Slovak Heritage Expert Faces Threats After Writing Open Letter to Prosecutor General

A Slovak architect and heritage preservation specialist says she has faced harassment, legal threats, and insults — including being called a "reactionary" and a "terrorist" — after writing an open letter to Prosecutor General Maroš Žilinka. Uršula Ivanová, who works in monument protection, said the backlash reflects a broader indifference in Slovak society toward cultural heritage. The dispute was sparked in part by a symbolic gesture: three Slovak flags were placed above the entrance to a government office — a change Ivanová noted was treated as more newsworthy than the ongoing neglect of Slovakia's historic monuments. Žilinka, who heads the Office of the Prosecutor General, the country's top prosecutorial authority, was the recipient of her open letter, though the specific subject of the letter was not detailed further in available reporting. Ivanová said she would be far more encouraged if Slovak citizens showed genuine concern for protecting the country's architectural and cultural heritage, rather than focusing on such superficial displays of national identity.