2

Editor in Chief:

Sofiya Fedyna

Editorial Staff:

Taras Rad’

Vitaliy Levchenko

Design: Viktor Dudiak

Translation: Lidiya Kalantyrenko

English Editing: Michael Hnatyshyn

Herald of SFULO (c) Official edition of the World Federation of Ukrainian

Lemko Organizations.

Published once a month.

The main goal of the magazine is to dynamically illuminate the activities of all the subjects of SFULO.

You can download issues of the Herald from the SFULO site: www.sfulo.com/biblioteka

Editor’s E-mail: visnyk.sfulo@gmail.com

Please send us your materials. The

Editorial Council, however, reserves the final decision as to what to publish.

The World Federation of Ukrainian

Lemko Unions (SFULO) is a nongovernmental international public organization, which unites the Ukrainian Lemko Unions of Ukraine,

Poland, Slovakia, Serbia, Croatia, Canada and the USA.

The main goal of its activity is to

secure and protect the legitimate social, economical, creative, ethnic, national-cultural and other interests of Lemkos; to develop and popularize

Lemko cultural heritage and spirituality according to the principles of legality, democracy, voluntarism and self-government.

Official website:

www.sfulo.com.

CONTENTS

Poltava oblast.............................................4

Priashivshchyna........................................5

The USA......................................................15

Lemkivshchyna and Poland..................20

Zakarpattia oblast...................................22

Canada........................................................25

Ternopil oblast.........................................31

Lviv oblast................................................35

Luhansk oblast........................................39

3 Instead of opening remarks….

A Lemko Vatra is a singular cultural phenomenon, a variation on a festive event which originated in the Lemko homeland and extends beyond its borders with the

purpose of preserving, reviving, and popularizing the distinctive culture and historical memory of Lemkos as the westernmost subethnos of the Ukrainian people. Today the

ethnographic borders of Lemkivshchyna are part of three countries - Ukraine (11%), Poland (48%), and Slovakia (41%). Because of historical circumstances, most of the indigenous population had to leave their native lands.

The decision of the communist authorities of Russia and Poland concerning the so-called “evacuation” and exchange of populations in 1944-46 resulted in the deportation of the majority of Lemkos and they were forcibly resettled to Soviet

Ukraine. Hoping to someday return to their native lands, most of them settled in the area bordering Poland; and today they mainly live in the western oblasts of Ukraine –

in Lviv oblast, Ternopil oblast and Ivano-Frankivsk oblast. Those who managed to avoid the “evacuation” to the Ukrainian SSR, were deported to the northwestern lands near Germany (the so-called “Recovered Territories”) in 1947 during Operation

“Vistula,” as a final solution to the Ukrainian question in Poland.

The Lemkos in Slovakia managed to avoid deportation. Although they remained in

their native land, as a result of the assimilation policy of the communist regime, they nevertheless lost a significant part of their Ukrainian identity.

Long before that, as a consequence of the labor migration at the end of the 19th and

first half of the 20th century, a large number of Lemkos settled in the USA and Canada; and today they are an important part of the Ukrainian Diaspora overseas. For a long time the indigenous Lemko population has also been living in Serbia and

Croatia, where they settled in the 18th century.

Because of these circumstances, with Lemkos scattered around the world and cut off

from their native land, the idea of organizing Lemko festivals arose, with the purpose of consolidating the Lemko community, preserving and reviving its culture and traditions and disseminating them to the public. The festival of Ruthenian-Ukrainian

culture has its longest history in Slovakia (Svidnik), where celebrations began in 1953. The biggest festival of Lemko culture in the world is the Lemko Vatra in Zdynia, Poland, which has occurred there yearly since 1982. In 2007 the Presidents of Ukraine

and Poland took part in it. Since 1985 the Lemko Vatra has occurred in Durham, Canada, and since 2001 – in Ellenville, USA. The biggest festival of Lemko culture in

Ukraine is “Bells of Lemkivshchyna,” which has gathered near the town of Monastyryska in Ternopil oblast since 1999. Lemko festivals occur annually in Ivano-Frankivsk oblast – “Pentecost is calling” in the village of Rivnia, Zakarpattia oblast –

the Lemko Vatra in the village of Kostryno, Poltava oblast – “Colors of Lemkivshchyna” in the village of Liutenski Budyshcha, Luhansk oblast – and “Along the Lemko Paths”

in the village of Peremozhne.

Festivals of Lemko culture in Lviv oblast traditionally take place in the villages of Nahirne, Boryslav and Horodok. The Lemko Vatra in Nahirne, which is in the Sambir

region has been held annually since 2004, with the status of oblast festival of Lemko culture. However, this year, for the first time, it was decided to hold the Lviv Oblast Festival “Buzz of Lemkivshchyna” in the village of Zymna Voda, near Lviv, on a

continuing basis. This decision was made based on the fact that the majority of Lemkos in Lviv oblast live in Pustomyty raion.

4 Poltava oblast

THE LEMKOS OF POLTAVA OBLAST GATHERED FOR AN

ETHNIC FESTIVAL 04.05.2015

In the Zinkiv region the interregional

festival, “Colors of Lemkivshchyna”

took place.

In the village of Liutenski Budyshcha,

Zinkiv raion, the fifth interregional

Festival of Lemko Culture was held.

The program of this national festival

of this ethnographic branch of

Ukrainians included Lemko songs,

dances and folk artists' exhibitions.

The Lemkos made a traditional

bonfire – a Vatra.

The purpose of the Festival of Lemko

Culture “Colors of Lemkivshchyna” is

the preservation and promotion of the

Lemko culture, language, folk art,

traditions and customs, adjustment

and expansion of the ties between

amateur groups, fostering of aesthetic

tastes and promotion of formation of

national consciousness.

