Roman Samotný founded Tepláreň. Fifteen years ago, it started as a one-time party focused on queer music; later, it became a bar in downtown Bratislava—and gradually evolved into a place that has become a home for the Slovak LGBTI+ community. This is his story.
From a TV appearance and an ad in the newspaper Pravda, through his performances at the NoMantinels theater and the first Tepláreň party (where 500 people showed up instead of 100), the challenges of running a bar that he came to love so much he called it “his baby,” all the way to the terrorist attack in October 2022 and everything that followed. And finally, about how he views human understanding today—and what activism means to him.
A series of interviews captures the experience of five personalities who have significantly shaped modern queer activism in Slovakia since 2008. They talk about the beginnings, turning points, burnout, loss of security, social hatred, but also about solidarity, hope and the need to continue.
The interviews with them were conducted in October 2025 by historian Jana Jablonická Zezulová. Production: Róbert Pakan, Sandra Polovková.
