Misplaced Pages

Pannonian RusynsПанонски РуснациПанонски Русини

Total population
16,583 (2011)
Regions with significant populations
Serbia	14,246 (2011)
Croatia	2,337 (2011)
Languages
Pannonian Rusyn
Religion
Eastern Catholicism Eastern Orthodoxy
Related ethnic groups
Slovaks, other East Slavs Especially Ukrainians, Boykos, Hutsuls, Lemkos, and other Rusyns

Pannonian Rusyns (Rusyn: Русини, romanized: Rusynŷ), also known as Pannonian Rusnaks (Rusyn: Руснаци, romanized: Rusnat͡sŷ), and formerly known as Yugoslav Rusyns (during the existence of former Yugoslavia), are ethnic Rusyns from the southern regions of the Pannonian Plain (hence, Pannonian Rusyns). Their communities are located mainly in Vojvodina, Serbia, and Slavonia, Croatia. In both of those countries, they are officially recognized as a national minority, and have several minority institutions and organizations.

In some non-Slavic languages, they are sometimes also referred to by certain archaic exonyms, such as Pannonian Ruthenes or Pannonian Ruthenians, but those terms are not used in the native Rusyn language. Such terms are also imprecise, since Ruthenian and related exonyms have several broader meanings, both in terms of their historical uses and ethnic scopes, that are encompassing various East Slavic groups.

Geographical Pannonian adjective is used as a neutral term of convenience, since the previous geographical ethnonym (Yugoslav Rusyns) became significantly reduced in scope after the breakup of major Yugoslavia (1991–1992), and also obsolete when the reduced Federal Republic of Yugoslavia changed its name to Serbia and Montenegro (2003). In order to avoid confusion, the term Pannonian Rusyns is used in modern English terminology as a descriptive regional ethnonym for Rusyn communities in all of those regions, similar to the way the term North American Rusyns is used to refer to the Rusyn diasporas in the United States and Canada.

Pannonian Rusyns are descendants of 18th-century migrant communities, that came from northeastern (Carpathian) regions, still inhabited today by other groups of (Carpathian) Rusyns, who live in southwestern Ukraine, northeastern Slovakia, southeastern Poland, northern Romania, and northeastern Hungary.

History

During the 18th century, state authorities of the Habsburg monarchy initiated several programs of re-population and colonization of various regions that were recently liberated from the Ottoman rule. Since 1745, groups of Rusyns from north-eastern Carpathian regions of the Kingdom of Hungary (eastern parts of modern Slovakia and Carpathian regions of modern Ukraine) started to migrate towards southern regions, including Bačka, Srem and Slavonia. The first group settled in the village of Kula in Bačka (modern Serbia), as attested by the 1746 census.

During the following years, process of Rusyn colonization was intensified, and on 17 January 1751, regional administrator of Bačka, Franz Joseph von Redl signed an agreement with Mihajlo Munkači from the village of Červenovo, in the county of Bereg, allowing the arrival of 200 Rusyn families from the north-eastern Hungarian region known as the "Upper-Land" (Rusyn: Горнїца) to the village of Krstur (Rusyn: Керестур) in Bačka. In the same year, Munkači managed to settle many Rusyns from the Hungarian counties of Munkačka, Ungvar, Saltmars and Ogačka in Krstur. Ruski Krstur had 2,000 inhabitants by the end of the 18th century. The same administrator signed another agreement on 15 May 1763 with Peter Kiš from Kerestur, allowing the arrival of 150 Rusyn families from the "Upper-Land" to the village of Kucura (Rusyn: Коцур) in Bačka. Kiš, however, failed to bring 150 Ruthenian families to Kucura. In 1763, 41 Rusyn families came to Kucura, and in 1767, another 47 Rusyn families came. Both agreements, from 1751 and 1763, contained special clauses, requiring that Rusyn colonists in terms of their religious affiliation have to be Eastern Catholics. The State Chamber wanted Kucura to be a purely Catholic settlement, and in 1777 they ordered the Serbs, who were almost half of the population of Kucura, to move to Obrovac. In 1792, 258 Rusyn families already lived in Kucura.

As the population grew, many families from Krstur and Kucura migrated to the town of Novi Sad in 1766 and 1767. The census from 1767 for the whole Bács-Bodrog County (which then was part of Habsburg Monarchy and today comprises Bačka region in Serbia and Hungary) shows about 2,000 Rusyns. Later, Rusyns settled in Šid and Vajska, and in the early 19th century in Vukovar, Ilok, Jankovci, Grabovo, Miklusevci, Marinci, Rajevo Selo and Osijek. In Petrovci, Rusyns started to settle in 1833, and later in Bačinci in 1834. In May 1836, the first Ruthenian Greek Catholic parish was founded in Petrovci in the territory of today's Republic of Croatia.

