The Periphery is an ethnographic area that encompasses the mountainous areas north and east of Subcarpathian Rus. This place in particular is the home of the Boykos and Hutsuls, peoples who were formed from similar migrations as the Rusyns in the Heartland had from the Vlach law. Their connection to Rusyns in general can vary depending on the settlement, with on average the further north someone goes the more Ukrainophile the population becomes.

While the overwhelming majority of notable Rusyns come instead from the Heartland, there are some outliers. For example, one of the most influential Rusyn historians was a man named Alexander Bonkalo, a Hutsul from the town of Rakhiv near the border of Subcarpathia and the Periphery. Oppositely, identifying as Rusyn in a modern context is rather rare for Hutsuls except for the handful of villages residing in Romania.

A good way of understanding the Periphery is in its remoteness. Unlike other regions of Rusyns where there are mountains but not too high, or at least major cities within a few hours’ drive, the Periphery is almost the opposite. Characterized by mountain peaks rivaling areas of Romania, many of these villages are cut off from the outside world to a great degree. The reality of this terrain made it an opportune place for bandits and those wanted by the law to hide. It is thought that the moniker Hutsul originated from the sorry reputation of its immigrants, being likely descended from the Romanian word hoțul, meaning outlaw.