Rusyn’ska Obroda - the nationality organization of Rusyns in Slovakia - has alerted the President of the Parliament of Slovakia, Ivan Gašparovic, and other parliament members of the violation of Rusyns’ constitutional rights. According to Rusyn’ska Obroda, the artificially created term "Rusyn-Ukrainian" is being used by the government even though such a nationality does not exist. In the 1991 census of Slovakia not one person declared himself to be of this nationality.
In view of this, they complain about the greater state support for the Ukrainian "Union of Rusyn-Ukrainians" than for Rusyn’ska Obroda, even though in the same census more citizens declared themselves of Rusyn nationality than of Ukrainian nationality. Rusyn’ska Obroda is also concerned with instruction in the Rusyn language, codified since January 27, 1995. They are requesting the establishment of alternative instruction for a few hours weekly in Rusyn language and culture, the creation of a university Department of Rusyn Language and Culture, and guaranteed printing of textbooks for the Rusyn language.
At the present time there are no Rusyn schools in Slovakia. In 1949, there were 245 Rusyn primary schools, 45 state schools, and 2 secondary schools. Rusyn’ska Obroda also requests the organization of a Rusyn program on Slovak radio, where at the present time there is only a "Rusyn-Ukrainian" program which, according to Rusyn’ska Obroda, is anti-Rusyn.
The Rusnaci” Society of German-Rusyn Friendship Družtvo Njemecko-Ruskoho Prijatel’stva was founded in Munich, Germany by Dr. Silvester Kuhar, an emigrant from Rusyn-inhabited Vojvodina in Yugoslavia, in late 1995 on the occasion of the 250th anniversary of the Rusyn settlement of Vojvodina. The Society aims to preserve Rusyn customs, traditions, language and culture, and bring together Rusyns from all over Germany to meet regularly and celebrate together. A Rusyn Ball was held in Germany on April 20, 1996 and the group also met at the Svidnyk Rusyn Festival in Slovakia on June 15 and 16. An annual get-together is planned for October 26.
The Society has already minted two coins: the first, gold coin symbolizes the founding of the Society, showing on one side the Rusyn emblem, and on the other, a picture of Dr. Kuhar; the second, silver coin shows the Rusyn emblem on one side and on the other side, a symbol of the 250th anniversary of Rusyn settlement of Vojvodina. On it, the numeral ‘0’ is replaced by the stamp of Maria Teresa, who gave permission for Rusyns to settle in the Backa area. If you want to obtain the coins, you may write to the Society. Their address is: Rusnaci (Ruthenen) Deutsch-Ruthenische-Freundschaft e.V., Effnerstr. 75 c, 81925 München, Germany.
At the end of 1995, a serious division developed in the Greek Catholic parish of Hrabivcik, okres Svidnyk, over the attempts of the pastor to introduce the Slovak language into the liturgical services and change the parish to the Gregorian (“new-style”) calendar. These actions have divided the parish and the village; the traditionalist group protested to the Council of Europe in Strasbourg, to the Slovak government, and to regional authorities in Svidnyk.
In nearby Sorocin, the same priest alienated his parishioners by declaring, along with other unnecessary renovations, that the church’s 60-year old icons painted by famous Rusyn artist Nykolaj Jordan would be whitewashed because they were "Russian images." When the parish trustees (kuratory) protested, they were promptly removed from their position as trustees.
In the wake of these protests, an article appeared in February in the Svidnyk regional newspaper Dukla which asserted, "the entire Presov Eparchy is one big Hrabivcik", and that the Slovakization of Hrabivcik and the Eparchy was part of a plan which began in the 1930s in order that a slogan of that time, "he who is a Greek Catholic is a Slovak" will become reality..
from Novyny Zakarpattja (Uzhorod), April 23, 1996
The city of Rachov, in the heart of the Hutsul Region of Subcarpathian Rus’, and the district (rajon) capital, will celebrate its 550th birthday in the summer of 1997. Archival documents first mention the settlement in 1447. It grew into the most picturesque place on the Tysa River on the well-traveled market road from Galicia to Transylvania and Hungary. It possibly got its name from the salesmen who here counted (the Rusyn verb "rachuvaty" means "to count") their profits from the busy markets. Another legend says that Oleksa Dovbuš (the Hutsul-Rusyn “Robin Hood”) with his band of thieves (opryški) here counted the money they took from the rich to give to the poor.
The district government has decided to publish a book about Rachov and its inhabitants. The 6th Hutsul Festival will be held on the jubilee day, and will have exhibits of artists and sculptors, and performances of Hutsul-Rusyn folk ensembles.
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Last modified on September 27 1997
URL:http://www.carpatho-rusyn.org/crs/europe7.htm
Greg Gressa
[ggressa@carpatho-rusyn.org]
The Carpatho-Rusyn Knowledge Base