History was written last Thursday on Laurinská Street – not only in stone, but also in the hearts of every theater, film, and culture enthusiast. Bratislava paid tribute to Milan Kňažko – an acting legend, civic figure, and a man whose voice and views shaped generations. The Walk of Fame in front of the P. O. Hviezdoslav City Theater expanded with its fifteenth tile, a powerful symbol to forever remind us that great personalities remain among us.
Crowds of theater and film enthusiasts gathered in front of the theater to honor not only Milan Kňažko but also those who came before him – Ladislav Chudík, Jozef Adamovič, Mária Kráľovičová, Štefan Kvietik, and other unforgettable names of the “sunny generation.” Though many of them are no longer with us, the tiles give them an eternal voice.
A legacy kept alive
The project’s author, Mária Reháková, who has been honoring Slovak actors and actresses with the Walk of Fame for fifteen years, reminded the audience of its importance with words that touched every heart, “For culture, and especially for Bratislava, it is vital to have this Walk of Fame, since we no longer host a film festival here. Ten or fifteen years from now, young people may not know these older actors. But here, they can stop to see their names, look them up, and learn about the enormous mark they left on our cultural scene. That is what keeps their memory alive. It is our film heritage beneath our feet.” The event was held under the auspices of Bratislava’s mayor, Matúš Vallo. Longtime cultural manager and supporter Vladimír Grežo pointed out that the tile is more than just a piece of stone – it is part of the city’s memory, “Milan Kňažko is a major actor, and for me even more than that. In the moments when our country needed it, he stepped up and took on decisive roles. It is only right that his name now joins those who changed history.”
A chosen actor
Theater scholar Ľubica Krénová, author of a book on Kňažko, opened the ceremony with a laudation, “An actor par excellence, a persistent player, a tireless starter,” she said of the man who was once rejected by the Academy of Performing Arts for his weak voice. It was this very voice that later echoed across public squares during the Velvet Revolution, sending shivers through the nation. The Academy that once turned him away later became his professional home – he returned as dean. When his life path took him to France shortly after the 1968 occupation, where he also studied acting, his teacher and director Michèle Kokosowski said that the then 25-year-old “stood out immensely among the students by the quality of his personality.” “He was what one calls a chosen actor – truly gifted, a radiant personality,” recalled Ľubica Krénová.
Strong friendships and personal tributes
The ceremony was also attended by the actor's long-time colleagues and friends. Emil Horváth, who has known Kňažko since 1964, remembered their beginnings, “At that time, he was still building stage sets and only dreaming of acting. Today, his name stands among those who were once his role models.” When unveiling Kňažko’s tile, he joked with charm, “See, Milan, despite all your lifelong success, it’s still possible to end up on the street.” Emília Vášáryová, whose own name is already on the Walk of Fame, praised his character, “He is someone I deeply respect – a man who likes to tell the truth. I know that when the going gets rough, we can count on Kňažko.”
Words from the laureate
Finally, Milan Kňažko himself spoke, with emotion but also with his characteristic spark. “I’ve never had a role in life that I didn’t enjoy. That is still true today – I perform in four theaters, and only in plays I love. When I look at names like Ladislav Chudík, Martin Huba, Božidara Turzonovová, Mária Kráľovičová, I feel I belong to this company. And it’s good company. It closes a kind of circle – because these are the people for whom I once built stage sets in this very building (DPOH) in 1963. Then I joined them as an actor, and now I join them on the Walk of Fame,” confessed the laureate himself, for whom this place, forever marked with his name, holds a special meaning.
A well-deserved bow
Laurinská Street now has its fifteenth tile – not just a memorial, but an inspiration. As project author Mária Reháková put it poetically, “When people look down at the tile beneath their feet, they have to bow down. And nothing less is deserved by our great film and theater personalities, including Milan Kňažko.”
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