Where it all started

The history of Uzhhorod - one of the most ancient cities in Ukraine and Europe - begins in ancient times. Already in Paleolithic times, the first people lived on the territory of our city - Neanderthals In the period of the early Middle Ages, UZhgorod city was the center of the western part of Transcarpathia, and in the 9th century it turned into a small town. That is, at the time when Kyivska Rus was formed into a powerful state entity of Eastern Europe, Uzhhorod already existed. There is a lot of debate about the origin of the city's name, both in the past and now disputes, however, the final conclusion has not yet been made. Modern onomastics considers the name of the city of Uzhhorod as a Slavic composite derived from the hydronym "Uzh" and the appellation "town" (city). That is, Uzhgorod is a city on the Uzh. Along with this, the Hungarian name was preserved city - Ungvar. "Ung" is the result of the Latin translation of the Slavic "Luzh" (puddle, puddle, swamp, mire). "Var" for our ancestors of the Danube ancestral home had the meaning "store", "protection", "welding in one". "Var" comes from the deity "Varuna", who guards the sky Varu from everything on the left, that is, from evil, from the mythological king Laius (left). However, it is necessary remember the historical fact that the Ugrian tribes had not yet managed to to conquer Transcarpathia and Uzhgorod, which were the most distant southwestern ones fortified points of the Old Russian state, despite the attempt of Prince Laborets to give repulse of the Ugrians, the latter won, killing many warriors and their leader. It is no coincidence that oral folk art calls Laborets a "glorious prince", a defender of his native land. Despite the fact that the entire territory of our region, including Uzhhorod, was captured Hungary, the history of the city recorded the facts when the Old Russian princes returned it to bosom of his state. During the years 1281-1321, Uzhgorod, like a number of other Transcarpathian cities, was part of the Galicia-Volyn principality, headed by Danylo Halytskyi's son Leo - "the most powerful of Danylo's descendants." Only during the reign of Yuriy Lvovych, taking advantage of the weakness of the Galicia-Volyn state, the Hungarians managed to regain Uzhhorod XIV - XVIII centuries - a difficult period in the history of Uzhhorod. Although in 1430 the city received privileges from the king, but continued to remain small in terms of territory and population In 1514, Uzhgorod residents took an active part in the peasant war under the leadership D. Doži, for which the Hungarian government called Uzhgorod a "rebellious city". This one is rebellious Uzhhorod residents discovered the spirit at the end of 1648 and at the beginning of 1649, when they were near the walls Troops of Zaporizhia Cossacks led by Hetman Bohdan appeared at the Uzhgorod Castle Khmelnytskyi. The people of Uzhgorod did not remain aloof during the war of national liberation 1703 - 1711 under the leadership of Ferenc Rakoci II. With arrival in 1711 to Uzhhorod Austrian army, the city was looted and plundered, ruined and burned. Only with in the second half of the 18th century, the revival of Uzhhorod begins. Certain influence on the development of the city was accomplished by the reforms of Maria Theresa and her son Joseph II. From political events in the first half of the 19th century, the revolution of 1848 had the greatest impact on Uzhhorod - 1849 in Hungary. Uzhhorod residents were impressed by the revolutionary slogans "Down with the monarch!" and "Freedom to the people!", the abolition of serfdom, censorship and the introduction of democratic freedoms. About two thousand residents of Uzhhorod and the surrounding villages joined the ranks of the Nationalists guards Despite the defeat of the revolution, the residents of Uzhhorod achieved Russian recognition (Ukrainian) language as a compulsory subject, the opening of a Russian gymnasium in the city.

At the end of the 18th and the beginning of the 19th centuries, Uzhhorod became famous the European cultural center that gave world culture A. Bachynskyi, I. Bazylovych, I. Pasteliya, V. Dovgovycha, I. Fogorashiya, M. Luchkaya, Yu. Gutsu-Venelina and many others. Many people from Zakarpattia, who at one time graduated from educational institutions in Uzhhorod, taught at the most prestigious universities of Lviv, Kyiv, St. Petersburg, and a number of European countries. For a long time, the "father of Transcarpathian nationalism" lived and worked in Uzhhorod revival" of the 19th century Oleksandr Dukhnovich and the famous teacher, cultural and political figure of the region of our century AvgUstin Voloshyn - the first president of the independent Carpatho-Ukrainian state. On May 8, 1919, the Central Russian People's Council made a decision in Uzhhorod on the accession of Transcarpathia to Czechoslovakia with the rights of autonomy. The fate of the land was decided at the Paris Peace Conference. On November 10, 1919, its members decided to include Transcarpathia in the newly created Czech SSR, and on November 18, I. Breikha was there appointed temporary administrator of the region. Uzhhorod became the capital of Podkarpattia Russia, which greatly influenced the economic development and cultural life of the region. IN "Prosvita" and O. Dukhnovych societies, more than thirty parties, operated in the city. For in the interwar period in Uzhgorod, outstanding cultural figures of the region A. Voloshyn, V. Grenzha-Donskyi, S. Sabol (Zoreslav), Yu. Sheregii and dozens of others. A significant contribution to O. Oles, S. Cherkasenko, O. Olzhych, V. Birchak contributed to the development of the city's education and culture. On October 11, 1938, the first autonomous government was formed in Uzhhorod of Subcarpathian Rus, which was headed by A. Brodiy, but already on October 26, the Transcarpathian prime minister was was arrested as an agent of Hungary and the new cabinet was headed by A. Voloshyn - a Ukrainian leader directly in the country. However, the political situation in Transcarpathia changed dramatically after the decisions of the Vienna Arbitration on November 2, 1938. According to them, in favor of Hungary Uzhhorod, Mukachevo and Berehovo with their adjacent districts. A. Voloshyn was forced move the capital of Carpathian Ukraine to Khust. In this ancient city on March 15, 1939 In 2008, the Diet was held, which declared Carpathian Ukraine an independent state. 18 In March this territory, despite the heroic resistance of its defenders, was occupied troops of Hortist Hungary. On November 11, 1938, Hungarian troops entered Uzhhorod. She was in the city the multi-party system, which was formed during Czechoslovakia, was liquidated. in return the activities of various Hungarian and pro-Hungarian parties were supported in every possible way, societies On October 27, 1944, troops of the 4th Ukrainian Front entered Uzhhorod, and after the decision of the Congress of People's Committees of Transcarpathian Ukraine on November 26, 1944 reunification with Ukraine, on January 22, 1946 Transcarpathian Ukraine was reorganized into Transcarpathian region, and Uzhhorod became the regional center. Socio-political and cultural life in Uzhhorod during the fifty years of Soviet power was no different from the lives of others regional centers of Ukraine. Residents of Uzhhorod welcomed the news about the state the sovereignty of Ukraine and its declaration as an independent state./p>