A Slovak MP with a documented history of ties to Russian military figures has come under renewed scrutiny after orchestrating an official visit by students from MGIMO—Russia’s elite diplomatic academy long known for its connections to the Kremlin’s foreign ministry and intelligence services. The delegation, invited by HLAS-SD MP Michal Bartek, was received by senior figures across Slovakia’s political leadership, including the Prime Minister, Speaker of Parliament, Interior Minister, and Deputy Prime Minister, all members of the ruling coalition dominated by HLAS and its closest ally, the nationalist-populist Smer party. The visit culminated in a ceremonial speech by a Russian student at the Slavín war memorial, attended by the Russian ambassador but boycotted by EU diplomats in protest. While Bartek downplayed the visit as an academic exchange, his past public embrace of a Russian military attaché’s assistant—while wearing a Kremlin-aligned paramilitary symbol—has led critics to warn that the event was not an accident, but part of a longer-standing pattern of Russian infiltration and soft power cultivation within Slovak state structures.
Michal Bartek, a Member of Parliament for HLAS-SD, played a central role in organising a high-level visit to Slovakia by students from MGIMO (Moscow State Institute of International Relations)—a move that has intensified scrutiny of his long-standing links to Russian state actors. MGIMO is Russia’s elite diplomatic academy, widely known for its close ties to the country’s foreign ministry and intelligence services, and often regarded as a key recruitment ground for Kremlin operatives.
Bartek’s involvement in hosting the delegation is being widely interpreted not as an isolated misstep but as part of a longer pattern. In 2020, he published a photo on his Facebook profile showing himself in a friendly embrace with Alexander Zadorozhny, assistant to the Russian military attaché in Slovakia. Bartek was wearing the St. George Ribbon, a militarist symbol widely adopted by Kremlin-aligned separatists in Ukraine. The image was deleted shortly after it surfaced, coinciding with the official launch of HLAS-SD by Peter Pellegrini.
Michal Bartek (right), now a Member of Parliament for HLAS-SD, pictured in 2020 in a friendly pose with Alexander Zadorozhny, assistant to the Russian military attaché at the Russian Embassy in Bratislava, wearing the St. George Ribbon—a symbol widely used by Kremlin-aligned nationalist and separatist groups. Source: Infosecurity.sk
The visit took place between late March and early April 2025 and included a commemorative ceremony at Slavín, where MGIMO student Irina Zajkina gave a speech referring to “historical Russo-Slovak friendship.” She was followed by Igor Bratchikov, Russian Ambassador to Slovakia and a fellow MGIMO alumnus. The speeches were delivered in the presence of Prime Minister Robert Fico, Speaker of Parliament Richard Raši, and other members of the Slovak cabinet. Notably, ambassadors from EU member states boycotted the event in protest of the Russian delegation’s invitation.
During their stay, the delegation was received by a wide range of high-level Slovak officials. They were welcomed by Interior Minister and HLAS chairman Matúš Šutaj Eštok, Deputy Prime Minister Peter Kmec—an MGIMO graduate who praised the institution—and Speaker of Parliament Richard Raši. The students also met with Branislav Ondruš, HLAS MEP; Jozef Habánik, Rector of Trenčín University and MP for Smer-SD; and Ján Hrinka, State Secretary at the Ministry of Education. They were hosted in Parliament, where they engaged with Marian Kéry, Chair of the Foreign Affairs Committee, and Richard Glück, Chair of the Defence and Security Committee (both Smer-SD). Outside of Bratislava, they met with Radoslav Vazan, Mayor of Krupina, and Ľubomír Halabrín, Mayor of Myjava.
Though HLAS-SD officially declares its support for Slovakia’s EU and NATO membership, the party is composed of senior political figures who broke away from Robert Fico’s Smer-SD, and it remains Smer’s closest ally in the current ruling coalition. The participation of so many HLAS figures in the MGIMO visit has deepened public unease about the party’s strategic orientation and susceptibility to Kremlin influence.
Bartek attempted to downplay the significance of the visit, stating that “a large part” of the students were Slovaks studying in Moscow and that “other students from other countries” had also attended. When questioned further, he replied: “Why shouldn’t I meet with students from any country?” and dismissed concerns about Russian attendees: “I don’t understand your question.” Asked how the Russian students obtained Slovak visas despite EU-wide restrictions, Bartek responded: “You must be joking. They came the standard way. Ask them. I didn’t arrange their visas.”
Jozef Habánik, who received the delegation at Trenčín University, also rejected any political implications of the visit, saying: “It was a trouble-free visit.” He further argued that the students had shown respect for democracy by honouring Alexander Dubček, a Slovak reformist leader from the Prague Spring.
However, concerns were raised from within HLAS. MP Ján Ferenčák expressed disapproval, stating that any engagement with MGIMO students should have occurred in academic settings and not on the premises of the National Council: “Such a meeting is certainly not diplomatically appropriate in Parliament.”
MP Tomáš Valášek of the opposition Progressive Slovakia, a member of the Foreign Affairs Committee, emphasised that while MGIMO is not under EU sanctions, its associations are clear: “MGIMO has long been considered an institution very close to Russian intelligence services.” He added that Slovak foreign ministry staff who studied there have previously encountered problems obtaining security clearances.
The Russian Embassy in Slovakia, which directly recruits for MGIMO, promoted the visit on its Facebook page and described the university as offering “world-class education.” The embassy also quoted Deputy Prime Minister Kmec as expressing hope that Slovak students would continue to study at MGIMO in the future.
As Bartek’s involvement in both the organisation of this visit and past pro-Russian displays come under renewed examination, questions persist about the extent to which Russian influence has permeated Slovakia’s political institutions through symbolic diplomacy and elite grooming.
Source:
Miro Kern | Denník N
Victor Breiner | Infosecurity.sk
