SARO

The cover of the newest book of Prof. Paul Robert Magocsi – Narod nîvydky (THE PEOPLE FROM NOWHERE), which has already been issued in three editions – Rusyn, English and Ukrainian. In 2007, Slovak, Romanian and Polish editions will be published.

... On February 16^th, 2007, a significant event took place in the State Academic Library (SAL) in Prešov – a presentation of the two newest books connected to the name of Paul Robert Magocsi, a professor at the Toronto University and a member of the Canadian Royal Academy of Science – NAROD NîVYDKY (THE PEOPLE FROM NOWHERE) and CARPATHO-RUSYNS AND THEIR NEIGHBORS.

The first one was written by Professor Magocsi and it was presented in three versions – Rusyn, English and Ukrainian. The second one is an annual of academic articles in the area of Rusyn studies, which was compiled by three Professors from the USA: Bogdan Horbal, Patricia A. Krafcik and Elaine Rusinko. In the annual, 23 authors from various countries contributed in five different languages. In Slovak Rusyn, the article Rusînskyj jazyk u svitľi peršych zmin pravyl pravopysu (The Rusyn Language Illuminated by the First Orthographic Changes) by Assistant Professor Vasiľ Jabur and Doctor Anna Pliškova, PhD., employees at the Department of Rusyn Language and Culture, Institute of Regional and Ethnic Minority Studies, University of Prešov. Apart from them, the following academics from Slovakia presented their articles in the above publication: Professor Juraj Vaňko, CSc. (translator’s note: CSc. – socialist era qualification equivalent to PhD.), Professor Peter Švorc, CSc., Doctor Marián Gajdoš, CSc., and Doctor Stanislav Konečný, CSc. The following authors from Slovakia were also present at the gala presentation of the book Carpatho-Rusyns and their Neighbors: A. Plišková, S. Konečný and P. Švorc. The annual was kept a secret from P. R. Magocsi, as it was supposed to be a surprise gift dedicated to him as one of the most significant historians in the world for his 60^th birthday in 2006, which was successfully managed.

At the beginning of the book presentation in the Slavonic Department of the State Academic Library (SAL), a performance of members of “Šariš“ folk group (based at the M. Moyzes Music School in Prešov and lead by J. Piroh, a teacher and the group leader) created a festive atmosphere and pleased all those in attendance.

The guests of honour at the presentation: (from left to right) Professor Š. Šutaj, DrSc., Professor P. Švorc, CSc. (who gave an academic talk about the annual Carpatho-Rusyns and their Neighbors), Professor P. R. Magocsi, PhD. and Doctor S. Konečný, CSc. (who gave an academic talk about the book Narod nîvydky). The guests were welcomed by Mgr. V. Zavadská, the Head of SAL in Prešov, who, on behalf of the Slavonic Department of SAL, was presented with the newest valuable publications by P. R. Magocsi. In the background, Mgr. Alexander Zozuľák, the event organiser and presenter can be seen.

The presentation of both books was of high quality and enriched the cultural-nationality life of not only Rusyns in Prešov, but also broader communities of readers of other nationalities. It was prepared by the Slovak Association of Rusyn Organisations in cooperation with the State Academic Library in Prešov.

A. Z., photos by P. Krajňák, February 17^th, 2007

Activities of the Association have started in earnest

The Main Priority – Education

On February 1^st, 2007, a meeting of the Executive Committee of the Slovak Association of Rusyn Organisations (SARO) took place in the premises of the civic association Rusín and Ľudové noviny in Prešov. The following members and representatives of civic associations took part: Association of St. John the Baptist (Father ThLic. František Krajňák), Rusín and Ľudové noviny (Mgr. Alexander Zozuľák and PhDr. Anna Plišková, PhD.), Rusyn Cultural Association of A. Dukhnovich in Prešov (PhDr. Mária Maľcovská, Michal Hudák), Russian Club – 1923 (Mgr. Gabriel Beskyd and Ing. Demeter Kriško) and Association of the Rusyn Youth in Slovakia (Mgr. Alena Blichová and Peter Krajňák, Jr.). The Andy Warhol Association, is also a member of SARO but its representatives, for objective reasons, could not take a part at the meeting.

