Jela Sovová

* 1944

  • "Even when Sokol existed, we as little children went to Sokol, there was a puppet theater. Upstairs, now there's a clubhouse and a gym so small. The puppet theater was intended or focused on education or thus the adolescents did it. So already, under the leadership of a few people, what led it (Jaro Starý). And people went there to the puppet theater. Gašparko and I don't know. They had it very nicely built. Long time ago, when Sokol received a gift from Olomouc County, when Sokol was founded in Trenčín. I don't know on what occasion they gave them such beautiful puppets, such wooden carvings. It all dripped. The Hlinka guardians are to blame for all this - they either enjoyed it or they burned it, I don't know. " 0:34:00 - 0:35:25 – Memory of the functioning of Sokol in the period 1945-1948

  • "Okay, but let's start with the little kids. Let's praise, let's encourage the child to have confidence. But no one educates that criticality. It's hard to look back yourself, so one way or another, self-assess. Who, they knows like this? And it starts with that little kid. Mom came, brought the baby to the gym to go. And that ,Will you perform too?’ I say that if they will know anything, so yes. But we're not here for that. However, when became older, they will can. First they have to know something and only then they can blow the horn something or show something to the world. We need to start with yourself as well. " 1:29:20 - 1:30:00 – Criticism needs to be brought up in children from an early age, it needs to start with yourself

  • "We lived in a bubble. People with the same opinion, supported things that were good, okay, but nothing was doning by force. Because in politics, these people (didn't get involved), that was an absurd. So they lived an honest normal life and had their own relationships with each other. And what were they to do? ” 1:03:55 - 1:04:50 – Jela Sovová and members of the extinct Sokol lived in their world

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    Trenčín, 27.04.2021

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No authoritative system needed them. However, they did not abandon the Sokol principles

Jela Sovová as a young girl
Jela Sovová as a young girl
zdroj: Witnesses archive

Jela Sovová was born on December 1, 1944 in Trenčín to Vladimír Chovan and Ľudmila. Father Vladimír Chovan was with his brother Július at the time in the mountains during the SNP as a member of the University Guard Section. Their task was to protect SNP generals Ján Golian and Rudolf Viest. The inmates were members of the Trenčín Sokol, which was abolished during the war and their Sokol club was occupied by Hlinka‘s guard. After the war, Sokol activities were resumed for a while, but after the communist coup, it was liquidated again. The Communists also nationalized the Chovan bookstore, which Jelina‘s grandmother acquired as a newsagent even after the World War First. Sokol and his representatives became uncomfortable for their democratic ideas, which were in direct conflict with both totalitarianism of the 20th century. Jela grew up in the stimulating environment of former „falcons“ (members of Sokol) who met in her father‘s bookstore. As a child, she remembers Mrs. Golianová and her son Ivan, whom her father helped get to school in Trenčín. The Chovan family lived through a period of social freedomless in silence and did not get involved in politics. Jela studied physical education and the Slovak language and devoted herself to the training of athletes. In terms of the ideals of Sokol‘s versatility, she did not agree with the leadership of performance-oriented athletes at the time. After the Velvet Revolution, Jela and her father helped restore the Sokol of Trenčín. Today, Sokol has more than 300 active members in Trenčín and Jela conducts exercises for young children.