Rusyns in former Yugoslavia

After the Dissolution of the Austro-Hungarian Monarchy (1918), southern Pannonian regions became part of the newly formed Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes, known since 1929 as the Kingdom of Yugoslavia. Since it was a South Slavic country, position of various Slavic minorities (including local Rusyns) was improved significantly, particularly in the fields of their cultural development and elementary education. During the interwar period (1918–1941), several Rusyn cultural organizations and periodical publications were established.

After the Second World War, in the socialist Yugoslavia, Rusyns were officially recognized as a distinct national minority, and their legal status was regulated in Yugoslav federal units of Serbia and Croatia. In the Constitution of Serbia, that was adopted on 9 April 1963, Rusyns were designated as one of seven (explicitly named) national minorities (Article 82), and the same provision was implemented in the Statute of Vojvodina (an autonomous province in Serbia) that was adopted in the same year (Articles 32-37). Further on, the Constitutional Law of 21 February 1969 regulated the position of Rusyn language as one of five official languages in Vojvodina (Article 67).

In spite of the fact that constitutional and legal recognition of Rusyn minority and its language in Vojvodina (Serbia) was achieved already in 1963/1969, some authors have overlooked those developments, and also claimed (persistently, in several works) that such recognition occurred later, in 1974, thus revealing the lack of basic knowledge on the evolution of Rusyn rights in former Yugoslavia. Those early developments (1963/1969) are also omitted from some scholarly analyses that are dedicated explicitly to the legal status of Rusyns in Vojvodina.

During the same period, Rusyn minority was also recognized in the Yugoslav federal unit of Croatia, by the Constitutional Amendment IV, that was adopted in 1972. That provision was confirmed by the new Constitution of Croatia, adopted in 1974 (Article 137), that recognized not only local Rusyns but also local Ukrainians, thus designating them as separate and distinct national minorities.

In terms of their cultural development in socialist Yugoslavia, Rusyns had several institutions and organizations. Already in 1945, а publishing establishment, called the Rusyn Word (Rusyn: Руске слово) was founded, in Novi Sad. It became the main center for publication of Rusyn newspapers, literary works and school textbooks. In the same year, Rusyn high school was opened in Ruski Krstur. In 1970, the Society for Rusyn Language an Literature (Rusyn: Дружтво за руски язик и литературу) was established, in Novi Sad. Since 1972, at the Faculty of Philosophy (University of Novi Sad), Rusyn studies were initiated, and the Chair for Rusyn Language and Literature (Rusyn: Катедра за руски язик и литературу) was established in 1983.

Rusyns in modern Serbia and Croatia

After the breakup of Yugoslavia (1991–1992), its successor states continued to recognize Rusyns as a distinct national minority. In Croatia, they are officially recognized (under constitutional provisions from 1997) as an autochthonous national minority and as such, they elect a special representative to the Croatian Parliament, shared with members of eleven other national minorities.

In Serbia, recognition of Rusyn minority and its language was confirmed by the provincial statutes of Vojvodina (2009, 2014). Since 2002, Rusyns in Serbia have their autonomously elected representative body, the National Council of the Rusyn National Minority (Rusyn: Национални совит рускей националней меншини), headquartered in Ruski Krstur (the largest Rusyn settlement in Serbia). At the Faculty of Philosophy (University of Novi Sad), Rusyn studies were expanded in 2002, and the Department of Rusynistics (Rusyn: Одсек за русинистику) was established. In 2008, the Institute for Culture of Rusyns in Vojvodina (Rusyn: Завод за културу войводянских Руснацох) was founded, centered in Novi Sad.

Demographics

Rusyns in modern states of Serbia and Croatia mostly live in the autonomous province of Vojvodina (Serbia), and in the region of Slavonia (Croatia). The census from 1991 in those regions (then within former Yugoslavia) shows about 25.000 Rusyns. Currently, the number of Rusyns declines and is estimated to be about 15.000. The main reason for this is the economic migration, since the increasing number of Rusyns is deciding to move to western countries, particularly to Canada.

There are 14,246 declared ethnic Rusyns in Serbia (2011 census). In terms of religious affiliation, 94,91% declared as Christians (75,43% Catholics, 18,53% Orthodox, 0,7% Protestansts).

The village of Ruski Krstur in the Kula municipality is the cultural centre of Rusyns in Serbia. Other villages with a Rusyn majority include Kucura in the Vrbas municipality, and Bikić Do in the Šid municipality. There is a considerable concentration of Rusyns in Novi Sad, where in 1820 the construction of St. Peter and Paul Greek Catholic parish church started and was subsequently completed in 1834/1837.

