Posted by The mad Rusyn on October 20, 1999 at 10:55:30:
In Reply to: For Brian, in search of identity posted by Mirko on October 20, 1999 at 00:12:15:
"Let Russia forget its imperialistic ambition", what about the Ukrainian imperialistic (and nationalistc) ambition? By trying to force the Rusyns to identify themselves as Ukrainians, you are reverting to the same tactics that the socialists used in the 40's - 80's.
If dialect add color and beauty to a language, than an agrument can be made that Ukrainian is just a dialect of Russian. How do you like the way that sounds? I will at least admit that the Rusyns, when trying to develop their language and culture, developed a pan-Slavism attitude. This led to the useage of Russian on a regular basis. Will you admit to the same theory? Probably not!!
Let us note the opening verse of the poem vrucanie, written by Fr. Alexsander Duchnovych, founder of the Rusyn Renaissance, "Ja Rusyn byl, jesm i budu, ja rodil sja Rusinov, chesnij moj rod, nezabudu" I was, am, and always will be a Rusyn, I was born a Rusyn, and I will never forget my Rusyn nationality. I guess what he really meant was that he was Ukrainian, or is there another meaning of this poem? When this was written back in the 1860's there was already a Ukrainian national identity. Why would Duchnovych then state that he was a Rusyn when all the vehicles for Ukrainian nationality were in place? Please, someone explain this to me.
If my Rusyn Easter eggs loook like your Ukrainian ones, then are the Slovak Easter eggs (kraslice) also the same? Does this now mean that Slovaks are just Ukrainians in disguise, awaiting for their Ukrainian brethern to show them the errors of their ways and libertae them to thier TRUE identity?
The mad Rusyn
P.S. If there are historical problems, let us revert to the history book, The Rusyns of Slovakia, written by P. Robert Magocsi. This will give you the education needed to see the truth. Oh, by the way, Dr. Magocsi also wrote a history of Ukraine and holds the chair for Ukrainian studies at the U. of Toronto.
: Being Ukrainian, I am a Rusyn. That is the correct historical designation of my nationality. If the Muscovite nation ever reverts to its historical name there will be no semantical confusion when calling oneself a Rus/ Rusyn/Rusych. The designation Ukraine/Ukrainian originally was a territorial one. A Rusyn living in Ukraine referred to himself as Ukrainian to differentiate himself from a "Russian". My grandmother had no such difficulty. She knew a Ukrainian and a Rusyn were synonymous. Note the march Chervona Kalyna sung by the Ukrainski Sichovi Striltsi says "...vyzvolyaty bratiw ukrainciw z moskovs'kykh kaidan...." referring to the Rus/Ukrainians living east of ? Zbruch?. Think of the term Ukrainian in paralell with the term Yankee. Inside America a Yankee is a northerner. Outside America, all Americans are Yankees. Being an ex-Torontonian living in Vancouver I speak a 50 year old version of the Lviv dialect. I have the same difficulty understanding a Ukrainian from eastern Ukraine as I would have understanding you. So what. Dialect adds color & beauty to language. (ever hear English spoken by a Newfoundlander, or South Carolinian, or a Georgia peach?) Welcome brother, for I am as much a Rusyn as you, & I look forward to the day that the somewhat artificial designation of Ukrainian can be shed for the historic one of Rusyn. Let "Russia" forget its imperialistic ambition and develop into a nation state of Muscovy, letting the 18 or so vassal nations go their own way.
: PS I bet the "Ukrainian" easter eggs I make look a lot like yours!