| Lemkos are one of four major ethnic
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| | The Boykos inhabited the central and the
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| groups who inhabit the Eastern Carpathian
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| | western half of the Carpathians in
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| Mountains, and who speak the Lemko
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| | Ukraine, including the Dolynsky and a
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| dialect/language.
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| | part of the Rozhniativsky Raions
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| Location
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| | (districts) in the Ivano-Frankivsk Oblast
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| The Lemkos' homeland is commonly referred
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| | (province), the Skolivsky, Turkivsky, and
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| to as Lemkivshchyna (Ukrainian:
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| | parts of the Drohobytsky, Sambirsky and
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| ?e??i?????, Polish: Lemkowszczyzna). Up
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| | Starosambirsky Raions in the Lviv Oblast,
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| until 1945, this included the area from
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| | and parts of the Mizhhirsky Raion in the
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| the Poprad River in the east to the
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| | Zakarpattia Oblast), as well as the
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| valley of Oslawa River in the west, areas
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| | adjacent areas of southeast Poland and
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| situated primarily in present-day Poland,
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| | northeast Slovakia.
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| in the Lesser Poland and Subcarpathian
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| | Some scholars claim that this ethnic
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| Voivodeships. This part of the Carpathian
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| | group is a part of Rusyns. Indeed, in the
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| mountains is mostly deforested, which
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| | 19th century and in the first part of the
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| allowed for an agrarian economy,
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| | 20th century Boykos, as well as most of
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| alongside such traditional occupations as
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| | the population of the present day's
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| ox grazing and sheep herding.
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| | Western Ukraine called themselves
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| This area was part of Austro-Hungarian
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| | Ruthenians (Ukrainian: ??????, Rusyny).
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| Empire until its dissolution in 1918, at
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| | Then the term "Ukrainian", that replaced
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| which point the Lemko-Rusyn Republic
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| | the term "Ruthenians" in Eastern Ukraine
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| (Ruska Lemkivska) declared its
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| | a century earlier, has became more common
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| independence. The independence did not
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| | among Western Ruthenians/Ukrainians,
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| last long, and the territory was
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| | including Boykos, as well. According to
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| incorporated into Poland in 1920.
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| | the recent census practically all Boykos
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| As a result of Operation Wisla, the
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| | in Ukraine (not however in Poland and in
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| majority of Lemkos from this territory
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| | Slovakia) declared their ethnicity as
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| were resettled throughout Poland and in
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| | Ukrainian.
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| the Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic,
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| | The name, "Boyko" is thought by some to
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| leaving a significant population only in
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| | originate in their patterns of speech,
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| the Prešov Region of present-day
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| | specifically the use of the expression,
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| Slovakia.
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| | "bah!".
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| Etymology
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| | Most Boykos belong to the Ukrainian Greek
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| The name "Lemko" derives from the common
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| | Catholic Church, with a minority
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| expression Lem (?e?), which can mean
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| | belonging to the Ukrainian Orthodox
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| "but", "only", or "like" in the Lemko
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| | Church. The distinctive wooden church
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| dialect. "Lemko" came into use as an
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| | architecture of the Boyko region is a
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| endonym after having been used as an
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| | three-domed church, with the domes
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| exonym by the neighboring Boykos and
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| | arranged in one line, and the middle dome
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| Hutsuls, who do not use that expression
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| | slightly larger than the others.
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| in their respective dialects. Prior to
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| | Boyko is also a common surname among
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| this moniker, the Lemkos described
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| | people with origins in Western Ukraine,
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| themselves as Rusnaks ((Ukrainian:
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| | including in Canada and the United
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| ????a??, translit. Rusnaky) or Rusyns
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| | States.
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| (Ukrainian: ??????, translit. Rusyny), as
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| | Hutsuls (Ukrainian: ??????, singular
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| did the rest of the inhabitants of
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| | ?????, Romanian: Hutuli, singular Hutul,
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| present-day Western Ukraine in the 19th
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| | Hutsul dialect: Hutsule, singular Hutsul;
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| century and first part of the 20th
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| | alternatively spelled Huculs, Huzuls,
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| century. In the early 20th century, a
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| | Hutzuls, Gutsuls, Guculs, Guzuls, or
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| majority of these peoples became active
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| | Gutzuls) are an ethno-cultural group of
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| participants in the creation of the
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| | highlanders who for centuries have
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| Ukrainian nation and came to call
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| | inhabited the Carpathian mountains,
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| themselves Ukrainians (Ukrainian:
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| | mainly in Ukraine, but also in the
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| ????????, translit. Ukrayintsi). However,
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| | northern extremity of Romania (in the
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| while they may have accepted the new
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| | areas of Bukovina and Maramures), as well
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| state of Ukraine, many Lemkos, including
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| | as in Slovakia and Poland.
