The Optation of 1945–1947 in the Collective Memory of Residents of the Slovak-Ukrainian Localities in Transcarpathia

The present study offers an examination into how residents of the mixed Slovak-Ukrainian areas of Transcarpathia recall the optation process of 1945–1947. As most respondents did not experience the event directly, any knowledge obtained was derived primarily from intergenerational narratives passed down by parents and grandparents. This paper explores how the optation is remembered today and which interpretations and versions are maintained within the collective memory of the studied communities. Although most residents remained in the region, the Soviet Union invoked the optation as justification for limiting the minority rights of Slovaks. The direct impact of the optation varied across localities, with some areas seeing a significant proportion of Slovaks relocating to Czechoslovakia, whereas in others, only a small number departed. Research indicates that respondents generally possess only some vague knowledge of the events, with the exception of older respondents, who were either children at the time or were born shortly after.