Eighty Years Since the Soviet Bombing of Beregszász
This year, the Pro Cultura Subcarpathica (PCS) civil organization and the Hungarian Consulate in Beregszász commemorated the victims of the bombing on October 9, 1944, at the city’s public cemetery, near the Hungarian soldiers’ plot, and then at the local train station.
At the cemetery, István Gyebnár, the chargé d’affaires of the Hungarian Consulate in Beregszász, delivered a speech recalling the events of the bombing. He emphasized that remembering past events is an important duty of the surviving community, encouraging them to draw strength from this remembrance to strive for lasting peace and to prevent history from repeating itself. The consul mentioned that the war in Ukraine has been ongoing for more than 900 days, resulting in many casualties, including Hungarians.
“I hope peace will be restored in Ukraine as soon as possible, and peaceful reconstruction can begin!” he stated.
Following this, the attendees heard a poetic presentation from 9th-grade students of the Beregszászi Bethlen Gábor High School, after which representatives from historical churches addressed the gathered crowd. The commemorators then laid wreaths in honor of the victims.
The event continued at the train station, organized by the PCS. It began with Szilveszter Ferku, a staff member of the Philology Department at Ferenc Rakoczi II Transcarpathian Hungarian College of Higher Education, performing the song titled “The Trumpet Was Sounded in the Carpathians.”
Zoltán Babják, the mayor of Beregszász, referred to the events of 1944 as one of the darkest moments in history. “This tragedy is an inseparable part of our city’s history. It is important to remember and preserve the memory of the victims. The horrors of the ongoing conflict, now in its 958th day, remind us of the devastation and emotional pain that war can cause,” the mayor stated.
Babják emphasized that respect for the heroes and victims of Beregszász is now even more pronounced, as it underscores the importance of peace and solidarity.
Erik Maruszics, an adjunct professor at the History and Social Sciences Department of the Ferenc Rakoczi II Transcarpathian Hungarian College of Higher Education, recalled the key moments of the events of 1944. According to some sources, on this day 80 years ago, 27 Soviet aircraft entered Beregszász’s airspace and dropped at least 50 bombs in two waves on the train station and its surroundings. However, the bombing was misaligned, affecting not only the station, tracks, and trains but also nearby streets. To make matters worse, after the bombs were dropped, attackers began hunting fleeing soldiers and civilians. Estimates of the number of victims vary, with some sources mentioning around 250. Among the victims were refugees from Northern Transylvania, wounded soldiers, civilians and children.
To conclude the commemoration, Viktória Orbán, a Hungarian major student at Rákóczi College, recited Sándor Reményik’s poem “Catalaunum,” after which the attendees sang the National Anthem together. As a final act of remembrance, wreaths were placed at the plaque on the train station wall.
The event was made possible through the support of the Hungarian government and the Bethlen Gábor Foundation.
