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Culture
| Because Bácsky Petrovec is the main and the most important cultural center of the Slovaks in Vojvodina . There are concentrated the majority of cultural activities. Many local and regional happenings are organized here. Petrovec also has a radio and TV station, galleries, a few magazine publishers and other segments of cultural life. In Petrovec its inabitants are self-organized into various clubs and associations, according to their interests and professions. Many of these clubs have a very long tradition, dating from the time of the first Slovak settlements. Some of the clubs, not mentioned in the further text but still important are: The Pensioners’ Club, The Children’s Association (organization for children, with special needs), Radioclub, The Fowl Breeders’ Club and many others.s |
Association of craftsmen
The craftsmen, who were active and working in 1842, founded their craft association. This was the beginning of the present craftsmen association. As the years passed by, some of the crafts have disappeared. They were replaced by some new crafts, just like the years of traineeship were replaced by the training in the vocational schools. These schools were established in the surrounding towns, as well as in Petrovec so many apprentices have been attending them. Many of these students were employed in the local companies and later established businesses of their own ... Masons, cabinetmakers, locksmiths, turners, tinsmiths, automechanics, barbers, butchers, hairdressers, tailors, electricians, shoemakers, house painters, and many many others. In the time of the 150th anniversary of The Craftsmen Association there were 148 registered craftsmen in the district. It proves that in spite of many problems, ‘ the craft lays golden eggs’. |
Farmers‘ Club
The club of young farmers was founded in 1956. It gathered the youth of Bácsky Petrovec and counted 51 members, including 19 girls. They were mostly engaged in the breeding of the pedigree fowl, participated in many exhibitions and held educational lectures. In other words, the club contributed to the developement and improvement of life in Bácsky Petrovec. The following lines were published in The Hlas Ludu newspaper...
It was like this at first. Today, it’s pretty much the same, except for the new life conditions imposing the new tasks and goals of their future actions on the members of the club. The work in the club of farmers is not carried out by the professionals. On the contrary, it‘s an interesting, voluntary, non – profitable work that is eagerly done by its members as well as the club management, exclusively in their own spare time. |
KUS SS (Kultúrno umelecký spolok Slovenská Sporitelna)
Since 1993 The Folk Music Society has been named after its sponsor ‚Slovenska Sporitelna ( The Slovak Savings Bank ), the newly established bank, which invests its capital into cultural activities of our society. So called Petrovec Comrades include Children's dancing group and the Choir, The Senior Folklore Group and the Adults‘ Choir.
Members of The Folk Music Society have performed since 1993 at The Matica Days in Komarno, at the central MS festival in Martin, Slovakia, at The Dožin festival in Subotica, Serbia and Montenegro, at The Days of Culture of Foreign Slovaks in Detva, at other cultural happenings in Slovakia (Bratislava, Pieštany, Tisovec), at the festival of Vojvodina Folklore Traditions in Srbobran and have performed for about two decades in Kulpin, Pivnica. Perhaps the most significant fact is that in 1994 they published their first audio cassette – PETROVEC JE MESTECKO...
In the last two centuries the choirs were conducted and organized by (in chronological order): Ján Durica, Ján Jašo, Anna Medvedová, Michal Struhár, Samuel Kovác jr., Mariena Kriváková-Stankovicová, Ondrej Maglovský and Samuel Kovác sr.
Folklore groups were rehearsed by: Milina Jašová, Mária Tordajiová and Ján Pavlov. Today they have two instructors: Štefan Castven and Tatiana Kriváková-Amidžicová.
Besides this club, which keeps with the culture and tradition of our ancestors there is also a girls’ choir in the Jan Kollar Grammar School, which is instructed by Anna Medvedová, a music teacher. It consists of female students of the grammar school and has achieved remarkable results by now. Several times a year the choir is performing in Slovakia (visit to Nitra takes place as a part of the friendship with the Nitra grammar school).
