Svoboda Zakarpattya branch won’t let Hungarians unveil monument on Veretsky Pass

July09200819:18

Svoboda party in Zakarpattya questioned the legality of building by Hungarians a monument to commemorate the creation of the Hungarian state 1,100 years ago. Pending the answer from the local authorities confirming the issue of a permit to install the monument, |Svoboda members will bloc the monument unveiling, head of Svoboda branch Oleh Kutsyn told ZIK.

The unveiling was scheduled for July 8 to coincide with the visit of the Hungarian president to the area, but was cancelled due to protests. “We have gathered about 100 activists from Zakarpattya and other oblasts and this forced the authorities to change the Hungarian president itinerary.

Comment by ZIK

In 1995, the World Hungarian Union proposed to build a monument on the Veretsky Pass in memory of the arrival of Hungarians in the area. However, the Ukrainian authorities were in no hurry to issue the required permits.

June 20, 2008, Svoboda members renamed the monument, calling it the monument to commemorate the victims of Hungarian oppression in 1939-1944 and installing the Ukrainian trident and a plaque saying “Long live the Ukrainian patriots, Karpatska Sich fighters. With apologies from the Hungarian people.”