Academic literature on the topic 'Lemkos, Lemko studies, ethnic identity'

The purpose of the article is to cover the socio-cultural environment of Ruthenians, Lemkos and Rusnaks in a historical context. The study used methods of analysis of historical sources, which reflect the main trends in the development and functioning of the socio cultural life of ethnic groups of Ukrainians. The sociocultural method made it possible to consider the Ruthenian, Rusnak and Lemko culture as an integral part of the national traditions of the Ukrainian people through the prism of the determining factor of culture. To obtain comprehensive information on the coverage of the general characteristics of socio-cultural life of ethnic groups, a number of theoretical methods were used: review and analytical analysis of scientific, folklore, historical, ethnographic, cultural and art literature within the studied topics; a historical method that traces the historical stages of Ruthenians, Rusnaks, and Lemkos, as well as a phenomenological method for understanding the importance of the culture of ethnic groups of Ukrainians in the context of cultural aspect of identification. The scientific novelty of the work lies in the comprehensive coverage of the sociocultural environment in the context of history. Conclusions. Therefore, the Eastern Slavic group of the Carpathian region, in particular Ukraine, made up of Transcarpathian Rusyn-Ukrainians and Rusyns of Serbia, for centuries was influenced by those peoples who surrounded them (Poles, Slovaks, Hungarians, Romanians, Germans, Serbs, Croats), they also enriched the culture of these peoples, including Bachka, Kerestur and other places. But despite these circumstances, the Ruthenian and Ukrainian migrants did not lose their national identity. Cultural ties between the Bachka Ruthenians and the Carpathian population have never been broken. At the beginning of the 19th century, before the politicization of the Lemko and Ruthenian issues, we could talk about the unity of the Lemkos and the Bachka Ruthenians in the realm of national consciousness, culture and language, their interaction in the cultural and ethnic plane of all Rusyn-Lemko diasporas. Evidence of the affinity of the Bachka Ruthenians with the entire Rusyn-Ukrainian ethnocultural space is the spread of the genre of Kolomyia, and they brought the tradition of the Ruthenian school to Bachka from Transcarpathia. Therefore, we can claim that Ukrainian ethnicity is related to Serbia and Croatia. However, Ruthenian identity can only be strengthened when it focuses on the Ukrainian nation. It is proved that studying the history, peculiarities of determining the identification of the Ukrainian population in different territories is one of the main issues of today. The folk culture of ethnic groups of Ruthenians, Lemkos and Rusnaks bears the marks of Ukrainian-wide culture. Despite the complex historical events, the Lemkos, Ruthenians and Rusnaks migrants, at their core, retained their national, in particular, Ukrainian specificity of identification.

In 1934, in the publishing concern of I. Tyktor “Ukrainian Press”, the editorial board of the biweekly “Nash Lemko” was formed, the first editor of which was Yulian Tarnovych, who later founded the “Library of Lemkivshchyna” publishing seria, which published and distributed books on Lemki subjects, in which the overarching idea was the idea of historical and mental unity of the Lemki people with Ukrainians from other regions, and hence the popularization of the Lemko region and the centuries-old cultural heritage of its inhabitants as a component of Ukraine and the Ukrainian people. In the article, for the first time, all editions of the book seria “Library of Lemkivshchyna” of the magazine “Nash Lemko” 1936–1939 edited by Yu. Tarnovych were investigated, and the exact authorship of individual numbers stored in the departments of Ukrainian studies and rare books of the Vasyl Stefanyk National Scientific Library of Ukraine in Lviv and in the Scientific Library of LNU named after I. Franko, the factual content and thematic palette of the book editions of the seria were analyzed, their relevance at the time and today was proven, reviews and reviews of the book products of the seria were introduced into scientific circulation. Among the analyzed publications are books by eight authors, cultural figures of the Lemko region (Yu. Tarnovych under his own name and pseudonym Vsevolod Yaroslavych, R. Antonovych, I. Shevchyk-Lukavychenko, F. Kokovsky, V. Klish, O. Mysevych, I. Bugera, V. Hylak under a pseudonym Yeronim Anonim). The analysis of the factual content and subject matter of the book editions of the entire seria showed that, promoting the idea of Ukrainian national unity, they contributed to the formation of the Lemks’ understanding of the uni­queness of their traditional material and spiritual culture, national identity, revitalization of the social life of the region, were an important factor in the pat­riotic education of young people, introduced wide circles of the Ukrainian public of Galicia to the life and spiritual heritage of the westernmost branch of the Ukrainian people. Today, they are a valuable source not only for studying the publishing culture of the past, but also for the history of the development of Ukrainian ethnic identity in the Lemko lands.

The purpose of presented study «Heritage conservation, education, intercultural dialogue: functions of Lemkos, Roma and Tatars creative activity in contemporary Poland» is to discuss contemporary functions of creativity among an ethnic minority groups on the basis of the research material collected in nationwide research project «Creative activity of ethnic minorities in Poland on the edge of XX and XXI centuries», conducted by Eastern Initiative Institute, Cracow, Poland. This paper is based on qualitative empirical data collected through individual interviews conducted among respondents of ethnic origin. In the course of field research with artists of ethnic origin 26 individual interviews were conducted: 10 with artists of Lemko origin, 14 with Roma artists and cultural activists and 2 artists from Tatar community. – The empirical contribution involves analysis of those 26 interviews with people representing different areas of artistic output and cultural activities. The central category of this study is creative work of ethnic minorities as a means of cultural content transmission and identity preservation. Results: creative activity not only allows for maintaining social ties, which are the foundation of ethnic identity, but also stands for a number of other functions. Based on empirical data derived from conducted by the Institute of Eastern Initiatives nationwide field research, the role and functions of creative activity of minorities in the context of cultural heritage preservation, education and establishing intercultural dialogue are discussed. Conclusions: referring to empirical data as well as classical studies of ethnic issues, the role of art and creative activity in minority groups is discussed. Analyzing cases mentioned below, a conclusion is drawn, that art and creative activity plays dominative role in preservation of ethnic minorities culture, as well as in development of intercultural dialogue.

Abstract During the communist period, the Lemko community did not have its own separate ethnic organization in Poland. In the USA, the Lemkos were able to conduct social and political activities without any obstacles. Even before World War II, two important organizations were established: the Russophile Lemko-Soyuz and the Ukrainophile Organization for the Defense of Lemkivshchyna in America. The social and political transformation initiated by the elections of June 1989 changed the situation of national and ethnic minorities. The period of political transformation in Poland also activated the Lemkos, who also took advantage of these changes to formalize and develop their activities. The first postwar Lemko organization was the Lemko Association. As a counterbalance for Lemkos Association, Ukrainophiles created in Gorlice their own organization – Union of Lemkos. American activists also had to find their way in the new political circumstances. When the Soviet Union collapsed, not only did the ideological base of Lemko-Soyuz fall into ruin, but also its financial base. OOL found itself in a much better position than Lemko-Soyuz during the period of political transition in Eastern Europe. The anti-Moscow stance of the Ukrainianophile organization allowed it to remain credible and continue to fight for the interests of Ukraine. However, the organizations, both Polish and American, in their multifaceted activity still contribute to consolidation and preservation of Lemkos’ cultural identity and preservation of their traditions.