On November 15, 1995 Slovakia's Parliament passed a very controversial law establishing Slovak as the state language of the Slovak Republic. Much of the opposition to the law comes from the 600,000 strong Hungarian minority, and from the Hungarian government, who feared the law's provisions would negatively affect the Hungarian minorities rights in Slovakia and derail the still unratified Slovakia-Hungary treaty.
The law stipulates that Slovak must be spoken by all state employees and used at all public ceremonies, except weddings. All signs, advertisements and announcements, especially in shops, stadiums restaurants, on streets, roads, at airports, bus and train stations must be in Slovak. Other languages may be used, but signs, for example, may only be translations of the Slovak original and must be no larger than the Slovak-language signs. Supporters say that the law will not impact minority language usage. Minority language publications, schools, etc. (including Rusyn ones) will be regulated by a new law to be introduced later this year.
The Rusyn village of Mykova, now famous as the birthplace of Andy Warhol's parents, hosted it's 4th Annual Festival of Rusyn Culture at the end of July. Slovak-American columnist, Father Andrew Pier, O.S.B., Cleveland, Ohio, erroneously declared on the pages of Jednota: "The fourth festival of the Ruthenians in eastern Slovakia was dedicated to Andy Warhol, famous American Slovak artist from Pittsburgh"[???] It is a well known fact that the Warhol family has always stated their Rusyn heritage.
The 15th annual Lemko Vatra in Exile (Lemkivska Vatra na Cuzyni)
took place on the first weekend of August in the Silesian village of Michalow.
As in past years, this year's vatra drew approximately 5000 people. Festivities
began Friday night with the ceremonial lighting of the bonfire (vatra) by Vasyl'
Romanjak, oldest resident of Michalow, followed by commemoration of the 100th
anniversary of the May 1895 birth of Nykyfor Drovhjak, internationally renowned
Lemko Rusyn artist from Krynica. Saturday's festivities included folk-singing
and poetry recital contests for children, as well as performances by folk
ensembles from the Rusyn regions of Yugoslavia, Hungary, Ukraine and Poland.
Traditional Lemko foods were available, as were numerous publications of the
Rusyn-oriented Association of Lemkos (Stovarysynja Lemkiv), which
sponsors the event.
The original Lemko Vatra in the homeland (held in annually in Zdynia) has now become a largely Ukrainian and other-Slavic event, with Lemko culture almost wholly absent from the program.
The Rusyn village of Klymkivka (former Gorlyci county), located several
kilometers from Uscie Gorlickie/Uscie Ruske, no longer exists. Located in the
way of a dam and reservoir project, the village and valley in which it was
situated has been flooded to create a large reservoir - Klimkowka Lake. The
natural looking new body of water, surrounded only by the hilltops remaining
above the new water line, is jokingly referred to by some Lemkos as "Lemko
Lake"
Klymkivka's former inhabitants, among them some 18 Lemko families, were paid better-than-market rate for their properties. Most of the Lemkos have chosen to relocate to the nearby Rusyn village of Losje, to which many Lemkos have already returned during the last 3 decades, or to the city of Gorlice, where a large urban Lemko community also resides.
A Greek Catholic church situated in the flood zone was relocated to higher ground near the shore of the reservoir. To the distress of Lemko observers, however, the original historic architecture of this church has been altered to reflect its new function as a Roman Catholic church.
At some point in the future, the shores of Lemko Lake will be developed as a
tourist and recreation site.
Klymkivka emigrants were among the most numerous of all Lemko-Rusyns groups in western Pennsylvania, settling chiefly in Pittsburgh, Ambridge, Charleroi and California.
from Nase Slovo (Warsaw), Nov. 5, 1995
The Third Lemko Poetry Autumn (Lemkivska Tvorca Osin) took place at the Ruska Bursa in Gorlice on September 30, 1995. It was not only a poetry event; sculptures and paintings of Lemko artists from the USA (Vasyl' Madzeljan), Ukraine (M. Bahnij, M. Scerbak, D. Solynko), and Poland (Teodor Kuzjak) were exhibited.