5 Priashivshchyna

In Svidnik the 61st Festival of the culture of Ruthenians-Ukrainians of Slovakia

was held

The 61st Feast of the culture of Ruthenians-

Ukrainians of Slovakia in Svidnik started on

Friday, June 19, with: “sidewalk drawings”

(a children's program); a conversation with

Kyiv writer Volodymyr Barna (the

presentation of the book "Epický profil Ivana

Jackanina“ by Yaroslav Dzhohanyk,

published in Uzhhorod, was part of the

event); a school of folk dance on the central

square of Svidnik; an exhibition of the woven

paintings of Anna Boršovská-Nemcová, who

is a resident of Svidnik, at the Museum of

Ukrainian Culture; the play “Matchmaking in Honcharivka” by H. Kvitka-Osnovianenko,

performed by the drama circle of the village of Rzeszów in Bardejov county; and a walk

by the participants in the streets of Svidnik.

The choir “Roland” from Čirč opened the main evening program “Greet us in Svidnik!”

and after the concert the youth enjoyed a dance party till midnight.

Saturday's program began with an evening concert by children's groups, “Hiyo – heta

on horse!” including performances by groups from Svidnik, Snina, Kežmarok and

Prešov and two groups from Ukraine: “Podolianochka” from Khmelnytsky and the

dance group from Zaporizhzhia.

The second concert “My songs” was devoted to the birthday of the most prominent

singer of Priashivshchyna, Mária Mačošková. In addition to the solo singing by Mária,

the hero of the day (whose every song captivated the audience), her guests also

performed: Iveta Svitková with her two daughters, the folk group “Šarišan”, and four

of Mária’s former colleagues from the Pidduklians’ky Ukrainian folk ensemble.

The third program on Saturday, “Where did our guests come from?” was devoted to

four foreign ensembles: “Žatva” from Kocur, two Ruthenian ensembles from Croatia

(from Petrovci and Miklosevci), “Verkhovyna” from Drohobych in Ukraine, and the

ensemble of song and dance “Magura” from Kežmarok.

The fourth program, “You need to know how to talk,” consisted of the storyteller Maria

Trishchak (Arania) from Jarovnice who told humorous stories in the dialect of Šariš.

The crown of Saturday's program should have been the planned performance of the

group “Falcons” from Drohobych, and the solo concert of the singer from Lviv, Sofiya

Fedyna. Since the show dragged on past midnight, and unexpected cold drove away

most of the spectators from the amphitheatre, the duet “Falcons” (Mykhaylo Matsialko

6 and Maria Shalaykevych) was forced to shorten their program, and Sofiya Fedyna did

not perform at all.

On Saturday, at the hotel “Rubin,” a meeting of the Presidium of the World

Federation of Ukrainian Lemko Organizations (SFULO) was held.

The Sunday program started traditionally, with the Liturgy in the churches of Svidnik,

the laying of flowers at the monument to the heroes of the Second World War, and a

concert by a brass band from Prešov.

At two o’clock, the united choir of the participants opened the program (which was

already the sixth one of the day) with “Our Father” in Old Slavonic, and the head of

the Presidium of the Organization of Ruthenian-Ukrainians of the Slovak Republic,

Petro Sokol, delivered a welcome speech. He greeted the honored guests, among whom

were the mayor of the town of Svidnik, Ján Holodňák, the Deputies of the Slovak

People’s Council, delegations of cultural and educational organizations from Lviv,

Uzhhorod, and Rakhiv, Lemkos from Poland, Ruthenians from Serbia and Croatia,

and others. Sofiya Fedyna, as head of the World Federation of Ukrainian Lemko

Organizations, greeted the participants on behalf of this organization (which includes

also the Organization of Ruthenians-Ukrainians of the Slovak Republic.)

After the greetings, a marathon of artistic performances began. The first program was

called “And it was so” (these were performances by local bands and folk groups). The

folklore group from Stakčín, with the staging of the ballad, “The black tillage is plowed

and seeded with bullets” honored the memory of thousands of victims of the First and

Second World Wars, who lost their lives here, in the Svidnik region, below Dukla.

“Karpatianyn” from Prešov presented how migrant workers left for America in the past.

“Porublianka” from Ruská Poruba performed the old song “Vechornytsi” for the

audience. “Makovytsia” from Svidnik presented the songs, dances and customs of

their region. “Fir” from Oľšavica – presented songs and customs during the time for

drying hay. “Kurivchan” from Kurov – performed dozhynky (Slavic harvest festival).

“Šarišan” from Prešov – recreated a public wedding. “Starišan,” also from Prešov

presented – “Fašenki” (Shrove-tide).

This was a wonderful overview of the authentic folklore of the Ruthenians-Ukrainians

of Slovakia. At the end of the program all the groups got on the stage and with a

powerful chorus sang the traditional glorious song, “Many Years.”

The scene of the final Sunday program “The wealth of the native land” was focused on

foreign groups, most of whom also participated in the Saturday evening program,

namely: the children ensemble “Podolianochka” from Khmel’nytsky, the young dancers

from Zaporizhzhia, “Žatva” from Kocur in Serbia, the group from the Palace of Culture

in Petrovci (Croatia) and the Honored Subcarpathian “Žatva” from Kocur in Serbia.

The three-day marathon of concerts and other activities was completed by the

professional ensemble of song and dance “PULS” from Prešov (the former Poddukelsk

ukrajinsk ľudov sbor,) which this year will celebrate the 60th anniversary of its

foundation. During the feast “PULS” presented part of the program “Embraced,” with

which its new leader Yuriy Shvantner proved that the ensemble follows in the

footsteps of its previous leaders: Y. Kostiuk, S. Ladyzhynsky, A. Hnat, V. Liubymov

7 and V. Marushyn. The final item, “Hopak” with its masterly performance, surpassed

all expectations and at the request of the audience (with thunderous applause) the

dancers presented its final part as an encore.

The weather, unfortunately, did not cooperate with this year’s festival, which

influenced the lower attendance compared with previous years. The spectators often

had to pull out their umbrellas. However, on the covered stage, the program went on

without a hitch.

