Culture: Over a Hundred SNG Employees Submit Their Resignations

Bratislava, January 27 (TASR) - More than a hundred employees of the Slovak National Gallery (SNG) are filing resignation notices in a response to actions by director Jaroslav Ninaj, his predecessors, and the inaction of the Culture Ministry, the initiators of a mass petition to protect the institution stated at a press conference on Monday. "Over the past nearly six months, three people whose competencies, interests, and experience don't align with the role of the head of a top-tier collection institution, have held the position of SNG director," stated Klara Hudakova. "Foreign museums are now reluctant to lend us their works, and another issue is that long-time partners who have supported us financially have withdrawn their support," she stated, also highlighting Ninaj's problematic communication with employees and the unjustified delays in the administration of processes and projects. "Our resignations aren't only an expression of our civic stance, but a clear warning that the collapse of the institution has begun, and we refuse to participate in it," stated Hudakova, adding that employees are no longer willing to work in an environment "where laws are violated, basic principles of managing a public institution are ignored, public funds are handled suspiciously, and where experienced professionals become victims of politically motivated decisions." The initiators emphasised that the most critical issues the SNG is facing are changes to the organisational structure, illegal procedures including creating new employment contracts, and the collapse of the exhibition plan for 2025. lin