Museum of History

from 21. 11. 2025 to 28. 9. 2026

The exhibition In Diplomatic Service, organized by the SNM – Museum of History in collaboration with the Seniors of Slovak Diplomacy, presents a selection of state honors awarded to Slovak ambassadors serving abroad from 1993 to the present day.

The 56 decorations, assembled thanks to the willingness of 36 former or still active members of the foreign service, offer an opportunity to glimpse into the previously inaccessible corners of the lives and work of diplomats. Behind every medal lie years of work by people who built the official relations, cooperation, and friendship of the young Slovak Republic with the countries of the world.

Visitors will become acquainted with the artistry of foreign medal makers, diplomas, sashes, and accessories illustrating the award ceremonies held by foreign statesmen. The panels are supplemented by short biographies of the decoration holders and a map of the countries where they served and were honored.

The exhibition is a symbolic celebration of the legacy of General Milan Rastislav Štefánik, whose 145th birth anniversary we commemorate this year. Visitors will also be able to view one of Štefánik's own decorations at the exhibition.

From a historical perspective, M. R. Štefánik is one of the most significant figures in Slovak diplomacy. Thanks to his contacts abroad, he played a key role in the formation of Czechoslovakia. Political and diplomatic representatives of Slovakia referred to Štefánik for decades after his tragic accident, and his legacy remained present in diplomacy even after the emergence of independent Slovakia. The holders of the exhibited decorations strove to act in this very spirit.

You can find the In Diplomatic Service exhibition on the 2nd floor of the SNM – Museum of History at Bratislava Castle.