The 61st Festival of the Culture of Ruthenian-Ukrainians of Slovakia proved that this

festival, founded over 60 years ago to promote the folklore of this national minority,

has not lost its value over time. The main thanks for the success of this festival must

go to its screenwriters and producers, Petro Begeni, Ladyslav Bachynsky, Iveta Svitok

(Iveta Svitková), Maria Payzynkova, Evelina Hvat, Myroslav Sopolyha, Ladyslav

Pushkar and others, as well as the moderators – Stepan Hiy, Ivan Rudy, and Rostyslav

Luchyk. The utmost thanks for its success must go to the many heads of the folklore

groups in the villages and towns of eastern Slovakia, who do everything to preserve the

folk culture of our ancestors despite the bad conditions of modern globalization and

lack of finances.

Mykola Mushynka. Photo by author

Some members of the Presidium of SFULO and its guests before the meeting in Svidnik

8

The final part of Saturday's children’s program of the festival

The singer Mária Mačošková and her “student” Iveta Svitková

9

The head, Sofiya Fedyna, greeted the participants on behalf of FSULO

“Vechornytsi” by the folk group from Ruská Poruba и

10

The youngest members of the folk group “Kurivchan”

Admitting “Galicians” to the boys' community of Kurov in the 17th century

11

The rain did not drive the audience out of the amphitheatre

Guests from Zaporizhzhia

12

Women’s group “Žatva” from Kocur (Serbia)

Ensemble “Verkhovyna” from Drohobych

13

Mykhaylo Matsialko and Maria Shalaykevych from the group “Falcons”

The men’s group “PULS” from Prešov

Source: http://zakarpattya.net.ua/Special/141680-U-Svydnyku-vidbulosia-

61-she-Sviato-kultury-rusyniv-ukraintsiv-Slovachchyny-FOTO

14 THE GROUP FROM ZAKARPATTIA OBLAST GAVE A PUBLIC

PERFORMANCE FOR THE FESTIVAL “RUNINSKA VATRA” IN

SLOVAKIA

On Saturday, August

1, in the village of

Runina, Snina

district, Republic of

Slovakia, the folk

creativity festival of

national minorities,

“Runinska Vatra” took

place, which was

organized by the head

of the village Marián

Regula and the

Regional Council of

the Organization of Ruthenian-Ukrainians of the Republic of Slovakia from the town of

Humenné (headed by Michal Ivanco).

Services were held in the morning in the churches of three faiths – Orthodox, Greek

Catholic and Roman Catholic. Groups from different regions of eastern Slovakia,

where Ruthenian-Ukrainians live, took part in the festival.

The vocal duet “Camellia” of Uzhhorod district with its singers, including Myroslava

Shvah-Pekar and Oksana Lenart, who repeatedly and with great success have

performed in public beyond our region, represented Zakarpattia oblast.

There was also an exhibition of folk art crafts for the festival guests.

Overall, this year the festival was quite spectacular; more than a thousand people

came to see the performances of the creative groups.

Source: PMG.ua

http://pmg.ua/culture/35805-zakarpatskyy-kolektyv-vystupyv-na-svyati-

runinska-vatra-u-slovachchyni

15 The USA

On June 27-28, 2015, at the Ukrainian Youth Association headquarters in Ellenville,

the 15th Annual Lemko Vatra in the USA took place! Every summer, since 2001, the

Organization for the Defense of Lemkivshchyna (OOL) holds the Lemko Vatra to

celebrate and preserve Lemko roots, history and culture. For the 16th year in a row,

the starosta of the Vatra was Vasyl Harhay, the head of the third chapter of the OOL

in Passaic, and the co-moderator was Halyna Semeniak, a member of the National

Board.

This year, the festival program consisted of the traditional soccer tournament for the

Vatra Cup, a pig roast, and a contest of Lemko songs for children. At 4 p.m., a great

festive concert began with the participation of the Ukrainian singer, the voice of the

Lviv Euromaidan, Sofiya Fedyna, the legendary group of Ihor Bilozir - VATRA, the

ensemble of folk song and dance “Carpathians” (led by Roman Levkovych), the group

“Roots”, the Pavlyshyn sisters from New York, the duet of Alla Kutsevych and

Liudmyla Hrabovska, the bandura player Oksana Telepko from New Jersey, Pavlo

Doskoch and the band “Mosaic” from Canada, and the band Anna-Maria played for

the evening zabava.

The celebration continued the next day following a Divine Liturgy. At 12:00 noon, the

head of SFULO, Sofiya Fedyna, gave a public lecture on the main problems of the

Lemko community today. After that, the festive concert program continued.

16 During the Vatra, the Lemko History and Heritage Tent worked actively to present the

“We Remember” project and to distribute Lemko literature. Also during the Vatra a

meeting of the Lemko Foundation was held, which discussed the books which had

been submitted for the competition of best publication.

This was one of the most cozy and sincere Vatras, and despite the two days of rain it

still kept the people engaged and allowed them to feel the unity of the Lemko family.

Moreover, during the Vatra they collected money to help Ukraine, and managed to

collect $2000 for the purchase of uniforms and equipment for the defenders of

Ukraine.

Many thanks to all the organizers of the Festival, especially, the leaders of OOL and

the Lemko Foundation. Your inspiring work gives a good example to all the Lemkos in

the world!

Opening of the

Festival.

Greetings by the

head of SFULO

Sofiya Fedyna

The winners of the Vatra Cup

Soccer Tournament for the–

International team from

Kerhonkson, NY

17

The “Karpaty” folk

song and dance

ensemble of from New

York

The New Ukrainian Wave

choir from Passaic, NJ

The folk music group

“Korinya” from New York

18

The duet “Mosaic” from Toronto

VATRA is

singing

The duet of Alla Kutsevych

and Liudmyla Hrabovska

from New Jersey

19

Sofiya Fedyna from Lviv

singing and conducting the

Lemko Zabava

Lighting the Vatra

Below from right to left:

A Lemko child, the head of OOL

Mark Howansky, the Vatra

audience, collecting for the ATO

20 Lemkivshchyna and Poland

Vatra in Zdynia

After World War II, the

Polish communist

authorities forcibly

resettled Ukrainians,

including Lemkos, from

the Beskids to northern

and western Poland,

during the special

operation of Stalin's

regime called "Vistula."

