Rusins, Rusyns, Ruthenians? Lemkos

[Elaine Rusinko]

On Lemkos: http://www.rusyn.org/ethlemkos.html

Of the Lemko organizations in Poland today, Stovaryshynia 
Lemkiv/Stowarzyszenie Lemkow  has a Rusyn orientation. Ob"iednannia 
Lemkiv, based in Gorlice,  is of Ukrainian orientation.

ER

Iryna Prykarpatska wrote:

>I just want to remark that Lemky should not be mixed up with Rysyny, just
>because the latter do not consider themselves Rysyny.
>They differ from Rysyns by language and religion. Rusyny who lived at the
>territory of Poland spoke either Ukrainian or Polish, whereas Lemky speak
>their own language  which is very similar to Ukrainian and Slovakian. Rusyns
>went to Greek-Catholic church whereas Lemky are either Greek-Catholics or
>Orthodox. Both Rusyns and Lemky were deported from  East-South Poland either
>to Ukraine or to North Poland during Vistula actions (операція Вісла) in
>1946-1947. Nowadays former Rusyns call themsleves Ukrainians and form their
>own communities, set up schools with Ukrainian as a language of
>instructions. Lemky form their own communities, preserve their own folklore,
>and language, which is similar to Ukrainian but it is not Ukrainian.
>My husband and I are Ukrainians who came to live to Poland 4 years ago.
>Besides, my husband's family on his Mom's side are Rusyny, who were deported
>to Ukraine in 1946. His Granny says that they realized that they were
>Ukrainians only in Ukraine but before that time the functional name used in
>Poland for ethnic groups who spoke either Ukrainian or Polish but  attended
>Greek-Catholic church was Rusyny. She learned Ukrainian only in 50s of the
>XX century.
>I have been  living in Krakow for 4 years and I noticed that Lemky do not
>interact with former Rusyns much and Ukrainians who came to live to Poland.
>I think that Lemko language (dialect?)  is the most important factor that
>keeps them apart. The problem of the status of Lemko language is not solved
>yet and it is an issue of constant debates.
>
>Regards
>Iryna
>2007/12/14, Maria Dmytrieva <xmas at ukr.net>:
>
>  
>


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