Caputova Presents State Awards to 20 People

Bratislava, January 2 (TASR) – President Zuzana Caputova, at a ceremony marking the 27th anniversary of Slovakia’s independence on Thursday, presented state awards to 20 people, including three in memoriam.

Among the awarded persons are several figures who participated in the fight against the totalitarian regime in Czechoslovakia.

The Order of Ludovit Stur, First Class was awarded to literary scholar and politician Peter Zajac, to Branislav Tvarozek the last surviving member of the University Brigade commanded by generals Golian and Viest in the Slovak National Uprising and his recently deceased comrade Martin Janec, to the first Roma doctor in Czechoslovakia Jan Cibula (in memoriam) and to politician Frantisek Miklosko.

The Order of Ludovit Stur, Second Class was given to student leader of the Velvet Revolution Zuzana Mistrikova, Professor Helena Barancova, coach Tibor Soos, IT teacher Ondrej Demacek, sportsman Jozef Plachy, virologist Silvia Pastorekova, grammar school headmaster Pavel Sadlon and reporter Andrej Ban.

The Order of Double Barred Cross, First Class was presented in memoriam to Czech lawyer and politician Milada Horakova, who’s considered a symbol of the anti-communist resistance and movement.

The Pribina Cross, First Class was given to cameraman Igor Luther and movie artist Rudolf Urc.
The Pribina Cross, Second Class was awarded to sociologist Zora Butorova, musicologist Alzbeta Rajterova and architectural historian Klara Kubickova.
The Pribina Cross, Third Class was received by doctor Maria Sustrova.