Winter 2004 in the Ulič dolina (Ulic Valley), Slovakia

Not many people visit villages in the Carpathian mountains of eastern Slovakia in the wintertime.  It's a quiet, peaceful time.  In past times, it was a season for rest and repair from the laborious farming and forestry chores.  Even with all its beauty, winter remained another struggle, homes with no chimneys, only a hole in the roof to vent the smoke.  Imagine limited food, cold homes, poor clothing to keep warm with, no artificial lighting.  We've got it pretty good today.

Nova Sedlica, January 2004 Copyright (c) 2004, Jan Runcak	Zbojska Potok (Zboj Creek), Nova Sedica, January 2004 Copyright (c) 2004, Jan Runcak	Nova Sedlica, January 2004 Copyright (c) 2004, Jan Runcak	Nova Sedlica, January 2004 Copyright (c) 2004, Jan Runcak	Runina, January 2004 Copyright (c) 2004, Jan Runcak
Village of Zboj, January 2004 Notice the haze from wood burning stoves. Imagine how much heavier this haze must have been 100 years ago with double the population and no electricity. Copyright (c) 2004, Jan Runcak

Map of the Region

More information and Photos of Nova Sedlica village (and 2003 winter photos)

More information and Photos of Runina village

More information and Photos of Zboj village

Winter 2003 Photos of Nova Sedlica

Eastern Region Suffers Depopulation - Reprint from The Slovak Spectator, 2003

If you have photos you'd like to share, please drop me a note and I'd be honored to include them and provide you due credit!

Last Update: 16 March 2004  

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