In his opening speech, the Chairman of the Executive Committee of SARO A. Zozuľák welcomed its members and informed them about stabilisation of the association which connects all those Rusyn organisations in Slovakia which were interested in being its members. He said that the Charter of SARO was registered at the Slovak Ministry of Internal Affairs with proper rights and duties of its members. He also said that SARO was established by request of the World Council of Rusyns analogically with the Sub-Carpathian reality, where the Congress of Sub-Carpathian Rusyns exists and following the example of the Association of Rusyn Organisations in Hungary. He added that, in Slovakia, there are 15 fully registered Rusyn organisations and the Rusyn Revival, which was in the lead at the beginning of the Rusyn movement and, presently, is one of them.

When the Resolution from the constituent meeting of the association (which took place on March 13^th, 2006) was examined, the main focus was placed on the Rusyn educational system, which is supposed to be a continual system – from kindergartens to universities. What is necessary to achieve is the acceptance, by law, of teaching Rusyn as the mother tongue in each place where over 20 per cent of the population claim their nationality or mother tongue to be Rusyn.

Members of the Executive Committee of the Slovak Association of Rusyn Organisations, who met on February 1^st, 2007 in Prešov: (from left to right) D. Kriško, M. Hudák, A. Plišková, M. Maľcovská, A. Blichová, Father F. Krajňák and P. Krajňák, Jr.

The Chairman of SARO A. Zozuľák emphasised that „documents only have sense if they can be realised and human contact is crucial, which, in the case of education, concerns parents, students, headmasters and mayors of villages as founders of primary schools“.

It is natural that contact with people, work of responsible employees in the sphere of the Rusyn education, parents’ understanding, cooperativeness of schools, the Church and municipal offices, as well as topicality, popularity and need to teach the Rusyn language in schools – all this can provide success.

Concerning the development of Rusyn language it was stated that codification of the standard Rusyn language has been the greatest success of Rusyns in the process of their self-identification. Nowadays, this phenomenon needs to be developed and the Department of Rusyn Language and Culture (Institute of Regional and Ethnic Minority Studies, University of Prešov) should be the strongest link in this area as the only academic-pedagogical institute in Slovakia competent to solve the issues of the standard Rusyn language. The efforts of the institute should be helped, not harmed, like, unfortunately, some irresponsible Rusyn organisations do by trying to write letters to the “higher authorities“. Who can benefit from this? Surely, not the Rusyn educational system, which is finding its feet.

Information about the Charter of Rusyn Greek-Catholic believers 2007 was another point of the meeting. The Charter is fighting for returning the Rusyn language to the pastoral life and church activities in general, for the opportunity and support of the idea of establishing a Rusyn vicarage in Prešov as a part of the Greek-Catholic Church in Slovakia. The issue of Rusyn broadcasting on Slovak Radio was another conversation point. The radio has changed its broadcasting structure and frequency of the PATRIA Rusyn Radio. These changes have not only worsened the quality of the radio reception (in some areas of north-eastern Slovakia there is no or very poor reception), but also the structure of Rusyn broadcasting, which, for Rusyns is hardly convenient (especially the Sunday radio holy services, the broadcasting time of which has been changed from 8am to 6am!). The development of active and systematic cultural-educational work of all Rusyn organisations in Slovakia was also discussed and the 2011 census of residents was mentioned. The Chairman of SARO informed those in attendance about the forthcoming meeting of the World Council of Rusyns (February 23^rd, 2007) and preparation works for the 9^th World Congress of Rusyns, which will take place in Sighetul Marmaţei (Romania) on June 21^st– 24^th, 2007, and about the possibility of membership of SARO in the World Congress of Rusyns and the possible membership of one of its representatives in the World Council of Rusyns.