Petro Trochanovskij presented an exhibition of literature about Lemkos and the Lemko Region. Pavel Stefanovskij presented treasures from his private collection of Lemko art, costumes, embroideries, paintings and sculptures. The highlight of his exhibit was the sculpture "Lemko" (1936) by the most famous of all Lemko sculptors - Mychajlo Orysyk (1885-1946)
During the evening poetry reading, Petro Mujanka, Volodyslav Hraban
and Mychal Sandovyc read their poems. The Lemkovyna Ensemble, directed by
Jaroslav Trochanovskij, gave a concert of Lemko folk songs. The event is
attended by Lemkos of both Rusyn and Ukrainian orientations, as well as Poles
and others.
In December 1995 twenty tons of crude oil polluted the Latorycja River in Subcarpathian Rus' after a leak in the Druzba Pipeline there, near the Slovakian border. This river flows from Subcarpathian Rus' through eastern Slovakia. The oil spill had not yet penetrated into Slovakia. The Latorycja River has been polluted three times since 1993.
At a gathering of local kid's folk ensembles and singing groups, Rusyn children from Kamjunka, Orjabyna, Ujak/Udol and Saryske Jastrabje and the towns of Nova L'ubovna and Plavec performed. Kamjunka's "Radost" ensemble won second place in competition.
The opening of art exhibition of renowned Rusyn artist Andrij Gaj featuring his works from 1980 to 1995; sponsored in part by the Rusyn Renaissance Society ran until June 4th.
The Warhol Family Museum of Modern Art hosted a photo exhibition, "Rusyns in Subcarpathian Rus'" by Dana Kindrova which ran through June.
Observance of the 50th anniversary of the founding of the Medzilaborci gymnasium (high school)
The Third World Congress of Rusyns was held in this Rusyn village in Vojvodina, Serbia, hosted by the Ruska Matka [Rusyn Mother] Rusyn Cultural Foundation. Over 100 delegates from Rusyn organizations in 5 countries attended. Three commissions -- scholarly, education & culture, economic development -- were established, each with 2-year work plans. Vasyl' Turok was reelected as chairman of the World Council of Rusyns which oversees the World Congress. Local semi-professional Rusyn theatre and folk dance ensembles provided entertainment. The 4th Congress is planned for Budapest, Hungary in May 1997.
An exhibition of 43 paintings by 6 modern representatives of the Transcarpathian school of painting opened at a museum here. The exhibit's name, "Sensations 5 +1 " symbolizes the diversity of the members of the Transcarpathian Union of Artists of Ukraine. The exhibit then opened August 8 in Kosice.
Jaroslav Sysak, director of the Aleksander Duchnovic Theatre, was elected to
replace Nykolaj Ljas as President of the Rusyn Renaissance Society (Rusyn'ska
Obroda).
The Union of Ukrainians in Poland sponsored the 14th Festival of Ukrainian Music Song and Dance, The first was held in Sanok in 1967. This year several Lemko-Rusyn ensembles participated: "Polonyna" and "Kycera" from Legnica (Silesia), and from the Lemko Region, "Zbyrana Chapel" from Komanca and "Oslavjany from Mokre (both in the Sanok region).
The Second "Magur'ske Svjato" [Magura Celebration] folk festival was held in which the village folk ensemble "StebnyEanka', and singers Jan Ambroz and Anna Servic'ka performed.
The annual festival of "Rusyn and Saris [Slovak]" folk culture was held at the outdoor museum (skanzen).
The 26th Festival of Culture and Sport was held in this Rusyn village. Participants included the Rusyn ensemble from Ulyc, the school children's Rusyn folk group from Zbuj, the Myhalic/Petrasovskyj/Sijka trio from Humenne, and "Vranovcan" from Vranov nad Topl'ou.
