Mária Mizeráková
Eighty-year-old Florián Šavrtka comes from an old shepherding family in Liptovské Revúce. He only attended school during the winter months. He spent his youth and all his active years on the mountainside. As a young child, he was already helping his father and the men in the family with their work on the sheep farm. Alongside shepherding, all the men in this family played the fujara pipe and their own home-made six-hole shepherd’s flute. He himself is an excellent performer on these wind instruments, with ancient methods of playing which are enhanced by his personal experience of the subject-matter sung in the songs. And alongside this knowledge, he also learnt the secrets of producing splint baskets in his family. The baskets made by the Šavrtka family were renowned far and wide for their quality. Even today, Florián Šavrtka continues to made several types of baskets: for collecting mushrooms, carrying logs to the fireplaces, for making bread as well as those which can be carried on the back. In addition, his portfolio includes trays, small baskets, lampshade and even bird feeders. He was awarded the title of Master of Folk Art Production in 2020 for his traditional method of producing splints and splint baskets.