The discussion was really rich, and some members of the Executive Committee of SARO gave speeches on the educational system, culture, the new structure of radio broadcasting for Rusyns, as well as the coordination and cooperation of Rusyn organisations in Slovakia. The following members expressed their ideas: Father F. Krajňák, M. Hudák, A. Plišková, G. Beskyd, D. Kriško, P. Krajňák, Jr., A. Blichová, A. Zozuľák and M. Maľcovská. Mgr. Gabriel Beskyd, the Chairman of the Russian Club – 1923 and the Chairman of the A. Dukhnovich Association of Culture and Education in Prešov proclaimed the following meaningful words: “Let’s respect the Slovak Association of Rusyn Organisations. It is a good thing to have. Let’s join forces for its successful work and development. Let’s be happy to have such an association, after all, all Rusyn organisations in Slovakia want to “live“ and develop their activities and the Slovak Association of Rusyn Organisations makes it possible “. We can only agree with his words.

The election of a new Chairman and Deputy of the association was also a part of the meeting. Father ThLic. František Krajňák was elected the new Chairman of SARO and Mgr. Alexander Zozuľák its new Deputy. A Resolution, accepted at the meeting, can be found below.

Mária MAĽCOVSKÁ, photos: A. Z., February 12^th, 2007

Resolution from the meeting of the Executive Committee

of the Slovak Association of Rusyn Organisations (SARO),

which took place on February 1^st, 2007 in Prešov

The members of the Executive Committee of SARO in attendance approved the following:

1. The Department of Rusyn Language and Culture of the Institute of Regional and Ethnic Minority Studies, University of Prešov, was acknowledged as the only academic-pedagogical institution competent to solve issues of the standard Rusyn language in Slovakia and they are fully in favour of making it legally confirmed.

2. It is necessary to establish a regular language column in Narodny novînky, in which topical problems regarding the standard Rusyn language in Slovakia would be discussed.

3. It was proposed that a bilingual Slovak-Rusyn dictionary should be issued.

4. It has been decided that active presentation by the members of SARO and other Rusyn organisations at Rusyn cultural-ethnic events is necessary.

5. The members in attendance protested against the inadequate realisations of Rusyn broadcasting on Patria Radio in the new structure of Slovak Radio in Bratislava. It mainly concerns the temporary problem of worsening radio reception quality in north-eastern Slovakia, where a majority of Rusyns live, as well as indiscrimination between Rusyn and Ukrainian language within the radio programme entitled Concert for the Honoured, and the inconvenient time of liturgy broadcasting (on Sundays at 6am).

6. The Charter of Rusyn Greek-Catholic Believers 2007 in Slovakia was approved and the members in attendance fully agree with its content and will propagate it among Rusyn Greek-Catholic believers and other people living in Slovakia.

7. It was decided that the opinion about reading mass, gospels, apostles and other liturgical texts in Rusyn (if they have been published in the standard Rusyn language), in villages with a majority of Rusyn inhabitants, shall be expressed to the Prešov Greek-Catholic Eparch.

8. An idea of creating the basic structure of a Rusyn vicarage in Prešov within the Greek-Catholic Church in Slovakia was presented. It would be formed by Rusyn parishes in the Prešov Greek-Catholic Eparchy under the guidance of a vicar, who would be the main initiator of solutions to the religious issues of the Rusyn believers. The members of the committee agreed that this position would be best fulfilled by either Father František Krajňák or Father Jaroslav Popovec.

9. It was decided that the members of SARO are, from now on, obliged to develop active and systematic cultural-educational activities prior to the 2011 census of residents in Slovakia, and that representatives of all 15 Rusyn civic associations registered at the Slovak Ministry of Internal Affairs should take part in these activities.

Father František Krajňák was appointed the Chairman of the Executive Committee of SARO and Alexander Zozuľák its Deputy.

A Bratislava ‘policeman‘s association.

But who will be its members?!

So far, it does not include any particular Rusyn organisation, maybe just three members of a preparatory committee under the leadership of the above mentioned policeman from Bratislava Ing. Jan Lipinsky who is also a Deputy of the Association of the Rusyn Intelligentsia in Slovakia and the Deputy of the Rusyn Revival in Slovakia. Maybe it will be these organisations who enter the association with the three actual people so far.

