Peter Lenek

“After the graduation from grammar school I applied for medical studies at the university. I wasn't accepted and I found out it was because of lack of free places. As a second school I chose the Faculty of Natural Sciences, where I liked biology-chemistry specialization. Worse it was with the school policy and the compulsory subjects in each year, as for example: scientific communism, Marxist-Leninist philosophy, political economy and history of the working movement. These were the four compulsory subjects that had to be passed during the socialist era. I didn't like them; I had a really big problem with them. Throughout the whole year, only once I attended the lecture of Marxist-Leninist philosophy, as fortunately, the lectures were not compulsory. The exercises and seminars were mandatory. I had a serious problem with them because I was a great music fan. I didn't take it as I wanted to oppose to anything. I used to travel to Hungary a lot, where I bought music records and t-shirts, which became the sticking point. My mom bought me a sweat-shirt in Hungary with a big sign of American California University Los Angeles. One day, professor Cirbes, the head of Department of Marxism and Leninism invited me to a 'talk'. That was such a turning point in my life, because he asked me: 'Why do you promote western American imperialistic university on your clothes, comrade Lenek? Why don't you promote our Pavol Jozef Šafárik University?' I was so caught unawares that I didn't know what to reply. I told the truth, as I was taught to do during my whole life: 'Comrade professor, if you made t-shirts with our university sign, I would love to wear them.' Just to explain, nothing like that existed, no one produced anything alike. Thus, since I contradicted him, he only managed to say just one word: 'Out!' and I was kicked out of the study room. This is how I started up my troublesome era.”

“The Czechs were, of course, a bit further. They had a magazine Dissent as well as their influence of music scene was completely different than of the Slovak scene. There were more bands, in Bohemia they tried to play illicitly, too. Our magazine called Melodies was amazing. There I published my first advert to sell the recorded tapes. Many people began to write me, they had a great interest. I sold the recorded tapes really quickly. I replied to the advertisements and wrote that the people can send me blank tapes and I shall record them in return. This is what I did during two – three years and it helped me to earn money for my favorite music. In the package they always sent me tapes along with the money.” “Was the package opened before?” “No, No. The packages were not opened within Czechoslovakia. They were opened only when they arrived from abroad, from the West. However, one day in October 1987 some policemen knocked on my door. They needed to clear something out. At first they left me waiting for two hours outside on Moyzes street. I found out it was done so on purpose, to make me nervous. Then they took me and it was not just clearing out stuff, but rough cross-examination. They said they had some information and they wanted to accompany me to the post office. There we received the package and returned back. The package was opened and there were the tapes and money. I was accused of unauthorized business. The next paradox was that such business or even permission to do such activities never existed. (Laughter) Well, during the socialism, there was actually no private business whatsoever.”