of the government of the Slovak Republic for Roma communities in Spišská Nová Ves.
He has lived with Ružena Pechová since 1991 when they got married. She studied education at the Catholic University in Ružomberok and has been working in the education sector for 18 years. They have two children, daughter Alexandra, son Dominik and one grand-daughter.
