Zakarpattia
The shared history between Czechs and the local people is one of the reasons for their warm and friendly attitude toward Czechs.
"The elderly remember learning a song about ‘Father Masaryk’ in school as children and are eager to show what was built in their village ‘during the Czech era.’ Meanwhile, younger generations readily share stories about their work experiences in the Czech Republic," explains Olena Krušynska.
"Our ancestors lived during the First Republic of Czechoslovakia in a time of democracy and prosperity. This memory remains among the people and will not fade easily," she adds.
.
Between 1919 and 1939, Prague invested enormous resources into what was then Subcarpathian Ruthenia. Roads, railways, hospitals, buildings, and entire modern districts were constructed—many of which still serve their purpose today.
"The scale of development was truly fascinating," says Ukrainian studies expert and translator Rita Kindlerová.
Even today, this region (just under 13,000 km²) remains unique in Europe, with no real comparison. Perhaps this is why, after the fall of the Soviet Union, Czechs began rediscovering it.
- Some visit out of curiosity, seeking places where their grandparents once lived and worked (and there were thousands of them).
- Others are drawn to the stunning diversity of the mountains, including Hoverla (2,061 meters), the highest peak in Ukraine, and the velvety poloniny (alpine meadows).
"Mountain slopes are cut by ravines filled with thousands of silver streams flowing into valleys, forming rivers lined with rural houses. This is why Zakarpattia is known as the ‘Silver Land,’" adds Krušynska, supporting her Czech colleague.
For centuries, this region has been a melting pot of different nationalities, including Ukrainians, Hungarians, Romanians, Czechs, Slovaks, Germans, Austrians, Jews, and Roma people. It was—and still remains in many ways—a multilingual Babylon, home to numerous unique dialects.