Vylock, Ukraine - Budapest, Hungary - Bucharest, Romania - Falticeni, Romania - Escape from Romania

Goldsteins, Inc. - Goldstein Family Tree

BUDAPEST HUNGARY TO VYLOK UKRAINE

I have searched for many years for the location where my grandmother was born. Finally in November, 2002, I located a 1940's alien immigration registration document my grandmother had filled out that revealed she was from Tisa-Ujlak, Ugosca Provience , Hungary . When I told my father, his first response was, “When are we going?” So starts the reason for this journey. As a result, in September, 2003, we set out to see the place his mother came from when she immigrated to the United Stated in March, 1921. The first time someone from our family has been back. With only limited information we could find on the internet, we set out. This account is to help anyone else that may have a similar journey and will hopefully help others save time and find the Jewish cemetery easier. If someone else goes to Vylok (also know as Vilok), please e-mail me at pmgold@bellsouth.net and let me know how the journey went.

Vylok , Ukraine used to be called TisaUjlack , Hungary . In doing research, I found out that this part of Hungary was ceded to Czechoslovakia after WWI as part of the treaty of Trianon in 1921. ( http://hipcat.hungary.org/users/hipcat/trianon.htm ) For a brief time Hungary regained control of the area around 1938 and then lost it permanently during WWII in 1944, to the Soviet Union. In 1946, the area became part of Ukraine and the city was renamed Vylok (pronounced Veelock).

1938-1940

Germany concluded treaties in Munich and Vienna, according to which Southern Slovakia and Northern Transylvania were returned to Hungary .

In preparing for the trip, among the sites we went to were the Ukraine Embassy home page. (link) On this site is a link to the visa form. ( http://www.ukremb.com/consular/visas.html ) The visa was free. You only have to pay a $100.00 application fee, per application to obtain the free visa. Yes, we did. Be sure to request a tourist visa to go in and out at the same border crossing. A transit visa will not work. It took two (2) weeks to receive the visa from the Ukraine embassy. The Ukraine government is not very tourist friendly, but the locals appear to be.

I flew into Budapest airport. In the baggage claim area, there is a tourist information booth. At this booth they had information booklets on Budapest and Hungary . They also had courtesy maps for roads and bike routes. The road map was an invaluable resource for our trip outside of Budapest .

At the airport, you may take a cab or public transportation. I purchased a three (3) day pass of what is called a Budapest card. ( http://www.budapesthotels.com/touristguide/BudapestCard.asp ) The Budapest card was good for public transportation (bus, subway and trolleys). An added benefit is that it is also good for entrance to most museums and discounts on other items. The cost was about $23.00 for a three day pass. It can be purchased at the airport, at subway stations or other places. I purchased my card at the airport.

I went outside the airport terminal to the left and I walked to the sign for a bus which is the bus stop. There I caught the number two (2) bus to the metro station. The number two bus was running about every 15 minutes. It runs to the subway station and back and makes about 10 stops each way. It was about a 25 minute ride. The subway station is called Kobanya-Kispest. It is the end of the line or the beginning depending on if you are coming or going. I got on the metro train and went 11 stops to the Nyugati-pu stop. I walked from the subway train up an escalator through the station, still underground, to the entrance to the West End Mall. We walked in the doors and up and escalator on the left and through the West End Mall to the Hilton West End ( http://www.hilton.com/en/hi/hotels/index.jhtml;jsessionid=DT3KCKSMSPQQ0CSGBIWM22QKIYFC5UUC?ctyhocn=BUDWEHI ) (on the left side), where we stayed. The Hilton has an entrance from inside the Mall or from the street on which it fronts. If you need maps of Budapest , they have complimentary maps at the concierge's counter.

We rented a Car from Sixt ( www.e-sixt.com ). The office was two metro stops from the metro stop at the Hilton. (I suggest taking care of the rental the afternoon before, so you can get an earlier start.) The four of us left in the rental car leaving Budapest for Vylok (pronounced Veeelock) at approximately 9:50 a.m. Our route to Vylok and back to Budapest varies a little. The following is the one we took back and the suggested Route. Incidentally, the roads are good to excellent (at least the ones we traveled.). Take the M3 (the Hungarian comparison to a U.S. Expressway) which is currently constructed only to Polgar. The M3 is only about half completed and when completed would take us a lot closer to our destination. This portion of the trip to Polgar took about 1 hour and 37 minutes and was 190.6 km. Then take Route 36. There is a little disconnect between the two, so watch closely. Follow Route 36 to Nyi??gy?aza. This took approximately 51 minutes and was 51.6 km. In Nyi??gyhaza, take Route 41. Again the connection is somewhat disconnected, so watch carefully. Go to Route 49 which is a right turn. It took approximately 28 minutes and was approximately 34.4 km. Route 49 will take you to the border crossing between Hungary and Ukraine . It took approximately 1one (1) hour and was approximately 70.8 km. The above allowed for about two 10 minute stops for gas or restroom breaks along the way. It took ¾ of a tank of gas for the trip from Budapest to the Ukraine border.

