Hungarians in Ukraine
Encyclopedia
Ukrainian Census (2001)
The first Ukrainian Census was carried out by State Statistics Committee of Ukraine on 5 December 2001, twelve years after the last Soviet Union census in 1989....
. Hungarians are largely concentrated in the Zakarpattia Oblast
Zakarpattia Oblast
The Zakarpattia Oblast is an administrative oblast located in southwestern Ukraine. Its administrative center is the city of Uzhhorod...
, where they form the largest minority at 12.1% of the population (12.7% when native language is concerned). In the area along the border to Hungary
Hungary
Hungary , officially the Republic of Hungary , is a landlocked country in Central Europe. It is situated in the Carpathian Basin and is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine and Romania to the east, Serbia and Croatia to the south, Slovenia to the southwest and Austria to the west. The...
, Hungarians form the majority.
History
Today's Zakarpattia was part of the Kingdom of HungaryKingdom of Hungary
The Kingdom of Hungary comprised present-day Hungary, Slovakia and Croatia , Transylvania , Carpatho Ruthenia , Vojvodina , Burgenland , and other smaller territories surrounding present-day Hungary's borders...
since its foundation in the year 1000. From 1867, Hungary was a constituent part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, until the latter's demise at the end of World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
. The Zakarpattia region was briefly part of the short-lived West Ukrainian National Republic
West Ukrainian National Republic
The West Ukrainian People's Republic was a short-lived republic that existed in late 1918 and early 1919 in eastern Galicia, that claimed parts of Bukovina and Carpathian Ruthenia and included the cities of Lviv , Przemyśl , Kolomyia , and Stanislaviv...
in 1918 and occupied by Romania
Romania
Romania is a country located at the crossroads of Central and Southeastern Europe, on the Lower Danube, within and outside the Carpathian arch, bordering on the Black Sea...
at end of that year. It was later recaptured by Hungary
Hungary
Hungary , officially the Republic of Hungary , is a landlocked country in Central Europe. It is situated in the Carpathian Basin and is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine and Romania to the east, Serbia and Croatia to the south, Slovenia to the southwest and Austria to the west. The...
in the summer of 1919. After the defeat of the remaining Hungarian armies in 1919, the Paris Peace Conference concluded the Treaty of Trianon
Treaty of Trianon
The Treaty of Trianon was the peace agreement signed in 1920, at the end of World War I, between the Allies of World War I and Hungary . The treaty greatly redefined and reduced Hungary's borders. From its borders before World War I, it lost 72% of its territory, which was reduced from to...
that awarded Zakarpattia to the newly formed Czechoslovakia
Czechoslovakia
Czechoslovakia or Czecho-Slovakia was a sovereign state in Central Europe which existed from October 1918, when it declared its independence from the Austro-Hungarian Empire, until 1992...
as the Subcarpathian Rus, one of the four main regions of that new state, the others being Bohemia
Bohemia
Bohemia is a historical region in central Europe, occupying the western two-thirds of the traditional Czech Lands. It is located in the contemporary Czech Republic with its capital in Prague...
, Moravia
Moravia
Moravia is a historical region in Central Europe in the east of the Czech Republic, and one of the former Czech lands, together with Bohemia and Silesia. It takes its name from the Morava River which rises in the northwest of the region...
and Slovakia
Slovakia
The Slovak Republic is a landlocked state in Central Europe. It has a population of over five million and an area of about . Slovakia is bordered by the Czech Republic and Austria to the west, Poland to the north, Ukraine to the east and Hungary to the south...
.
During the World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
German occupation of Czechoslovakia
German occupation of Czechoslovakia
German occupation of Czechoslovakia began with the Nazi annexation of Czechoslovakia's northern and western border regions, known collectively as the Sudetenland, under terms outlined by the Munich Agreement. Nazi leader Adolf Hitler's pretext for this effort was the alleged privations suffered by...
, the southern, Hungarian majority part of the region was awarded to Hungary
Hungary
Hungary , officially the Republic of Hungary , is a landlocked country in Central Europe. It is situated in the Carpathian Basin and is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine and Romania to the east, Serbia and Croatia to the south, Slovenia to the southwest and Austria to the west. The...
under the First Vienna Award
First Vienna Award
The First Vienna Award was the result of the First Vienna Arbitration, which took place at Vienna's Belvedere Palace on November 2, 1938. The Arbitration and Award were direct consequences of the Munich Agreement...
in 1938. The remaining portion was constituted as an autonomous region of the short-lived Second Czechoslovak Republic
German occupation of Czechoslovakia
German occupation of Czechoslovakia began with the Nazi annexation of Czechoslovakia's northern and western border regions, known collectively as the Sudetenland, under terms outlined by the Munich Agreement. Nazi leader Adolf Hitler's pretext for this effort was the alleged privations suffered by...
. After the occupation of Bohemia and Moravia on March 15, 1939 and the Slovak declaration of an independent state
Slovak Republic (1939-1945)
The Slovak Republic , also known as the First Slovak Republic or the Slovak State , was a fascist state which existed from 14 March 1939 to 8 May 1945 as a puppet state of Nazi Germany. It existed on roughly the same territory as present-day Slovakia...
