At first, Germans built temporary kitchen in our backyard, then Russians. They called me to help them make pirogi
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Helena Aková, born Vašková, was born on February 24, 1932 in Rozvadze. Parents Anna and Štefan Vašek lived in America for some time, from where they brought money and bought a large farm in Rozvadze. The family of a gendarme from České Budějovice lived in their house, but after the disintegration of Czechoslovakia they had to leave Slovakia. During the Second World War, German soldiers lived in their house and built a field kitchen in their yard. Once during a raid in the barn, they discovered a hidden weapon with ammunition. It was hidden there by their former subtenant, who once belonged to the partisans. After a three-day investigation, the incident settled down. Later, their house was occupied by Russian soldiers and they also set up a field kitchen in their yard. Helena’s mom helped them cook and Helena glued their pirogi. After the war, she finished school, married, and gave birth to four children. Her husband Pavel Ako became the chairman of the farmer’s union cooperative after collectivization. Helena first worked in the cooperative, later in Zlatokov in Trenčín. She has never been politically involved. Her family quietly endured the invasion of Warsaw Pact troops into Czechoslovakia, as did the regime change in November 1989. At present, a retired widow still living in Rozvadze, part of Trenčianske Stankovce.
