For most, this is just another abandoned communist site in Slovakia, but for me, it is a showcase of our nation's unique history. My grandparents worked here their entire life. They were brought in from surrounding villages at young age, provided place to live at and a job to last lifetime. Once famous and grand factory, founded in 1937 (at first it belonged to Skoda), it employed about 18 thousand people and produced tanks and ammunition for Russia and other "friendly" countries. My grandpa was my tour guide and here is what he showed me, just randomly on our way to his garden.
1. Garaz
Tak asi takto si pametam, ze fabrika bola sucastou nasho zivota v Novej Dubnici. Ludia si odtial trochu pasovali malickosti. Ako napriklad tu je dedko pred svojou garazou kde mal svoju embecku, Skodu 100. Dvere do garaze su dodnes namalovane s farbou ktorou sa malovali tanky pre zakazku do Libiye v osemdesiatich rokoch. Dedko hovori "To bolo ina farba, taka pieskova, lebo bola pre Libiu. Normalne sme tanky malovali khaki."
1. Garage
So this is how I remember the factory being a part of common folk life. They smuggled little things here and there to help themselves out. Here is my grandpa in front of his garage door where he housed his Skoda 100. It is painted with the same paint that was used to paint tanks for Libya. "This paint was more yellow, like a sand. That's because it was for tanks in Libya. Normally we used the color khaki," he said.
2. Fabrika
Toto je pohlad mimo hlavnej cesty, trochu zboku kde boli aj su zahradky. Nie som si ista kolko casti budov je vyuzitych a kolko nie, z tohto pohladu je vela prazdnych.
2. Factory
This is the view from a side road, the one that leads to people's gardens. I can't tell how many of these buildings are being currently used, but I would say very few, from this point of view.
3. Brana pre vlaky
Toto bola brana odkial isiel vlak do okolitych dedin. Ludia museli byt v praci 6:00 and koncili o 14:00. To bol napad vtedajsich komunistov, ze nech ludia maju zivot aj po praci. Boze, co by som dala za to, a asi aj mnohi z nas, aby sme boli doma uz o druhej. Zas neboli vsetky napady zle co mali.
3. Train Gate
This was the gate through which a train to surrounding villages would go and bring commuters in and out of the job. By the way, they had to be at work by 6 am and left at 2 pm. This was communist philosophy, so people can still have life after work. I kind of like that, don't you? They didn't have all bad ideas after all.
4. Brana pre tankovu testovaciu drahu
Tak odtialto tusim vyrazali hotove tanky na testovaciu jazdu, ktora pokracovala az na strelnicu (nie na obrazku). Toto si ako dieta pametam, ked nas dedko s babkou viezli na zahradku a museli sme dat prednost tankom. Ja som si vzdy myslela, ze tak toto tu je ta vojna. Zo skoly a skolky som si vzdy pametala vojnu akoby bola hned za rohom, taka bola ta propaganda vtedy. A tak som vzdy len zadrzala v tej embecke dych, aby nebodaj nezacali na nas strielat. Ved aj teraz v podstate idem s dedkom na zahradku, a len tak po ceste fotim.
4. Gate for tanks test runs
This is the gate out of which finished tanks would go out for a test run. They drove around and then headed to the shooting range (not shown). I remember when I would go through here with my grandparents in their Skoda, I thought to myself: " this must be the war" as I was only few feet away from real tank, with real soldier. From schools, the propaganda made me believe that war was very real and very near and this is made that idea real. I saw tanks on my way to my grandparents garden, just like I am now. Just taking photos as I go.
5. Brana na navrat tankov
Touto branou sa tie tanky vracali. A detail ktory ukaze nic ine len este viac zarastenej buriny a stromy.
5. Return gate for tanks
This is the return gate for the tanks, plus detail that show inside with nothing but more bushy foliage.
6. Kantina.
"Tak tu bola kantina" dedko hovori, ako ideme okolo tejto uplne opustenej budovy. Vchod do nej je zarasteny a cez okna vidno ze nic tam dlho nebolo. "Mali sme tam aj odborarske stretnutia, a akoze dali na stol mineralky a malinovky, ale my sme si nalievali tvrdeho uz z dielne sme si to zobrali." Hovori dedko. Ja sa ho pytam: "Dedko a co ti vsetci funkcionary, oni akoze vam zakazovali pit a myslis ze oni nepili na takychto akciach?" "A coze ja viem, co oni robili na tribune?"
6. Eatery. "Here was the cantina," says grandpa, pointing to this totally abandoned building. The entrance to it is completely overgrown with wild plants. "We used to have union gatherings here," he continues, "and though they would give us sodas, we already took some hard liquor with us." I ask: "So they forbid you to drink alcohol, but do you think those high up weren't drinking?" "What do I know what they were doing up there on the tribunes?" He answers.
7. Autobusova zastvka
Uplne nefungujuca zastavka autobusov. Denne na naj stalo tisice ludi... Vidiet este rucne malovany znak smeru zastavky.
7. Bus Stop.
Totally abandoned bus stop that would transfer thousands workers daily... You can see the hand-painted sign with different destinations.
8. Administrativna budova
"Tu sedeli vsetci vysoko-postaveni," ukazuje dedko.
8. Admin Building
"Here all the big shots would sit," says granpa.
9. Hlavna Brana
Dedko len tak rozpacito postupil k tejto brane, i ked mne bolo hned jasne ze je nefunkcna. Kludne som cez nu presla. On potom cely den spominal, ze mne vnucka presla cez branu zavoda. A krutil nad tym hlavou. On dalej nesiel len stal pred nou.
Ja som mu nekazala pozovat, ale akokeby nejaka hrdost, ze tu odviedol tolko dobre prace a zacal takto hrdinsky pozovat. On tu mal roky na starosti dielnu s vyse dvesto robotnikmi. A to zacal ako obycajny pracovnika a takto sa vypracoval. Musel byt a asi aj je na to hrdy. Babka bola zamocnicka.
Tato brana sa dnes pouziva len ako pristup k budovam co su vnutri. Asi preto je aj natreta novsou farbou. Hodiny neukazovali presny cas, a tak da sa povedat ze "cas sa tu zastavil."
9.Main Gate
The workers would go through this gate daily, only with valid ID. I went through, my grandpa didn't. He couldn't get over the fact, that I went through and nobody stopped me. He mentioned it throughout the day: "My granddaughter went through the gate, she went through, just like that..."
I didn't ask him to pose. His emotions just showed through. Maybe a sense of pride and accomplishment. For years, he was in charge of two hundred workers in one of the sections of the factory. He started as an ordinary worker and climbed his way up.
The gate is still being used as a entrance point to get to the other buildings inside the complex. Perhaps a reason for a recent paint job. The clock didn't work. I guess one could say "the time stopped."
10. Nastenna Reklama
60 rokov ZTS
10. Advertising Mural
60 years of ZTS
11. Vnutri
11. Inside
Rada by som sa podakovala staremu otcovi za nezabudnutelny zazitok. Co som popisala, je to co mi on povedal, a keby ho trosku uz pamat klame, prosim napiste odkaz a ja to opravim. Takisto, ak nieco vas napadne ku niektorej z fotiek, ja to tam dodam, ak sa to hodi. Dakujem dedko!
I would like to thank my grandpa for an unforgettable adventure. The descriptions here are based on his talking to me and so in case something is inaccurate, or you have a fact to add, please feel free to message me. Thank you dedko!
