“Without passion, my work would have no soul,” says Mária Reháková, who has led the publishing house STAR Production since 2007. She never forgets to mention that her family is the steady source of strength helping with her demanding professional life.
If you were to look back on the year 2025, what was it like professionally?
If I had to describe it briefly, I would call it demanding, varied, and rich in events. It has become something of a hallmark of our publishing house that, alongside our print titles – particularly our flagship, Slovenka, which will celebrate its eightieth anniversary in two years – we also devote ourselves to projects that have become some of the most important in Slovakia and that command respect abroad. I am thinking especially of the readers’ poll Slovak Woman of the Year, Slovak Folk Costume Day, and I must also mention the Movie Walk of Fame. It was created in 2010, when the first commemorative tile was placed in front of the SND drama theater building – today the P. O. Hviezdoslav City Theater – dedicated to the legendary actor Ladislav Chudík. Since then, marble imprints of other significant personalities of our performing arts have been added to the Walk of Fame – the legendary generation of actors who left an indelible mark on the hearts of both Slovak and Czech audiences.
Who belongs to the legendary generation?
Names such as Mária Kráľovičová, Jozef Adamovič, Leopold Haverl, Ivan Palúch, Štefan Kvietik, and others – including the icon of Czechoslovak cinema, director Juraj Jakubisko – still resonate on both sides of the Morava River. Our publishing house, STAR Production, and the weekly Slovenka have become an integral part of our cultural life precisely thanks to such projects, which are part of our everyday work and which we consider our mission. And naturally, an important moment of 2025 was also the twentieth anniversary celebration of Bratislava Fashion Days, the highlight of which was a show of iconic fashion designers. The twentieth anniversary celebration was truly the highlight of the fashion season in our capital, and it reverberated throughout the entire year.
What are your plans for the publishing house next year? Are you preparing another edition of Slovak Folk Costume Day?
Of course – that project is very dear to me. At its heart, it is about preserving the heritage of our ancestors. And I am not only preparing it; new ideas and plans are already emerging to elevate this unique project even further. The success of Slovak Folk Costume Day lies in its uniqueness, in the fact that it is the only event that captures real, authentic folk traditions, which have drawn immense interest not only from our domestic audience but also abroad. And we will continue in this direction in the coming months. We have already presented our traditions to Slovak communities in Romania, Poland, Budapest, and Prague, and we have welcomed ensembles from abroad, from countries with Slovak diaspora communities. These encounters were extremely successful and enriched everyone involved – above all with a sense of belonging and patriotism. And the project has gained additional dimensions as well.
Can you tell us more?
Unique documentary films have been created, capturing folk traditions as they have survived in Slovakia, and I must proudly say that there is also a unique publication on the market, documenting eight years of Slovak Folk Costume Day. The book was published by IKAR and immediately met with enormous interest from readers, which of course gave me great joy. The public embraced it exactly as we intended, with the motto: It is not just a book, it is a chronicle of our nation.
Mária Reháková at Slovak Folk Costume Day, accompanied by Peter Závodský (TBS), Interior Ministry State Secretary Lucia Kurilovská, and her daughter.
Do the strengths you have as a woman help you in difficult situations? Do you know how to use feminine strength?
Not in the simplistic sense. But of course, it is still true that women are more focused, more resilient, and more hard-working than men. I do not know whether these qualities are due to the absence of the Y chromosome or whether it is evolution. It is widely known that a woman must expend far more energy than a man to achieve success. It is still true that men may work from dawn to dusk, but a woman’s work never ends. Alongside their profession, women must also fully dedicate themselves to their families and children – and that is another full-time job. Yet despite this, they reach the same professional milestones as their male colleagues. And it is precisely these exceptional women – their names and inspiring life stories – that have become the pillars of the readers’ poll, Slovak Woman of the Year, a title spoken with respect not only at home but also across Europe. Yes, Slovak Woman of the Year is essentially a celebration of the female power that propels the world forward.
Are you planning to spend Christmas with your family, children, and grandchildren?
Naturally – otherwise it wouldn't feel like Christmas to me. Its true meaning is found in family. It is always a magical moment for me when the candles are lit and we all gather at the table again. These are the moments that make life worth living. They represent the greatest value, the greatest joy, and the greatest happiness; they give meaning to everything I do and everything I strive for. So yes, I will spend Christmas with my loved ones, and I wish such a Christmas to all of you as well.
Mária Reháková with her grandchildren.
Do you have traditions connected with Christmas and the New Year?
I grew up in a family where traditions were preserved, and I hold them in great respect. Even though our times are changing dynamically – sometimes even dramatically – before our eyes, I keep at least the most essential ones, which I see not only as rituals but as a compass for life. And naturally, we always followed the well-known saying “As you greet the New Year, so you will live it,” so I try to spend these holidays in peace, harmony, and an atmosphere of family comfort so that it carries us through the coming year.
CV BOX
Mária Reháková is the owner of the STAR Production publishing house.
After graduating from university, she worked for PZO Intercoop Bratislava from 1976–1989 as a specialist and later as head of department for the USSR, and then Germany and Switzerland.
In 1993, she founded the Promotion agency, which brought numerous successful musicals to Slovakia, including Dracula, Grease, Joan of Arc, Excalibur, and Galileo.
In 2003, she initiated the unique Golden Concert event, which brought together top Slovak and Czech music stars on one stage.
Reháková has been at the helm of the STAR Production publishing house since 2007. Since that year, she has also been fighting to maintain the national heritage that is the Slovenka magazine.
She has supported Slovak fashion through Bratislava Fashion Days since 2005.
The publishing house is also involved in various events, which Reháková has been organizing since 2007 when the Slovak Woman of the Year reader poll was created. On the 70th anniversary of Slovenka magazine, an event to preserve Slovak traditions called Slovak Folk Costume Day was established.
Reháková works on projects that support the youth (Youth Embassy).
Czech–Slovak friendship
Mária Reháková remains closely connected with the Czech Republic despite the split. “For me, it is not just a tradition but also a reality of life – one I have never had the slightest doubt about,” she says. “It is a piece of our shared history, shaped by remarkable figures on both the Czech and Slovak sides, and I consider Milan Rastislav Štefánik to be one of the key personalities behind the creation of our joint state. His ideals and ideas continue to resonate and endure among us. I dare say that even after the division of our two nations, a bond remains between us that is more than friendly. It is a strong sense of belonging that cannot be broken.”
reklama