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| those in Poland and Slovakia, consider
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| | Although Hutsuls have a distinct
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| themselves to be a distinct ethnicity,
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| | self-identity, there is an ongoing and,
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| while some claim to be Ukrainians and
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| | often politically charged, debate on
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| still others indentify as Rusyns.
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| | whether Hutsuls are of the Ukrainian
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| History
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| | ethnicity or the Rusyn one (opinions also
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| Lemkos are generally considered to be
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| | vary over their status as a subgroup of
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| descendants of Ruthenian settlers who
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| | the Ukrainian ethnicity itself), as well
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| arrived in 14th century or probably
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| | as whether they originated from the
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| earlier to the area traditionally
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| | Romanian people.
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| inhabited by Lemkos.
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| | Etymology
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| After World War I, Lemkos founded two
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| | There are different versions for the
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| short-lived republics, the Lemko-Rusyn
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| | origins of the name Hutsul. An
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| Republic in the west of Galicia, which
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| | explanation is that it comes from the
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| had a russophile orietation, and the
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| | Romanian word for "outlaw" (cf. Rom. hot
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| Komancza Republic, with a Ukainophile
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| | - "thief"). Other explanations place
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| orientation.
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| | their origins in the Slavic kochul -
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| It is estimated that about
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| | "wanderer","migrant", in reference to
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| 130,000-140,000 Lemkos were living in the
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| | their semi-nomadic lifestyle, to the name
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| Polish part of Lemkivshchyna in 1939.
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| | of the Turkic tribe of the Uzy, and even
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| Mass emigration from this territory to
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| | to the name of the Moravian king
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| the Western hemisphere began in the late
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| | Hetsyl[1].
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| 1800s, diminishing the cultural
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| | History and origins
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| uniqueness of the Lemko homeland.
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| | Hutsuls inhabit areas situated between
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| Additional depopulation of these lands
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| | the south-east of those inhabited by the
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| occurred when the Lemkos began to be
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| | Boykos, down to the northern part of the
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| removed in a forced resettlement, first
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| | Romanian segment of the Carpathians.
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| to the Soviet Union (about 90,000 people)
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| | Two prominent theories of their origin
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| and later to Poland's newly-acquired
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| | state that the Hutsuls may have begun as
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| western lands (about 35,000) in the
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| | an early non-Romanised Thracian or Dacian
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| Operation Wisla campaign of the late
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| | population, which was later
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| 1940s. This action was a state ordered
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| | linguistically assimilated with the
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| solution to the struggle waged by the
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| | neighboring Slavs, or the origin may only
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| Ukrainian Insurgent Army (UPA) in
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| | go back as far as a later Romanised
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| south-eastern Poland.
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| | Dacian (Romanian) population (see
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| While a minority of Lemkos returned (some
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| | Vlachs), which was also linguistically
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| 5,000 Lemko families returned to their
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| | assimilated.
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| home regions in Poland between
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| | Language
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| 1957-1958[1], officially having been
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| | Although most of them speak the Hutsul
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| allowed the right to return in 1956), the
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| | dialect (a dialect of Ukrainian/Rusyn
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| Lemko population in the Polish part of
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| | with Polish influences), several words in
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| Lemkivschyna only numbers around
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| | their dialect have Romanian origins (e.g.
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| 10,000-15,000 today. Some 50,000 Lemkos
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| | kyptar - "vest", from Rom. cheptar cf.
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| live in the western and northern parts of
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| | Latin pectus; zgardy - "necklace", from
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| Poland, where they were sent to populate
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| | Rom. zgarda, cf. Albanian shkardhë;
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| former German villages in areas Stalin
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| | bryndza - "cheese", cf. Rom. brânza).
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| had ceded to Poland. Among those, 5,863
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| | Due to the current educational system,
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| people identified themselves as Lemko in
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| | the Hutsul dialect is in danger of
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| the 2002 census. However, it is estimated
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| | extinction, as the compulsory education
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| that no fewer than 80,000 ethnic Lemkos
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| | is done only in Ukrainian, including in
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| reside in Poland today. Within
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| | countries where Hutsuls are recognised as
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| Lemkivshchyna, Lemkos live in the
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| | a separate minority than the Ukrainian
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| villages of Losie, Krynica, Nowica,
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| | one.
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| Zdynia, GladyszĂłw, Hanczowa, Zyndranowa,
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| | Way of life and culture
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| Uscie Gorlickie, Bartne, Binczarowa and
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| | Traditional Hutsul culture is often
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| Bielanka. Additional populations can be
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| | represented by the colorful and intricate
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| found in Mokre, Szczawne, Kulaszne,
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| | craftsmanship of their clothing,
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| Rzepedz, Turzansk, Komancza, Sanok, Nowy
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| | sculpture, architecture, woodworking,
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| Sacz, and Gorlice.
