The article discusses a small ethnic Hungarian community living in the village of Velyki Berehy in western Ukraine. Despite being in Ukraine, the children in this community speak Hungarian, reflecting their strong cultural ties to Hungary, which is also evident in the local church's clock being set to Hungary's time zone. The community, which thrived around a magnificent old palace that serves as a high school, is underpinned by Hungarian state funding to maintain their European standards of living.

Located in the remote region of Transcarpathia, this community is geographically isolated from the rest of Ukraine, separated by the Carpathian mountain range. Before the Russian invasion four years ago, the area had a population of 1.2 million, with Hungarian ethnic minority members making up about ten percent. The influence of Viktor Orbán’s government is noted as he views this community as a strategic asset in asserting Hungary's presence in Ukraine, thus complicating their cultural and political circumstances.

The situation reflects broader regional dynamics where ethnicity and national identity are critically intertwined, especially in times of geopolitical tension. The community's aspirations to live by European standards reveal their desire for recognition and support, while also navigating the implications of their identity being leveraged in Hungary's political agenda in the region. This presents both a challenge and an opportunity for the community as they strive to maintain their unique cultural identity in a complex geopolitical landscape.