Goral Ethnic Minority Celebrates First Anniversary of Official Recognition

Cerveny Klastor, 30 January (TASR) - Representatives of the Goral community met in the village of Cerveny Klastor in the Zamagurie area (Presov region) on Thursday (29 January) to mark the first anniversary of being officially recognised as an ethnic minority in Slovakia, Pavol Zamiska of the Association of Slovak Gorals has informed TASR. It was at the Carthusian Monastery there that the Slovak government adopted a resolution recognising and supporting this community a year ago. "In 2025, we created basic organisational structures of the Association of Slovak Gorals, which should represent the interests of our community both in the regions and in Bratislava. At the same time, we gained representation in the Government Council for Ethnic Minorities. In 2026, we want to continue activities in the fields of culture, education and the promotion of use of Goral dialects," said Zamiska, who concurrently serves as mayor of the village of Kolackov (Presov region). Leaders of the Goral community also presented their main priorities for 2026. Key objectives include securing support for Goral organisations from the Minority Cultures Promotion Fund, launching pilot projects in the field of education, and preparing a Goral programme to be broadcast by public service media. "We want 29 January to become the Day of Gorals in Slovakia, a day on which we'll celebrate the rich culture and history of our community every year. Goral culture is an integral part of Slovakia’s cultural heritage, and that's why it's in the interests of society as a whole to protect and promote it. The year 2025 was a very successful year for the Gorals, and we want to continue this momentum in 2026. Here in the Orava area, we're also launching a major project focused on informal education, an expert thematic conference, and we'll present the first Goral musical to the public," said Oravska Polhora (Zilina region) mayor Michal Strnal. According to the Atlas of Gorals of Slovakia, 57,000 members of this ethnic minority live in Slovakia. They've inhabited more than 60 towns and villages in the northern Orava, Spis, Kysuce and Liptov areas, as well as several enclaves in the south of the country, for centuries. Nevertheless, the development of institutions for this community only began last year following its formal recognition by the state. The Goral minority is the 15th officially recognised ethnic minority in Slovakia. ko/df