Trip to Ukraine

I visited Uzhhorod in Ukraine, near the boarder to Hunguray

Last February (2023) I went to Ukraine, a friend of mine needed support for a trip for some bureaucracy and I didn’t say no. She needed to go to a city not far from the Hungarian border, so western Ukraine, where she could have gotten a new passport.

We went to Uzhhorod that is a city located in the western part of Ukraine, near the border with Slovakia and Hungary, so very far from the war, and not at all at risk. It is the administrative centre of the Zakarpattia Oblast (region) and has a population of around 110,000 people.

The city has a rich history that dates back to the 9th century when it was founded as a Slavic settlement. Over the centuries, it was ruled by various empires and states, including the Kingdom of Hungary, the Habsburg Empire, Czechoslovakia, and the Soviet Union, before becoming part of independent Ukraine in 1991.

From Budapest, we took a night train that brought us to Debrecen, the second biggest city in Hungary, there we transferred to a train that went to the east part of Hungary to the last city before the border, where we had the border control, entered Ukraine and arrived in Chop. Getting out of the station in Chop there was another border control, then we took another train to Uzhhorod. The trip overall was very smooth, without any problems and quite fast, around 9 hours.

We stayed just two days, on the first day we visited the city together, on the second my friend went to the office to do her papers and I still went around, after we did some shopping and then did the trip back to Budapest.

One of the most notable landmarks in Uzhhorod is the Uzhhorod Castle, which was built in the 13th century and is located on a hill overlooking the city. The castle has been rebuilt and restored several times throughout history and now houses a museum.

Other notable attractions in Uzhhorod include the Greek Catholic Cathedral, the Transcarpathian Museum of Folk Architecture and Life, and the Philharmonic Hall, we randomly enter the Philarmonic Hall, because it was a synagogue and we were curious about it, and our curiosity took us to see part of a concert because the lady at the entrance gave us the chance to do it.

In addition to its cultural and historical significance, Uzhhorod is also an important centre for education, with several universities and colleges located in the city. It is also a hub for transportation and commerce, with a major railway station and several industrial zones.

One of the first things we did when we arrived was to look for a local market, I love them and I try to visit one when I’m travelling, but we went to the wrong one and two nice ladies helped us to find the one we wanted to see, we had a nice walk and chat together, it was a very good first impression of the city and the people. By the way, we arrived late and the market was almost closed. Then we visited the city, the castle, all the churches, and the city centre, and we faced how people are welcoming and happy to help, even after all they are facing. Of course, the war is far from there, but it is visible, the city is hosting refugees from the other side of the country. I was able to talk with one of them when I was visiting the Christ the Saviour Cathedral and a lady translated for me something and then she told me her story, her year living far from home and that she was living in a hotel and her hope to be able to go back home soon.

Mihaly Kolodko

Kolodko is a sculptor born in Uzhhorod to a mother of Hungarian origin. He is known because of his mini sculptures. His first small works appeared on the streets of Uzhhorod and at first found a mixed reception; later, when they became accustomed, people liked them. The production of small sculptures stemmed from the fact that sculptures made in large sizes must first be made in small sizes. The artist did not always have a client to carry out his plans, and thus, in the absence of financial resources, in order not to lose his ideas, he made them small. Now he is living in Budapest and his statues are all around the city and they became very popular, people started a challenge to find the most of them.

When I saw one of these small statues I immediately thought about him, in Budapest, I saw most of them, and I realized that he was born in Uzhhorod. So I decided to find as many statues as possible. The city is full of these statues, I don’t know if they are all from Kolodko.

I’m grateful to have this opportunity to visit this city and country, and I hope that soon there will be the chance to go also in other parts of Ukraine freely. I was positively impressed by the behaviour of the people, welcoming, curious, open-minded, and always with a smile on their faces. This approach to life was powerful to see, if someone can be like this even in this situation then I have nothing to complain about in my life.