He was born in Hybe as the second from four kids in a family of dressmakers.
There are some of them – writers Jakub Grajchman and Dobroslav Chrobák, writer and screenwriter Peter Jaroš, historian and writer Rudo Brtáň, poet Július Lenko, actors Ivan Rajniak, Ondrej Jariabek, Teodor Piovarči, Slavo Záhradník, director Ondrej Rajniak, director of amateur theatre Ruzena Jariabeková, academic painter Pavol Michalides, architects Ján Svetlík, Jozef Chrobák, Vladimir Chrobák, Ján Mlynár and many others.