Fedir Shandor (right).Photo: zakarpat-rada.
Appointment of Fyodor Shandor: official confirmation
On 21 December 2024, President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy signed a decree appointing Fedir Shandor as Ambassador of Ukraine to Hungary. This step completes a long process of approval of the candidate, who was announced in August 2023. At the time of the decision, Ukraine had not had an ambassador in Budapest since July 2022. Sandor’s appointment comes along with other changes in the country’s diplomatic corps, when the president signed 17 decrees dismissing and appointing new ambassadors, Time Ukraine Israel reports, citing Liga.net.
“Professor from the trenches”: the path to diplomacy
Fedir Shandor, a professor at Uzhhorod National University, has become a symbol of indomitability and dignity. Immediately after the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion, he voluntarily joined the Armed Forces of Ukraine, and his intellectual activity did not stop even at the front. During the fighting, he found time to continue teaching, giving lectures to his students directly from the trenches. This unique combination of a scientist and a soldier became famous and earned him the nickname “Professor from the Trenches”.
Approval of a candidate in Hungary
Before taking up his new diplomatic mission, Fedir Shandor went through a formal approval procedure in Hungary. In late summer 2023, the Hungarian side approved his appointment, confirming its readiness to cooperate with such an unusual ambassador. It is worth noting that the previous ambassador of Ukraine to Hungary was Liubov Nepop, whose term ended in 2022.
New challenges for Ukrainian diplomacy
Fedir Shandor is not only a professional in the field of education, but also a man who has inspired young people and soldiers on the front line by his example. Now he will have the honour of representing Ukraine’s interests in Hungary, where his experience, humanity and courage will become important assets in Ukrainian diplomacy.
