The Hungarian community in Máramaros celebrated the Day of Hungarian Culture with a large-scale concert and award ceremony. This year, the Hollósy Prize, founded by the Máramaros county organization of RMDSZ, was awarded in five categories - youth, education, social organization, public culture and creative - on Máramaros Island.
Cultural heritage is closely connected to being Hungarian, which fills a person with pride and hope at the same time, pointed out Zsolt Pintér, president of the RMDSZ Máramaros county organization.
"Our rich literature, which extends from Ferenc Kölcsey to Ferenc András Kovács, is just one example of the treasures that feed us every day"
said the president of the organization.
In his speech, he emphasized the universality of Hungarian culture, where the architectural language of Imre Makovecz means the same thing from Bratislava to Szabadka, and Simon Hollósy is the same in Máramarossziget, Nagybánya, Kistécső, Budapest and Munich.
"Our Hungarian cultural heritage is a gift not only to us Hungarians, but to the whole world, the values of which we carry with us every day and share with others"
Zsolt Pintér concluded his thoughts, highlighting the role of next year's elections in keeping Hungarian culture alive in the region.
Consul Katalin Demeter, in her festive greeting, singled out the greats of Hungarian culture who were born on Máramarossziget: teacher Klára Leőwey, actress Prielle Kornélia and painter Simon Hollósy, as well as those who continuously shaped Hungarian culture and this was a solid point in their lives . He thanked the organizers of the event for rewarding those who have done a lot for their own community and for the preservation of Hungarian culture in Máramaros.
Photo: Richárd Tinca / Maszol
The award was founded last year and named after the painter Simon Hollósy, who was born on Máramarossziget in 1857 and later founded the world-famous painting studio in Nagybánya. Its creators justify the name of the award with the fact that the person of Simon Hollósy is what connects the county's two historical regions: the region of Nagybánya and the historic Máramaros.
Judit Molnár was recognized for her exemplary work in the field of Hungarian education and community organization in Máramaros. Judit Molnár was a teacher at Ferenc Benkő Elementary School in Domokos for 42 years, and from 2006 until her retirement, she was the director of the educational institution. During this period, he managed to fight for the school to remain as an independent Hungarian educational institution. He regards the preservation of Hungarians in this region as a matter of his heart, which is why he held afternoon children's activities at the beginning of his career, which he continues even now as a pensioner. After 1990, he led an acting group and teaches the Rainbow folk dance group. In the summer, he organizes a camp for the children of Domokos, and holds crafts not only locally, but also in various Hungarian-inhabited areas of Máramaros county.
In the social organization category, the Aknasugatagi Seniors' Club was awarded for preserving the identity and values of the local Hungarian scattered community. More than a decade ago, a local history museum was established in Aknasugata, where visitors can gain insight into, among other things, the settlement's mining past. In addition, a memorial column was erected for the I. and II. in memory of local heroes who fell in World War II with the aim of keeping the collective memory alive. They succeeded in renovating the memorial column in November 2023 with the support of the Communitas Foundation, thus fulfilling an old wish of the local Hungarian community.
In the public education category, Lajos Nagy was awarded for his outstanding and exemplary work in the field of Hungarian cultural life in Mono. In 2016, she organized a women's choir, and the folk song treasures performed were also published in a book. The choir performed successfully at events in Tövishát. He organized an acting group and a dance group with the youth of Mono, who are regular guests at events of the local Hungarian community. He also organizes the Olympics for newlyweds and the week of funny competitions. In 2023, Mono hosted the Partium Wheat Gathering ceremony, the cultural part of which was put together by him.
In the youth category, Várady Csongor, born in Nagybánya, was awarded for the organization of local youth life and his outstanding achievements in the field of volunteering. Csongor Várady completed his bachelor's degree in Cluj and his master's degree in Munich. He is currently a doctoral student at the University of Technology in Hamburg. He was the president of the student council of László Németh Theoretical High School for 3 years. The organization of the now-traditional Freshman Camps began under his presidency. Since 2007, he has been participating in the organization and management of the Főtér Festival – Hungarian Days in Nagybánya, where he organizes programs mainly for schoolchildren and young people. He founded an association five years ago, where he organizes lectures with his team, makes educational videos, and runs a blog addressing young people.
Róbert Pál Zolopcsuk, who has been teaching drawing for 26 years at the art school in the cultural center of Máramarosziget, was recognized in the creative category for his value-creating and value-saving work He is also a graphic artist, painter and local historian. He was born on Máramarossziget, he is loyal to his town, and he admits that he would never move from here. Since childhood, he has passionately researched and collected everything related to his hometown. Through his artistic activity, he advocates the preservation of culture, history and original values. In 2006, his book Máramarossziget was published, which became a reference work for many.
After the awards, the audience was delighted by the performances of Márta Sebestyén, Hungarian folk singer with the UNESCO and Kossuth Prizes, Judit Andrejszki, the Liszt Prize-winning early music performer, and Béla Szerényi, Junior Prima Prize-winning folk musician.
Featured image: MTI Photo: Zsolt Szigetváry
