Posted by Mirko on October 18, 1999 at 02:40:34:
In Reply to: Re: seeking.rusyn.info posted by oksana on October 15, 1999 at 09:22:08:
: : hello. i am a 20yr old male from a rusyn background and i have been born and raised in pittsburgh pennsylvania. there are quite a few people here who also claim to be rusyn and we even have a rusyn performing ensemble..SLAVJANE. if anyone would like to talk to me or would just like to send me some information please feel free to do so. thanks.
: Hi Brian,
: Hanya mentioned in another post that Bavarians take great pride in their unique traditions, yet at the same time they are also proud to be counted among Germans. I also understand why Ukrainians have difficulty with being identified as Russians. The history clearly shows Russian aggression and chauvinism. But Ukrainians, as far as I know, never invaded the Rusyns or any other peoples. Why then, if today the land on which they live, is called Ukraine, is there the need to reject the Ukrainian identity? I'm not challenging, I'm asking. The Hutsuls, for example, also have their own traditions, yet as I understand it, they recognize their Ukrainian identity without reservation. No?
Brian, you are Ukrainian. The term Rus, Rusyn, Rusych is the historical name for what is now known as a "Ukrainian". The term Rus goes back to the 9th century or earlier. The popularization of the term Ukraina / Ukrainian is relatively recent and was done to differentiate ourselves from the Muscovites, whose empire adopted the name Rossia shortly after annexing parts of Rus (Ukraine) thus hoping to annex the "glory" and history of the ancient Rus empire. This need to defend our differentiation from "Rossia" was not as great in Western Ukraine which was variously under Poland or the Austro-Hungarian empire. Thus the original term Rus or Rusyn was used interchangeably with Ukrainian well into the 20th century. If your grandparents came from this part of Ukraine at that time it is likely they identified themselves quite correctly as Rusyny, from Austro Hungary, or wherever. The day will come that Ukraine will reintroduce its historic name of Rus. When that day comes, us "Ukrainians" will have to relearn our name! Todays' Russians were historically referred to as Moscovites, or earlier still Suzdalians. Ethnically they were Finno-Ugrians that were easily slavicized by the Rus (Ukrainian) empire, as the Finns did not yet have a written language. Their adopted language was closer to the language of literature (old Slavonic, or essentially Bulgarian) than to the Rus vernacular (early Ukrainian). The process of slavonization, much enforced by the orthodox church and the ruling class did not end until the 16th century when the last vestiges of the use of Finnish were eradicated. It is interesting to consider that the Muscovite nation, by growing rapidly from a principality to a continental empire, failed to develop a national consciousness (other than the annexed "Rus" identity) and still needs to develop this national consciousness today! (with the loss of empire came a loss of identity!) ...but I digress.