Rusyns of Galicia through the Eyes of Russian Visitors (1914–1917)

10.33876/2311-0546/2024-1/44-53

Authors

Keywords:

Rusyns, Galicia, Uniates, image of other, WWI

Abstract

The article, based on a wide circle of relevant sources, shows how Russian visitors perceived and described Rusyns of Galicia during its occupation by Russian troops in WWI. The beginning of the war gave many Russian citizens, who almost had not known this region previously, an opportunity to contact with its East Slavic inhabitants. The experience of communication with Rusyns showed that Russian authorities and right-wing journalism’s slogans about «purely Russian» nature of Galicia and its inhabitants did not correspond to reality. Everyday life, appearance and language of Rusyns caused strict associations not with Russians in general but with Malorus people in particular. Uniate worship service was markedly different to the Orthodox one, and the loyalty of local people to Russian authorities raised doubts. Rusyns were especially not trusted by the military, especially after Russian failures on the Southwestern Front in the summer of 1915.

Author Biography

  • Dmitry Parfiryev, the Russian Academy of Sciences Institute of Slavic Studies

    Parfiryev, Dmitry S. – Ph.D. in History, Research Associate, the Russian Academy of Sciences Institute of Slavic Studies (Russian Federation, Moscow). E-mail: parfiryeff@yandex.ru ORCID ID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0732-2999

    For citation: Parfiryev, D. S. 2014. Rusyns of Galicia through the Eyes of Russian Visitors (1914–1917). Herald of Anthropology (Vestnik Antropologii). 1: 44–53.

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Published

11.03.2024

Issue

No. 1 (2024): Herald of Anthropology

Section

Identity and Historic Memory