Repository of Built and Intellectual Heritage of the Upper-Tisza Region

Opening of the village house museum in Muzhiyeve

Opening of the village house museum in Muzhiyeve: attractions to increase the tourist attraction - Preservation of value, creation of value, strengthening identity

The development of rural tourism in Transcarpathia gained considerable momentum in the nineties of the last century. At that time, thousands of people from abroad, primarily from Hungary, visited our region, which had previously been closed off by a double iron curtain. Among the most popular tourist destinations were - and still are - the castles of Mukachevo and Uzhhorod, the Schönborn hunting lodge and the Veretske Pass. The beautiful wooden churches in the mountains also rightly aroused the interest of the guests. In the Hungarian-inhabited settlements in the plains, no matter how kindly the innkeepers welcomed those who came to us, during the conversations over delicious dinners that lasted long into the night, they told a lot of interesting things about our lives to the guests, due to the lack of tourist attractions, after the delicious breakfast, the tourists had to bid farewell to their hosts in order to visit the region's architectural heritage sites and outstanding natural attractions.

This is what HUSKRUA's "Repository of the Built and Intellectual Heritage of the Upper Tysa Region" project is trying to change, with the last stage of the project being the opening of a village house museum in Muzhiyeve on Saturday. At the opening ceremony, András Mester, head of the Transcarpathian Hungarian Tourist Board (THTB), informed the large number of visitors about the project's objectives. “With the extension of the Vyshkovo Village House Museum with a blacksmith’s workshop and a flax processing pavilion, the inauguration of the Choma Yurt Museum, the Shalanky Village House Museum and last but not least the Muzhiyeve Village House Museum, we can put a tourism package on the table of the sector's players, which authentically presents the centuries-old history, everyday life, community life and work passion of the Transcarpathian Hungarians,” said András Mester. “All of this is worthy of the interest of our visitors. And by setting up local produce shops, we can provide our farmers with extra income from the handicrafts sold there. While in Shalanky you can learn the secrets of barrel making, in Choma you can learn about the life of the conquering Hungarians and our rich equestrian traditions, in Muzhiyeve the focus will naturally be on grape growing and wine making, as well as on jam and fruit juice and various homemade pickles," informed the president of the THTB.

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“The role of the village house museums is not only to preserve and form the community and present our heritage, but also to be part of the tourism of Transcarpathian region - something that, in addition to the basic purposes, is based on the natural beauty and the built religious and historical values,” emphasized Barna Fülöp, Consul of the Consulate of Hungary in Berehove, in his speech. “It is hoped that the projects supported by the European Union will make a significant contribution to the peaceful coexistence of the peoples and nationalities living here and to the preservation of their common cultural values.”

Zoltán Babják, Mayor of Berehove and the Berehove territorial community, was pleased to note that despite the bloody war in the country, a large-scale programme of saving and making available cultural values continues in our region. The renovation of the Great Synagogue of Berehove is the most significant cultural project of the region, thanks to which the town on the banks of the Verke Channel will occupy a central place on the cultural map of the region. And all the representatives of the nations and peoples living here will be the beneficiaries," the mayor said.

“By showcasing local values, we not only increase the tourist attractiveness of the region, but also strengthen the identity of the communities that have remained here,” stressed József Sin, President of the Berehove Middle-level Organization of Transcarpathian Hungarian Cultural Association (THCA).

“I hope it's not just me who feels this way: this house, built in the early 1920s, whose residents were hardworking, wealthy people, has a soul,” said Erika Jakab, president of the local basic organization of the THCA. “In the future, the task is to bring this community space to life by presenting various handicrafts, folk crafts and welcoming tourist groups,” she said. The president thanked all the villagers, who contributed to the furnishing of the village house museum by donating various old objects and to the creation of an attractive environment by decorating the porch.

At the opening ceremony, students from the local school recited poems to mark the occasion. They performed folk songs and the young dancers gave a taste of folk dances from different parts of the Carpathian Basin. The event ended with a lunch, where the hosts served traditional dishes.