FOLK FESTIVAL VYCHODNA 

The Upper Liptov villages Strba, Vazec and Vychodna have been for a long time characteristic for their distinctive material and spiritual culture formed by the peasant and shepherd life and by the hard conditions typical for the mountain country stretching below the High Tatra mountains.

"When there is nothing to put into your mouth at least keep it opening," was an old and wise saying, one among many others, and the people of the Tatra region followed it.

When working, they sang to make the work easier, at the wedding celebrations they sang more than ate, since they were always short of bread. Singing has always remained one of the most valuable folk art of their personalities - a legacy descending from generation to generation. No wonder that the festival of folk songs and dances has found its cradle below the High Tatra Mountains in the village of Vychodna. And why particularly at Vychodna? The answer is simple when we know all about what preceded the choice of the festival venue.

It was perhaps a lucky strike when in 1952 the dancers from folk ensemble Krivan of Vychodna took part in the Straznice Festival, and for their wonderful performance they had become the favorites of Straznice." In the light of this success the idea of organizing something similar to Straznice also at Vychodna was born.

On July 3, 1953, at the site of former sand quarry, on improvised stage, near the vilage of Vychodna the festival was born. The Liptov folk groups Strba, Vazec, Vychodna, Liptovska Teplicka, Liptovske Sliace, and those of Orava-Oravska Lesna, Hladovka and Sihelne began to perform.

Already the first festivals had indicated that the orientation towards the folklore, especially toward the village people creative strength was right. Soon after, the Folk Festival at Vychodna become the all Slovakia show. In 1958 as many as 1600 singers, dancers and folk musicians performed at the festival. Record numbers of visitors-the folk art lovers, were promising bright future of the festival.

Year after year the program structure of the Festival kept expanding as did the repertoire and new items were added as exhibitions, march through the village by festival group’s members, welcome ceremony, join performances of groups from Zilina region. The one-day festival has expanded to three days.

The first decade of the festival had proved vitality not only of the folk groups and ensembles but also of the organizers. In the 1963 the festival coincided with the 250th anniversary of the death of the legendary Slovak national hero-Juraj Janosik. Movies were incorporated into the festival and for the first time in front of 30,000 spectators a two-part, wide screen film "Janosik" produced by Palo Bielik was shown. On Sunday afternoon the opera ensemble of the Theater of J. G. Tajovsky from Banska Bystrica performed the Slovak national opera Krutnava (The Whirl) by Prof. Eugen Suchon, National Artist, who was the guest of honor at the performance. The fame of the successful Vychodna Festival had spread far behind the borders of Slovakia thanks to the technical assistance of folklore scientists and artists of the Slovak cultural institutions such as: Slovak Academy of Science, The Czecho-Slovak Broadcasting Corporation, Slovak Art Ensemble, etc.

In 1966, for the first time, groups from abroad were introduced in the program "Greetings from the Southern Countries." Since then foreign ensembles regularly participate in separate performances called "Welcome, Friends."

In 1969 the program structure was enriched by programs representing the folk fine art and architecture, exhibitions of the folk costumes and garments and folk woodcarvings and ceramic arts. In the amphitheater big wood-carved figures were installed adding much to the festive atmosphere of the event. It is a virtual folk art gallery in the open.

In 1980, for the first time the CIOFF flag was hoisted, announcing that the Vychodna Folk Festival became a member of the big international family associated in an independent international council of the organizers the section of International Musical Council of UNESCO (United Nations). An interesting feature of the Vychodna Folk Festival is a prevailing participation of young people, so that it can be justly called "the festival of youth and future."

Its importance rests also upon the fact that considerable amount of time has been devoted to the endeavors of getting people of all corners of Slovakia and the World closer together. This year The Folk Festival at Vychodna celebrates its 39th year of existence and the program is not growing old at all. There are always some new young ideas that make it young and attractive.

There are many beautiful songs about Vychodna. One of them says about Vychodna as a village with two rows of log houses. It is true the village is long and narrow. During the festival the villagers do their best in decorating their village with banners, embroidery in windows, making everybody comfortable, the smiles are everywhere. So, if you are in Slovakia the first weekend in July and you like to have unforgettable experience to see the beautiful folk costumes, folk dances and to listen to the songs of Slovakia, do come to Vychodna.

Published in the Slovak Heritage Live Newsletter, Volume 1, No. 2, Summer 1993
Copyright © Vladimir Linder 1993 
3804 Yale Street, Burnaby, British Columbia, Canada V5C 1P6
The above article and photographs may not be copied, reproduced, republished, or redistributed by any means including electronic, without the express written permission of Vladimir Linder. All rights reserved.