There are Rusyn communities in Slavonia (Croatia), forming a majority in the village of Petrovci, Bogdanovci municipality, in Vukovar-Srijem county.

Serbia

• Ruski Krstur (86%, 2002)
• Bikić Do (47,62%, 2002)
• Kucura (47,18%, 2002)
• Đurđevo (23,30%, 2002)

Croatia

• Petrovci, Croatia (57,17%, 1991)

Language

Rusyns in Serbia and Croatia consider their linguistic variety, known as Pannonian Rusyn, to be one of four standardized versions of the Rusyn language, while some linguists also classify it as a microlanguage. They are using a standardized version of Rusyn Cyrillic alphabet.

Rusyn is one of the six official languages of provincial administration in Vojvodina, while in Croatia it is officially used in two settlements.

Notable people

• Jaša Bakov, Rusyn athlete and activist from Serbia
• Mihail Dudaš, Rusyn athlete from Serbia
• Đura Džudžar, Rusyn bishop from Serbia
• Ljubomir Fejsa, Rusyn footballer from Serbia
• Joakim Herbut, Rusyn bishop from Serbia
• Ivan Lenđer, Rusyn swimmer from Serbia
• Slavomir Miklovš, Rusyn bishop from Serbia
• Olena Papuga, Rusyn politician from Serbia
• Silvester Takač, Rusyn footballer from Serbia
• Danijela Štajnfeld, Rusyn actress from Serbia

References

1. National Council of the Rusyn National Minority (Serbia)
2. Savez Rusina Republike Hrvatske
3. Sakač 2019, p. 1-18.
4. Рамач, Фејса & Међеши 1997, p. 447-448.
5. Magocsi 2011, p. 177.
6. Magocsi 2015, p. 2-5.
7. Fejsa 1998, p. 56-67.
8. Medješi 1993, p. 143.
9. Jankulov 1961.
10. Magocsi 2015.
11. Barić 2007, p. 90.
12. Fejsa 2015, p. 193-194.
13. ^ Gavrilović, Vladan (2012). Počeci naseljavanja Rusina u Bačku (in Serbian). Novi Sad, Serbia: Filozofski fakultet Novi Sad. pp. 21–22. ISBN 978-86-6065-144-2.
14. Лабош 1979, p. 182-205.
15. ^ "Rusini obilježili svoj dan. U Hrvatsku su stigli prije 200 godina". www.index.hr (in Croatian). Retrieved 2024-06-02.
16. Лабош 1979.
17. Biljnja 1987.
18. Magocsi 2015, p. 242-243.
19. Службени гласник (1963): Устав Социјалистичке Републике Србије
20. Катунин 2015a, p. 232-233.
21. Уставни закон Социјалистичке Аутономне Покрајине Војводине (1969)
22. Magocsi 1992, p. 220.
23. Magocsi 1999a, p. 22, 356.
24. Magocsi & Pop 2005, p. 190, 534.
25. Fejsa 2014, p. 184.
26. Fejsa 2015, p. 195.
27. Fejsa 2017b, p. 69.
28. Fejsa 2018, p. 370.
29. Катунин 2015b, p. 235–250.
30. Катунин 2016, p. 271–284.
31. Narodne novine (1972): Amandmani na Ustav Socijalističke Republike Hrvatske
32. Narodne novine (1974): Ustav Socijalističke Republike Hrvatske
33. Trier 1999, p. 63, 67.
34. Harasowska 1999, p. 2.
35. "Pravo pripadnika nacionalnih manjina u Republici Hrvatskoj na zastupljenost u Hrvatskom saboru". Zakon o izborima zastupnika u Hrvatski sabor (in Croatian). Croatian Parliament. Retrieved 2011-12-29.
36. National Council of the Rusyn National Minority (Serbia)
37. Filozofski fakultet u Novom Sadu: Rusinistika
38. "Blic Online | Reportaža | Sa bačke crnice na led i sneg Kanade". Archived from the original on 2009-03-06. Retrieved 2009-02-28.
39. Лађевић 2014, p. 192, 194.
40. Fejsa 2018, p. 367–378.
41. Fejsa 2017a, p. 165–178.
42. "Europska povelja o regionalnim ili manjinskim jezicima" (in Croatian). Ministry of Justice (Croatia). 2011-04-12. Archived from the original on 2013-12-27. Retrieved 2012-02-08.

