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If, as reported, the Pittsburgh Metropolia is treating Bishop John Pazak,C.Ss.R., in a fraternal and peaceful fashion then I rejoice to be corrected and offer my unreserved apology - my information came from the time of Bishop Michael Rusnak.
It is possible that I am again relying on out-of-date information, but my strong impression is that Uzhhorod and Mukachevo are one and the same Eparchy - Mukachevo is the old name of the eparchy, but for convenience the bishop and the catehdral have been in Uzhhorod for a very long time now.
Interesting - I just received the news that the Moscow Patriarchate has named a new Bishop for its diocese (presumably also called Mukachevo, or maybe Mukachevo and Uzhhorod) in Transcarpathia. The good bishop (bishops are always considered good until they demonstrate the opposite) is from Rivne, in Ukraine north-east of Galicia and on the main road from L'viv to Kiev. He is therefore at least bi-lingual, speaking both Russian and Ukrainian. I should like to know what language he proposes to communicate with his flock in once he takes over in Transcarpathia. Several contributors to this thread have direct contact with Transcarpathia; could someone investigate the Bishop's position on the linguistic continuum?
Blessed Basil's participation in the Synod and his adherence to Patriarch Joseph do not make him a Ukrainian. They do make him a full member of the Synod.
A day or so ago someone asked if the Ukrainian Greek-Catholic Church is also trying to take over the Greek-Catholics in Belarus and Russia. In Russia for certain the embattled Greek-Catholics would get down on their knees in praise of Almighty God if the Patriarch managed to exercise his jurisdiction in Russia - right now, over their own protests, they are subject to the tender mercies of the Latin hierarchs and requests for a new Exarch of Russia (to succeed the two whom John Paul II beatified three years ago) are falling on stone-deaf ears.
In Belarus' things are also bad, but the proximity to Western Ukraine makes it just a little easier. Since the Union of Brest took place in Brest, which is in Belarus', why should the Church of Kiev be kept out?
As for Krizhevtsi, Archbishop Gabriel was also a participant in the Synod (on many occasions, since he could come to Rome more easily) and that Patriarch Joseph consecrated his auxiliary, Bishop Joachim.
Incognitus

When Blessed Theodore Romzha was beatified during Pope JP II's
visit to Ukraine, I distinctly rember Rev. Galadza call him
a Rusyn/Ruthenian. He was giving the comentary on EWTN's coverage of the Pope's trip to Ukraine. He even stated that there
were historical and ethnic differences in the Subcarpathian-Rus' Church vs. the Galician/Volyhian Greek Catholic Churches. Does anybody know if that broadcast is still available on tape? It would be good for posterity to have that tape!

Ung-Certez

Where? Even the "Encyclopedia of Rusyn History and Culture" offers this assessment of the Hutsuls (in an entry on page 202 credited to Ivan Pop):

"The Hutsuls have traditionally considered themselves to be different from the rest of Carpathian Rus'. Beginning in the early twentieth century the Hutsuls gradually adopted a Ukrainian national identity."

--tim

Dear Tony,

Yes - Uzhorod remains a very cosmopolitan city with a definite Hungarian 'flavour'.

I'm sorry you did not have a good time when you where there. You have got to learn how to party on Saturday nights.

Cheers !

Hritzko

You can always try the UGCC's Lviv (Ukraine) website or their Toronto Eparchy in Canada (that's Galadza'a 'head office').

You are 100% correct in stating that the Subcarpathian-Ukrainian history is different as compared to Western Ukrainian or Greater Ukrainian. Nobody has ever denied this.

As to 'ethnic differences', the vast majority of Carpatho-Rusyns around the world believe that they are an integral Ruthenian group of the modern Ukrainian nation (Ruthenian Umbrella organization).

You will never be convincing until such time that you drop the words 'Ruthenian' and/or 'Rusyn' to identify yourselves. That what the 'Rusyns' of 'Ukraine' did to differentiate themselves from the 'Rossijany' of 'Muscovy' (Russian Empire). The Ukrainians have never ceeded those terms and there are still many who use them. You will always be one of us so long as you use them. It's as simple as that.

Hritzko

Dear Tim,

How about the True Rusyn Orthodox Believers ?

Are they part of your nation ?

Hritzko

Your sarcasm aside, the only issue is the refusal of the Ukrainian government to acknowledge the Rusyn identity in Ukraine.

The Ukrainian government is the only one in the region to deny official status to Rusyns. Poland, Slovakia, Hungary, the Czech Republic, Croatia, Serbia-Macedonia all designate the Rusyns as officially-recognized minorities. That legal status has nothing to do with which religion they practice.

But if you're interested in the national orientation of the Orthodox faithful in Transcarpathia, I would direct your question to Father Dimitry Sidor, the head of the Cyril and Methodius Society in Uzhorod.

--tim

I'd say that this jurisdiction [rusyn.twobells.com] is part of our nation.

Dave

Dear Dave,

I hope you had a good time at the Ukrainian festival.

The story you mentioned about the Lemkos is very sad. As you know the vast majority of Lemkos were deported from their ancestral homeland 'Lemkivschyna' by the Communist Poles soon after the territory was awarded to Poland at the end of WW2.

Today when the Lemkos return their (or ancestors) native villages for visits they soon realize that the villages are no longer ethnically theirs. They have been resettled with ethnic Poles for the most part from other areas of 'Eastern Europe'. In fact the largest and most vibrant Lemko groups are in Western Ukraine where they have found refuge since WW2.

Patriarch Lubomyr Husar (UGCC) just blessed a new Greek-Catholic LEMKO styled chapel at the Ukrainian Youth Association's (SUM) summer resort in the Catskills (Ellenville, New York). I hope you have the opportunity of visiting it next year when the largest Lemko Association in the United States has it's annual 'VATRA' (bonfire) Festival on the Ukrainian Youth Association's estate.

