Encounter of nationalities – IV. BercsényiFest in Ungvár

The non-governmental organization, Pro Cultura Subcarpathica (PCS) organized the Bercsényi Festival for the fourth time in the castle of Ungvár on September 19, 2021.

At the chief town of the county, the spirituality of Count Miklós Bercsényi, chief lord of Ung County and his wife, Krisztina Csáky, was revived. The event was also honored by the presence of the count couple: Miklós Bercsényi was personified by Attila Ferenci, an actor from Beregszász, and Krisztina Csáky by assistant actor, Jázmin Heczel. The hosts also paid their respects in the city center and then, crossing the pedestrian bridge, they also advertised the ceremony at the Petőfi Square.

At the beginning of the event, those who were present, placed wreaths of remembrance at the busts of Count Miklós Bercsényi and Krisztina Csáky.

The event was opened by Ildikó Orosz, President of Pro Cultura Subcarpathica. She emphasized the importance of remembering our predecessors and setting an example for them. Miklós Bercsényi was familiar with the culture, traditions and language of the nationalities living on his estates. He made the Ung region prosperous and we should take an example from that. The PCS president concluded that the main goal of the venet is to bring the nationalities together.

Áron Cseh, the Chief Consul of the Consulate General of Hungary in Ungvár, Lívia Balogh County Representative, head of the Ungvár District Organisation of the Cultural Alliance of Hungarians in Sub-Carpathia and Delehan Mihajlo, Acting Director of the Tivadar Lehoczky Transcarpathian Museum of Homeland Studies also held their speeches. After that, folk music and folk dance groups from Ung County performed on the stage.

At the same time with the programs, the Tradition Preservation Association of Salánk held a demonstration of weapons and costumes. Also, the organizers were waiting for those interested for free craft classes: making baroque-style jewelry, masks, fans and dolls, getting acquainted with the techniques of glass decoration and face painting.

At the event the Hungarian band Honeybeast gave a concert. The band, which boasts two gold records, took the stage for the first time in Transcarpathia. In addition to the already well-known hits, the audience could also hear some new tracks, such as the recently unveiled After Midnight. Their best-known song, the Greatest Hero, was sung by more than thousands of people with the band.

The festival was crowned by a performance by the Fire Life. The five youngsters performed dazzling fire shows.

The IV. BercsényiFest was held with the support of the Hungarian government, the government commission responsible for the governmental coordination of the cooperation and coordinated development tasks of Transcarpathia, the Gábor Bethlen Fund, and the Tivadar Lehoczky Transcarpathian Museum of Homeland Studies.

B. K.

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