The Long Marikov Valley is measured from Udić to the upper end of 16 km. Of this, more than two-thirds are made by Horni Marikova, with an area of ​​4755 hectares.

The original village of Marik was divided into Horná and Dolná Mariková in 1954. The combined village had more than 6000 inhabitants, of which 2640 were in the territory of Horni Marikova, today it is only about six hundred. Chotár is mountainous, the lowest point in the part of Paseka is at an altitude of 370 meters, the highest peak of Stratenka in Javorníkoch is 1055 m high.

Settlement extends along the Marikovka stream, narrow narrow valleys with lazmi turn from the main valley, so about 107 settlements are distributed around the center of the village. The village sinks slowly, becoming a paradise for hutters who buy and rebuild old houses and for tourists.

Heavy living conditions in the mountains, rather poverty as much, excess, not to say, "Mariks" to people with a hard character, but with a sense of humor. Sometimes harsh, sometimes loving ones.

"The world is ending in us, in the Upper Marikova the flies are rotating too," laughs Pavol Pacek from the expression of the final village. "For the Slovak state, the retired Juraj Martecik, called Kvako, declared President of the Republic of Marik. He was a stupid man, but a former soldier, he was a master of languages, he went to foreign robots, he was on the Russian front. "He brought out tobacco, he was collecting tobacco from the first Republic and Kvako took the pipe to the President of Masaryk. He thinks he can smoke such expensive tobacco himself, the Mariks will not smoke him.

The nicknames were added to the menus, as there were several residents in the village with the same surname. During the registration of the population after the establishment of Czechoslovakia, many reported only one name, so it was also possible for siblings to have different surnames. Upper Marik residents with humor tell us that there are five states in the world that are smaller than their counterparts - the Vatican, Monaco, island states in Nauru, Tokelau, and Tuvalu.

People started out in small crowds, many started to do in factories in nearby towns, others went to work for a long time. But misery was some inspiration for some. "In Dolna Marikova he lived first-class painter for the First Republic. He tried to paint everything, and for the money came. He "made" at the end of the day, picked up the tabs and produced quite hard conditions in Czechoslovak banknotes. His brother walked around them, even on the way, even to Prague. He spread fifty and had the right menu. Once the painter came to the pub in nearby Hoštine and paid for his product. But Krčmár did not have to give up, he missed the little one, but he went to the next room. He had previously washed his glasses, had wet hands, and when he returned he had sunburned skin because his water colors remained on his hands. Though the painter went, the tavern knew him, but he did. The artist got two basses for two years, and he died also in Ilave. He was painting a picture of the bachar, a copy of a Flemish master not recognized by the National Museum. He had a wonderful sense of color and managed landscapes and characters, "concluded Pavol Pacek's funny talk.

Author: Leo Kužela