Re: inteview with a Rusyn

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: : Dr. Turjanica, we have heard of the Rusins' efforts to gain autonomy and even independence in Subcarpathian Rus'. As an important step in achieving this goal, a Provisional Government of Subcarpathian Rus' was set up in May 1993. Could you tell us about the background for the founding of the Provisional Government and a little about the current situation of the Rusins in Ukraine? : : The Society of Carpatho-Rusins has in collaboration with other nationality groups - Slovaks, Hungarians, Gypsies, Rumanians and Germans in our region - established a Provisional Government. We have taken every step to build up the state of Subcarpathian Rus'. As you know, our land was liquidated as a state unit by the Ukrainian government in 1946. The territory was divided between three neighboring states: Slovakia, Ukraine and Rumania, and the annexation took place according to an agreement signed on the 29th of June 1945, that is during the reign of Joseph Stalin. It was also in 1945, the Rusin nationality was abandoned. Nevertheless, our nationality is known worldwide today. But the new Ukrainian Republic does not recognize our nationality. As Rusins today we are not allowed to speak our native language, we do not have an official newspaper, no Rusin television or radio, and no schools. Ukraine continues the genocide against the Rusin nation. We fight to establish the historic justice and to rebuild our historic land: Subcarpathian Rus'. : >>>>>>>>>He talks about his organization and makes it sound like a significant portion of population actually supports him. : : How would you characterize the relations between the Subcarpathian Provisional Government and the official Ukrainian government? : : The official Ukrainian government ignores us completely. : >>>>>>>>Well, gee. : : As you probably know, on December 1, 1991, a regional plebiscite took place in the Transcarpathian region. In spite of Kravchuks position as Chairman of the Supreme Soviet in Kiev, he arrived here in Uzhorod to destroy our way to autonomy personally. The Ukrainian government put strong pressure on the population, and the regional power, the National Council of Transcarpathia, was also hard pressed. Kravchuk made use of the local authorities to devalue the importance of the plebiscite and a range of national-chauvinistic activities were initiated from Western Ukraine. Eventually the plebiscite was carried out and 78% of our population voted for autonomy in the region. This in spite of the fact that Kravchuk changed the designation from autonomous region to "a special self-governing territory", within the republic of Ukraine. People were very surprised about this when they showed up to give their vote. Likewise, the present leader of Ukraine disregards our right to self-determination. In 1994, before he was elected president, I met Leonid Kuchma, who promised that as soon as he would be president, he would do all in his might to allow the region to carry out its autonomous status. But he has not done anything - Kuchma and Kravchuk as well as the other Ukrainian leaders are in favor of legalizing the criminal political process initiated by Stalin. They want to continue the genocide of the Rusin population. As far as I am concerned, I work as a professor of biochemistry at Uzhorod University and teach in Russian, since I am prohibited to teach in my native language. All the time I am threatened with dismissal if I do not begin teaching in Ukrainian. The policy of assimilation continues - a policy based on the national-chauvinistic policy of the Ukrainian leaders. The imperialism continues, as well as the false creation of Ukrainian history. : >>>>>>>>>How is asking a professor to teach in the language generally used and understood in university instead of RUSSIAN a discrimination of Rusyn language, or the Slovakized "codified" version of it? : : Why don't the Rusins of Subcarpathian Rus' try to get influence on politics through active participation in the Ukrainian parliament elections? : : The matter is that we do not want to take part in the official elections. : Again, this guy should clearly tell if he's talking about his radicals or all Rusyns. : : We believe that we are not a part of Ukraine. And because we are occupied, we cannot be active in Ukrainian elections. I have been standing for election to the parliament in Kiev, but I did so only in order to get an opportunity to make the press deal with our problems. Afterwards I resigned from the election campaign, even though I might have been elected. We do not wish to build our Rusin state within the framework of a foreign republic. : Yeah, sure. Here are the numbers for the elections. All of the population, of course. You might get an idea of how many percent of the population of Zakarpattia believes that "because we are occupied, we cannot be active in Ukrainian elections" : 1991 - Referendum. Q: Independence of Ukraine : Yes - 657678 92,59% : No - 31891 4,49% : 1994 - President : Here's what Zakapratians said to Kravchuk who, as you remember from Mr. Turjanica's words, "made use of the local authorities to devalue the importance of the plebiscite " : Zakarpatian Region : Most votes: Leonid Kravchuk, : Took part:550033 : Voted for Kravchuk:283673 - 51.57% : Lots of support for the likes of this Turjanica. : : What is your approach to the regional (oblast) parliament and governmental body - the 51 member Transcarpathian National Council of People's Deputies? : : We are not opposed to the work of local organs. This is different from running for elections to the parliament in