On Monday, unknown perpetrators vandalized the monument to the heroic hussars of Rimaszombat in the Reformed cemetery in Alsópokorágy, reported Ma7sk. The monument, erected in memory of the 33 Gömör hussars who fell at the Don Bend, was unveiled this past May after the original monument, erected in 1943, had previously been dismantled.
The monument was painted over and spray-painted, and the incident has already sparked serious outrage. The identities of those responsible for the vandalism are not yet known, and the authorities must clarify the circumstances surrounding the incident.
Rimaszombat. Photo: Wikipedia/Szeder László
Örs Orosz, president of the Sine Metu Civic Association, which re-erected the monument, was the first to report the vandalism on his social media page. In his post, he called the incident serious. He stated that the Alsópokorágy cemetery had become “our Úz Valley” and expressed regret that, in his view, national politics was setting examples that could contribute to such acts. By referring to the cemetery as “our Úz Valley,” Örs Orosz alluded to the long-running tensions surrounding the Úz Valley military cemetery in Romania, which has become a symbol of Hungarian-Romanian disputes over war memorials, national identity, and historical memory.
Attila Pál, a member of the Hungarian Alliance’s executive board, also condemned the vandalism. As he wrote, he is deeply saddened and outraged by any act that attempts to drive a wedge between the city’s Hungarian and Slovak communities.
There is no place for provocation and hate-mongering in Rimaszombat,”
he emphasized, adding that the authorities must clarify the circumstances surrounding the incident, and no one should be held responsible without evidence. “Let us not allow anyone to pit us against one another! Rimaszombat is our shared home,” he stated.
Zoltán Cziprusz, a city and county representative of the Hungarian Alliance, also voiced his outrage. In his view, it is unacceptable that something like this could happen in Rimaszombat in 2026. At the same time, he raised the possibility that the vandalism might have a political motive and could even be a provocation linked to the upcoming municipal and county elections. However, there is currently no known evidence to support this.
The monument that was recently vandalized was unveiled in May during a dignified commemoration ceremony on the cemetery hill in Alsópokorágy. The event was attended by organizations from Hungary and Slovakia, traditionalist communities, public figures, and descendants of the fallen soldiers.
Via ma7.sk; Featured photo: Pál Attila/ma7.sk