There is no easy way in and there is no easy way out. Ukraine is at war. Traveling around the country can be difficult for both citizens and foreigners. Even in far-flung regions, the potential for a Russian air strike keeps everyone alert to the skies. Zakarpattia Oblast, in the southwestern corner of Ukraine, is no stranger to the scream of air raid sirens despite it being struck just once by a Russian missile. War is capricious and danger can come from anywhere at any time. There is no telling when the population might be terrorized by Russian aggression. The same goes for travelers. I am keeping this in mind as I continue to develop my itinerary for the lost lands beyond Hungary’s borders.
Crossing the line – Pedestrian border crossing on the Slovakia-Ukraine border
(Credit: barry_432)
Side Deals – Confusion & Complexity
My next port of call to examine the Treaty of Trianon’s is on the eastern edge of Slovakia. The town I have decided to visit stands closer to the Slovakia-Ukraine border then Berehove does to the Hungary-Ukraine border. That is quite the statement since Berehove is a mere five kilometers from the Hungarian border. The destination I have chosen in Slovakia is right up against the border with Ukraine. Or to be more precise, it spills over the border. The same could be said for the corresponding village on the Ukrainian side of the border. I plan on visiting Veľké Slemence, Slovakia. I would also like to cross the border and visit Mali Selmentsi, Ukraine. There is a pedestrian crossing between them, but it is only open to citizens from the European Union and Switzerland, unlike other crossings on the Slovakia-Ukraine border where an American passport allows access. While I find this to be an irritation, it is nothing compared to what both villages were forced to endure from 1946 – 2005.
Veľké Slemence and Mali Slemence were once inseparable until geopolitics intervened. They were divided in 1946 between Czechoslovakia and the Soviet Union. Two-thirds ended up in Czechoslovakia as Veľké Slemence, one-third in the Soviet Union became Mali Slemence. To make matters more confusing, an overwhelming majority of the population were then, as they are today, ethnic Hungarians. The Treaty of Trianon in 1920 that took these lands from Hungary started the confusion. The Soviet Union exacerbated it a quarter century later. Some of the locals lived in five different countries (Austria-Hungary, Czechoslovakia, Hungary, Soviet Union and Slovakia or Ukraine) during their lifetime, The situation is still playing out today. There are few places in Europe with a more complex history. This makes Veľké Slemence a must visit.
At Arm’s Length – Spheres of Influence
The most iconic structure of the Cold War was not the Sputnik satellite, Intercontinental Ballistic Missiles, or any of the other military hardware on which trillions of dollars was spent. The most iconic structure was the Berlin Wall. The barrier that separated East and West Germany became a symbol of division for Germans, Europe, and the world. The Wall allowed communism and capitalism to exist near one another, but with their own spheres of influence. A great deal of ink has been spilled by historians examining the Berlin Wall’s history and legacy. Whatever one may think of the Berlin Wall, it was useful in keeping the peace in Berlin, which was the most dangerous geopolitical flashpoint during the Cold War.
Prior to the wall’s construction, several incidents in Berlin nearly led to a shooting war between the United States and Soviet Union. This could have led to catastrophic consequences for humanity. The Berlin Wall helped the superpowers sidestep a potential apocalypse. It stabilized the situation in Berlin. It is said that good fences make good neighbors. That can also be the case with bad fences. The Wall separated family and friends, it cost people their lives and livelihoods. The Wall was counterintuitive. It kept East Germans in, more than it kept the west out. From a personal perspective, the Wall was tragic. From a geopolitical perspective, it was a necessary evil.
The Berlin Wall’s popularity distracts from an even more formidable barrier during the Cold War, parts of which are still with us today. When the Wall went up in 1961, the Iron Curtain had been around for a decade and a half. It lasted longer and was more effective than the Wall. While the Berlin Wall was only 155 kilometers (96 miles) in length. The Iron Curtain stretched for 7,000 kilometers (4,300 miles) across the northern, central, and eastern parts of Europe. Iron Curtain was a figure of speech. In actuality, the border between the totalitarian communist and democratic capitalist worlds consisted of barriers, walls, barbed wire, and watchtowers. The Iron Curtain was raised without regard to the feelings of those who lived near it. In some cases, this led to absurdities, such as the division of Veľké Slemence and Mali Selmentsi. The residue of those absurdities still exists today and still defines the lives of those who live within a stone’s throw of the Slovakia-Ukraine border.
Side to side – Two men talk across the border in Veľké Slemence (Credit: Rembaoud)
Defining Factors – Border Wars
The antecedents for the border woes of Veľké Slemence and Mali Selmentsi began with the Treaty of Trianon in 1920. Ironically, at that time the Soviet Union, Slovakia, and Ukraine did not exist in their future forms. Those nations which would come to dominate or inherit this stretch of the border were not yet on the scene. What Trianon did was transfer the villages to the newly constituted state of Czechoslovakia. Right along with the land went the ethnic Hungarian inhabitants. They did have to wait very long for Hungary to reoccupy the area in 1938 due to the First Vienna Award, as Nazi Germany dissolved Czechoslovakia. This period would only last six years.
In 1944, Hungarian rule was swept out of the area, but not ethnic Hungarians as the Red Army surged through the area. Being on the losing side in World War II meant Hungary would not be allowed to ever rule again over their ethnic kind in the area. This result was similar to what happened after World War I with a notable exception. This time the victorious Soviet Union expanded its borders at the expense of Czechoslovakia. The latter would not be allowed to get all the eastern territory it had ruled over during the interwar period back. This would end up being the defining factor that divided Veľké Slemence and Mali Selmentsi. This is the situation that still exists today.
Click here for: Divide The Conquered – Caught In The Middle At Veľké Slemence (The Lost Lands #20)
Europe Between East And West 