Turňa Castle bastion made safe

Projects supported by the Together for the Region grant program focus on various aspects of improving life in communities in eastern Slovakia. U. S. Steel Košice also supports its employees who are active in this area through this grant program, especially those who are willing to land a hand organizing activities for children, protecting and improving the environment, or raising safety standards. Improved safety was in fact the principal objective of the project named "Safe Bastion" organized by the Castrum Thorna civic association in Turňa nad Bodvou, which gained financial resources in this year's round of the grant program. The stimulus for the project was the injury suffered by a woman visiting Turňa Castle, who fell while taking a selfie amidst the castle ruins, and had to be rescued by helicopter. So the first objective was to motivate the public towards safer behavior around the castle, but also to train our civic association volunteers in providing first aid, and finally to repair part of the castle, the artillery bastion, because stones falling from its walls might be a threat to visitors.

"There are very few stonemasons who are capable of working with historical materials and techniques as required in renovating old buildings, and most of them have experience working on other castles. Our association used to have two amateur castle stonemasons, and both are U. S. Steel Košice employees," says civic association chair Helena Mackovjaková. She won't hear a word against USSK employees, and she herself is full of praise for them. "They started coming here and helping out from the very beginning. They're so enthusiastic that they won't hesitate to change a shift or take some holiday so that they can help out with the work."

Atila Vozár and his sister Laura, Rastislav Hutkay, Zoltán Majancsík and Ján Cisko with his wife and son have taken part in more than a few volunteer work sessions. A couple of former USSK employees have joined them as well, namely Jozes Szitás and Štefan Tokár. When something comes from the heart, you can see it in the results!