The American Association for the Advancement of Slavic Studies annual convention was held in late October 1995 in Washington, D.C. On October 29, a scholarly panel, "A New Slavic Nationality: The Carpatho-Rusyns of East-Central Europe" was held. Three papers (on politics, language and literature) were read, and two discussants gave commentary. Among Dr. Paul Magocsi's more interesting comments in his politics paper were that the current Rusyn revival differs from past ones in that it is interregional, technology is playing an important role, and that many women and younger people are in leadership roles -- on editorial staffs, at congresses, etc. The participation of women is not, he said, from a conscious effort at "gender balance", but die to a more natural rise to prominence of talented people in society. The younger activists are more apt to be highly educated persons coming from a Ukrainian educational environment. Today over 50 percent of European Rusyns live in large towns and cities; but any suggestion that the movement stems from nothing more than a romantic notion of urban dwellers longing to reclaim a "rural sense of their youth" is dispelled by the ample evidence of modern Rusyn cultural expression such as: professional and avant-garde, experimental theatre; art; and political satire.
Over 50 of the 60 available seats were filled, many by local Rusyn-Americans who were concerned about the issues being discussed -- and we got to meet and talk with quite a few of you (Larry, Megan, Susyn, Jack!) and hopefully brought aboard a few new C-RS members. One man in the audience proudly stated his 100% Rusyn heritage from Certizne, Zemplyn and Moscanec, Sjanok, and confessed growing up in a Russophile home environment, but confessed that he "found his place in Ukrainian society" and he "accepts his Ukrainian identity", but nevertheless wishes the Rusyns well in their endeavors. A woman from Moscow, Russia described her academic group's ongoing research among the Rusyn villages of Subcarpathian Rus', collecting folklore (tales, music, songs) for a study - - some of which are featured on this website.
Other interesting facts which came up were : of all Rusyn areas, the villages in Subcarpathian Rus' are where one finds Rusyn spoken in its most pristine form; in fact the dialects in the villages have changed very little, if at all; a Rusyn literary language standard is being prepared right now in Transcarpathia; and while the Slovak government has forbidden the distribution of the Rusyn-language children's textbooks in Slovakia, the elementary schools in Komloska and Mucon/Mucsony Hungary have obtained the books and are now using them to teach the kids in those villages their Rusyn mother tongue! Professor Alexander Motyl predicted that the relatively weak economies of Poland, Slovakia and Ukraine will probably lead to an outmigration of Rusyns.
Return To New Rusyn Times Archives
Last modified on September 27 1997
URL:http://www.carpatho-rusyn.org/crs/america5.htm
Greg Gressa [ggressa@carpatho-rusyn.org]
The Carpatho-Rusyn Knowledge Base