That means there are two associations that were established almost at the same time. One of them – the Slovak Association of Rusyn Organisations – was established in accordance with the rules: the application forms with a copy of the registered statute were distributed to Rusyn civic communities; an appointing member meeting, which was attended by the leaders of the six applicant Rusyn organisations, was organised; the statute of the association was approved; the executive committee and the head of the revision committee were elected, the resolution was approved and consequently, all the documents (mainly, the statute amended according to the comments of the participants of the meeting) were sent to the Slovak Ministry of the Interior to be approved. Originally, the association was to be called the Association of Rusyn Organisations in the Slovak Republic, but after we had seen the abbreviation (ARO in SR, which in Slovak means a hospital department for patients with serious and terminal conditions), the participants of the meeting agreed to change the title to the Association of Rusyn Organisation of Slovakia (AROS). To establish such an association, we were given the authorisation of the head of the World Council of Rusyns and the assembling in associations was included in the resolution of the 7^th World Congress of Rusyns, as well as in the resolution from a meeting of the World Council of Rusyns. To our consternation, the Ministry returned the statute of our association citing that an organisation with the same title had already been registered. It apparently ’borrowed’ our original title – the Association of Rusyn Organisations in SR. That is why we had to rename our association the Slovak Association of Rusyn Organisations and also rewrite its statute and have them registered again, which was done at the Slovak Ministry of the Interior on June 12^th, 2006.

On the other hand, the association was established out of spite, especially against me personally and my activities which Mr Lipinsky has been opposing for several years. He probably learned I was establishing an association of Rusyn organisations, and hurried to overtake me. According to Slovak legislature, it is easily and promptly done; especially if you live in Bratislava and know the right people. That is how the State Legislator, with two other ‘acquaintances or relatives’, of the other association filled in a form entitled Proposal for Registration; they all signed it as members of the preparatory committee and, together with the statute and a thousand crown fiscal stamp, delivered it to the Slovak Ministry of the Interior in Bratislava for registration. And because he satisfied all legal norms connected to it, his Association of Rusyn Organisations in the Slovak Republic (ARO in SR) was registered on May 19^th, 2006. At the end of the statute it is written that it was approved at an appointing meeting on May 10^th, 2006 (?!). However, nobody has heard of the meeting – maybe we will read about it on the pages of InfoRusyn?! That means he overtook us, as our appointing meeting (‘unfortunately’) took place on May 13^th, 2006 and it was written about in our Narodny Novinky Press and there is also an article on our website in the column entitled Association.

To conclude: Why all this hurrying? First, to annoy me, second, to create a rival association and, to use it to enter the World Congress of Rusyns and the World Council of Rusyns! A fight with no scruples, no moral obstacles, only for Mr Lipinsky to win over ’this’ Zozul’ak and to realise his ambitions of ‘leader coordinator and eminence-grise’ of all the Rusyns in Slovakia and slowly, also, outside its borders!? So far the ‘rival’ Association of Rusyn Organisations in the Slovak Republic is just a community of three members of the preparatory committee, no particular Rusyn organisations, and in its statute only generally stipulates; ‘The Association of Rusyn Organisations in the Slovak Republic assembles actual persons of the Rusyn nationality and Rusyn national-cultural communities and groups’. Every reader can form their own opinion on this matter without any further comment by me. Still, one comment at the end: three years in a row at committee meetings for the Rusyn national minority as an advisory body of the Slovak Ministry of Culture, Jan Lipinsky proposed no money from the State for our two periodicals – Rusyn and Narodny Novinky Press, so that he could eliminate our publications and silence a similar voice which he must listen to or read in our newspaper and our website. But we are still alive and we will also write about such ‘machinations and manipulations’, that have been carried out by Mr Lipinsky.

Alexander Zozulak

Head of the Slovak Association of Rusyn Organisations

June 14^th 2006

A new Association of Rusyn Organisations was established in Slovakia

On May 15^th, 2006 in Prešov, six leaders of Rusyn organisations met at an appointing meeting, the aim of which was to establish the Slovak Academy of Rusyn Organisations (SARO).

