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.
Dekady Movčanja – period 1945-1991. roku, koli všytky štaty, de žyli Rusiny, okrem Juhoslaviji, zakazali rusinsku samosvïdomostj i jazyk. Kontakt midži nami i našym korïnjom byv urvatyj bez žury za naslïdky. Byla urvata všytka komunikacija midži domovinov i diasporov, jak i midži častjami samoj našoj domoviny – zaperty hatary midži SSSR i joho satelitami sperli všytok dialog. Byla represovana hrekokatolicka cerjkov, mnohy našy religijny leadery byli skarany na smertj, ostatny musili robiti tajno, žeby ne stratiti žyvôt.
U totu dobu naš narod musiv prijati inšaku etničnu samosvidomostj, choditi u voškoly, istvoreny pro realizaciju toj štučnoj zmïny. Napriklad, Rusiny Prjašovščiny často musili vyberati, ci nazyvati sja Slovakami, ci Ukrajincjami, i maj často vyberali pervu opciju. Na Pudkarpatskôj Rusi ukrajinizacija byla elementom štatnoj politiky z momenta anexiji kraja u 1945. rocï i doteperj. Rusinskyj jazyk stav zakarpatskym dialektom, a rusinska kultura – zakarpatskov kulturov. U Rumynsku, de sja nachodit malyj darab Huculščiny, joho žytelï tak samo byli automatično zapisany midži Ukrajincï. Každyj, ko protestovav avadj kazav pravdu, byv zapertyj do arešta vadj poštrofovanyj. Situacija sja začala mïnjati u lïpšyj bôk lem po spadovi Žiliznoj zavïsy v 1991. roci.
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.