THE UKRAINIAN COMMUNITY IN HUNGARY: INSTITUTIONAL DEVELOPMENT AND CULTURAL ACTIVITIES BETWEEN 1991 AND 2022
Keywords:
Ukrainian community, Hungary, Ukrainian Cultural Association in Hungary, Ukrainian identity, cultureAbstract
This article addresses the complex issue of the formation, development, and transformation of the Ukrainian community in Hungary from the beginning of Ukraine’s independence in 1991 to the eve of the full-scale Russian invasion on February 24, 2022. The study examines the dynamics of the community’s growth, from several hundred individuals in 1991 to nearly ten thousand on the eve of 2022. In this context, the emergence and development of Ukrainian organizations, associations, societies, and unions are analyzed. Particular attention is paid to the activities of the Ukrainian Cultural Association in Hungary and the State Self-Government of the Ukrainian Nationality, as well as to their role as fundamental institutions of the Ukrainian community in Hungary. Significant emphasis is placed on the figure of Yaroslava Khortyani as a key individual in the establishment, functioning, and systematization of Ukrainian organizations. The article highlights the importance of religion, rituals, traditions, language, and national identity, along with its attributes, within the system of preserving and strengthening the Ukrainian community in Hungary. It also provides a detailed examination of various forms of community activity, ranging from small-scale private celebrations to the lobbying of minority interests by Ukrainian representatives in the Hungarian Parliament. Special attention is given to the establishment of memorial sites by the Ukrainian community across Hungary as a vivid and effective example of community activity and a form of demonstrating Ukrainian presence. The study outlines the paradigm shift in the activities of the Ukrainian community during the events of the Revolution of Dignity (2013–2014) and the onset of the Russian-Ukrainian war in 2014. The article also highlights initiatives and events that demonstrated unity and friendship between Ukrainians and Hungarians, as well as the interaction between the cultures of both nations. Finally, it identifies the main centers of the Ukrainian community in different regions of Hungary within the context of a unified national community.
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