Khust
Khust (
Ukrainian and
Rusyn: Xуст,
Romanian: Hust,
Hungarian: Huszt,
Czech and
Slovak: Chust) is a
city located on the
Khustets River in the
Zakarpattia oblast (
province) in western
Ukraine. Serving as the
administrative center of the
Khustsky Raion (
district), the city itself is also designated as a separate raion within the oblast, and is located at around .
Khust was the capital of the short-lived republic of
Carpatho-Ukraine.
The name possibly related to the name of the stream Husztica. It is also conceivable that the name of the city comes from a
Romanian traditional food ingredient - husti.
The settlement was first mentioned as
Huszth, in
1329. Its castle was built in
1090 by
St. Ladislaus as a defence against the
Cumanians, was destroyed during the Mongol invasion of Hungary and was rebuilt around
1318. The town got privileges in
1329.
In
1458 King Matthias imprisoned his uncle, the rebellious
Mihály Szilágyi in the castle. In
1514, during
György Dózsa's peasant revolt local peasants captured the castle. In
1526 the area became a part of
Transylvania.
The army of
Ferdinand I captured the town in
1546. In
1594 the Tartars destroyed the town, but couldn't occupy the castle, which was later sieged in
1644 by the army of
George I Rákóczi, in
1657 by the Polish, in
1661-
62 by the Ottoman and Tartar hordes. Count
Ferenc Rhédey, the ruling prince of Transylvania and high steward of
Máramaros county died in the castle on
May 13,
1667.
The castle surrendered to the
Kurucs on
August 17,
1703, and the independence of Transylvania was proclaimed here. It was the last castle the Habsburgs occupied when suppressing the freedom fight of the Kurucs, in
1711. The seriously damaged castle was struck by lightning and burnt down on
July 3,
1766; a storm brought down its tower in
1798, it has been in ruins ever since then.
In
1910 Huszt had 10,292 citizens, 5,230 Rusyns/Ukrainians, 3,505 Hungarians and 1,535 Germans. Until the
Treaty of Trianon it belonged to
Hungary and was the seat of the Huszt district of Máramaros county, since then it belongs to Ukraine.
In 2001 it had 31.900 inhabitants (28,500
Ukrainians, 1,700
Hungarians, 1,200
Russians and 100
Roma (otherwise known as Gypsies)). Until the 19th century the city's population also included ethnic
Romanians (800 Romanians as of the 1880 census).
* Castle ruins
*
Protestant fortress church
13th-
14th century, Protestant since
1524, fortified in
1616,
1644,
1661 and
1670, restored in
1773 and
1888. Its belfry is from the
15th century, until
1861 it had four pinnacles.
*
Roman Catholic church (
Baroque,
18th century)
*
Greek Orthodox church (18th century).
Kata Szidónia Petrőczi, the first female Hungarian
*
Count József Teleki scientist was born here on
December 21,
1738.
* József Koller, historian of religion was born here in
1745.
* Jenő Benda writer, journalist was born here in
1882.
*
Ernő Szép writer was born here in
1894.
In 1861 Rabbi Moshe (Moses) Shieck aka 'the
Maharam Shik' established the largest Yeshiva of Eastern Europe, in Khust. This Yeshiva (Torah academy) had over 800 students.
Rabbi Nachman of Braslau had tried to establish a competing Hassidic Yeshiva in 1865 in the same city, but was expelled by Rabbi Shick. This caused him to move to Braslau and to become known as the "
Breslaver Rebbe". Rabbi Nachman never held it against Rabbi Shieck, and his students to this day commemorate Rabbi Shick and his Yeshiva. (Source: Bresslav Hassidic info site - Hebrew). However, it must be noted that Rabbi Nachman of Breslov in Ukraine passed away in 1810, which was 50 years earlier! Thus there is great confusion over this subject and section should be corrected after clarification with Breslov chassidim.
|
Grand Rebbes of Chust (USA) and Pisstburgh (Ashdod) |
* Grand Rabbi
Dushinsky, (later the
chief Rabbi of
Jerusalem) was the Town Chief Rabbi, and was the Dean of one of the foremost Orthodox Jewish Seminaries, the Maharam Shiek Yeshiva.
* Grand Rabbi Moshe Grunwald, (author of the
Arugath Ha'bosem) was the Town Chief Rabbi for a period of time, the Yeshive experienced termendous growth under his leadership.
**Rabbi Yehoshua Grunwald, grandson of the
Arugath Ha'Bosem, served as the Town Chief Rabbi until their deportation to
Auschwitz during
World War II. After the war he established a congregation for Chust
Holocaust survivors in the
Borough Park section of
Brooklyn.
*Grand Rabbi Yisroel Yaakov Leifer, Youngest son and Successor by declaration of Rabbi Mordechai of
Nadvorna.
** Grand Rabbi Shmuel Shmelke Leifer, Son of the first Rebbe, Author of the Beis Shmuel.
** Grand Rabbi Reuven/Dovid Leifer, Son of the first Rebbe.
***
Grand Rabbi Aharon Moishe Leifer.
*** Grand Rabbi Levi of
Chust-Tosh*** Grand Rabbi Shmuel Shmelka Leifer of
Chust*** Grand Rabbi Baruch Pinchos Leifer of
Chust-Israel*** Grand Rabbi Turnauer of
Chust-Williamsburg*** Grand Rabbi Meshullam Ginsberg of
Chust*
Carpathian Ruthenia*
Khust in the
Encyclopedia of Ukraine*
Municipal website (Ukrainian)
*
All about Khust City Includes a large image of the city and castle.
*
Khust City elections in 2003*
Map of Khust City
