Page 21 - Nógrád megye 2021
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Cultural
diversity
The unique cultural features of the people and the ethnic
groups living together made Nógrád rich. Of the materi-
al memories of this peaceful coexistence, we should re-
member the synagogue in Losonc, the Serbian church in
Balassagyarmat, the German houses in Berkenye and Szen-
dehely, the beautiful folk wear of our Slovak brothers and
sisters, or the pictures of the great gypsy painter János Ba-
lázs in Salgótarján.
The Benedictine abbey and the Romanesque church from
the 11th century in Tereske, with its legend of St. Ladislaus
on the north wall, are our priceless treasures, such as the
folk music and shepherd’s legacy of ‘Uncle’ Pista Pál, the
‘last piper’.
In Bánk, the Palóc and the Slovaks established together
the cultural and artistic festivals that are famous far and
wide, taking advantage of the lake’s att raction. There is a
wide range of programmes from ethnic gatherings to the
Louis Armstrong Jazz Festival, also branded by Joe Mu-
rányi. Lake Bánki is a lovely venue and a backdrop for the
boat modellers’ competition, a venue for the triathlon or
the Crossfit competitions.
Easter in Hollókő is a beautiful example of how the folk tra-
ditions are embedded into our thousand-year-old Chris-
tian culture. The nativity play is still a living tradition in
most of our villages. Our county is extremely strong in folk
music and dance. Our cultural ambassadors are the Dűvő
Orchestra, Juli Kubinyi, the Nógrád Dance Ensemble, and
the Muzsla Folk Dance Ensemble.
The landscape of Nógrád also attracts and creates fine art-
ists. János Balázs, a poet and painter of the recent period,
was a resident of Salgótarján. The best-known modern art-
ists are the painter Péter Földi, the Artist of the Nation, as
well as the sculptors Tamás Szabó, Péter Raab Párkányi
and Péter Molnár. Their works of art greet us all over the
county; they are the gems of our squares.
The Zenthe Ferenc Theatre in Salgótarján shows an out-
standing standard in the field of theatre culture.
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