Rusyn Links

Dear Friends,

Recently I have been searching the Internet trying to find interesting links to various sites that in someway or another pertain to the Rusyn People and Culture. If you look on the right hand side of this Blog, you will see a "Various Rusyn Links" section. Even with my surfing, I am sure I have missed some very interesting and enlightening sites. So, I am asking you for some help in expanding the "Links" section of my Blog. If you know or find a website that mostly pertains to the Rusyn People, Places or Culture, please post a comment with the web address of the site.

Thanks for your assistance,
Vladimir

Aleksander Duchnovič - Ja Rusyn Byl

JA RUSYN BYL
Aleksander Duchnovič (1803-1865)"Vrucanie" -- 1851 Almanac Pozdravlenie Rusynov

Я Русин был, єсмь, и буду, Я родился Русином,Честный мой род не забуду, Останусь єго сыном;

Русин был мой отец, мати,Русская вся родина,Русины сестры, и браты И широка дружина;

Великій мой род, и главный, Міру єсть современный,Духом и силою славный, Всїм народам пріємный.

Я свїт узрїл под Бескидом, Первый воздух русскій ссал,И кормился русским хлїбом, Русин мене колысал.

Коль первый раз отворил рот, Русскоє слово прорек,На аз-буцї первый мой пот З молодого чела тек.

Русским потом я питан был, Русским ищол расходомВ широкій свїт; но не забыл С своим знатися родом. --

И теперь, кто питает мя? Кто кормит, кто мя держит?Самое русское нлемя Мою годность содержит!

Прото тобї, роде мой, Кленуся живым Богом,За печальный пот и труд твой Повинуюся полгом. --

И отдам ти колько могу, Прійми той щирый дарок,Прійми вот маленьку книгу, И сей писменный рядок;

Прочеє же не забуду Сердца моєго скрухуПожертвити; -- я твой буду, Твоим другом и умру.


In English:

I was, am and will remain Rusyn, I was born a Rusyn, My honorable lineage I will not forget, And I shall remain its son;

My father and mother were Rusyn, As are all my relatives, My brothers and sisters are Rusyns, And my large group of friends;

My great and mighty people Are united in peace, And with renewed strength and spirit, Are magnanimous to all others.

I first saw the light of this world under the [Carpathian] Beskid range, The first breath I drew was Rusyn, And I was raised on Rusyn bread, A Rusyn it was who cradled me.

When I opened my mouth for the first time, I spoke Rusyn words, And it was over Cyrillic letters That sweat ran from my young brow.

Later I was educated as a Rusyn. And as such went out into the wide world; But I did not forget My own distinguished people.

And now who shows me the way? Who nourishes me? Who uplifts me? It is the Rusyn nation Which upholds my respectability.

It is for you, my people, I bow down to the living God. Through sweat and hard work I pay back my obligation

And give to you as much as I can Accept as a gift and with sincerity. This little book And its writer's words

I will not forget to sacrifice this repentance From the bottom of my heart. I will remain your devoted Friend until I die.

Notable Rusyn Americans

Juliya Chernetsky, Hostess of various TV shows on Fuse TV.
Sandra Dee, actress
Steve Ditko, comic book illustrator and co-creator of Spider-Man
Bill Evans, jazz musician (Rusyn mother)
Thomas Hopko, Orthodox Christian theologian
Tom Ridge, politician (Rusyn mother)
Tom Selleck, actor (Rusyn father)
Mark Singel, politician (Rusyn mother)
John Spencer, actor (Rusyn mother)
Michael Strank, soldier
Robert Urich, actor (Rusyn father)
Andy Warhol, artist
James Warhola, illustrator
Peter Wilhousky, composer
Gregory Zatkovich, lawyer and political activist
Paul Zatkovich, newspaper editor and cultural activist

Politics of the Rusyns

This is a very sensitive subject for all sides involved. What is the true politics for the Rusyns? Good question. If you ask 4 different people from 4 different regions, you will clearly get 4 totally different responses. Are any of them right, are any of them wrong? Who knows? I think what is important is for the people of Rusyn decent to come together as a group. Stop fighting each other because one is a Greek Catholic (Uniate) and the other is Eastern Orthodox. Stop fighting because one person of Rusyn decent was born in the current country of Ukraine while another person of Rusyn decent was born in Slovakia or Southern Poland.