Since 1990, twelve Rusyn organisations have gradually been established – cultural-social, religious, cultural-educational, beneficent and artistic – connected by a common goal: ethnic-cultural revival of Rusyns. The above mentioned are bigger or smaller organisations, the centres of which are mainly located in the north-eastern region of Slovakia, where the majority of Rusyns live and thrive. For such a comparatively low number of Rusyns, there are quite a few organisations; that is why the membership in them overlap. It is quite often the case that the same person is a member of several organisations. The programmes of these organisations are also similar; however, the relationships between their leaders are not the best, which causes uncoordinated event organisation. Recently, we have even witnessed several unfair “fights” among Rusyns for a dominant position. Such a state evokes and deepens mutual intolerance – interpersonal and inter-organisational – which was presented in the most uncultured way by the Rusyns from Slovakia at the 8^th World Congress of Rusyns in 2005 in Krynica, Poland. However, similar negatives unfortunately do not only accompany the temporary Rusyn movement in Slovakia. The Rusyns from Sub-Carpathia, Hungary and Lemkos in Poland have undergone some transformations and surely also Rusyns living in other countries face similar problems which can, especially, at world congresses, hardly be ignored. It is indisputable that the strongest linking basis of Rusyns in the given context has since the very beginning been the World Congress of Rusyns (WCR). Every year, more and more new Rusyn organisations all over the world are interested in becoming a member of WCR. That is why the organisation has become a guarantor of assembling Rusyns and to keep this status, it tries not to favour any community but to create conditions for representation of each of them, to participate in their activities, which means every other year to have the right to be elected the delegate at the world congress for their own organisation. With the present number of Rusyn organisations in the world, it is difficult to stay fair.

After the Appointing meeting of the Slovak Association of the Rusyn Organisations, which took place on May 13^th, 2006 in Presov; the leaders of the six founding organisations of the association had a picture taken at the memorial to our revivalist, Alexander Dukhnovich where they placed a bouquet of flowers. From left to right: M. Hudak, A. Sedlackova, A. Pliskova, B. Majorosova, M. Malcovska, Father J. Popovec, D. Krisko, A. Zozul’ak, Father F. Krajnak, P. Krajnak, Jr., A. Blichova and G. Beskyd.

The above problem was discussed at the 7^th WCR in 2003 in Presov. Then, it concerned the ratio of the Sub-Carpathian and Hungarian Rusyns at the congress. As a consequence, the delegates of the 7^th WCR approved a resolution, the 6^th point of which confirms the right of every community to have its representatives in the delegation of their country at the congress. This fact requires unification of Rusyn organisations into one single unit – an association where every organisation maintains its own autonomy but is given the right to delegate its representative for the WCR and to participate in solving general Rusyn issues. It can also be assumed that the communities assembled in the association will progress in a co-ordinated way when preparing and realising the projects for which they ask finances from the state.

Slovakia has become the third state (after Ukraine and Hungary) where an association of Rusyn organisations has been established. Its forming was speeded up by the mentioned ’presentation’ of the Slovak delegation formed by members of the Rusyn Revival in Krynica. As we know, the Rusyn Revival in Slovakia, at this congress, lapsed its membership in the WCR. The formation of the association was inevitable to make sure that at the following congresses the Rusyns from Slovakia will use the mandate of a proper member of the WCR and the corresponding member on the World Council of Rusyns. Alexander Zozulak, the Deputy of the World Council of Rusyns from Slovakia, became the coordinator of the association’s project. As he said at the meeting, in the preparatory phase of the association, he addressed all Rusyn organisations officially registered in the Slovak Republic. In the first phase, six of them showed their interest in becoming a member of the association: the Russian Club – 1923, Alexander Dukhnovich’s Rusyn Cultural-Educational Association, the Association of the Rusyn Youth in Slovakia, St. John the Baptist Community, Andy Warhol’s Community and the Civic Community of Rusyn and Ludove Noviny, who became the founders of the association. At the appointing meeting, each community was represented by two delegates – usually its Head and a member of the committee.