“The Lemkos did not

forget their native land.

Some of them soon returned to their native mountains, and some of them come to the

Lemko Vatra every year,” – informs Polish Radio.

“In southern Poland, near Slovakia, in the mountains, “the Lemko Vatra,” the festvial

of Lemko culture endures. Thousands of Lemko-Ukrainians from different countries

of Europe come to the village of Zdynia, near Gorlice, to visit their native land and to

pay tribute to their ancestors.

- I was 16, when we were driven away under force of arms. Our family was broken up

all over Poland, some were driven to the North, others – to the West...

- This is a very dramatic event for our parents' generation. I cannot imagine a Sunday

dinner when my mother would not somehow remind us of Operation “Vistula”; it is

just always with us…

- Here, in Zdynia, we pointed out that it is necessary to respect that which is native for

you; it is necessary to remember. In a situation with such strong feelings of

integration, we have to have strength to continue standing firm. If not for the Vatra in

Zdynia, we would not have such strength…

So, the Lemkos did not forget their homeland; some of them soon returned to their

native mountains, and some of them come to the Lemko Vatra every year to listen to

the concerts, take part in sporting competitions, to see exhibitions, plays or movies, to

discuss history, to learn from craftsmen how to decorate a Lemko house or to make a

folk doll and generally to go shopping and drink beer.”

Source– http://www.polradio.pl/5/38/Artykul/214238

21 The 25th Lemko Vatra in Ługi 2015

On July 24-25, 2015 in Ługi Krajeński in the far Northwest of Poland, the 25th Lemko

Vatra took place.

We invite you to the 25th Vatra in Ługi! For the past

quarter of a century we have kindled the bonfire to

meet together, sing, play and have fun with the

traditional Lemko music and even more

According to tradition, on Friday (24.07.2015) the

young and active ensembles had the place at their

disposal: NADIYA, CoolBABA, THE UKRAINIAN

FOLK and DEMAY, who performed during the

zabava.

During the official opening of the Vatra (25.07.2015)

the German orchestra Spielmannszug TuS Esingen

Tornesch performed. LASTIVOCHKA from Przemków

presented its song and dance program; the youngest

music group LEMKO TOWER JUNIOR also

performed. The traditional ensemble HORYTSVIT

came from the western borderlands, and the Lviv instrumental ensemble ROCKOKO

came from the East. There was also a group from Ługi – LEMKO TOWER. VODOHRAY

performed during the zabava.

The Vatra returned to

its old site, which has

been repaired. In

addition to the

concerts, a sea of

entertainment

awaited everyone.

People could paddle

canoes. Khovanets

from the web-site

www.lemkoland.com

entertained the

children, organizing

games and contests

for the youngest.

There was a contest for the adults as well, so that they too would not be bored.

Everybody had fun as a big Lemko family.

22 Zakarpattia oblast

“The Lemko Vatra” burned in Velyky Berezny region (photo)

On August 16, in the village of Kostryno,

in Velyky Berezny region the Oblast

Festival “The Lemko Vatra” took place

for the fifth time, and has traditionally

acquainted its guests with the heritage

of this culturally rich folklife.

Today the Zakarpattia oblast has almost

300,000 Lemkos, who live in more than 200

villages in the Irshava, Svaliava, Mukachevo,

Uzhhorod, Perechyn, and also in the Velyky

Berezny regions, which are among the most

conscientious custodians of the Lemko

traditions.

Both the hosts of the festival and their

guests from other regions and oblasts

presented their tents. Everyone who wanted,

could view an informative book exhibition

devoted to Lemko history, national costumes,

embroidery, the art of pysanka, decorative

and craft products, and paintings.

The local masters Natalia Ivanytsia and

Nadia Mazurenko presented towels and tablecloths with genuine Lemko embroidery –

both colorful and

rich with

geometric and

flower

ornamentation.

The works of the

embroiderers

from out-of-the-

way places were

presented in

Slovakia,

Romania, and

purchased even

by people from

France, Canada,

the USA and

Australia. The

23 official part of the celebration

started with the unfurling of the

national flag 100 meters long.

Representatives of the

authorities of the village, district

and oblast joined the youth in

this honorable mission. By the

way, Vasyl Mulesa, head of the

All-Ukrainian Organization

“Lemkivshchyna” noted that it

was the first time when local

leaders took part in the Festival

showing their support for the

Lemko culture, which

encouraged the Zakarpattia

Lemkos.

The head of the Zakarpattia

Oblast State Administration

solemnly opened the feast in

the local dialect. “Dear

cheliadnyky,” (Dear youth or

fellow house-dwellers),

Hennadiy Moskal addressed the

listeners. H. Moskal noted the

uniqueness of Lemko songs, folk

art and traditional dishes that

were presented at the festival; he

also expressed gratitude to all

the organizers and participants

of the feast, because they have

not neglected their values in

such an unfavorable era, and he

wished health and inspiration to

all present. "And let our enemies

be smashed to hell, and beaten

with a sap!" completed Hennadiy

Moskal in such a colorful colloquial way. After the speeches of the organizers and

benefactors of the festival, the most fervent representatives of Lemko culture were

awarded certificates. After that, the participants symbolically lit the Vatra.

The feast continued with a concert by district groups, reported Закарпаття онлайн

(Zakarpattia online), in a publication by the department of culture of Zakarpattia

Oblast State Administration.

24

Source:

http://zakarpattya.net.ua/News/143951-Na-Velykobereznianshchyni-palala-

Lemkivska-vatra-FOTO

“DEAR CHELIADNYKY AND CHELIADYNI”: HENNADIY

MOSKAL SPEAKS IN THE TRANSCARPATHIAN DIALECT (VIDEO)

Today, on August 16,

in the village of

Kostryno, in Velyky

Berezny region the

Festival “The Lemko

Vatra” was held. The

head of the

Zakarpattia Oblast

State Administration,

Hennadiy Moskal,

visited the picturesque

local event, and gave a

welcoming speech to the guests and the participants of the festival. However, this time

the customary opening remarks were quite different from the usual official speeches

by governmental representatives. The head of Zakarpattia delivered his speech in a

local dialect, which amused the festival visitors.

