As Rusyns, we can do a great deal more with educating ourselves and others about our past national traumas. We cannot fully learn from them nor seek resolutions in the aftermath of what was done until this occurs. So, in this new series, we will be doing just that. As with many things regarding the Rusyn people, traumatic events in our history are often portrayed by non-Rusyns and some of our own scholars alike as mere historical accounts of what happened without overarching motives. Make no mistake that throughout the last 150 years, multiple plans were enacted specifically for the eradication of our people. While this may seem too strong of a statement, it is the truth. The rest of this article will show you why. Refusing to speak publically in these terms stops us from integrating these experiences into our people’s psyche, the step before moving past them. Without loudly stating what was done, other nations can also feel as though they got away with it. It is unacceptable and there must be recognition, no matter how uncomfortable it is for them to live with the actions taken by their predecessors.

What past traumas am I referring to exactly? We can bring up the ethnocide of Lemkovyna, the concentration camps for Rusyns during WWI, the resettlement of over 3000 Pryashiv Rusyns by the Slovak government to make a reservoir, the coup of a legitimate Podkarpatska Rus by Galician nationalists of the Carpathian Sich in 1938, and many more that will be looked at in due time. However today we can focus on understanding a single one of these. It affected every group of Rusyns and plunged our people into a dark age of fear and destruction. What I am referring to is the Decades of Silence.

Декады мовчаня – період 1945-1991. року, коли ушиткі державы, де жили Русины, окрем Югославії, заказали русинську самосвідомость и язык. Контакт межи нами и нашым коріньом быв урватый без журы за наслідкы. Была урвата ушитка комунікація межи домовинов и діаспоров, як и межи частями самої нашої домовины – запирті гатары межи СССР и його сателітами сперли ушиток діалоґ. Была репресована грекокатолицька цирьков, многі наші реліґійні лідеры были скарані на смирть, остатні мусіли робити тайно, жебы не стратити живут.

У сесю добу наш наруд мусів прияти иншаку етнічну самосвідомость, ходити у вошколы, истворині про реалізацію сьої штучної зміны. Наприклад, Русины Пряшовщины часто мусіли выберати, ци называти ся Словаками, ци Українцями, и май часто выберали першу опцію. На Пудкарпатськуй Руси українізація была елементом державної політикы з момента анексії края у 1945. році и дотипирь. Русинськый язык став закарпатськым діалектом, а русинська култура – закарпатськов културов. У Румынії, де ся находит малый дараб Гуцулщины, його жителі так само были автоматично записані межи Українці. Каждый, ко протестовав авадь казав правду, быв запертый до арешта вадь поштрофованый. Ситуація ся зачала міняти у ліпшый бук лем по спадови Жилізної завісы в 1991. році.

As you can see, it is something of a miracle that we have even survived through this period. It is a testament to the will and faith of the Rusyn people. You can also probably tell that many of the issues that we face today are linked to this era too. The most important thing though in understanding this time, is that it shines a light on the illegitimate. When Ukraine tells us that the people living in Subcarpathia are Ukrainians we know this is false and that they were complicit in a heinous program of forced silence that began at the top of the Soviet apparatus. When the Slovak government attempts to act as though they didn’t have their own part in our oppression, we know that it is false.

As a Rusyn, just knowing about all of this is not enough. Now that you have been given an introduction, continue to do your own research, and when you feel confident try to inform other people or even create your own content to spread awareness. It is through things like this that our nation continues to rebuild itself. Every person that does so helps to spread awareness of our history and condition. Слобода через думаня, розвій через діяня.