Important guest stops by

The Velvet Revolution in Czechoslovakia might seem like decades ago and thousands of miles away, but a 20th anniversary celebration of the country’s nonviolent overthrow of Communism took place Friday in Sugar Creek.

Linked together with Czech and Slovakian heritage, the town of less than 4,000 residents welcomed the Slovak Republic ambassador to the United States, a man who represents a country with more than 5 million residents.

Ambassador Peter Burian enjoyed lunch with Sugar Creek officials Friday afternoon at the Mike Onka Memorial Building as part of the Kansas City region’s salute to the Czech-Slovak independence.

“It’s wonderful that you are keeping these traditions and that you are promoting your heritage,” Burian said. “It’s very important to promote both the Czech Republic and Slovakia here.”

Burian has served as the Slovak ambassador to the United States, based in Washington, D.C., since December 2008. Burian, 50, was previously the Slovakia Republic’s permanent representative to the United Nations from 2004 to 2008. He is fluent in Arabic, English, French, German and Russian.

“It shows that not only are the people of Sugar Creek very concerned about their roots and their heritage, but it also shows that somebody as important as the ambassador could see fit to come to Sugar Creek, the small community that we are,” Sugar Creek Mayor Stan Salva said, “and celebrate with us as we celebrate with him the Velvet Revolution.”

In the early 1900s, Eastern European citizens immigrated to Sugar Creek, a heritage that the city honors with its annual Slavic Festival. Following the Velvet Revolution in November and December 1989, Czechoslovakia had its first democratic elections in more than four decades in summer 1990.

On Jan. 1, 1993, Czechoslovakia separated into two democratic countries: the Czech Republic and the Slovak Republic.

Salva, a lifelong Sugar Creek resident, said both his mother’s and father’s family lineage immigrated from what is now known as the Slovak Republic to the United States. Salva and his wife, Barbara, visit the Slovak Republic every two years, and Stan Salva has cousins who reside there. 

 “I think Sugar Creek is known for its openness, its friendliness, caring and its work ethic,” Stan Salva said. “Where did that come from? It came from the immigrants that brought it over.”

“The people of Slovakia just keep incredibly neat properties and homes,” Barbara Salva said. “They are such hard workers. I think that goes on here also.”