This 'LEMKO VATRA' is part of a global effort to keep this unique Ukrainian culture alive throughout the world. Please visit the festival.

Hritzko

With a few simple changes to Hritzko�s post we have exactly what the Russians believe about the Ukrainians:

You are 100% correct in stating that the Russian-Ukrainian history is different as compared to Russian-Muscovite. Nobody has ever denied this.

As to 'ethnic differences', the vast majority of Ukrainians around the world believe that they are an integral Russain group of the modern Russian nation (Russian Umbrella organization).

You will never be convincing until such time that you drop the word 'Ukrainian' to identify yourselves. You will always be a Russian. It's as simple as that.

It is very much a shame that Hritzko cannot simply respect that the Carpatho-Rusins are a separate ethnic group and support their right of self-determination. People like Hritzko make me think about getting involved with the peoples of Transcarpathia to secure political freedom from Ukraine with the establishment of an independent country.

For the moment, however, I will wait Hritzko�s report of his phone call to interview the people at the seminary in Uzhorod.

For the record, he never asked me. Did he ask any of you folks?

Do any of you know of any Rusyns contacted by a guy name Hritzko asking about their national orientation?

I'd love to see his polling methodology.

--tim

Again, a point of agreement

The Lemkos were deported from their ancestral homes -- known in Lemko-Rusyn as Lemkovina, in Ukrainian as Lemkivschyna -- in a little known example of ethnic cleansing action directed at Ukrainian nationalist insurgents.

Tragically, the Ukrainians' Lemko brothers were forced out along with them.

--tim

Earlier in this thread Hritzko told me that my grandparents from near Uzhorod are actually Slovaks. They always considered themselves to be Rusins. I am still very curious how Hritzko could speak so definitively about people he never met.

It seems that Hritzko does not care about what the people of Transcarpathia think about themselves. He has decided that they are not Rusins but Ukrainians. They have no say whatsoever in the matter. He is imitating the Russian attitude towards the Ukrainians. The Russians were wrong and Hritzko is wrong.

In this thread Hritzko has succeed only in furthering the perception of Ukrainian ethnic imperialism towards the minority ethnicities living in the current borders of Ukraine. That, and a general animosity towards Ukrainians. Luckily, I have a few very good friends who are of Ukrainian ancestry and I know that the vast majority are actually really nice people.

Dear Tim,

When the Holy Father John Paul 2 visited Harvard University's (Cambridge, Massachusetts) Ukrainian Research Institute he was interviewed by a group of professors.

He specifically mentioned the fact that his mother who was born in East Galicia (then Poland and now Ukraine) was a 'Rusyn' Greek-Catholic. He also stated that today she would be considered a Ukrainian. The Pope recorded this interview because he wanted to make it known to the world that he was 'half-Ukrainian' and that he sympathized with tragic history of the various Ruthenians groups who now have united in their 'own' homeland known as 'Ukraine'.

Today, the Vatican recognizes Ruthenian (Rusyn) eparchies and exarchates throughout Ukraine which carry the names of various distinct groups. My favority is 'Bukovyna' which has a distinct 'Rumanian' heritage to it. In fact when these Ruthenians settled in Canada they too had their own distinct separate 'Bukovynian' churches.

The Ruthenian groups of Ukraine belong to various Christian Apostolic Churches, but also to sectarian cults, and yes even to evil political groups such as the Communists. Many are simply non-theists.

Much like the United States and Canada, Ukraine is multi-cultural but does recognize it's own integral Ruthenians as being the dominant group. Therefore, in Ukraine the Ruthenian groups are in fact the majority and have never been counted separately.

In regards to recognizing 'Rusyn' culture outside of Ukraine, it is difficult, and probably impossible to determine which is a legitimate culture. For example, in Slovakia, the majority of the Rusyns attend Ukainian Schools as opposed to 'Rusyn'. Also, the 'Rusyns' of Slovakia clearly are not the same as those of Poland, and he Rusyns of Poland are not the same as those of Romania, and.... The intra and inter linguistic and cultural variations are such that it is clear that there is no true Rusyn identity but rather the word has been used to denote various peoples in Eastern Europe who can't unite, because they are not at all the same people. The one exception of course would be in Ukraine where they are the majority.

You may be shocked to know that my great grandparents (father's grandparents) were Galician 'Rusyns' who became Ukrainians just about the time that the vast majority of 'Carpathian-Rusyns' were departing for North America. In fact, my father who is born in Rava Ruska (Galicia, Ukraine) refers to himself as a Rusyn, Galician, and Ukrainian, but never a Soviet . The people in his village near the Polish border use a variety of these terms to define themselves. Intermarriage is making things increasingly difficult.

In summary, Rusyns are the integral majority in Ukraine and see themselves as such.

I hope that this information helps you re-discover your Rusyn American heritage.

Cheers,

Hritzko

I am not a member of AA. And I'm not rediscovering anything. I was born and baptized a Rusyn in the Byzantine Catholic Chuch. I regularly visit my late dad's village in East Slovakia, usually every two years. I am what I was raised as.

But you're clearly not interested in what any Rusyns or Rusyn-Americans think or feel. You want to tell us what to think and feel and you label and identify us without information.

Of course, the only issue here is the refusal of the Ukrainian government to acknowledge the Rusyn identity in Ukraine.

The Ukrainian government is the only one in the region to deny official status to Rusyns. Poland, Slovakia, Hungary, the Czech Republic, Croatia, Serbia-Macedonia all designate the Rusyns as officially-recognized minorities.

(This is what Karl Rove would call "staying on point").

--tim