On September 14, the Mukachevo District Council hosted a presentation of the book “Heroes of Transcarpathia: Uzhhorod and the UzhhorodDistrict” by renowned Transcarpathian writer and journalist Oleksandr Havrosh. The event brought together representatives of government, military administrations, local communities, educators, as well as the families of fallen defenders.
More than three years of research
The book “Heroes of Transcarpathia” is the result of more than three years of work by the author. As Oleksandr Havrosh himself explained, the goal of the project was to present the life stories of the fallen soldiers in a broader context than is customary in official reports.
“I wanted to tell their life stories: who they were, where they came from, who their parents were, how they studied, what paths they took in life, where they fought, and for what they were awarded,” the author noted.
The first edition brings together 33 documentary stories of military personnel with ties to the Uzhhorod region. To compile the material, the author spent dozens of hours conducting in-depth interviews with the families and loved ones of those who died, and also researched numerous documents and photographs.
Initiative to expand the project to the Mukachevo region
During the meeting, participants discussed the prospects of creating a similar publication dedicated to the heroes of the Mukachevo District.
Georgiy Horvat, a deputy of the Transcarpathian Regional Council, emphasized the need for such books to be published in every corner of the region:
“Young people should know their heroes and remember what they did for our country. That is why it is very important for books like these to be published in the Mukachevo District as well, because our community has its own renowned defenders.”
Involving Youth in Preserving History
An important part of the meeting was a discussion of the regional competition for student research projects titled “Heroes of Transcarpathia.” Students from communities in the Mukachevo District have the opportunity to write essays or conduct research on their fellow residents who stood up to defend Ukraine. Roman Tarabiy, Chairman of the Mukachevo District Council, emphasized that the materials collected by the students will form the basis for future publications that will commemorate every fallen soldier at the district and regional levels.
The presentation concluded with a discussion of mechanisms for further cooperation between communities, educators, and the author, as preserving the truth about the current Russian-Ukrainian war through the stories of individuals is our shared responsibility to future generations.
