HISTORY OF THE FAMILY OF VOLYN SLOVAKS ZALETS: MEMORIES OF A CITIZEN FROM THE VILLAGE BORATYN ZAI HANNA MATVIJIVNA

Abstract

In this article tells a story about the family of volyn Slovaks Zalets from Presov Region. The story is written on a basis of memories of Zai Hanna Matvijivna, a daughter of Zaleta Matvij Matvijovych. It describes how they immigrate as optants in 1947, in particular what were the motives of their relocation, which difficulties they have faced after the move, activities and life paths of the family members. These memories create a bright and detailed description of post-war Volhynia and enable to recreate some pages from the past. It turned out that the fate prepared a lot of challenges on the new land for Zalet family. While there is no uncertainty about Volyn Czecks voluntary leaving Ukraine in 1947 there are some controversial moments about the Slovak citizens. And memories of the witnesses of those happenings give us a possibility to make it at least a little bit clearer. At the same time memories urge to research this question more precise and to extend the accumulation of sources. At the end of January 1947 trains with optants departed from South Slovakia to Volyn region. Thousands of people believed the agitators who have been visiting Slovak villages and telling people about “happy life” in Soviet Union. Representants of the Soviet government promised to give everything that was necessary to live in a new place as well as housing in the villages where the Volyn Czechs had lived earlier. It was like this at the beginning: a house, a land and household objects – everything that was left there form Czech colonists which moved to Czechoslovakia. However, the reality turned out to be different later: the Soviet government expropriated almost everything, even the stuff that was brought from Slovakia and established kolkhozes in the areas where the optants lived. Instead of a well-furnished place of residence in Slovakia family Zalet got a house with leaking roof and instead of cows and horses – poverty and hunger. Hopes were huge, but the disappointment was not smaller. This was the price a farmer from the village Liytyn paid for the trust in the Soviet government. And the memories of a witness who has lived through those difficult times together with her parents and siblings (there were 8 children in the family) and felt all those roams tell us the true story of life of Volyn optants from Slovakia.