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| | metalworking (especially in brass), rug
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| Religion
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| | weaving, pottery, and egg decorating (see
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| Christianity in the region is thought to
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| | pysanka). Along with other Hutsul
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| date to the efforts of Saints Cyril and
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| | traditions, as well as their songs and
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| Methodius in the 800s. The religion of
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| | dances, this culture is often celebrated
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| many Lemkos is Greek-Catholicism. In
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| | and highlighted by the different
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| Poland, they belong to the Ukrainian
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| | countries that Hutsuls inhabit. Hutsul
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| Greek Catholic Church, and to the
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| | culture bears a noted resemblance to the
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| Ruthenian Catholic Church (see also
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| | traditional culture of Romania [7], with
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| Slovak Greek Catholic Church) in
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| | that of western Ukraine [8] [9], and with
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| Slovakia. A substantial number belong to
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| | that of other mountainous people which
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| the Eastern Orthodox Church. Through the
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| | may have similar origins, such as the
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| efforts of the martyred priest Fr. Maxim
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| | Gorals in Poland and Slovakia[10] and the
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| Sandovich in the early 1900's (canonized
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| | Moravian Wallachians in the Czech
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| by the Polish Orthodox Church in the
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| | Republic. Most Hutsuls belong to the
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| 1990s) Eastern Orthodoxy was reintroduced
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| | Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church and the
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| to many Lemko areas which had accepted
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| | Ruthenian Catholic Church.
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| the Union of Brest centuries before. The
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| | Hutsul society was traditionally based on
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| distinctive wooden architectural style of
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| | forestry and logging, as well as cattle
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| the Lemko churches is to place the
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| | and sheep breeding; the Hutsuls are
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| highest cupola of the church building at
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| | credited with having created the breed of
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| the entrance to the church, with the roof
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| | horse known as the Hucul pony. They use
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| sloping downward toward the sanctuary.
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| | unique musical instruments, including the
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| Dialect
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| | "trembita" (trâmbita), a type of
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| The Lemko dialect is the western-most
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| | alpenhorn of Dacian origin, as well
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| dialect of the Ukrainian language. Lemko
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| | multiple varieties of the fife, or
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| speech, however, includes patterns
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| | sopilka, that are used to create unique
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| matching those of the surrounding Polish
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| | folk melodies and rhythms. Also
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| and Slovak languages, leading some to
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| | frequently used are the bagpipe (duda),
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| refer to it as a transitional dialect
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| | the jew's harp (drymba), and the hammered
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| between Polish and Slovak (some even
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| | dulcimer - cymbalom.
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| consider the dialect in Eastern Slovakia
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| | The Hutsuls served as an inspiration for
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| to be a dialect of the Slovak language).
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| | many writers, such as Ivan Franko, Lesya
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| Language
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| | Ukrainka, Mykhailo Kotsiubyns'kyi, Vasyl
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| Metodyj Trochanovskyij published a Lemko
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| | Stefanik and Mihail Sadoveanu. Sergei
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| Primer ('Lemkivskj bukvar') and a First
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| | Parajanov's film Shadows of Forgotten
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| Reader ('Persa knyzecka') for use in
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| | Ancestors (???? ??????? ???????), which
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| schools in the Lemko-speaking area of
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| | is based on the book by Mykhailo
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| Poland in the 1930's. These were banned
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| | Kotsiubyns'ky, portrays scenes of
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| by the Polish government in 1938. In the
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| | traditional Hutsul life.
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| late 20th century, some Lemkos/Rusyns,
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| | Every summer, the village of Sheshory in
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| mainly emigres from the region of the
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| | Ukraine hosts a three-day international
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| southern slopes of the Carpathians in
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| | festival of folk music and art. Two
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| modern-day Slovakia, began an effort to
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| | Hutsul-related museums are located in
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| codify and standardize a grammar for the
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| | Kolomyia, Ukraine: the Pysanky museum and
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| Lemko dialect. This happened on the 27-th
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| | the Museum of Hutsul and Pokuttya Folk
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| Jan. 1995 in Presov, Slovakia. The Lemko
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| | Art. Traditional Hutsul sounds and moves
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| Rusyn languague became a language.
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| | were effectively used by the Ukrainian
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| Boyko or Boiko is the name for a
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| | winner of the 2004 Eurovision song
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| distinctive group of Ukrainian
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| | contest, Ruslana Lyzhychko.
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| montagnards of the Carpathian highlands.
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