Other sources

• Barić, Eugenija (2007). Rusinski jezik u procjepu prošlosti i sadašnjosti. Zagreb: Institut za hrvatski jezik i jezikoslovlje. ISBN 9789536637348.
• Biljnja, Vladimir (1987). Rusini u Vojvodini: Prilog izučavanju istorije Rusina Vojvodine (1918-1945). Novi Sad: Dnevnik.
• Fejsa, Mihajlo P. (1998). "Yugoslav Rusyns: Identity, Culture, Education, Religion". National Minorities in Vojvodina: Proceedings. Novi Sad: Association des etats généraux etudiants de l'Europe. pp. 56–67.
• Fejsa, Mihajlo P. (2014). "The Ruthenian journey from the Carpathian mountains to the Panonian Plain". Русин: Международный исторический журнал. 36 (2): 182–191.
• Fejsa, Mihajlo P. (2015). "The Preservаtion of the Rusyn Language and Culture in Serbia/Vojvodina". A Jubilee Collection: Essays in Honor of Professor Paul Robert Magocsi on his 70th Birthday. Uzhhorod: Valerii Padiak Publishers. pp. 193–202.
• Fejsa, Mihajlo P. (2017a). "The improvement of the orthographic rules in the Bachka-Srem Rusin Language". Русин: Международный исторический журнал. 50 (4): 165–178.
• Fejsa, Mihajlo P. (2017b). "Ruthenian Minority in Vojvodina and its Language". Balkanistic Forum. 26 (3): 66–77.
• Fejsa, Mihajlo P. (2018). "Verb forms/constructions in the Prešov variant and the Bačka-Srem variant of the Rusyn language". Studia Slavica. 63 (2): 367–378. doi:10.1556/060.2018.63.2.16. S2CID 145920941.
• Harasowska, Marta (1999). Morphophonemic Variability, Productivity, and Change: The Case of Rusyn. Berlin-New York: Mouton de Gruyter. ISBN 9783110157611.
• Катунин, Дмитрий А. (2015a). "Языковые права русинов, украинцев и других национальных меньшинств в законодательстве Республики Сербия". Русин: Международный исторический журнал. 39 (1): 229–238.
• Катунин, Дмитрий А. (2015b). "Русинский язык и языки других национальных меньшинств в законодательстве Воеводины: Статья 1". Русин: Международный исторический журнал. 42 (4): 235–250.
• Катунин, Дмитрий А. (2016). "Русинский язык и языки других национальных меньшинств в законодательстве Воеводины: Статья 2". Русин: Международный исторический журнал. 43 (1): 271–284.
• Jankulov, Borislav (1961). Pregled kolonizacije Vojvodine u XVIII i XIX veku (1. ed.). Novi Sad: Matica srpska.
• Лађевић, Петар, ed. (2014). Етноконфесионални и језички мозаик Србије (PDF). Београд: Републички завод за статистику.
• Лабош, Федор (1979). История Русинох Бачкей, Сриму и Славониї 1745-1918. Вуковар: Союз Русинох и Українцох Горватской.
• Magocsi, Paul R. (1992). "The Birth of a New Nation, or the Return of an Old Problem? The Rusyns of East Central Europe". Canadian Slavonic Papers. 34 (3): 199–223. doi:10.1080/00085006.1992.11091987. JSTOR 40870573.
• Magocsi, Paul R. (1996). "The Rusyn language question revisited" (PDF). International Journal of the Sociology of Language. 120: 63–84. doi:10.1515/ijsl.1996.120.63. S2CID 56325995.
• Magocsi, Paul R. (1999a). Of the Making of Nationalities There is No End. Vol. 1. Boulder: East European Monographs. ISBN 9780880334389.
• Magocsi, Paul R. (1999b). Of the Making of Nationalities There is No End. Vol. 2. Boulder: East European Monographs. ISBN 9780880334389.
• Magocsi, Paul R.; Pop, Ivan I., eds. (2005) . Encyclopedia of Rusyn History and Culture (2. rev. ed.). Toronto: University of Toronto Press.
• Magocsi, Paul R. (2011). "The Fourth Rus': A New Reality in a New Europe" (PDF). Journal of Ukrainian Studies. 35-36 (2010-2011): 167–177.
• Magocsi, Paul R. (2015). With Their Backs to the Mountains: A History of Carpathian Rus' and Carpatho-Rusyns. Budapest-New York: Central European University Press. ISBN 9786155053467.
• Medješi, Ljubomir (1993). "The Problem of Cultural Borders in the History of Ethnic Groups: The Yugoslav Rusyns". The Persistence of Regional Cultures: Rusyns and Ukrainians in Their Carpathian Homeland and Abroad. Boulder: East European Monographs. pp. 139–162. ISBN 9780880332620.
• Рамач, Янко (1993). Кратка история Руснацох (1745-1918). Нови Сад: Грекокатолїцка парохия св. Петра и Павла.
• Ramač, Janko (2018). "Osnovni pravci, težnje i dileme u kulturno-prosvetnom i nacionalnom životu Rusina u Jugoslaviji (1945-1970)" (PDF). Київські історичні студії. 6 (1): 63–73.
• Рамач, Јулијан; Фејса, Михајло; Међеши, Хелена, eds. (1995). Српско-русински речник (PDF). Vol. 1. Нови Сад: Филозофски факултет - Катедра за русински језик и књижевност, Друштво за русински језик и књижевност.
• Рамач, Јулијан; Фејса, Михајло; Међеши, Хелена, eds. (1997). Српско-русински речник (PDF). Vol. 2. Београд-Нови Сад: Завод за уџбенике и наставна средства, Филозофски факултет - Катедра за русински језик и књижевност, Друштво за русински језик и књижевност.
• Sakač, Marija (2019). "Narratives of ethnic identity and language among young Pannonian Ruthenians in Serbia". Adeptus. 14: 1–18.
• Slivka, John (1973). Correct nomenclature: Greek rite or Byzantine rite: Rusin or Ruthenian: Rusin or Slovak?. Brooklyn, N.Y.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
• Slivka, John (1989) . Who are we? Nationality: Rusin, Russian, Ruthenian, Slovak? Ecclesiastical name: Greek Rite Catholic, Byzantine Rite Catholic? (2. ed.). Brooklyn, N.Y.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
• Trier, Tom, ed. (1999). Focus on the Rusyns: International Colloquium on the Rusyns of East Central Europe. Copenhagen: Danish Cultural Institute. ISBN 9788774290940.

