Early history Archaeological excavation suggest that early settlements existed here before the
Middle Ages. For example, a Celtic
oppidum and metal works center that existed in the 3rd-1st century BC were found between the Halish and Lovachka mountains. A
Thracian fort of the
Iron Age (10th century BC) was found on the mountain of Tupcha. Around the 1st century the area was occupied by the
Carpi people who displaced the local
Celts from the area. The
Slavs settled the territory in the 6th century.
Hungarian rule In 895 the
Hungarian tribes entered the Carpathian Basin through the
Veretskyi Pass, about north of present-day Mukachevo. In 1397, the town and its surrounding was granted by
Sigismund, Holy Roman Emperor, to his distant cousin, the exiled prince of Grand Duchy of Lithuania
Fyodor Koriatovych, who used to administer the Ruthenian Podolia region of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania, until was exiled for disobedience by Grand Duke Vytautas the Great in 1392. Theodor therefore became a vassal of Hungary and settled many
Ruthenians in the territory. Other sources, however, state that Theodor bought the town and the surrounding area in 1396. During the 15th century, the city prospered and became a prominent craft and trade center for the region. In 1445, the town became a Hungarian
royal free city. It was also granted
Magdeburg rights. During the 16th century, Munkács became part of the
Principality of Transylvania. The 17th century (from 1604 to 1711) was a time of continuous struggle against the expansionist intentions of the
Habsburg Empire for the Principality. In 1678 the anti-Habsburg Revolt of
Emeric Thököly started out from Munkács. The region also played an important role in
Rákóczi's War of Independence.
Austrian control and revolts After the defeat of
Francis II Rákóczi the city came under Austrian control in the mid-18th century as part of the Kingdom of Hungary and was made a key fortress of the
Habsburg monarchy. In 1726, the
Palanok Castle and the town, before 1711 owned by the
Rákóczi family, was given by the Habsburgs to the
Schönborn family, who were responsible for an expansion of the town. They also settled many
Germans in the territory, thereby causing an economic boom of the region. During 1796–1897, the city's castle, until then a strong fortress, became a prison. The
Greek national hero
Alexander Ypsilanti was imprisoned at the Palanok Castle between 1821 and 1823.
Mukachevo during and after the wars In 1919, after the
Rusyn Americans agreed with
Tomáš Masaryk on the incorporation of
Carpathian Ruthenia into
Czechoslovakia, the whole of
Carpathian Ruthenia was occupied by Czechoslovak troops. On 4 June 1920, Mukachevo officially became part of Czechoslovakia through the
Treaty of Trianon. In November 1938, a part of the territory of the former Kingdom of Hungary was re-annexed by Hungary as part of the
First Vienna Award. Without delay the new authorities decreed the expulsion of all Jews without Hungarian citizenship. As a consequence, Polish and Russian Jews, long-term residents of the now Hungarian-controlled Transcarpathian region, and also from Mukachevo, as well as the native Jews who could not prove their citizenship, were deported over the Ukrainian border where they were turned over to the
German Einsatzgruppe commando led by
Friedrich Jeckeln. On 27 and 28 August 1941, they were all murdered by the Germans in
Kamianets-Podilskyi's
massacre. Even so, Mukachevo's population still held an important Jewish component, up until 1944 when all remaining Jews were deported to the
Auschwitz concentration camp by
Adolf Eichmann. At the end of 1944, the
Red Army stormed Carpathian Ruthenia. At first the territory was given to the re-established Czechoslovakia, which then became part of the
Soviet Union later in 1945 by a treaty between the two countries. The Soviet Union began a policy of expulsion of the Hungarian population. In 1945, the city was ceded to the
Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic, and is currently under the sovereignty of
Ukraine. Since 2002, Mukachevo has been the seat of the
Roman Catholic Diocese of Mukachevo. The
128th Mountain Assault Brigade of the
Ukrainian Ground Forces has been based in Mukachevo since
World War II.
PostUkrainian independence 2015 far-right clash with Ukraine's special security service On 10 July 2015, Ukrainian government forces clashed with far-right
Right Sector paramilitary forces, killing two people. According to President of Ukraine
Petro Poroshenko's ally
Yuriy Lutsenko, these events "result[ed from] the conflict of interests between illegal armed groups and a mafia overtly cooperating with law enforcers." Some local leaders indicated the conflict ensued when Right Sector forces attempted to clamp down on the lucrative illegal cigarette smuggling trade to Western Europe, in which local law enforcement had been complicit. Immediate fallout from the events included the sacking of the leadership of the local Zakarpatya district customs service. Ukrainian MP Mykhailo Lanyo, fingered in the smuggling ring, reportedly fled Ukraine. Right Sector leader Yarosh called for calm, and denied that Right Sector troops were being withdrawn from eastern Ukraine. ==Geography==