Tucked away on a small cul-de-sac on the eastern side of Rockcliffe Park is the residence of Slovak Ambassador Andrej Droba, his wife, Daniela, and their 11-year-old daughter, Sara. A family-style home in most respects, the house was built in 1984 on a large tract of private land on the eastern side of McKay Lake and what is known as the Pond.
This newer portion of tony Rockcliffe is now home to many less ostentatious diplomatic residences than its older sisters in the western area of the village, but has many charms to offer. Swimming access to the pond is one benefit and became popular with homeowners when the Village of Rockcliffe Park and the landowner came to an agreement on how the last large parcel of land could be developed in such a way as to keep community access to the area’s natural beauty.
The Slovak government bought the house in 1998. The purchase came about following what was called the Velvet Revolution in Czechoslovakia in 1989, followed by the Velvet Divorce, which peacefully created two different countries. The divorce agreement, said the ambassador, meant that in Ottawa, the Czech government retained the residence and moved out of the embassy on Rideau Terrace, while the Slovak government kept the embassy and bought itself a new ambassadorial residence.
The traditional brick house has two large rooms on the main floor with a white tile entranceway and central
staircase leading to the second floor. The large reception room stretches up the full two storeys of the house with a brick fireplace reaching up to the ceiling, emphasizing the height of the room. White walls, curtains and furniture give the room lightness and brightness and a great sense of space. The white decorating scheme provides a gallery-like background for the couple’s extensive art collection, one that fills the main reception room, hallway and dining room with paintings and drawings. Most are Slovak scenes, but a few are striking abstracts as well.
“We like art,” he says of his collection.
Directly over the fireplace is a colourful photographic art piece of a smiling young woman with a delicately painted face. She’s wearing a traditional embroidered headdress. The striking adornments were once worn by young women and taken off the night before their wedding. “These stunning headpieces have now been relegated to grandmas’ attics,” says Droba, noting that the artist has travelled the country collecting and photographing the lovely pieces in dynamic style to highlight their beauty. The photographs were shown in a special exhibition at Ottawa City Hall in May.
Much of the family’s personal art collection is made up of Slovak and Slovak-Canadian pieces. Two of the most important pieces are by Emil Purgina, a Bratislava-born artist who settled in Ottawa after the Soviet army invaded his homeland in 1968. He found work at the University in Ottawa and has had many shows across the U.S. and Canada, but had never before been shown in Slovakia. Sponsored by the ambassador, he finally had his first show there in 2016. Two of his pieces hang in the residence’s dining room, alongside two paintings of the square in Bratislava, the hometown of the ambassador and his wife. They will soon be returning there after four years in Ottawa. Previously, they have had postings in Washington and in New York at the UN.
The dining room is also home to a stunning collection of Slovak crystal and Daniela’s collection of tiny, traditional cornhusk dolls. Also hanging on the walls are two charming Baffin Island scenes that will be moving overseas along with two soapstone carvings from the Canadian Arctic.
The diplomats entertain a lot, they say, often opening their home for charitable events. They can accommodate 12 guests for sit-down dinners and as many as 40 for receptions. For very large events, they use the embassy. A Slovak chef cooks specialties of the country, including national favourites such as dumplings with duck, and goulash. But the ambassador also likes to take to the kitchen himself to whip up his version of kapustnica, a sauerkraut soup made with sausages, pork, mushrooms and various spices, commonly served for Christmas, New Year’s and weddings and punched up with a daub of sour cream. In fact, his recipe can be found in the cookbook called Culinary Treasures from Around the World (published in honour of the 150th anniversary of Canada and featuring recipes from diplomats posted here.) Daniela makes wonderful bobovka, a delicious pound cake of raisins, vanilla and chocolate meant to be eaten for breakfast. The embassy also serves national cheeses from a Slovak cheesemaker in Ottawa.
The family leaves this post this summer, taking with them memories of their first ambassadorship and their art collection. The next occupants of the residence will undoubtedly offer a whole new experience of Slovak hospitality to visitors and their own art in the pretty brick Rockcliffe house.
Margo Roston is Diplomat’s culture editor.
