The directory «Plots»

Zalka Máté
(1896—1937)

Máté Zalka was a Hungarian writer and revolutionary. His real name was Béla Frankl. He attended Polgári Iskola (high school) in Mátészalka, which was later renamed in his honour. (The name was later changed again when communism became unpopular). He lied about his age to get into the Hungarian Army when he was 18 years old. Zalka fought in Italy which later became the subject of his novel "Doberdő". He went to battle on the Russian front in 1917 and ended up in a Russian prisoner of war camp. While he was in the war camp he organized the prisoners´ theatre and after his release he worked as a theatre director in Moscow, Russia. In Russian Zalka was introduced to communism and when the war ended, instead of returning to Hungary he decided to stay in Russia where he met his wife Vera. They had one daughter, Talocska, who later died due to complications from the accident at Chernobyl. In November, 1936 he joined the International Brigades and led the 12th Brigade (later, 45th Division) against Franco in the Spanish Civil War. In 1937, his car came under bombardment and he was killed near Huesca, Spain.

Hungary, 1961, Máté Zalka

USSR, 1976.04.31, Beliki. 80th Birth anniv of Máté Zalka

USSR, 1966, Máté Zalka

USSR, 1976, Máté Zalka