Reports from Prešov 2003

Rusyn Youth Accept Their Challenge

Maria Silvestri, 18, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

The Rusyn youth of North America were presented with a challenge on 8 June in Prešov. We were challenged, along with Rusyn youth from Slovakia, Poland, Ukraine, Serbia and Germany. One of the best things about the first World Forum of Rusyn Youth was the hope that some of the Rusyn leaders expressed in the first minutes of the Forum. They were all full of hope for the future of Rusyns because of the beginnings of a youth movement.

There is a wide recognition of the need for young Rusyns to have the opportunity to meet and to socialize more often, which is great, but it is of course not as easy for a North American Rusyn to go to Europe as it is for a Slovak to go to Hungary, for example. Today, the Internet is seen as the remedy for this problem, but even with strong support from the spectator delegations of Germany and North America, the idea of using technology to span distances didn't seem to get strong support from some of the other delegations. I attribute this to the close proximity of Rusyns in southern Poland, eastern Slovakia, western Ukraine and northern Hungary.

It seems that the Rusyn youth in Europe are mostly involved with music and sports right now, with attempts to organize and to gain new members. The idea of a Rusyn sports league is a good step, but distance remains the biggest hurdle. It was excellent to see that there is a predominantly Rusyn soccer team in Slovakia, and that could be one of the more regional activities for Rusyn youth. Attempts to gain members are essential, because that is the foundation for the future of the Rusyn movement, but as one of the delegates from Poland wisely said: it is quality, not quantity that is important. The ideal situation is a lot of Rusyn youth who are all familiar with Rusyn culture, history, etc, who feel proud to call themselves Rusyn, and who are willing put time and energy into organizations. Unfortunately, Rusyns everywhere, along with youth anywhere, are full of pressure to study and to succeed, and there are often more appealing activities than ethnic ones. I truly believe that there are Rusyn youth in America and in Europe today that do place an importance in their heritage, and that is where the "quality" does and will come from.

The biggest difficulty for North American Rusyns to overcome at the Forum, as well as at the World Congress of Rusyns (which was held at the same time) was and is language. More specifically, of the North American youth delegation, only one of us spoke Rusyn fluently. Although the promotion of the Rusyn language is important, here in America we have created a vibrant Rusyn community almost independent of the Rusyn language. At the Youth Forum, it was surprising to see how many of the delegates at least understood English, and there were many who spoke English well. Why can't the worldwide Rusyn youth movement be bilingual? It would even promote learning both languages, which is so much better in the long run.

As we begin to organize ourselves here in America, I hope that we do not lose sight of the precedents set by many of the Rusyn leaders here in America who have already done so much good for Rusyn youth. We also have the examples of the groups in Poland, Slovakia, Ukraine and Serbia who have already organized themselves and are moving forward with good vision and action.

I am so proud to have been able to observe both the World Congress of Rusyns and the World Forum of Rusyn Youth. It was so incredibly wonderful to see such a concentration of people so excited and especially proud to be Rusyn and to see the concern for the promotion of our culture and our heritage.

Attending the 1st World Forum of Rusyn Youth

Želimir Koljesar, 22, Kitchener, Ontario

The first World Forum of Rusyn Youth forum was simply a wonderful experience! Now, when I look back at it, I am so thankful that I took the time to write that one page paper about why it would benefit my community and myself to go to Prešov and attend the forum. It is truly an opportunity of a lifetime to be able to meet other Rusyns of similar age who live throughout Europe in countries such as Slovakia, Poland, Ukraine, Serbia, and Germany. This trip was also a perfect chance to be able to try some of the traditional foods. Besides that, it was also an occasion to watch the amazing dancing performed by some of the local clubs, and also to hear the unique music that is dear to all of our hearts. But most of all, the friendships made during this trip are essential in establishing a youth movement.

Coming to Prešov, I did not know anyone. I hadn't met in person with any of the delegates from North America and even though I am originally from Yugoslavia, I did not know anyone who was coming from there. I was hoping that I would recognize a few people and that my Rusyn language will be helpful among other Rusyns who were not from Vojvodina. Well, one person recognized me and introduced me to one other person of my age, and then another and it was almost like a wave-effect until I met everyone there. I had already forgotten how common it is in our culture to be so friendly and polite among each other. I felt at home in no time.

It was arranged for us to stay in Prešov high school dormitories called internat and to have three meals a day. I enjoyed the food very much. Most of our meals were at Victoria restaurant. Since we were there for almost a week, it is hard to remember all of them, but one of the meals sticks out. It consisted of beef in sauerkraut sauce with this uniquely done white bread called knedla. I especially liked the bread, which was cooked with the steam of boiling water.

In between the meals, numerous activities, presentations, and theatrical shows were organized for our entertainment. Friday morning the Rusyn National Theatre “Djadja” performed a show at the Aleksander Dukhnovyč Theatre. Later that day we got to see a show by the Jonas Zaborsky Theatre, about a wife who had three husbands and the conflicts when they all found out the truth. We all got a good laugh out of that one. On Saturday night, three ladies as a trio sang many beautiful folk songs. The following night we watched PUL'S Folk Ensemble performance and they amazed us with their voices and their choreography. After this trip, I have realized how important it is for Rusyn culture to have people who will be singing our folk songs and performing the traditional dances in the future.

The first World Forum of Rusyn Youth happened on Sunday afternoon in the Dukhnovyč Theatre. Each delegation gave a speech about what they have accomplished and what their plans for the future are. Then there was a topic brought up about how many times a year we should all meet. The number proposed was two. This is where a little bit of tension was created because it is very difficult for youth from North America to come to Europe twice a year, mainly due to financial capabilities. Distance is another major issue, and this is where the Internet would be a great solution to communicate and to get things done, even from half a world away. However, only the individuals from Germany, North America and Vojvodina supported this idea. Personally, I believe that Rusyn youth should meet twice a year or maybe even more than that. It is extremely important to socialize with different Rusyn groups, to learn to understand various Rusyn dialects, to make friendships, and to make plans for the future. The experiences gained at these types of events are worth so much and can be passed on to the people who didn't get a chance to go. Now, we will all put these ideas in action and we will see how it all turns out in real life.

After the long and hot days filled with activities, everyone was excited to socialize at night. The youth stuck together most of the nights. There are numerous bars and pubs, called karčma in Rusyn, all over downtown Prešov, but it was difficult to find one where all of us could fit and find a place to sit down. However, we did manage to find a popular place each night where we got to talk among each other, have an occasional drink, and most of all sing our Rusyn folk songs! This part was the most fascinating, at least for me. I am not used to going out with friends and singing all night long. And everybody sings along, that is, if they knew the words of course. At one point I asked one of the girls from Vojvodina how many songs she knows and she answered, "Probably around two hundred or so." I, of course, did not know words of most of the songs. Still, I truly enjoyed listening and just humming along. This part of the whole Forum experience is what I believe all of us will miss the most. This is where the friendships were definitely established!

As it was said before, having a chance to meet Rusyn youth from other parts of the world is essential to understanding the importance of our culture and the importance of keeping it alive. The uniqueness of Rusyn tradition is very interesting and it deserves more exploring. Occasions like the first World Forum of Rusyn Youth are opportunities to fire up the desire of each Rusyn to keep this momentum flowing. There is only one thing to be said: "I was a Rusyn, I am a Rusyn, and I will always be a Rusyn!