After the collapse of the Soviet Union and its Communist system the possibility emerged of establishing Christian schools for the Hungarian minority community in sub-Carpathia, a region which formerly belonged to the Kingdom of Hungary for a thousand years. This area was annexed by Czechoslovakia in 1920, then by the Soviet Union in1945. It has been a part of Ukraine since 1991.

Despite the difficult economic situation, the first Christian school within the former territory of the Soviet Union was established by the sub-Carpathian Reformed Church in the town of Nagybereg in September 1993. Anna Pándy-Szekeres was appointed as the first principal and teacher of the Nagybereg Reformed Church Liceum.

In 1995 the Reformed Church of the Sub-Carpathian Ukraine’s bishop Lajos Gulácsy and head lay officer Pál Oroszi, along with Dániel Szabó, head lay officer of the Cistibiscan Church District, established two other schools – the Nagydobrony Reformed Church Liceum and the Péterfalva Reformed Church Liceum.

In 1998, David Pándy-Szekeres was appointed as supervisor of these schools.

In 2001 a state school asked to join the ranks of the Reformed Church schools and henceforth became the Técső Reformed Church Liceum.

Not benefitting from any financial support from the Ukrainian state these Hungarian minority Christian schools offer the 352 enrolled students a program of high-level academics grounded in Christian ethical principles. As educational consultants, David and Anna, assist the operation of these schools.

**Photographs are from the official 2012-13 school year opening worship service for the four Hungarian Reformed Church Secondary Schools on September 16, 2012, in Beregszász/Beregovo, Ukraine. Photographer: Zoltán Fábián