In Uzhgorod, descendants of the famous Empress presented the Order of Maria Theresa to this year’s recipient (PHOTOS)

The fifth anniversary awarding ceremony for the honorary award for a significant contribution to the development of Transcarpathia – the Order of Maria Theresa – was held yesterday, May 3, in Uzhgorod.

Traditionally, many Uzhgorod citizens gathered in the Maria Theresa park, the founder of the award – lawyer, diplomat, historian Alen Panov and the descendants of the famous Empress – Sandor and Gerta Margaret Habsburg-Lothringen.

Who will receive the award this year? The organizers traditionally kept it in secret and only during the ceremony announced: it went to restorer and manager of the Transcarpathian "love fortress" – the Chinadiyevo castle of Saint-Miklos – Yosyp Bartosh for his work to preserve the medieval historical monument and turn it into a cultural and art center.

The fifth knight of the Order Yosyp Bartosh thanked for the honor and assured that he would keep working to preserve the history of the region.

Since it was the award’s fifth anniversary, the organizers decided to present two more awards. Thus, the city of Uzhgorod received a special award for the reconstruction of Sandor Petofi square.

The jewelry brand Kochut was awarded for the promotion of Transcarpathia around the world. The award was handed over to the co-founder of the brand Yuriy Kochut.

Another pleasant surprise at the ceremony was the presentation of the award of the Imperial Court of Habsburgs and the Austrian Government to the Panovs family for the support of historical and cultural ties between Ukraine and Europe.

Recall that the Order of Maria Theresa is awarded to citizens who have made a significant contribution to the development of Uzhgorod or Transcarpathian region. The award is founded by the Panov family. In the previous years, the Order of Maria Theresa was awarded to the head of the BLITZ modern dance studio Olena Kaminska, famous confectioner Valentin Shtefanyo, the CEO of the world-famous company Fisher-Mukachevo Vasyl Ryabich, historian and archaeologist Oleksandr Dzembas.