Source: http://prozahid.com/

To watch the video, follow the link:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=th8SopHTfDc

25 Canada

THE 30TH ANNUAL LEMKO VATRA IN CANADA

The beginning of August

is the time when the

Lemko Vatra, which is a

festival of Lemko culture,

is traditionally held. The

organizers of the festival –

the Canadian Lemko

Association (OLK) – every

year, for the past 30 years,

invite the entire large and

cohesive Lemko

community, as well as all

sincere and good people to their joint commemoration of their traditions, culture and

history.

This year, the 30th Annual Lemko Vatra was held on the 1st-3rd of August 2015, on

the “Lemkivshchyna” oselia. It was special. The organizers of the festival took care to

make it become a real spiritual unifier of the great Ukrainian family. The festival

guests came from Poland, Slovakia, Ukraine, the USA and from all the regions of

Canada.

The Annual Lemko Vatra coincided with the 70th anniversary of the great deportation

of Lemkos from their native land. The Lemkos were scattered around the world like

the sparks from a bonfire, and

took their ancient culture,

traditions, spirituality and faith

all around the Earth. The

Canadian land became a

second homeland for tens of

thousands of Lemkivshchyna

natives, who having lost their

primal land, carried in their

26 hearts throughout the years their love and memory of the high mountains, the fast

and cold rivers, the life-giving springs, the mist of the meadows, and the mournful

songs of their native Lemkivshchyna. This love and memory of the generations has lit

thousands of Vatras all over the world, even where there is a small community of

Lemkos. The Lemkos, with inherent tenacity, transformed their pain, compassion,

sadness, anxiety and anguish for their lost homeland into hard and dedicated work for

the sake of future generations; and now they bring joy and hope not only to natives of

Lemkivshchyna, but to all Ukrainians, those who live in Ukraine and to all of us who

are scattered by the winds of history all over the world. Today, the Canadian Lemko

Association supports the war effort in Ukraine by all means possible, helps the

Ukrainian army, its soldiers, and their families, and makes great efforts so that the

Ukrainian nation will be victorious.

On Friday the guests began

arriving at the “Lemkivshchyna”

oselia. The organizers kindly

allowed each of them to pitch

their tents in the middle of a

picturesque landscape and took

care to ensure their serene and

pleasant rest with all the

appropriate comforts.

Starting Saturday morning, the

1st of August, there were many interesting performances – a cheerful clown

entertained the children, there were artistic performances, interested persons could

have a picture taken in a Lemko costume or buy beautiful Ukrainian souvenirs and

books. Meanwhile, tasty and crispy pork was roasting on the spit. Everybody could

eat a piece of the tasty meat with

brown bread.

The official opening of the 30th

Lemko Vatra and the main events

were held at a central location at

the oselia “Lemkivshchyna.” The

head of the Canadian Lemko

27 Association, Roman Kolos, greeted the organizers and participants of the Vatra and

wished them a successful festival. The General Consul of Ukraine in Toronto, the

Honorable Liudmyla Davydovych, and the head of the Ukrainian Canadian Congress

of Toronto, Taras Bahriy, also presented words of greeting. Then the head of the

Canadian Lemko Association, Roman Kolos, invited the starosta of the 30th Lemko

Vatra, Maksym Masley, to solemnly light the Vatra. After a brief greeting, surrounded

by boys and girls wearing Lemko costumes (the participants of the dance ensemble

“Barvinok”), the starosta solemnly lit the fire of the 30th Lemko Vatra. Hot and ardent

flashes of fire rose to the sky, marking the start of the event.

The narrators of the artistic program were the well-known and esteemed community

members – Larysa Baius, an actress and the narrator of the TV program “Forum TV”

and Pavlo Lopata – a painter, well-known in Canada and abroad, and a well-known

OLK member who has been actively working for the organization for more than 40

years, ten years of which he was the head of the first Chapter of OLK and secretary of

the District Council of the Canadian Lemko Association and Chapter for many years.

The narrators mixied their remarks with jokes and introduced the artists inviting them

to perform. This year well-known performers from Ukraine, Canada and throughout

the world, as well as beginning musicians honored the Vatra with their participation.

People could see performances of the group “Demay” from Gromadka (Poland), the

violin virtuoso Vasyl Popadiuk, Honored Artist of Ukraine Marta Shpak, the dance

ensemble “Barvinok” (with artistic director Fedir Danyliak), Oleh Buncha, the Kobeliak

Brothers, singer Yana Bilyk and Crimean Tatar violinist Eskander Bekmambetov,

children’s pop group “Resonance” and the band “Skopa.”

The organizers sincerely thanked the sponsors of the Festival, in particular, the

Buduchnist Credit Union, the Ukrainian Credit Union, and others who helped make

the event successful. The Buduchnist Credit Union, which was represented on the

stage by Bohdan Lyshchyshyn, made a generous donation to the Canadian Lemko

Association in the form of a check for $3,000, to support the organization.

And then there was a zabava with dances and songs by the wonderful band, “Demay.”

The Vatra was ablaze, people sang and conversed heartily, and the stories and

memories lasted until late into the night…

28 Sunday started as expected – with a church

service, held by Archpriest and Dean Father Andriy

Zhurav, who came from Poland at the invitation of

the Canadian Lemko Association of Toronto. In his

sermon, Fr. Zhurav emphasized the need to unite

and believe with certainty in God’s help and mercy.

It is especially necessary for Ukrainians of the

world to unite now – in this time when Ukraine

struggles for its right to liberty with the blood, lives

and work of Her patriots.

Also on Sunday the children competed in an “O-

LEM-piad” and rode horses; the adults tried their

luck in a lottery and silent auction and conversed

with Fr. Andriy Zhurav. In the evening there was a

zabava again accompanied by the music of the

band “Skopa.”