, Ruthenia declared its independence (Republic of Carpatho-Ukraine
Carpatho-Ukraine
Carpatho-Ukraine was an autonomous region within Czechoslovakia from late 1938 to March 15, 1939. It declared itself an independent republic on March 15, 1939, but was occupied by Hungary between March 15 and March 18, 1939, remaining under Hungarian control until the Nazi occupation of Hungary in...
) but it was immediately occupied and later annexed by Hungary.
When the Soviet Army
Red Army
The Workers' and Peasants' Red Army started out as the Soviet Union's revolutionary communist combat groups during the Russian Civil War of 1918-1922. It grew into the national army of the Soviet Union. By the 1930s the Red Army was among the largest armies in history.The "Red Army" name refers to...
crossed the pre-1938 borders of Czechoslovakia in 1944, Soviet authorities refused to allow Czechoslovak governmental officials to resume control over the region, and in June 1945, President Edvard Beneš
Edvard Beneš
Edvard Beneš was a leader of the Czechoslovak independence movement, Minister of Foreign Affairs and the second President of Czechoslovakia. He was known to be a skilled diplomat.- Youth :...
formally signed a treaty ceding the area to the Soviet Union
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
. It was then incorporated into the Ukrainian SSR
Ukrainian SSR
The Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic or in short, the Ukrainian SSR was a sovereign Soviet Socialist state and one of the fifteen constituent republics of the Soviet Union lasting from its inception in 1922 to the breakup in 1991...
. After the break-up of the Soviet Union, it became part of independent Ukraine as the Zakarpattia Oblast.
Situation of Hungarians in the independent Ukraine
Probably due to its interest in the ethnic Hungarian population in Zakarpattia, HungaryHungary
Hungary , officially the Republic of Hungary , is a landlocked country in Central Europe. It is situated in the Carpathian Basin and is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine and Romania to the east, Serbia and Croatia to the south, Slovenia to the southwest and Austria to the west. The...
was the first country to recognize Ukraine's independence. Árpád Göncz
Árpád Göncz
Árpád Göncz is a Hungarian liberal politician and former President of Hungary . Göncz played a role in the Hungarian Revolution of 1956...
, who was president of Hungary at the time, was invited to visit the region, and a join declaration, followed in December 1991 by a state treaty, acknowledged that the ethnic Hungarian minority had collective as well as individual rights. The treaty provided for the preservation of their ethnic, cultural, linguistic, and religious identities; education at all levels in the mother tongue; and the ethnic Hungarians' participation in local authorities charged with minority affairs.
Minority rights
Residents in seven of Mukachivskyi RaionMukachivskyi Raion
The Mukachevo Raion is a raion of the Zakarpattia Oblast in Ukraine. Mukachevo is the administrative center of the raion.-Towns:-Villages:...
's villages have the option to learn the Hungarian language
Hungarian language
Hungarian is a Uralic language, part of the Ugric group. With some 14 million speakers, it is one of the most widely spoken non-Indo-European languages in Europe....
in a school or home school environment. The first Hungarian College in Ukraine is in Berehovo, the II. Rákoczi Ferenc College.
Organisation
The Hungarian Democratic Federation in Ukraine (UMDSz) is the only nationally registered Hungarian organization. It was established in October 1991 by the Hungarian Cultural Federation in Transcarpathia (KMKSz, which has suspended its membership since 1995), the Cultural Federation of Hungarians in LvivLviv
Lviv is a city in western Ukraine. The city is regarded as one of the main cultural centres of today's Ukraine and historically has also been a major Polish and Jewish cultural center, as Poles and Jews were the two main ethnicities of the city until the outbreak of World War II and the following...
, and the Association of Hungarians in Kiev
Kiev
Kiev or Kyiv is the capital and the largest city of Ukraine, located in the north central part of the country on the Dnieper River. The population as of the 2001 census was 2,611,300. However, higher numbers have been cited in the press....
. The Hungarian Cultural Federation in Transcarpathia is associated with the political party KMKSz – Hungarian Party in Ukraine, which was established in February 2005. In March 2005, the Ukrainian Ministry of Justice also registered the Hungarian Democratic Party in Ukraine upon the initiative of the UMDSz. Also Zoltán Lengyel was elected as mayor of Mukachevo after the election on 1 December 2008. UMDSz also won city municipalities of Berehove
Berehove
Berehove is a city located in the Zakarpattia Oblast in western Ukraine, near the border with Hungary.Serving as the administrative center of the Berehove Raion , the city itself is also designated as a separate raion within the oblast...
, Vynohradiv
Vynohradiv
Vynohradiv , , Yiddish: סעליש ) is a city in western Ukraine, Zakarpattia Oblast. It has 27,600 inhabitants . It is center of Vynohradiv Raion.-Location:The city lies near the river Tisza and the border with Romania...
and Tiachiv
Tiachiv
Tyachiv is a city located on the Tisza River in the Zakarpattia Oblast in western Ukraine. It is the administrative center of the Tiachiv Raion .- History and name :...
in this election.
