The Carpatho Rusyns in Serbia and Eastern Europe an d the Ukrainian Crisis
The Carpatho Rusyns in Serbia and Eastern Europe an d the Ukrainian Crisis

Summary/Abstract: his article explores the historical and contemporary position of the Carpatho-Rusyn minority in Eastern Europe with a focus on the different developments in Serbia and Ukraine. It traces the formation of the Rusyn literary language in Vojvodina, the national awakening of the 19th century and the complex interplay between Ukrainophile and Rusynophile orientations. Special attention is given to the post-Soviet Ukrainian state’s hesitant recognition of Rusyn identity, the political mobilization of Rusyn activists, and the tensions between autonomy demands and fears of separatism. The paper also analyses the instrumentalization of the Rusyn question by Russia and Hungary in the context of the annexation of Crimea and the war in Eastern Ukraine, contrasting this with Ukraine’s gradual evolution towards a European multi-ethnic state. The conclusion argues that Rusyns increasingly perceive Ukraine’s European integration as their best option for securing cultural rights and future prosperity.

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