A kitchen with tasty traditional Ukrainian dishes worked throughout the festival. The

firm “Rose Catering” (Anna-Hannusia Romaniuk) ensured that there were enough of

all kinds of dishes – cold and warm, peppered and sweet. The people ate, rested and

enjoyed good company. We should be grateful to the organizers and volunteers for the

success of the 30th Lemko Vatra. With their work, which is often overlooked at first

glance, the organizers provided a safe, well-equipped, cheerful and unforgettable

festival.

The participants of the Festival are heartily grateful to them.

The Lemko Vatra burned and gave warmth and the joy of unity and spiritual

exaltation to everyone.

… the Ukrainian songs did not

stop until the morning; the

people sang them all together,

looking at the starry sky, and

the stars gazed from their

heights at the amazing show

on Earth and peered into the

29 myriad of sparkling stars in the fire which tickled the quiet sky of the August night

with its hot breath.

Oksana Sydorchuk-Sokolyk

30

31 Ternopil oblast

Resettled Ukrainians Gathered For The Second time at the

All-Ukrainian Festival “Bells of Lemkivshchyna-2015.” Photo

Monastyryska region welcomed thousands of Lemkos from different towns of Ukraine

and from abroad. On August 1-2, the Festival “Bells of Lemkivshchyna” occurred,

reported Stanislavske.tv

This year’s festival had a special format. It was

dedicated to the 70th anniversary of the

beginning of the deportation of Ukrainians. The

feast started with a solemn procession from the

town of Monastyryska to the Bychovo natural

landmark, during which the people honored

the memory of the victims of the deportation of

1944 – 1946, the fallen Heroes of the Anti-

Terrorist Operation, and the fallen Heroes of

the Heavenly Hundred, among whom two are

Lemkos. The co-organizer of the event was the

32 head of the Ternopil Oblast State Administration, Stepan Barna.

“The resettlement of 1944 – 1946 was a tragedy for many Lemko families, among

whom was my family. Half a million Ukrainians were forcibly moved from

Lemkivshchyna, Kholmshchyna, Nadsiannia and Liubachivshchyna. But despite the

isolation from their native land, the Lemkos were able to preserve their culture,” said

Stepan Barna. “Today they demonstrate their original customs and traditions. This is

an element of the unity of all ethnic groups in one nation. Moreover, the Lemkos did

not lose their national position. Among them are Heroes of the Heavenly Hundred and

soldiers of the ATO.”

Demobilized soldiers of the ATO – of Lemko origin – brought the flag of the

ethnographic organization “Lemkivshchyna” to the festival. According to one of the

soldiers, it is a symbol of morale for Lemkos. The organizers will pass it to the soldiers

who will go there in the next rotation.

Lemkos who were resettled for the second

time from the occupied territories of the

East also came to the festival.

“There is one person among the visitors

who was resettled from the village of

Peremozhne in Luhansk oblast. In 1945,

his parents were deported from the

territory of Lemkivshchyna, says Oleksandr

Venhrynovych, the head of the All-

Ukrainian Organization “Lemkivshchyna.”

The deportees were often settled in

the eastern lands. Because of

today’s events they have to look for

protection in the west of the

country, experiencing the pain of

migration again. Today we listen

to their stories and follow their

example. There are Lemkos among

the Heroes of the Heavenly

Hundred: Volodymyr Zherebny

from Lviv oblast and Nazar

Voytovych from the Zbarazh raion. We bow our

heads and thank them for their worthy

demonstration of patriotism.” During the

festival, the participants sang Lemko songs,

prepared dishes of ethnic cuisine, held master

33 classes on the creation of household items, and demonstrated ethnic clothing and

architecture.

The organizers thanked everyone who took part in the festival. Among the main

sponsors were representatives of the agricultural corporation group “Dream.”

“We cultivate about 90,000 hectares of land in the Ternopil’ oblast, some of which are

Lemko lands. In addition to dividend payments, we provide social support to the

community. In particular, we restored a church and repaired a school and

kindergarten in Monastyryska region. In previous years a chapel and bell tower were

built on the festival grounds with the support of our agricultural corporation group.

We plan to support this event in the future,” said one of the company managers.

Source: http://stanislavske.tv/vseukrajinskyj-festyval-dzvony-lemkivschyny-

2015-zibrav-vdruhe-pereselenyh-ukrajintsiv-foto/

Source of photos: http://poglyad.te.ua/podii/fotozvit-

iz-festyvalyu-dzvony-lemkivschyny-2015/

34 Lemko Masters from a parish in the Buchach eparchy in

Ternopil oblast presented a carved Patriarchal staff to the

head of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church

The Eparch of Buchach, Bishop Dmytro

Hryhorak presented the gift at his meeting with the Primate who came to the Festival “Bells of

Lemkivshchyna,” which this year is dedicated to the 70th anniversary of the deportation of the Ukrainians from Polish territory in 1944 –

1946 and 1951.

Memorial services for the victims of the

deportation and fighters for the independence and sovereignty of our state were held on the festival grounds, and were led by His Beatitude, Sviatoslav, with the concelebration of the Reverend Bishops and cathedral

clergy.

In his remarks, His Beatitude Sviatoslav described the long-suffering history of Lemkivshchyna: “Seventy years ago, in the

glorious and God-blessed Lemko land, half a million people were turned out of their homes,

and Ternopil oblast, a hospitable Ukrainian land, accepted almost 200,000 of them…, seventy Greek Catholic priests were killed,

almost 400 churches were burned or destroyed, and the whole spiritual and

national territory vanished.”

He noted that today, when we remember those sad events, we bow our heads before

the power and invincibility of the glorious Lemko men and women. “Somehow the Lord directed modern history in a special way, because the Lemko cry became a particular anthem of the Maidan; today, when people all over the world hear the Lemko song

“Plyve Kacha…” (“The Duck is Swimming”), they stand up, honoring the heroes of our time, who are ready to give their lives for the freedom and independence of Ukraine,”

said the Primate of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church.

“That is why, when we celebrate the Lemko memory, history and culture at this festival, we become stronger. Today the whole country, honoring the pain of the Lemko

community, is ready for the new struggle. We take to heart the pain of the Lemkos who were resettled for the second time from Donbas and Crimea and assemble to defeat a new enemy and to prevent new ethnic cleansings in this third millennium.