Demographics
The following data is according to the Ukrainian census of 2001.| City name | Population | Number of ethnic Hungarians | Percentage |
|---|---|---|---|
| Uzhhorod Uzhhorod Uzhhorod or Uzhgorod is a city located in western Ukraine, at the border with Slovakia and near the border with Hungary. It is the administrative center of the Zakarpattia Oblast , as well as the administrative center of the surrounding Uzhhorodskyi Raion within the oblast... (Ungvár) |
115,600 | 8,000 | 6.9% |
| Berehovo (Beregszász) | 26,600 | 12,800 | 48.1% |
| Mukacheve Mukacheve Mukachevo or Mukacheve is a city located in the valley of the Latorica river in the Zakarpattia Oblast , in southwestern Ukraine. Serving as the administrative center of the Mukachivskyi Raion , the city itself is also designated as a separate raion within the oblast... (Munkács) |
81,600 | 7,000 | 8.5% |
| Khust Khust Khust is a city located on the Khustets River in the Zakarpattia oblast in western Ukraine. It is near the confluence of the Tisza and Rika Rivers... (Huszt) |
31,900 | 1,700 | 5.4% |
| Raion name | Population | Number of ethnic Hungarians | Percentage |
|---|---|---|---|
| Berehivskyi Raion Berehivskyi Raion The Berehove Raion is a district in the Zakarpattia oblast in the westernmost corner of Ukraine. The main city and administrative center is Berehove. For over half of millennium the territory of the district was part of Bereg County.-Location:... (Beregszászi járás) |
54,000 | 41,200 | 76.1% |
| Velykyy Bereznyi Raion Velykyy Bereznyi Raion Velykyy Bereznyi Raion is a raion in Zakarpattia Oblast in western Ukraine. Its administrative center is Velykyy Bereznyi. It has a population of 28 211.-External links:*... (Nagybereznai járás) |
28,200 | — | — |
| Vynohradiv Raion Vynohradiv Raion Vynohradiv Raion is a raion in Zakarpattia Oblast in western Ukraine. Its administrative center is Vynohradiv. It has a population of 117957.-External links:*... (Nagyszőlősi járás) |
118,000 | 30,900 | 26.2% |
| Volovets Raion Volovets Raion Volovets Raion is a raion in Zakarpattia Oblast in western Ukraine. Its administrative center is Volovets. It has a population of 25 474.-External links:*... (Volóci járás) |
25,500 | — | — |
| Irshavskyi Raion Irshavskyi Raion Irshava Raion is a raion in Zakarpattia Oblast of westernmost corner of Ukraine. The main city and administrative center is Irshava. Irshava district is situated on the foothills on the Carpathian mountains.-External links:... (Ilosvai járás) |
100,900 | 100 | 0.1% |
| Mizhhiria Raion Mizhhiria Raion Mizhhiria Raion is a raion in Zakarpattia Oblast in western Ukraine. Its administrative center is Mizhhiria. It has a population of 49,890.-External links:*... (Ökörmezői járás) |
49,900 | — | — |
| Mukachivskyi Raion Mukachivskyi Raion The Mukachevo Raion is a raion of the Zakarpattia Oblast in Ukraine. Mukachevo is the administrative center of the raion.-Towns:-Villages:... (Munkácsi járás) |
101,400 | 12,900 | 12.7% |
| Perechyn Raion Perechyn Raion Perechyn Raion is a raion in Zakarpattia Oblast in western Ukraine. Its administrative center is Perechyn. It has a population of 32 026.-External links:*... (Perecsenyi járás) |
32,000 | — | — |
| Rakhiv Raion Rakhiv Raion Rakhiv Raion is a raion in Zakarpattia Oblast in western Ukraine. Its administrative center is Rakhiv. It has a population of 90,945.- Administrative division :City: Rakhiv Towns:... (Rahói járás) |
90,900 | 2,900 | 3.2% |
| Svaliava Raion Svaliava Raion Svaliava Raion is a raion in Zakarpattia Oblast in western Ukraine. Its administrative center is Svaliava. It has a population of 54 869.-External links:*... (Szolyvai járás) |
54,900 | 400 | 0.7% |
| Tiachiv Raion Tiachiv Raion Tiachiv Raion is a raion in Zakarpattia Oblast in western Ukraine. Its administrative center is Tiachiv. It has a population of 171 850.-External links:*... (Técsői járás) |
171,900 | 5,000 | 2.9% |
| Uzhhorodskyi Raion Uzhhorodskyi Raion Uzhhorod Raion is one of the raions of Zakarpattia Oblast in western Ukraine. It's administrative center is the city of Uzhhorod, also the center of the surrounding oblast.-Cities:-Towns:-Villages:... (Ungvári járás) |
74,400 | 24,800 | 33.4% |
| Khust Raion Khust Raion Khust Raion is a raion in Zakarpattia Oblast in western Ukraine. Its administrative center is Khust. It has a population of 96 960.-External links:*... (Huszti járás) |
96,900 | 3,800 | 3.9% |