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
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
No comments:
Post a Comment