Liberation80: KVH Polom Club Name a Throwback to WW2 Battle

Zilina, April 5 (TASR) - Active in Zilina for the fourteenth year, the Club of Military History (KVH) Polom brings together enthusiasts not only from Zilina region but also from wider areas such as Liptov, Orava, and the surroundings of Trencin. Their main interest lies in the military history of the 20th century – from World War I through the interwar period to World War II, the 80th anniversary of which we are commemorating this year. As founding member Pavol Kysela noted for TASR, the club's name is a "reminder of the difficult battles in the Mala Fatra mountains for the Polom hilltop at the end of April 1945". The idea to found the club arose back in 2010, and after several months of preparation, the civic association was registered a year later. "Our membership base numbers fluctuate, currently the club has 15 active members who regularly participate in various events to the extent they're able to, such as historical re-enactments, exhibitions, and lectures. The club specialises not only in the military history of the Zilina area but practically all of Slovakia, as we have members from Orava and Trencin, one of our members is active even in Kosice," said Kysela. In recent years, there has been a growing interest among young people in joining KVH. "Of course, we're pleased, and it's also the aim of our association to make military history more attractive to the young people. However, admission to the club takes some time, and the applicant is initially in a probationary position. They must be vetted during events... We also work with weapons, so you need to have a vetted person to avoid any problems," stated Kysela. "We're making an appearance on April 4-5 in Liptovsky Mikulas (Zilina region), where the liberation battles for the town will be re-enacted. A larger event is being prepared too, symbolically commemorating the events that took place there 80 years ago. In the beginning of May, our club members, along with a replica of the LT38 tank, will be part of a presentation at the East Slovak Museum in Kosice," added Kysela. mf