The Lemko Vatra ("Bonfire") is a tradition with origins outside the Lemko Region. The first festival was held in 1979 in Michalow near Legnica, to showcase the traditions of the local Lemko population.130 This festival evolved into an annual event in the Lemko Region in villages where the Lemkos have returned in large numbers, including Krynica, Hanczowa/Hanchova, and Bortne (1987-89). Since 1990, the Vatra has been held in Zdynia/Zhdynja (all these except Krynica being in Gorlice county).
The first Vatra in the Lemko Region took place August 12-14, 1983 between the villages of Czarna/Charna (Grybów county) and Ustje Ruske with just under 500 attendees.131 In conjunction with the 1984 Vatra, the first independent Lemko-language publication in post-war Poland appeared: Holos Vatrę.132
The 1989 Vatra was held in Bortne, which then with 50 Lemko families and only three Polish families, was the "most Lemko" of all villages in the homeland. The festival was begun in the traditional way on July 21 with the lighting of the bonfire. Olena Duc'-Fajfer, a cultural activist and "Lemko of the Year, 1988." Before putting the torch to the wood, she recited: "You burn, o sacred fire. You warm our hearts which are thirsty for the native culture. Unite by love all Lemko people. Let the prophetic and inspired words of the poet Ivan Rusenko come true: "There came the day in the Carpathians for the people to resurrect!" at which point the Biljanka Lemkovyna Ensemble sang the Rusenko poem Na Lemkovyni. Like the 1988 Vatra, approximately 5000 Lemkos attended, from Poland, Ukraine, Czechoslovakia, Australia, Austria, Canada, France, Germany and the United States.133 The weekend included sports competitions, a Miss Lemkovyna beauty pageant, "quiz shows" testing contestants' knowledge of Lemko language, history, and culture and impromptu speeches by anyone who wished to pick up the stage microphone. The audience was moved by the Theatre of the Society of Lemkos' performance of "Severed Roots," a dramatization of the deportation of Lemkos in the 1947 Vistula Operation.134 The final day was one of church services, a procession to the grave of the Lemko poet Melanija Sobyn and to the monument to the victims of Talerhof. A final concert was given by the Biljanka Lemkovyna Ensemble, the "Veselka" ensemble from the Presov region and other groups. The bonfire was extinguished by Andrij Kopcha with these words: "I put you down, o sacred fire! I put you down but not for long. May you burn in our hearts until next year!" again to the strains of Na Lemkovyni.135
The program of the 1993 Vatra included the Lemkovyna Choir of L'viv (which opened the festival), the Kychera ensemble of Legnica, a children's choir from Drohobych, Ukraine, other village ensembles from Poland, Slovakia and Ukraine. The event was widely covered in the press by Polish radio and TV, Kiev TV, a reporter from the Nashe slovo newspaper, and many others.136
The Vatra has proven to be the premier Lemko event in Poland and has done much to boost the Lemkos' pride in their heritage and to build a sense of community despite the fact that they are scattered across the country. A moving account of the emotional character of the Vatra is given in a letter from a Lemko who attended the 1990 Vatra:
One could see the Lemko youth begin its day with rehearsals and preparations for the concerts of the day. The Lemko dialect could be heard everywhere -- the language of their parents and grandparents. Tea and eggs cooking over fires could be found everywhere! Nothing could be better!
Saturday's Vatra was held especially for youth. The smallest child was enchanted by the Lemko song and dance that was being presented especially for them....One of the most popular groups to perform during the children's' concert was the children's group "Barvinok" from Kamjunka in Czechoslovakia. Our brothers and sisters from across the border brought our songs with them and performed them with the utmost perfection.
The festival brought alive everything our parents and grandparents worked for. Now it is time for the children of these people to travel to the Carpathians and live and feel what their forefathers felt. It is only in our native land that we can feel true happiness....The Rusyn Carpathians heard their native tongue, their songs and music and saw their dances.137
Scenes from various Vatra festivals are found in Appendix VIII.
Michalow, the site of the first Vatra, continues to host what is known today as the Lemko Vatra in Exile. This festival features ensembles from Poland and Ukraine and Rusyn ensembles from Slovakia. The 13th Lemko Vatra in Exile was held August 6 and 7, 1993. Five thousand Lemkos attended, and performances were given by the ensembles "Kychera" (Legnica), "Lemkovyna (Biljanka), "Zaruba" (Njagiv, Slovakia), and the Lemko Theater of Legnica. There were also readings of Lemko/Rusyn poetry, and sports and music events.138
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