At the border crossing, you park your car along the side street and walk up to the Hungarian crossing booth. Absent paperwork from the rental car company that permits you to take it across the border, the Hungarian border guards will not allow the rental car across. In short order, our passports were stamped and we walked across “no man's land” between the Hungarian border patrol booth and the Ukrainian border patrol booth. This is not a short walk. It consists of walking down the road over a bridge and along the road to the Ukrainian border patrol booth.

We made the mistake of innocently taking tourist pictures at the sign just before reaching the Ukrainian border patrol booth. BIG MISTAKE! One of the guards was very upset and stopped us. He took one of the digital cameras that the picture was taken with and ultimately gave it back only after my brother showed him the picture and deleted it for him. (Click here for picture of sign.) The Ukrainian guards have extremely large hats. By the way, the Ukrainian border guards do not generally speak English. Only one of the guards apparently spoke English on our visit.

Three of us had “Tourist” Visas that were issued in the United States and my cousin from Israel had been issued a “Transit” visa from the Ukraine consulate in Israel . He had been told this would be what he needed. They refused to allow my cousin to enter for just a few hours without exiting in Kiev or elsewhere, but not at that border crossing. We were told that we could go in on the tourist visas but our cousin could not go in on the transit visa and come back out at that border. The guard explained that the transit visa was to enter at one border and exit at a different border not enter and exit at the same border. One guard was extremely helpful (I am serious) in resolving the matter. We asked if there was anything that he could do to help. He again talked to the boss and came back to us with a suggestion. After taking his suggestion, the four of us were allowed through and on our way. They had given my cousin two hours.

We did not know the exact way and only had a very general description which I found on the internet that did not prove correct, but at least put us on the right track. The following are fairly specific directions to find the Jewish cemetery from the Hungarian booth at the border crossing. We had a difficult time finding the cemetery.

I am 6'2” and my stride is about 3 feet long. So here are the boring directional details.

From the Hungarian border guard's booth to the duty free shop at the Ukraine border (more on that later) I took 516 strides. This covers the area I referred to as “no man's land.” From the duty free shop to the Ukraine border guard's booth, I took 35 strides. From the Ukraine border guard's booth to the “main” road which is (sort of) two lanes, I took 45 strides. If you were driving you would follow the short road from the booth, turn right and then turn left. However, we were walking. There is a guard rail along the road as it intersects with the road from the border crossing. There is a break in the guard rail/barrier it somewhat on the left side that you can take if you are walking and connect to the “main” road. This is what we did. I took 5 strides crossing the road. We continued left 15 strides to the steel bridge. Crossing the bridge was 304 strides. After crossing the bridge, the road turned to the right. It was 156 paces to a driveway which is at a bend in the road. The road then turns left. Continuing along the road 705 paces the road bends back to the left. This brings you to a street that intersects at a 45 degree angle into the road we were walking on and the corner of property on which a small church is located. (We found that this intersecting street also is a roundabout way to the Jewish Cemetery that dead ends into the street in front of the Jewish Cemetery). We continued following along the main road another 171 paces to a street that intersects the main road. Turn right and go down this street.. You will see a Christian cemetery ahead. We went 167 paces from the main road to a bend in the road where it went to the right and was at a wooden fence. Go another 73 paces following this road where it bends again, but this time to the left. Follow the road another 84 paces to a fence where the road bends to the right. You have arrived at the Jewish Cemetery. Go 23 paces more and you will find the locked gate to the Jewish Cemetery.

It was on this road that I finally found an old woman who I could get to understand me. Up to this point we had struck out. We did not speak their language and they did not speak ours. They also did not understand the words Jewish or Hebrew.

It finally dawned on me to draw a tombstone with a cross on it and point to the Christian Cemetery and draw a tombstone with a Star of David on it and shrug my shoulders. It worked! The old fashioned way of communicating by symbols bridged the language divide. She directed me to a skinny man who took me to the gate. He got the caretaker who lives to the left of the cemetery. The skinny man lives in house number 10 on this street back towards the main road. I think his name is pronounced Youshe. The caretaker opened the gate and we were in. I think his name is pronounced Yonee.

