This year, the Szekler Museum of Ciuc is celebrating the 400th anniversary of Mikó Castle, the building that houses this institute. As it is well known, the castle was rebuilt for military purposes at the beginning of the 18th century as the headquarters of the Austrian imperial border defending troops, and continued to fulfil this role in the following centuries. Throughout the year and until the spring of 2024, the museum is preparing a series of programmes in honour of the memory of the historical eras of this old monument.

June's subject is a military chest, a decorated cup and a cigar case, the property of a military prisoner who used them in captivity. He was a young man recruited in 1942 from Jászberény to join the Royal Hungarian Army in Budapest. After a year of training (he became a driver), his battalion was sent to Transylvania. They were quartered in Miercurea-Ciuc, in Mikó Castle. From his memories: “the castle’s walls were so thick, you could lay down in the window recess.”

He loved woodworking and had a good manual dexterity, so he made his own military chest, using sheet metal and copper wire to create his monogram. The chest has survived the hard times, has been restored, traditionally painted green, and is in very good condition. On its compartmentalized inner surface, we find the date "CSÍKSZEREDA 1943. II/ 10" and the inscription "Rifle number P2199". From 1945 to 1948 he was a Soviet prisoner of war in the North Caucasus, 36th camp. This is where his personal belongings, his cup and cigar case, which show traces of his eternal longing for his homeland, are decorated with naive, nail-stitched folk motifs.

The donation came from Jászberény as a gift from the son of the "protagonist" of this story, Sándor Versegi, who, in addition to the objects, also sent - at his own expense - his father's military documents, photographs and a summary of their memories.

The objects are on display at the museum's ticket office and can be viewed from Tuesday to Sunday, daily from 9am to 5pm.