In the programme of the appointing meeting of the association it was written: to discuss and approve the proposal of the Statute of the Association and the plan of action until the following member meeting, to elect the executive committee and the revision committee and to approve the Resolution. The meeting was opened and presented by A. Zozulak, the coordinator of the project, who explained why the association was established. He said that among the most essential conditions there are: a need to coordinate activities of Rusyn organisations, the equal right of each organisation to delegate its representative at the WCR, the equal right for state funding of their projects, the equal right for membership in the advisory bodies for the Rusyn culture at the Slovak Ministry of Culture. He also read the proposal of the Statute and every delegate had the right to express their opinion. After some addendum, the Statute was approved by all the delegates and the meeting progressed with planning further action. As most delegates are also active in Rusyn culture and they know its current situation, they could easily agree on the priorities of their cooperation in the Rusyn field: Rusyn educational system and active cultural-educational work. The project entitled The Rusyn National School will characterise the future basic activities of the association, which is mirrored in the approved Statute, in the paragraph Mission and Goals.

At the end of the meeting, the executive committee of the association was appointed, with the participation of each member organisation. At its first meeting, the executive committee unanimously elected Alexander Zozulak the Head of the Association and a candidate for a proper member of the World Council of Rusyns for the Slovak Republic.

SARO was founded with the initiative of the WCR and in the style of WCR: in the same way as the WCR covers all Rusyn organisations in the international context, the aim of SARO is to cover domestic Rusyn organisations – naturally respecting autonomy of each of them. It is positive that six organisations were interested in membership in SARO at the very beginning. They showed goodwill to cooperate in project realisations, respecting priorities of ethnic-cultural and religious life of Rusyns in Slovakia. All delegates agreed that such an association in Slovakia should have been founded earlier, it may have prevented the spats, which, in recent years, seriously destabilised the Rusyn movement in Slovakia.

Anna PLISKOVA, May 17^th 2006

Resolution

of the delegates at the Appointing meeting of the Slovak Association of Rusyn Organisations (SARO) on May 13th 2006 in Presov

The attending delegates of the Rusyn civic communities in the Slovak Republic who handed out a written application form to SARO, unanimously approved the following:

1. The establishment of the Slovak Association of Rusyn Organisations, the constituent parts being:

The Russian Club – 1923,
Rusyn and Ludove Noviny Press,
Alexander Dukhnovich’s Rusyn Cultural-Educational Association,
Andy Warhol’s Community,
The Association of Rusyn Youth in Slovakia,
St. John the Baptist Community.

2. The proposal of the Statute of SARO with relevant comments.

3. The most important priorities in the activity of SARO being – the Rusyn educational system and active cultural-educational work.

4. The Department of Rusyn Language and Culture at the Institute of Regional and National Minority Studies, University of Presov the only academic-pedagogical institution of Rusyns in Slovakia which has the unique right to deal with orthographic changes in the Rusyn language and to propose a person to the post of Rusyn language and literature methodician at the Methodological-Pedagogical Centre in Presov.

5. The enquiry to the Slovak Ministry of Culture about allowing a representative of SARO onto the committee of the Rusyn national minority.

6. To cooperate with other Rusyn organisations in Slovakia and abroad in organising national-cultural events.

7. The Executive Committee of SARO with the following members: Mgr. Alexander Zozulak (Chair), ThLic. Frantisek Krajnak (Deputy), Mgr. Gabriel Beskyd (member), Mgr. Alena Blichova (member), Mgr. Beata Majorosova (member) and PhDr. Maria Malcovska (member).

8. The Revision Committee of SARO with the following members: Ing. Demeter Krisko (Chair), Michal Hudak (member) and Peter Krajnak, Jr. (member).

9. Mgr. Alexander Zozulak – the Head of the Slovak Association of Rusyn Organisations – a proper member of the World Council of Rusyns with the right to vote.

10. The following meeting to take place on December 16^th 2006 in Presov

May 13^th 2006