New hymn of Slovakia: national pride or cultural degradation?
New hymn of Slovakia: national pride or cultural degradation?
Bratislava, Slowakei - A storm of the controversial brews itself in Slovakia! The right -wing nationalist government under Prime Minister Robert Fico has introduced a new arrangement of the national anthem to promote the national pride. On Wednesday evening there was the first performance of this new version at a New Year's concert in Bratislava, which was played by the Bratislava Philharmonic. Minister of Culture Martina Simkovicova, who initiated the project, felt so moved when listening to the anthem that she wrote on Facebook that she had "gait on her soul and body". This hymn had not experienced any changes for 32 years and was now revised by an arrangement by the composer Oskar Rozsa, who received 46,500 euros, which met with violent criticism in times of strict austerity policy, such as Today.
The new version of the hymn begins purely instrumental, similar to the Russian hymn, and ends with sounds of traditional Fujara flute. While the government sees the change as strengthening the national cohesion, the opposition leader Michal Simecka expressed sharp criticism and spoke of an "unacceptable degradation of a national symbol". He emphasized that hymns should be there for all people. Simkovicova, which is known about conspiracy theories and their pro-Russian statements due to their controversy, has also made cuts in various cultural institutions and LGBTQ organizations. This makes many fear that this hymn amendment has a dangerous trend towards more nationalism and exclusion. The text of the hymn, which is now brought back on stage, has a frightening similarity to the former imperial song "Heil you in the winner's wreath", which, among other things, addresses the veneration of the emperor and establishes a connection to not only nationalist but also monarchist ideas. When the hymn was once popular, it was considered symbolic of power and loyalty, which, in today's world, now leads to significant questions about the direction in which the Slovak society could develop. The change in the national identity and the associated symbols could have profound social effects, such as wikipedia commented. a worrying trend
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| Ort | Bratislava, Slowakei |
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