Ukrainians in Czechoslovakia

In 1919 Transcarpathia voluntarily joined the newly created by the Entente Czechoslovak republic. Of all the newly states in Eastern Europe, Czechoslovakia was the most democratic. The Czech government allowed its population to use the language of its choice in the schools and open cultural and political organizations. Such liberalism led to the growth of Ukrainian national life in the region. The Czech government, however, planned to abolish any possibility of unification of Transcarpathian Ukrainians with Ukrainians in other lands. Prague propagated the idea that Ukrainians in Transcarpathia were a separate nation – Carpathian Rusyny. This movement was called Rusynophile and it enjoyed significant support of the government. The third Ukrainian movement in Transcarpathia was called Russophile (Москвофіли). Thus Ukrainians in Czechoslovakia had three national orientations and that suited Prague well.

Carpatho-Ukrainian autonomy

In October 1938 Prague granted autonomy to Transcarpathia. A famous Ukrainian political figure and respected Greek Catholic priest, Avhustyn Voloshyn, was appointed head of the cabinet, which started a large-scale Ukrainization policy. The educational system, publications, and administration were Ukrainized. All political parties except the pro-governmental Ukrainian National Union were banned and their newspapers closed. In February 1939, elections were held for the regional parliament and the Ukrainophiles received 86% of the votes. Some historians say that the elections results were falsified. It was not difficult under such non-democratic conditions. Meanwhile, a military organization, the Carpathian Sich, was organized and soon had about 5000 soldiers, who were mostly enthusiastic Ukrainian youth from Galicia – many of them members of the OUN.

There were pressing reasons for establishing a military force, for as Czechoslovakia slowly disintegrated, neighboring Hungary demanded the return of its former Transcarpathian lands. On 14 March 1939, the Hungarian army moved into the region. On 15 March, in a symbolic gesture, the Voloshyn government proclaimed the independent Republic of Carpatho-Ukraine[10] and sent a telegram to Hitler asking him to accept the new republic as a German protectorate.[11] Voloshyn did not know that Hitler had already promised Transcarpathia to his ally and friend Admiral Horthy, the Hungarian dictator. The sejm (parliament) adopted the blue-yellow national flag, the coat of arms containing a trident, and the national anthem ‘Ukraine has not perished yet’ (Ще не вмерла Україна). Ukrainian was proclaimed the state language. Many young integral nationalists from Galicia illegally crossed the border and joined the Carpathian Sich. The Carpathian Sich showed brave but futile resistance to the outnumbered enemy. Soon the whole territory was occupied by Hungarians.

After conquering Transcarpathia the Hungarian government started Magyarization (Hungarization) policy. All Ukrainian publications and organizations, including Prosvita, were banned. The Ukrainian language in schools was gradually replaced with Hungarian.

Brief as it was, the existence of a Ukrainian government in Carpatho-Ukraine had an impact similar to that of the Ukrainian governments in the 1917-20 period: it helped to turn much of the region’s population, especially the youth, into nationally conscious Ukrainians.

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