Local Orthodox clergy blessed the restored cemetery from World War I in the village of Radocyna, former Gorlyci county in the Lemko Region. A similar blessing was held on September 3 in the nearby village of Hrab, former Jaslo county.
The 25th Annual "Zemplinsky Jarmok" (Zemplin Fair) trade show, with almost 500 consumer goods firms from all over Slovakia participating, was opened with folk singing performances by local Rusnak village ensembles "Laborec", "Hnojnare". "Klubovanka", "Strananka", and 'Rakovcan'.
The "Under the Dubrava" Rusyn folk festival showcased the town's own 'Dubrava' ensemble, and guest performing groups "Cirocha" from Snina, "Pychoncanka" (Pychni), "Nezabudka" (Humenne), "Vranovcan" (Vranov nad Topl'ou), 'Pcolyncanka' (Pcolyne), and "Ustavjanka" (Osudne).
The 640th anniversary of the 1st written record of the village was celebrated with a festival featuring the town's Rusyn ensemble "Bilovezanka". Also, the villagers with the assistance of the Rusyn Renaissance Society in Presov, purchased a memorial tablet (with text entirely in Rusyn) to commemorate two Rusyn "national awakeners" Fathers Aleksander Duchnovyc: and Aleksander Pavlovyc, both of whom lived in Biloveza and pastored its church. Divine Liturgy was served in the village church, with a Panachida (memorial service) sung for the souls of Fathers Duchnovyc: and Pavlovyc.
Six weeks of camp in this Rusyn village in okres Humenne were enjoyed by kids from the Orthodox Eparchy of Presov. The Brotherhood of Orthodox Youth in Slovakia organized the camp for about 300 Orthodox children from the districts of Humenne, Bardejov, the city of Kosice, and elsewhere.
The lst anniversary of the glorification of Priest-Martyr Maksym Sandovyc was observed & included an art exhibit, "Jedno Serce" [One Heart] by Viktor Sandovyc.
The "Cervena Ruza '95" Rusyn folk festival was held, with local "Rusnaci' and their folk ensembles, choirs and orchestras from Ruski Kerestur, Kocura, Novi Sad, Djurdjov, Kula, and Verbas participating.
Three days of celebration concluded the- 250th anniversary of the migration of Rusyns from "Hornica" - Zemplyn & Sarys counties -- to the Pannonian lowlands of "Backa' in search of better lives for themselves and their children. Festivities were held here, the center of Rusyn culture in Vojvodina, and also in Djurdjov (20 miles from Novi Sad), at which the Rusyn group "Zaruba" from Njagov in Slovakia performed the "Njagivska Svad'ba" mock wedding.
The Rusyn-language Aleksander Duchnovic Theatre (formerly the Ukrainian National Theatre) began its 50th performing season.
Residents completed a monument in the town park to the soldiers who liberated the town from Nazi oppression in 1944. Seventeen were soldiers from Ol'ka, including Jurko Stim, Ivan Tkacin, Janko Lypcak, Mychal Gajdos, Janko Gonda, and others.
Local Rusyns marked the 100th anniversary of the founding of the Greek Catholic Rusyn Cantor-Teacher's institute (Greko-katolycka Rus 'ka Pivcoucitel'ska Preperandija), established in 1895 by Bishop Jan Valij.
The St., John the Baptist Greek Catholic Gymnasium (high school) opened this school year with 30 students in 2 grades, the first of 23 church high schools in Slovakia. Admission is open to students of all faiths, but religious studies is a required subject. Philosophy, ethics, and the German, English, French, and Spanish languages are taught by Greek Catholic clergy.
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Last modified on September 27 1997
URL:http://www.carpatho-rusyn.org/crs/eurpoe4.htm
Greg Gressa
[ggressa@carpatho-rusyn.org]
The Carpatho-Rusyn Knowledge Base