Your Church is with you, your Church is with Ukrainian Lemkivshchyna, the Church is with the people, and may our merciful God bless all of us,” said His Beatitude

Sviatoslav in conclusion.

Source: inhabitants of Ternopil’

http://strichka.com/article/30131846

35 Lviv oblast

The first Festival “Buzz of Lemkivshchyna” occurred

The last weekend of August, in the village of Zymna Voda, the first Festival “Buzz of Lemkivshchyna” occurred. The main organizers of the Festival, the Lviv Oblast Organization of the All-Ukrainian Organization “Lemkivshchyna” and the Village

Council of Zymna Voda, have been working on the implementation of this idea since last year, because they had planned that the first Lemko buzz would be heard in in

late summer of 2014. The Festival was postponed owing to the tense situation in eastern Ukraine. Therefore, it was not a surprise that the first words from the stage were devoted to those who are fighting for their country, protecting its territorial

integrity and who gave their lives for it. The national flag of Ukraine and the flag of the Lviv Oblast Organization of the All-Ukrainian Organization “Lemkivshchyna” were

raised; and the first Vatra of the Festival was lit.

A lot of people gathered at the scene: some of them came from neighboring Lviv, some arrived here from the remote parts of the Lviv oblast; there were also guests from

Lemkivshchyna here. Everybody closely watched the action which took place in front of them. Each artist tied a ribbon to a sheaf which was brought to the stage, as a symbol of unity. Folk groups, singers and poets with their interesting and original

repertoire showed their talent. The audience understood them, because the subject of deportation was close to everyone's heart. Next to the stage there was an exposition of

old photographs which reflected fragments of the life of the Ukrainians of Zakerzonia in 1944 – 1951, as well as after the deportations.

The attention of numerous visitors was drawn to the humorous songs and anecdotes

which were heard from the stage. At the festival a family atmosphere prevailed, especially in the moments when someone met an acquaintance whom he sees only at

such events. One could also learn how to paint toys in the Yavoriv style, play a few rounds of chess, dance, etc.

At the end of Saturday a youth Vatra blazed. Young Lemkos with their friends

gathered at the fire to sing songs and have fun. They sang both well-known and new songs; everyone could request one he or she wanted to hear. Whether it was the flame

36 of the fire or the huge full moon which rolled over the top of the trees, young people found inspiration for hearty singing and pleasant conversations.

Sunday began with a Liturgical service, and continued with group performances. I

could not have imagined that so many artists have Lemko songs in their repertoire and that they can all sound so different. Different artists sang the same song in completely new styles, as if they were not the same songs.

The Festival “Buzz of Lemkivshchyna” ended with the

words “See you next year!”

Greetings of the head of the Lviv

Oblast State Administration, Oleh

Syniutka

Representatives of the Lemko

Organizations

Raising the flags of Ukraine and the All-Ukrainian

Organization, "Lemkivshchyna"

37

Lviv Lemko Vatra

Above and on the right: Visitors from Lemkivshchyna

Underneath: the head of the Lviv Oblast Organization "Lemkivshcnyna," Stepan

Maykovych

Participants of the Vatra

38

Divine Service is an integral

part of the Vatra

Gathering of Young Lemkivshchyna

at the Vatra

39 Luhansk oblast

The final Vatra of the season usually occurred in the village of Peremozhne in the

Luhansk oblast. For the past two years, people are dying here at the hands of those

who, 70 years ago, drove these people out of their native Lemkivshchyna and threw

them to the steppes of Luhansk without their having any say in the matter, and

without the right to be told the truth… In August, 2014, the village of Peremozhne was

covered with “grad” rockets; several families were shot for helping Ukrainian soldiers;

there are hundreds of wounded and refugees… Forgotten by their state, the victims of

the unrecognized crimes of 70 years ago are forced to search for a new home again…

Lemkos, deported to “Novorossiya”

The “Russian World” first touched

the Lemkos in 1944. Their

deportation from their native

villages to the depths of the

Ukrainian SSR began immediately

after the liberation of western

Ukraine and eastern Poland from

the Nazis. Their latest meeting in

Luhansk oblast was accompanied

with the volleys of “grads.” The

largest Lemko community in the

oblast was located two kilometers away from the Luhansk airport, the defense of

which the Ukrainian troops held for three months.

“Grad” instead of Festival

A bitter irony of fate… First the Lemkos were uprooted

and thrown to the Donbas steppes, but after decades

they have to flee from these steppes because it is

dangerous to be a Ukrainian there.

The Lemkos in the Luhansk oblast were discovered ten

years ago. This is a credit to Zinoviy Huzar, a Deputy of

the "Orange" Governor, Oleksiy Danylov. Local activists

of the People's Movement of Ukraine for Reconstruction

told him about the settlement of Lemkos, and the

Deputy did not believe it at first. But he went there, met

with the people, listened to the stories of the migrants,

and his doubts were dispelled.

Zinoviy Huzar, the Deputy of the Governor of Luhans’k

oblast (2005 – 2008), a native of Lviv, introduced the Luhansk Lemkos to the world.

Photo by Juriy Kryvenko

40 While for him, a resident from Lviv, it was clear, at that time many Luhansk

inhabitants had no idea who Lemkos were.

“Lemkos, Hutsuls, Boykos are Ukrainians, but mountain folk are a little

different,” explained Zinoviy Huzar then.

Till this time they allegedly did not exist. Especially for the local authorities. Former

members of the Union of Communist Youth, who bound Luhansk oblast in iron

chains, promoted nostalgia among the population and did not like remembering the

crimes of the Soviet regime.

According to the estimates of Petro Yasinchak, the head of the Luhansk Oblast

Organization of Ukrainians who were deported from Poland, there lived about 30,000

Lemkos. But the Luhansk delegation first participated in the Congress of Lemkos of

Ukraine in Ternopil only after the “discovery” of Mr. Huzar in 2005.