While many gravestones were standing, a lot are hard to read or missing part of the writing. Most of the writing is in Hebrew.

Many stones have vegetation growing around them I am guessing that part of the cemetery was “cleaned” at some point because there is a lot of open area in the entrance and middle area for an old cemetery. Some stones are also lying down and are broken. In one corner near the caretaker's property, chickens had free roam of the cemetery. As we were leaving the cemetery we gave both the skinny gentleman and the caretaker a gratuity in American Dollars for their kindness, their time and their help. We were satisfied and so were they.

We took pictures of the cemetery and a video of most of the cemetery. Unfortunately we were unable to communicate to find out about any of the records for the cemetery and we were running out of time. We had only talked the border guard into two hours for my cousin. Unfortunately, we could not find the location of my great grandparent's (on my father's side) graves in the cemetery. Maybe I will have better success next time after more research.

On the way out, we passed a cow strolling down the road next to the cemetery. We stopped at the caretaker's yard where he had water and a cup to wash our hands after being in the cemetery (a Jewish custom). My father took advantage of the facilities, and used the outhouse and we were on our way. On the way back, I stepped off the way from the cemetery which you have read above. We did not have time to explore the rest of the town due to time constraints.

We had arrived in Vylok on 9-17-2003 which was one day after what would have been my grandmother's 104 th birthday and one day before my 45 th birthday.

In leaving the border guard booth at the Ukraine border, there is a small duty free shop run by Ukraine . They have some great deals there. Cold cokes were two for one dollar. Yes, they took American money. In what was probably the most interesting show of capitalism, we received a waffle candy bar as part of and in lieu of money change. The cashier has a capitalist future.

My father, 79, was able to see where his mother was from. Five years earlier, he made the trek to Falticeni , Romania to see where his father was from. We walked back to the Hungarian side to our car and we were off to return to Budapest .

I have included the following web sites as a courtesy and have no affiliation with any of them. My goal is to help anyone traveling the same research path I took and save them weeks of time. Use at your own risk and as you see fit.

For information on the cemetery in Vylok look under VILOK : US Commission No. UA06360101 under http://www.jewishgen.org/cemetery/e-europe/ukra-v.html

Link to a Paul Steane's Photograph of the train station in Vylok http://www.steane.com/photos/ua/chme3_1867_vilok.JPG

Sky view Map of Vilok and Latitude and Longitude:

http://www.calle.com/info.cgi?lat=48.1000&long=22.8333&name=Vilok&cty=Ukraine&alt=377

U.S. Department of State on Ukraine http://www.travel.state.gov/ukraine.html

Ukraine Embassy Web Site http://www.ukremb.com/

Ukraine Visa Information http://www.ukremb.com/consular/visas.html

You should be able to download the VISA form from the web site.

Ukraine document request information

http://www.ukremb.com/consular/documents.html

Ukraine Information

http://www.uazone.net/Ukraine.html

http://www.personal.ceu.hu/students/97/Roman_Zakharii/

Ukraine archive information http://www.rtrfoundation.org/archdta6.html

Ukraine description since 1991 independence

http://www.lilypodinc.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk/html/botukr.html

To find information on Foreign Embassy in Washington D.C.

http://www.embassy.org/

Former part of Czechoslovakia – look under Vylok

http://www.zchor.org/CZECHOZ.HTM

Former part of Czechoslovakia – look under I. The Problem 2 nd paragraph

http://www.hungary.com/corvinus/lib/romsics/w34.htm

http://www.bogardi.com/had/en/enfvpzbs.shtml

http://www.personal.ceu.hu/students/97/Roman_Zakharii/gena.htm

http://www.hungary.com/corvinus/lib/dupka/dupka04.htm

http://www.avotaynu.co The summer 2003 edition, volume XIX, Number 2, has a good article on Jewish Genealogical Resources in Transcarpathis by Alexander Dunai.

http://www.austlii.edu.au/au/other/dfat/treaties/1921/4.html

http://www.budapest.com/tour/GeneralInformation.htm

http://membres.lycos.fr/dgrecu/OcH.html

http://www.national-flags.co.uk/world-flags/allflags/ua-zk.html

http://www.shtetlinks.jewishgen.org/sadgura/ReischToronto.html

Gov't pages

http://www.hungaryemb.org/

maps

http://www.ch-rt.hu/ezoom0.htm

http://www.fsz.bme.hu/hungary/homepage.html

http://www.calle.com/info.cgi?lat=48.1000&long=22.8333&name=Vylok&cty=Ukraine&alt=377

Shows Vylok on map of surrounding area