To mark the 80th anniversary of Antal Hodinka’s death, a trilingual memorial plaque was unveiled in Ladomirov, Slovakia, the birthplace of the distinguished historian, linguist, university professor and member of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences. The plaque, bearing inscriptions in Hungarian, Slovak and Rusyn, was installed on the wall of the municipal office. Antal Hodinka (Ladomirov, 13 January 1864 – Budapest, 15 July 1946) devoted a significant part of his scholarly work to researching the history, language and culture of the Rusyn community.

The ceremony, held on 12 September 2026, was opened by Jana Gezová, Mayor of Ladomirov, who welcomed those in attendance. In her address, she emphasised the importance of commemorating Antal Hodinka in a manner befitting his legacy in his native village. She also spoke about the cultural diversity of Ladomirov and its Rusyn community, whose continued presence gives the village a distinctive cultural character. The participants were then welcomed by László Miklós, President of the Slovak Hungarian Academic Council.

Károly Kocsis, member of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences and Chair of the MTA Presidential Committee for Hungarian Science Abroad, presented the principal stages of Antal Hodinka’s life and academic career. In his speech, he highlighted the scholar’s wide-ranging academic activities and the enduring legacy of his historical, linguistic and Rusyn-related research. The commemoration continued with a reading of a laudation honouring Antal Hodinka.

At the conclusion of the ceremony, László Miklós, President of the Slovak Hungarian Academic Council, and Jana Gezová, Mayor of Ladomirov, jointly unveiled the memorial plaque bearing inscriptions in Hungarian, Slovak and Rusyn. The plaque was commissioned jointly by the Slovak Hungarian Academic Council and the Ladomirov Municipal Office, with the support of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences.

The event was attended by numerous representatives of local public life, as well as delegates from Rusyn associations and local governments in Hungary. Transcarpathian Hungarian academic life was represented by István Csernicskó, President of the Transcarpathian Hungarian Academic Council, founder of the Antal Hodinka Research Centre for Linguistics and Rector of Ferenc Rákóczi II Transcarpathian Hungarian University, and Kornélia Hires-László, the current Head of the Research Centre.

Through their personal attendance, they also expressed the particular importance of the ceremony and the installation of the memorial plaque. The unveiling represents another significant step towards making Antal Hodinka’s life and scholarly achievements more widely known. At the same time, it contributes to preserving his memory and intellectual legacy in his native region and among the Transcarpathian, Hungarian and Rusyn academic and cultural communities.