BERESKA [Ru] BEREZKA [Polish]

Lesko District, present day SE Poland

Lemko Surnames found in 1787 Austrian Cadastral Records

  1. Balon / Bawon
  2. Bal / Bal'
  3. Bednarz / Bodnar (2 families)
  4. Burdziak / Burdzjak
  5. Butkiewicz / Butkevych
  6. Walach / Valakh (2 families)
  7. Wowk / Vovk
  8. Woroblyk / Worobwyk / Voroblyk (2 families)
  9. Wrobel / Vrobel'
  10. Hawrylyk / Havrylyk
  11. Horbowy / Horbovyj
  12. Demko
  13. Derewenko / Derevenko
  14. Dzwonik / Dzvonyk
  15. Doskocz / Doszkocz / Doskoch
  16. Duda (3 families)
  17. Dziak / Dzjak
  18. Jedynak
  19. Karasz / Karash
  20. Kaczmarski / Kachmars'kyj
  21. Kozubski / Kozubs'kyj
  22. Korytko
  23. Krajowski / Krajovs'kyj
  24. Mielnik / Mel'nyk
  25. Michalow / Mykhaliv
  26. Mospak (2 families)
  27. Pencik / Pentsyk (2 families)
  28. Petrowski / Petrovs'kyj
  29. Podczaszy / Pidchashyj ( 2 families)
  30. Popowyczek / Popovychok (2 families)
  31. Puszyk / Pushyk
  32. Roman (2 families)
  33. Rusnak
  34. Sawka / Sauka / Savka
  35. Swiec / Svits (2 families)
  36. Syreczko / Syrechko
  37. Folwarski / Fol'vars'kyj
  38. Homyk / Homik / Khomyk
  39. Zubak / Chubak
  40. Szpak / Szpiak / Shpak (2 families)
  41. Jadzyn / Jadzyn

Parish Data:

Church was "Saint Nicholas the Miracle Worker erected in 1783 [now destroyed]

Bereska was a large village with more than 1500 inhabitants. During the 1944-1947 expulsions, more than 250 were killed including Rev. Oleksa Bilyk (1892-1944), his wife and son Mychalyo. The Poles kille Rev. Bilyk by driving a wooden wedge into his head. The church was burned to the ground in the 1980's

A masonry church - "Transfiguration of Our Lord" also existed and was erected in 1868, renovated in 1920 and also destroyed.

In 1785 the village lands comprised 12.03 sq.km. There were 360 Greek Catholics 90 Roman Catholics and 30 Jews

1840 - 512 Greek Catholics

1859 - 526 Greek Catholics

1879 - 618 Greek Catholics

1899 - 845 Greek Catholics

1926 - 900 Greek Catholics

1936 - 1007 Greek Catholics

1938 saw 436 Roman Catholics and 63 Jews

The village was not incorporated into the Lemko Apostolic Administration in 1934

LDS microfilm not yet available