Hungary and Ukraine Fall 2013
 

Visiting Hungary and Ukraine ( part of Hungary before WW II ) in the fall of 2013. Starting in Budapest going east to small towns in Ukraine to research family history . Looking for English speaking guide , and how to get around transportation trains buses or websites that
may be helpful.

I am not aware that any part of Ukraine was part of Hungary before W.W.II. Part of pre-war Czechoslovakia was lopped off to be part of Ukraine, which gave the USSR a common frontier with Hungary. Exactly where in the Ukraine do you plan to go?

If you're looking for Jewish shtetls contact the JGS (Jewish Genealogical Society)for a mountan of information. All you need to start is the name of the town or village. Personally, I'm sure I can help you due to my rather extensive research on the ground from the former Baltic States to Belarus, Ukraine and Romania. Most recently I uncovered a great deal of family history in both Belarus and Ukraine, though that is not my primary thrust.

I can give you an English-speaking guide in Minsk, Belarus (depending on what locations you're looking for. Belarus was once White Russia (Belo Russia) until 1991. A delightful lady in Minsk can probably be of immediate and comprehensive help to you.

We were able to find my wife's mother's birth village in what is now Belarus (was part of Poland after WWI) In Ukraine, I was able to walk the footsteps of my father's birthplace in Kiev (Kyiv now)where they lived prior to emigrating in 1912-1914...cutting it perilously close wth the June beginning of WWI. One of dad's sisters born in 1910 will be celebrating her 103rd birthday this month (in DC...and she's a Navy veteran..WAVES!)

Stu Tower

BTW, Auntie Rosie had to give up her tennis game last month..what a disappointment. I guess its her age.

https://picasaweb.google.com/stuartt...69320212647426

Scenes of Belarus and Ukraine. I also can share many photos scanned from earlier journeys into Russia (USSR) and Uzbek SSR (now Uzbekistan)from 1975-1985, also a broad coverage of Romania/Bulgaria in three parts. Whatever you may wish to see I will gladly comply.
stu

Stu - how awesome to have an aunt with such vitality! Many thanks for any and all help! We have been advised to take the train through Chop to Khust. From there I believe we will need a guide (driver) to get to Nankovo. This is an extremely small town in the Carpathian Mt. region. I'm hoping we will also have time to get to Siket (sp?) in the former Marmorsh county area. That, however,may be in Romania. I am in the process of getting in touch with the Jewish Genealogical Society -thanks for the tip! According to some of my readings,it may be difficult to navigate the Ukraine train system. I understand no one speaks English (why should they!!) and I know absolutely no Ukraine, Russian nor Hungarian. Any suggestions to make our travels a little less challenging would be most appreciated. It was suggested we consider staying overnight in Mukachevo,which is supposed to be near Khust. The Star (Zerchey) hotel was recommended. I'll look forward to hearing more from you. pam

Sighet is in Maramures; definitely in Romania.

you'll want to see the Elie Wiesel home /museum in Sighet. Maramures(h) is by far the most authentically rural and interesting part of old Romania...it was Hungarian between the wars..in fact Elie and his family were rounded up by the notorious Hungarian Arrow Cross (sweet young chaps!). Sighet plays a role in one of my recent books. There is still a very small remnant in the town where once 15,000 Jews lived. I suppose Elie is the reason for you wanting to visit it. The synagogue still stands also.

Train travel in Belarus and Ukraine is an adventure. But it appears that most of your search will be in the westernmost reaches of Ukraine. Mukachevo and Khust are msjor towns in the region, both having had major Jewish populations prior to '41 and the Nazi invasion. Uzhgorod is another. L'vov (L'viv) is a bit north but a very beautiful rebuilt city. hope you get to see it. The JGS will pinpoint Nankovo for you, you bet!).But I'll give you this much..it's very close to the Romanian border, and in fact Khust is only 8 miles from Nankovo. Side note: Nankovo has a great baseball team..but no bats, balls or gloves.

stu

Write me if you wish..I'm in L.A., stuarttower at aol dot com

Pam:

This will detail Nankovo coordinates for you:

http://www.jewishgen.org/communities/Search.asp

Then go back to the home page and type in family name.

stu

"it may be difficult to navigate the Ukraine train system."

But certainly possible. I highly recommend learning the Cyrillic alphabet, if you don't already know it (I'm terrible at languages but found the alphabet easy). When buying tickets just write down the start and destination stations, the train number if you know it, the date (day-month-year) and time (24 hour clock), and class and hand the paper to the person selling tickets. Be prepared for a wait, when I bought a ticket from L'viv to Krakow the clerk wrote everything out in longhand three times. You may need your passport even for domestic tickets.

Timetables should be at bahn.de. Also read http://www.seat61.com/Ukraine.htm

I really enjoyed visiting Ukraine - see http://wilhelmswords.com/eur2006/index.html and http://kwilhelm.smugmug.com/Travel/E...-Kolomiya-Lviv

Pam:
Here is Jewish Gen home page...There is a JewGen organization in most major cities throughout USA...I was one of the keynote author/speakers for the launching of one of my books, in July 2003, at their International Conference in DC. I recall I was called upon to speak at more than a dozen of their local organizations around USA and Canada during the next few years. Very helpful and dedicated people. Their resources are nothing short of meticulously thorough.
...and above all, you'll have great satisfaction and fun doing all of this. Then you can share everything you've learned with the family back home. One of my cousins developed a family tree that spreads out over a large dining room table

http://www.jewishgen.org/

You're off to a great, illuminating adventure.

Stu - you're info is amazing! What a wonderful resource you are! Any chance you'd have time to meet with my husbavpnd and me? We'll be in LA visiting our daughter and family in August? I can give you more info about us and dates thru a more private sight than this forum. Pam

Pam..we certainly coud meet on your LA visit. My email is in one of my posts above. Where in the area does daughter live? We can have a meaningful discussion at that time. I have some very detailed maps of the Ukraine/Romanian border regions. Some go back to the latter 19th and early 20th century. Khust, Muckacehvo and Uzhogrod are on all of them...

To cross the Romanian border you will need a visa, which you can apply for in Washington (embassy), NYC or L.A. Slightly less expensive is a three-day transit visa. The Wilshire Boulevard consulate is very accomodating and rarely a long wait. I know them well. They want,and need, tourism..as does Ukraine.
stu

Stu - are you saying that US citizens need a visa to enter Romania? I don't think that's currently true.

We did not need a visa when we went there a few years ago.

Our English speaking guide in Kiev last year - Oleg Kryvoshyy - was wonderful He can be reached at [email protected].

KW..you're right..I know I had to have a visa in all of my earlier visits to Romania, and back in Ceaucescu's days...but in 2005 I just don't remember if it was needed. I'll look in my passport later this week.

No visa is needed for Americans going to Romania....