External links

• Federation of Rusyns in Croatia
• National Council of the Rusyn National Minority, in Serbia

v t e Slavic ethnic groups
East Slavs	Alaskan Creoles Belarusians Belarusian Latvians Belarusian Lithuanians Belarusian Poles Belarusian Russians Boykos Cossacks Albazinians Baikal Cossacks Don Cossacks Kuban Cossacks Nekrasov Cossacks Siberian Cossacks Terek Cossacks Greben Cossacks Zaporozhian Cossacks Kuban Cossacks Gurans Hutsuls Karyms Lemkos Molokans Podlashuks Poleshuks Russians Doukhobors Goryuns Harbin Russians Kamchadals Kamenschiks Lipovans Polekhs Pomors Semeiskie Siberians Starozhily Rusyns Pannonian Rusyns Rusyn Romanians Ukrainians Podolyans Litvins
West Slavs	Czechs Chods Gorals Silesian Gorals Kashubians Gochans Krubans Slovincians Lechites Masurians Moravians Poles Bambers Borderlands Poles Bug River Poles Greater Poland people Kaliszans Kuyavians Taśtaks Kociewians Kurpies Lasovians Łęczycans Lesser Poland people Masovians Łowiczans Międzyrzec Boyars Poborzans Polish Uplanders Russian Poles Sącz Lachs Sieradzans Warmians Obotrites Ruhrpolen Silesians Cieszyn Vlachs Slovaks Sorbs Lower Sorbs Wends Texas Wends Upper Sorbs
South Slavs	Bosniaks Bosniak Albanians Bosniak Croatians Bosniak Kosovars Bosniak Montenegrins Bosniak Serbians Bulgarians Anatolian Bulgarians Banat Bulgarians Bessarabian Bulgarians Bulgarian Albanians Bulgarian Croatians Bulgarian Hungarians Bulgarian Italians Macedonian Bulgarians Pomaks Thracian Bulgarians Croats Bunjevci Burgenland Croats Croat Muslims Janjevci Krashovani Molise Croats Šokci Gorani Macedonians Albanian Macedonians Bulgarian Macedonians Mijaks Torbeši Montenegrins Ethnic Muslims Resians Serbs Bosnian and Herzegovinian Serbs Kosovo Serbs Macedonian Serbs Montenegrin Serbs Croatian Serbs Vojvodina Serbs Serb Muslims Shopi Slavic speakers of Greek Macedonia Slovenes Carinthian Slovenes Croatian Slovenes Hungarian Slovenes Italian Slovenes Prekmurje Slovenes Venetian Slavs Yugoslavs

• Pannonian Rusyns
• Rusyns
• Rusyn diaspora
• Slavic ethnic groups
• Ethnic groups in Vojvodina
• Ethnic groups in Serbia
• Ethnic groups in Croatia
• Ethnic groups in Yugoslavia