Plaque in memory of victims and heroes of the Hungarian revolution unveiled at UzhNU
Today, a memorial plaque to commemorate the Hungarian revolution and liberation struggle of 1956 was unveiled within the walls of the Faculty of Humanities and Natural Sciences with the Hungarian Language of Teaching of UzhNU.
The official ceremony was attended by officials and diplomats including Consul General of Hungary in Uzhhorod Jozsef Buhaylo, an MP of Ukraine Vasyl Brenzovych, First Deputy Chair of the Regional Council Yosyp Barto, teachers, students and also the author of the memorial plaque sculptor Mykhaylo Kolodko.
At the opening ceremony, the Rector of UzhNU, Professor Volodymyr Smolanka said that the revolution of 1956 was the symbol of rebellion and love of freedom. "Hungarian people rebelled against tyranny and occupation. This revolution showed the world that hope for freedom never dies. It is symbolic that this plaque is opened in our university, because we know that young people are the driving force of all revolutions. The youth embodies the ideas of equality, freedom, openness and realizes them. I am very happy that the plaque is opened on the eve of the 71st anniversary of our university". The Rector of the university hopes that this memorial plaque will be a symbol of freedom for students, since freedom is an essential part of everyone's life and is difficult to achieve.
Consul General Jozsef Buhaylo told that the organization of Hungarian students and institutes was the driving force of the Hungarian revolution. "This plaque commemorates the heroes of the revolution and reminds us of the bitter oppression our people had to suffer from and what price they had to pay to return their dignity, confidence, and freedom".
The author of the memorial plaque is a sculptor from Uzhhorod Mykhaylo Kolodko, who was also present at the ceremony and told about the plaque creation and significance. "If we read the language of symbols, we will see the hole in the whole solid surface of the plaque. Its presence in the center of the board means anxiety mixed with curiosity forcing us to come up closer and see the broken harmony. The plaque offers a bird's eye view of the city where cobblestone was dismantled and the remains of barricades and a buttoned-up tank can be seen. The board shows that there was a brutal massacre where tanks stifled people’s voice. Everything is quiet though, and we are flying on with the memories of the events".
Students of the faculty joined the ceremony which lasted about an hour. They commemorated the heroes and victims of the Hungarian revolution by taking part in a theatrical performance, singing songs, and lighting a candle as a symbol of eternal memory.