The ancient area where the Rusyn people came from is a divided area. Not all that came from those areas or current live in those areas consider themselves to be “Rusyn”. The traditional geographic area of the Rusyn people is considered to be: the mountainous Transcarpathian region of western Ukraine and adjacent areas in Slovakia, as well as extreme areas of southeastern Poland. Many of the Rusyn people moved away from their traditional homelands over centuries, for economical or political reasons, and have settled in various areas through out Eastern, Central and Southern Europe. There are a large numbers of ethnic Rusyn people, outside of current day Ukraine, that live in Slovakia, Serbia, Croatia, Hungary and Poland. As well, many Rusyns emigrated to the United States and Canada.

The Rusyns have always been subject to larger neighboring powers, such as Hungary, Czechoslovakia, Slovakia, Poland, the Soviet Union, Ukraine, and Russia. In contrast to the modern Ukrainian national movement that united Western Ukrainians with those in the rest of Ukraine, the Rusyn national movement took two forms: one considered Rusyns as a separate East Slavic nation, while the other was based on the concept of fraternal unity with Russians.

Most of the predecessors of the Eastern Slavic inhabitants of present-day Western Ukraine, as well as Western Belarus, referred to themselves as Ruthenians (Rusyns) prior to the nineteenth century. Many of them became active participants in the creation of the Ukrainian nation and came to call themselves Ukrainians. There were, however, ethnic Rusyn enclaves, which were not a part of this movement: those living on the border of the same territory or in more isolated regions, such as the people from Carpathian Ruthenia, Poleshuks, or the Rusyns of Podlachia. With no reason to change their self-identifying monikers, these isolated groups continued to refer to themselves as Rusyns even after the majority of their people had begun to self-identify as Ukrainian.

In my opinion, the most important factor in being Rusyn is not a national identity, but in the historical, ethnic and cultural beauty that is found in our heritage. To recognize that our predecessors suffered through changing political governments, borders, economic difficulties and other hardships. Many of them moved out of necessity, to make the lives of their children and future generations better.

It does not matter if you are a Rusyn from Ukraine, Slovakia, Poland, Serbia, Croatia, USA or Canada. What matters is the recognition of our shared past as a people, a saving and sharing of our history, culture, and traditions.

So personally I feel that one can be both Ukrainian and Rusyn, just as one can be Serbian and Rusyn, or Canadian and Rusyn. In addition, religion should not be a factor either. There are many Rusyn that are Greek Catholic, just as there are many that are Eastern Orthodox. Lets not continue the squabbles of the past. Let’s unite in a common theme, being Rusyn, and not divide ourselves by Religious differences.

Remember the words of Aleksander Duchnovič..."I was a Rusyn, I am a Rusyn, and will always be a Rusyn!” Let being a Rusyn be a tool to unite us, and not divide us.

Vladimir Lavenko

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Welcome to my new Blog Page

Welcome to my new Blog page...."The Roaming Rusyn."

My name is Vladimir Lavenko. I am of Rusyn decesnt and was born in the USA. I am very proud of my heritage and my families culture and history. I want to share some of my thoughts, ideas, and travels with all of you through this Blog page.

I am in my early 40's and I live in Southern New Mexico, USA. Not a very common place for a Rusyn to live.

I hope you will subscribe to my Blog, visit it on occasion when you have a chance...and hopefully will supply me with some courteous, respectful, insightful feedback.

Thank you again for taking the time to read my first Blog.

-Vladimir Lavenko