Kiev. Thus there are several Rusins in the Regional Council of Transcarpathia. : : I am also a deputy to the Council. The result of the 1991 plebiscite was confirmed by the Council on May 30, 1993. The Council decided that our region not only in theory, but also in practice should begin operating as a self-ruling territory. There is a law now, stating that the decision of the people should be carried out. But only a few members of the Council are ready to follow up on this decision. There is a strong pressure on each of the regional deputies. The greatest pressure is directed toward influential members such as factory managers, directors of university facilities, etc. Therefore, nothing is being done to realize this legal matter. Even though we have sever problems with the Ukrainian authorities individually, there are 8 deputies to the Regional Council, who overtly state that they are Rusins, no matter how hard they are pressed. The others are afraid. They can loose their jobs. The Commissioner of Police in Chust, who is also a deputy to the Transcarpathia Council, has lost his job for saying that he is a Rusin. However, before the Plebiscite, 20 deputies gave their votes for autonomy. At that time I alone was in favor of independence. Today 20 members favor independence. : Kryminalny Kodeks Ukrajiny : Стаття 110. Посягання на територіальну цілісність і недоторканність України : 1. Умисні дії, вчинені з метою зміни меж території або державного кордону України на порушення порядку, встановленого Конституцією України, а також публічні заклики чи розповсюдження матеріалів із закликами до вчинення таких дій, - : караються обмеженням волі на строк до трьох років або позбавленням волі на той самий строк. : 2. Ті самі дії, якщо вони вчинені особою, яка є представником влади, або повторно, або за попередньою змовою групою осіб, або поєднані з розпалюванням національної чи релігійної ворожнечі, - : караються обмеженням волі на строк від трьох до п'яти років або позбавленням волі на той самий строк. : 3. Дії, передбачені частинами першою або другою цієї статті, які призвели до загибелі людей або інших тяжких наслідків, - : караються позбавленням волі на строк від семи до дванадцяти років. : Стаття 111. Державна зрада : 1. Державна зрада, тобто діяння, умисно вчинене громадянином України на шкоду суверенітетові, територіальній цілісності та недоторканності, обороноздатності, державній, економічній чи інформаційній безпеці України: перехід на бік ворога в умовах воєнного стану або в період збройного конфлікту, шпигунство, надання іноземній державі, іноземній організації або їх представникам допомоги в проведенні підривної діяльності проти України, - : карається позбавленням волі на строк від десяти до п'ятнадцяти років. : 2. Звільняється від кримінальної відповідальності громадянин України, якщо він на виконання злочинного завдання іноземної держави, іноземної організації або їх представників ніяких дій не вчинив і добровільно заявив органам державної влади про свій зв'язок з ними та про отримане завдання. : : How are your relations to Ukrainian organizations in Subcarpathian Rus'? : : The problem is that the Ukrainians refuse to recognize our status as a distinct people. : No wonder, if even Rusyns refuse to recognize their status as distinct people, save for a couple of separatist organizations. : > The Ukrainians argue that they are not part of the Russian people, even though they have been living with the Russians for 1,000 years since Kievska Rus'. : Really? I thought it was in the XVII cent. that Ukraine became a part of Russia, in the Union of Pereiaslav. Well, this guy has his own history, apparently. : > The Rusins have never been part of Kievska Rus', or Russia or Ukraine. We belong to Europe. If we look back, our first state was the White Croatian principality, which was part of greater Moravia. Later our land was incorporated into the Austro-Hungarian Monarchy. We have never been part of neither Kievska Rus' nor Russia. I would like to say to the Ukrainian nationalists" For 347 years Ukraine has been with Russia. It was the Ukrainian leader, Bohdan Chmelnytsky, who built the Russian land. There were numerous small principalities and Chmelnytsky united them. Now Ukrainians want to forget that they have been living with the Russians for such a long time, and that they have so much in common with the Russians in the past. We Rusins have been in the Soviet Union for only 48 years, and in Ukraine for 49 years. Hence there are no historic reasons to justify that we are part of Ukraine or Russia. : >>>>>>>>>This guy seems to think that the only valid "historical reason" is the length of being incorporated into some country. : The fact that we have the same culture and language matters not, of course. : : For 1,000 years nobody has been killed by Rusin hands, neither Germans, Rumanians, Ukrainians or Russians. If we can look 1,000 years back in history and see that nobody has been killed, we should know that in the future Rusins are not going to kill anyone. This is also the reason we have improved the collaboration between nationalities in Subcarpathian Rus', a joint work by nationalities, which maintains our Provisional Government. It is most important for us to have close ties with all national groups in our region. The real drama is that all these nationality groups are under great pressure from the Ukrainian government. We appeal to the Western World to boycott Ukraine - to press Ukraine to recognize our land and people. I hope and believe that we will achieve sovereignty in the future. : >>>>>>>Perhaps people should be asked somewhere along the way - just a suggestion.