Veľké Slemence

Veľké Slemence ( until 1927 slovak " Veľké Selmence "; Hungarian Nagyszelmenc ) is a municipality in eastern Slovakia. It is located in the East Slovak Lowland directly on the border with Ukraine, about 8 km from Veľké Kapušany and about 31 km from Michalovce. In the village live around 600 inhabitants, of which 97 % Hungarian and 2.3% of Slovak origin ( 2001).

The village was first mentioned in 1332 under the name Zelmench and was until 1918 the Kingdom of Hungary. She came as a result of the Treaty of Trianon to newly established Czechoslovakia. In the period 1938 to 1945 the village was briefly on the basis of the First Vienna Award re- Hungary. 1946, the former Hungarian territory between these two states was divided due to the Czechoslovak - Soviet treaty. According to the agreement, the new border ran right through the town and separated the district Kisszelmenc (Russian Mali Selmenzi / Малі Селменці, 200 inhabitants) from the rest of the place from. Since the collapse of the Soviet Union Kisszelmenc belongs to Ukraine. Only in 2005 was opened to international pressure in the divided village a border crossing for pedestrians. This border crossing has been making the entry of Slovakia into the Schengen area represents the EU's external border