Folklore is also cherished in The Petrovec Grammar School. The Folklore group consists of the students of Grammar School, especially of the Slovak students from the boarding house. This folk group has achieved outstanding results both on the local as well as the republic level. The Folklore group is led by Tatiana Kriváková – Amidžicová, the physical education teacher. |
Magazines
Petrovec is inhabited mostly by the Slovaks and it has a lot of Slovak magazines, newspapers and books. Well known magazines published in this area are: Hlas ludu – a weekly paper, Rovina – monthly, Nový život, Vzlet – youth magazines, Zornicka – children’s magazine and others. The Town’s Board also publish a magazine – Petrovské noviny, which informs citizens about the latest happenings in the town, politics, society, culture and economy, but there are also some articles depicting the past events of this community. |  |
Petrovec radio station
In the year 1961 in the newly constructed cinema house the first movie was shown. It became a popular gathering place. Some members of the Workers’ University decided to establish the first “wireless” radio – Petrovský rozhlas. In a small room belonging to the Craftsmen Association a couple of enthusiastic members made the first transmitter, which became the property of the university, and later of the cinema house. Since then the radio station has been broadcasting to the townsmen in two languages (Slovak and Serbian). Nowadays it is professionaly and technically well equipped and considered to be one of the better quality,local radio stations. |
Galleries
Today Petrovec has two galleries: The Zuzka Medvedová Gallery ( in the center of the town) and The Karol Miloslav Lehotský Gallery ( in the grammar school ). The first exhibitions in Petrovec were organized in the grammar school building. The following exhibitions were organized by the National Museum and the last exhibitions (before the galleries were established) were in the improvised premisses of the Cinema house.
The Gallery of Zuzka Medvedová was set on the 1st of July, 1989 and it owns more than 150 artworks of the Petrovec’s artist Zuzka Medvedová (1897-1985). Besides the artworks of this artist the gallery of Zuzka Medvedová annually organizes 4-5 exhibitions of our contemporary artists. It also organizes exhibitions of the contemporary Slovak academic artists and the professional artists in Serbia and Montenegro (Petrovské bienále) every second year .
The gallery in The Jan Kollar Grammar school was opened on 15th of October 1989, which was the 70th Anniversary of the school. On the 75th Anniversary the gallery was named after the first academic Slovak artist in Vojvodina, K. M. Lehotský (1879-1929). There is a permanent exhibition of the contemporary Slovak fine art in Serbia and Montenegro, one of the kind in the country. |  |
Happenings Organization of different activities and cultural events are part of the Petrovec lifestyle. We would like to present some of its well known happenings.
The Petrovec Marathon
The marathon in Petrovec has a long tradition. The first marathon was organized in the year 1988. Many young runners took part in it. Dr. Chorvát was its organizer and the initiator. The marathon is characteristic for the month of September in Petrovec. The pupils of elementary schools from the entire municipality (and wider region) and students of the grammar school take part in it. There are 2, 4, 8, 16 km tracks and the preschoolers have a 600 m track. The tracks go through the streets of Petrovec and the field roads along the DTD canal.
 - SNF (The Slovak National Festivities)
The first Slovak National Festivities were held in the first Yugoslavia, on 28th of August, 1919. After The Slovak Matica in Yugoslavia ceased to function the festivities continued to be organized up to the year 1953. The Slovak National Festivities were reestablised along with The Slovak Matica in 1990. Every August Petrovec is the meeting place of the Slovaks from the entire Vojvodina, but this event exceeds the boundaries of Vojvodina. You can meet there Slovaks from the the sorrounding countries and Slovakia. The content of the festival is: all kinds of performances, exhibitions, various meetings. There are many sport competitions as well, which offer some relaxation (football, tennis). This is a very pleasing moment because there aren’t many occasions when the Slovaks from all over the world have the chance to meet. The motto of The Slovak National Festivities is: ‘Keep on revisiting, keep on remembering so as not to sink into oblivion.’
The Petrovec Day
This is the most recent celebration. It was started few years ago. Along with the proclaiming of its own day, Petrovec has got a clearly defined coat of arms and flag. The Perovec Day is celebrated on 25th May when the spring is in its full bloom it is also vibrating celebrating its „birthday“. |
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