Ľubomír Vajdička

"Because of all sorts of, let's say "scratches“, which I had in the past, it was not so easy to go abroad. I know that the first time I was given the opportunity to go abroad, in fact, all these passport issuing authorities, and that was security, were doing everything possible to keep the exit clause from me.” „Do you remember which year it was? “ „I know exactly because I had an invitation to international theatre training. It was an international theatre science training in Venice that was held every year, and they asked each of these countries to send somebody there and I managed once that my country wanted to send me there. And again, I found out by sorts of detours and through some friends that State security in Martin kept my exit clause. Because your passport was useless unless you had an exit clause in it. They kept my exit clause and didn't want to give it to me. They pretended that they don´t have it. Many have experienced this.”

“I remember a kindergarten very well that we learned and recited poems about Stefanik. Then in the first grade at school, it was already in 1950, but still some children could not realize it, our parents probably already realized it ... But I remember exactly the day when the teacher came to the classroom and said that from now she is not a Mrs. teacher but a “comrade teacher”. I also remember in the third grade when „Mr.“ teacher came – it was strange that we were still naming him „Mr.“ teacher – and he said: ‘Pupils, stand up!‘ And told us: 'Mr. President Klement Gottwald has died.' I remember how we had to wear a black belt when Stalin died, which my father suffered badly. But we had it ordered at school that we should have had sadness, so I don't know how old I was, about nine years old and I obviously strongly insisted that I must wear the black tape too. So, we were looking for a black tape around the house, then my mother ripped it off from a hat and put it on my hand because we all had to have it at school.“