WHAT THE HELL IS SLOVAKIA?
A 4-Week Masterclass Into 21st-Century Slovakia
Politics. Corruption. Hockey. Emigration. Complaining. Survival.
A deep dive into the strange reality of modern Slovak life — from political chaos and cottage culture to national pessimism, mountain escapes, overfed Sunday lunches, and the psychology of a country that somehow always keeps going.
Not the Slovakia of tourism campaigns.
The Slovakia people actually live.
A country that is cynical yet emotional, pessimistic yet resilient, exhausting yet impossible not to love.
What Students Are Saying About Vladimir
Simon
The course brought Slovakia history to life — not just dates, but the why behind centuries of change.
Janice
The discussions were open, engaging, and deeply thoughtful. Questions weren’t just welcomed — they shaped the learning.
Alex
The perfect balance of depth and breadth. Four fascinating, beautifully connected talks that completely reshaped how I understand Slovakia!
This Is NOT A Traditional History Course
We will not spend four weeks memorizing dates, kings, or folk costumes.
Instead, we explore:
How Slovaks think
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What they distrust
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What they complain about
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How they cope
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What they admire
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Why Slovakia makes more sense beyond its borders.
This combines sociology, political psychology, cultural anthropology, and elements of a collective therapy session. It's a masterclass on the emotional logic of Slovakia.
Why This Masterclass Exist
Slovakia is not easy to explain.
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It is proud yet self-critical, modern yet shaped by the past, European yet often misunderstood.
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To understand Slovakia, you need more than history. You need to understand its mentality, humor, rituals, distrust, political fatigue, and the emotional pull between leaving and belonging.
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This masterclass explores the Slovakia people truly experience — beyond brochures, speeches, and official narratives.
Program Schedule
Week 1:
July 2nd
Heroes, Villains, and the Slovaks We Secretly Admire
Who Slovaks admire — and what those choices reveal about their values.
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National heroes, anti-heroes, and controversial public figures
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Entrepreneurs, oligarchs, political icons, and cultural legends
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The question of the “greatest Slovak” — and why there is no simple answer
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Who might be the “worst Slovak,” and why that matters just as much
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Understanding Slovak identity through the people who define it
Week 2
July 9th
“Things Will Never Be Good in Slovakia”
Why disappointment keeps coming back — no matter who wins.
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How Slovaks vote, protest, complain, and adapt
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Political scandals, memes, corruption, and public distrust
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The strange emotional logic behind political loyalty
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Why cynicism became part of everyday life
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Can the cycle be broken — or is this simply how the system functions?
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Week 3
July 16th
National Coping Mechanisms
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What Slovaks do when they are not complaining.
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Hockey, cottages, mountains, and weekend escapes
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Sunday visits to grandma and being aggressively overfed
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Why simple pleasures carry emotional weight
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Rituals, humor, and everyday survival strategies
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What Slovak hobbies reveal about the deeper psychology of the country
Week 4
July 23rd
Slovakia from the Outside
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Why Slovakia often becomes clearer once you leave it.
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Slovaks abroad: what changes — and what never does
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Living between cultures and identities
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Diaspora psychology and emotional distance
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Minorities within Slovakia and different experiences of belonging
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Why leaving Slovakia is often part of understanding it
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What Makes This Different?
This is not a polished “visit Slovakia” presentation.
We are not here to romanticize the country or reduce it to stereotypes.
This masterclass explores:
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Contradictions,
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Frustrations,
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Survival instincts,
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Emotional habits,
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Unwritten rules of Slovak life.
It is about understanding:
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Why people think the way they do,
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Why they distrust certain systems,
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Why they react emotionally to certain topics,
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Why pessimism and humor coexist,
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Why Slovakia can feel both exhausting and deeply lovable at the same time.
What You Will Get
4 LIVE EXPERT-LED SESSIONS
Thought-provoking conversations designed to unpack Slovakia beyond surface-level explanations.
FULL RECORDING ACCESS
​Watch live or revisit the sessions anytime at your own pace.
INTERACTIVE DISCUSSIONS
Bring your own questions, experiences, observations, and frustrations into the conversation.
A NEW WAY OF UNDERSTANDING SLOVAKIA
Not through clichés — but through insight, context, and lived reality.
Meet Your Instructor
My name is Vladimír Štrama
Bio Highlights:
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BA Philosophy & History — University of Exeter (UK)
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MSt Modern European History — University of Oxford (UK)
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Former researcher at Institute H21 (Prague)
Areas of expertise:
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Eastern & Central European history
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National identity and myth-making
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Empires, democracy, and geopolitical thought
Teaching style:
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Clear, structured, accessible — bridging academic research with public understanding.
