The Rada condemned the crimes committed by the military administration in Transcarpathia in 1944–1946
The Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine unanimously endorsed a statement recognizing and condemning the crimes committed by the Soviet military administration in Transcarpathia in 1944–1946.
On September 3, 261 members of parliament voted in favor of the resolution.
The Verkhovna Rada’s statement notes that in the fall of 1944, following the retreat of Hungarian and German troops, Transcarpathia came under the control of the Soviet military administration.
Following this, the NKVD and SMERSH began mass detentions of civilian men aged 18 to 50 under the pretext of “mobilization” to so-called labor camps.
Thousands of civilians from Transcarpathia were deported to Gulag camps without any court rulings.
The statement also specifically mentions the repression against the civilian population of Hungarian nationality, known as “malen’kyi robot”—a distortion of the phrase “malen’kaya rabota” (small job), which Soviet military officials used to explain the reason for the deportation.
Ukraine, as noted in the statement, considers it its moral duty to officially recognize the mass repressions carried out by the Soviet military administration against the civilian population of Transcarpathia in 1944–1946 as crimes of the communist totalitarian regime.
The Verkhovna Rada also considers it necessary to:
- condemn the forced deportations, extrajudicial executions, and persecution on national, religious, and social grounds carried out by the NKVD and SMERSH;
- honor the memory of the victims of Soviet repression by erecting memorials, conducting scientific research, and implementing educational programs;
- to facilitate the release of archival materials related to the events of 1944–1946;
- to support the scholarly documentation of the crimes of the communist totalitarian regime in Transcarpathia and other regions of Ukraine;
- to include these historical events in educational curricula in order to foster an objective understanding of the totalitarian past and prevent the recurrence of similar crimes.
The statement also emphasizes that Russia, which continues its armed aggression against Ukraine, is committing crimes in the temporarily occupied territories that are analogous to those of the communist totalitarian regime.
This refers, in particular, to large-scale repression against the civilian population.
The Verkhovna Rada also called on the international community, academic institutions, and archives of democratic states to join efforts to restore historical truth.
“The Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine calls on the international community, academic institutions, and archival institutions of democratic states to cooperate in restoring the historical truth about the crimes of Soviet totalitarianism committed in the territory of Zakarpattia and other regions of Ukraine,” the statement reads.
On September 3, the Rada unanimously adopted a statement recognizing and condemning the crimes of the Soviet military administration in Transcarpathia in 1944–1946, with 261 votes in favor.
As a reminder, Bill No. 16009 has been registered in the Verkhovna Rada, which provides for a significant expansion of the group of individuals eligible for state protection, as well as an extension of the duration of such protection.
As a reminder, the Verkhovna Rada is considering the possibility of holding votes in an underground shelter during air raid alerts. Currently, they plan to test this format, while voting by phone remains an alternative option.
The Verkhovna Rada plans to introduce an alternative working format during prolonged air raid alerts. Members of Parliament will be able to continue their sessions and vote from a specially equipped shelter.