At the initiative of the Deputy of the Governor, in the same year, the international

Festival “Along the Lemko Paths” began to be held near Luhans’k, in the village of

Peremozhne. Eighty families from the districts of Kraków province were resettled

there, and one of the largest Lemko enclaves remained in the village.

The fields of Peremozhne end just at the runway of the Luhansk Airport. And from the

outermost houses it is two kilometers as the bird flies to the Airport terminal.

Ukrainian paratroopers held the line of defense at the Luhansk Airport, near the

Lemko village, for three months. During these three months, while the paratroopers

were holding the line, the shells of the “United Armed Forces of Novorossia” hit

41 Peremozhne several times. One of the biggest blows of the “grads” was on August 13,

2014.

Barehanded against a tank

What was the fate of the Lemkos who remained in the territory of the “Luhansk

People’s Republic?”

Traditional Vatra at the Festival "Along the Lemko

Paths." 2009. Photo from the website of the

Ukrainian People’s Party

We managed to contact people from the

leadership of the Luhans’k Oblast Organization

of the Ukrainians Deported from Poland,

“Vatra.” It turns out that some of them are

still in the territory of the self-proclaimed

republic. However, we were unable to carry on

a normal conversation.

“Have you ever been to the occupied

territories?" asked my companion. "I do not

want to say anything to the press now. Here, to

oppose the government is like going

barehanded against a tank.”

“Many residents of Peremozhne, who from the

beginning of the conflict in Donbas helped the

Ukrainian army, were sentenced to the firing squad. When one family who was on the

list to be executed was actually shot, some the people decided to escape from

Peremozhne so as not to share in that fate. Many of them relocated at the invitation of

relatives and friends from Donbas. Some of the Lemkos dared to move to Ternopil

oblast,” wrote "Our Word," the weekly newspaper of the Ukrainians of Poland, on their

Lemko page in February.

Parallels in the fates of the migrants

The current resettlement from the war-torn region calls

us to remember the resettlement of 80 years ago. In one

of the first publications about the Luhansk Lemkos,

Halyna Soroka, who found herself in Donbas at the age

of 19 years, reported a journalist from the newspaper

“Young Ukraine”:

The family of Nadia Terpak (her mother, Julia Antonivna, her father Vasyl Ivanovych, and her brother Mykhaylo) was resettled in 1935 from the village of Desznica, Jasło district, Kraków province, to the village of Trudove.

42 “- They registered us to go to Russia. We registered and went. In May. We were on the

road for two months. We were stopped here and there…

- Were you able to stay?

- We were. But people said that those who were driven out after us could not take

anything with them. We left voluntarily, so we were allowed to take all we had with us.

We took a cow and all the grain that we had… There were two cows. Hay, to feed the

cows. All the food we had we took with us. The cows arrived, everything arrived. Why

did we decide to leave? I do not know, my parents decided. It was voluntary – forcibly.”

At the new place, some settlers obtained as an "inheritance" - the houses of the

German colonists whom the Soviet authorities had resettled in the depths of the

country after the beginning of the war in 1942, before the Nazi occupation. The houses

were in terrible condition, without windows or doors; they went through four years of

war; the front line passed through the region several times. Not everyone had even this

much luck.

Some Lemko families lived in dugouts for a long time. Others had to rent rooms. In

the archives are preserved the protocols and acts of

inspection of the conditions in which the settlers

lived.

Memorial sign, installed in the village of Peremozhne in 2008. The photo is from zakerzon.livejournal.com

It does not exist anymore...

“In the Karl Marx collective farm, three families (19

people) were settled in a place where a person lived

who was sick with tuberculosis (17.5 square meters);

in another house (25 sq. m.) five families were

settled (24 people); in the “Red Fighter” collective

farm, 11 people were settled in a room of 12 sq. m. In

Bilokurakyne raion (the village of Lyzyno) a family, consisting of nine people, seven of

whom were children, were settled in one room of 6 sq. m.” according to Gorky

Scientific Library of Luhansk Oblast in the essay “Lemkos in Luhansk oblast.”

No one received the promised state aid for their resettlement. It was forbidden to leave

their new place of residence. Like other peasants, the Lemkos began obtaining

passports only in the early 1970s.

It was planned that the government would pay compensation for the property left in

their native villages. But it was only partially paid, and this took several years.

Lemkos for Lemkos

The families of the Lemkos – settlers from Kraków province were scattered all over

Luhansk oblast – several dozen families per village, so they could assimilate. This

43 partially happened, but the Soviet authorities could not completely eradicate the

language and customs of the Lemkos.

Lemko wedding in the village of

Peremozhne

- It so happened that we all lived

in the same village and we

became friends. There are

newcomers though. Everybody

always respects our customs and

holidays. We have a wedding rite;

there is no bride here who did not

go through this rite. Nobody

forces anybody, if a person likes

it, he or she will live with these traditions and respect them… - said Vitalia Vansach

from Peremozhne to a correspondent of Radio Liberty (Svoboda).

- In my family my grandfather and grandmother from one side are Lemkos, and on the

other side they are, too. That means that my mother and my father are both Lemkos.

They came from Czarna (a village in Lemkivshchyna). I visited their land, their

Lemkivshchyna. I was in Czarna, too. I attended the “Vatra.” I remembered it very

well; it remained in my mind, when I came to Poland, to an alien land. But when we

gathered at the Vatra, I felt so comfortable, as if I had already been there… As if I was

with my native people there, - said Vita Matuchak from the village of Karl Liebknecht

to a journalist of “Young

Ukraine.”

Christmas presents for the

Lemko refugees from Luhansk

oblast, collected by the

Organization of Lemkos in

Poland

The photo is from the website: nasze-slowo.pl

The Lemkos who now live all

over Ukraine and in Poland find

all Lemkos to be their countrymen. The story of the exile is alive in the memory of

every Lemko family. This is another reason why Lemkos do not remain indifferent to

the refugees from the “Luhansk People’s Republic.” And not only Lemkos…

Source: Aleksey Dobrov,

http://argumentua.com/stati/lemki-deportirovannye-v-novorossiyu