Priashevshchina
Priashevshchina (Пряшевщина) was a Russian language newspaper published from Prešov from March 18, 1945 to August 1951.[1][2][3] It was the organ of the Ukrainian People's Council of the Prešov Region, a pro-Soviet structure that appeared at the late stage of World War II.[2][3][4] Priashevshchina initially appeared semiweekly, later becoming a weekly.[2] Priashevshchina was the first newspaper for the Ruthenian/Ukrainian population in the area to appear after the liberation of the Presov region.[5][6] Chief editors of the newspaper were Ivan P'eščak and Fedor Lazoryk.[2][7] P'eščak, former parliamentarian of the First Czechoslovak Republic who had called for Rusyn national autonomy in the Prešov region after the Munich Agreement, had previously published the newspaper Priashevskaya Rus.[8]
In addition to political issues, Priashevshchina also promoted local literature and had a positive impact on dissemination of Rusyn literature.[9]
The publication was managed by Russophiles, and was mainly printed in standard literary Russian language.[2][10][11][9][12] However, especially in the last two years of existence, it carried minor pieces in Prešov vernacular.[2][12] The newspaper was largely pro-Soviet in this editorial tone and contained reports on life in Soviet Union.[13] But whilst the publication was issued in Russian it addressed political issues from a Ukrainian, or at least localized, angle.[14]
In terms of 'Ukrainianism', reflecting the Ukrainian People's Council line, Priashevshchina argued that "[o]ne and the same nation lives on the territory of Transcarpathian Ukraine and the Prešov region. There is no doubt that this nation is a part of the Little Russian-Ukrainian nation. Because the entire Little Russian nation has accepted the name "Ukrainian" we in the Prešov region also accept the name Ukrainian to show our unity with the great Ukrainian nation. Once we are the same nation as the nation of Transcarpathian Ukraine, Western Ukraine and Soviet Ukraine, we cannot call ourselves anything different from our brothers."[9] The use of the term 'Ukrainian' sought to repress previous identity markers such as 'Lemko', 'Rusyn' and 'Rusnak'.[4] Over the years, Slovak authorities began to increasingly fear that Priashevshchina and the Ukrainian People's Council, articulated separatist ambitions for annexation of the Prešov region by the Soviet Union (on similar lines as Transcarpathian Ukraine).[15] On April 1, 1945 Priashevshchina had called for the formation of armed militias in the region.[15]
Priashevshchina ceased to appear on August 16, 1951, following a resolution by the Ukrainian People's Council in reaction to the formation of a new organization for the Ruthenian/Ukrainian minority (the Cultural Union of Ukrainian Workers in the CSSR).[16][17] The Ukrainian People's Council, was eventually closed in December 1952, as part of the drive by Czechoslovak authorities to substitute the language of the Ruthenians from Russian to Ukrainian.[17][18]
References
- Культурний союз українських трудящих ЧССР (1985). Наукові записки. Центр. ком-т Культурного союзу укр. трудящих в ЧССР. p. 67.
- Volodymyr Kubiĭovych; Danylo Husar Struk (1993). Encyclopedia of Ukraine. University of Toronto Press. p. 216. ISBN 978-0-8020-3009-2.
- Paul Robert Magocsi (30 November 2015). With Their Backs to the Mountains: A History of Carpathian Rus? and Carpatho-Rusyns. Central European University Press. pp. 327, 538. ISBN 978-615-5053-46-7.
- Annals of UVAN. Ukrainian Academy of Arts and Sciences in the U.S. 1985. p. 307.
- Otázky žurnalistiky. Matica slovenská. 1989. p. 15.
- Michel Mathien; Danusa Serafinová (3 April 2013). Expression médiatique de la diversité culturelle en Europe centrale et orientale. Bruylant. p. 88. ISBN 978-2-8027-3936-4.
- teraz.sk. Obec Becherov vraj dostala meno podľa sluhu
- Carpatho-Rusyn American. Carpatho-Rusyn Research Center. 1994. p. 15.
- Ĭosyf Sirka (1978). The Development of Ukrainian Literature in Czechoslovakia 1945-1975: A Survey of Social, Cultural and Historical Aspects. Lang. p. 23, 31. ISBN 978-3-261-02479-4.
- 東呉社會學報. 東吳大學. 2006. p. 58.
- Paul R. Magocsi (1993). The Persistence of regional cultures: Rusyns and Ukrainians in their Carpathian homeland and abroad. East European Monographs. p. 58.
- Marián Potaš (1999). Dar lásky: spomienky na biskupa Pavla Gojdiča, OSBM. Rád sv. Bazila Veľkého. p. 137. ISBN 978-80-88717-36-2.
- Ivan Bajcura (1967). Ukrajinská otázka v ČSSR. Vychodoslovenské vydavatel̕stvo. p. 90.
- Occasional Paper. 1970. p. 34.
- PhDr. Michal Šmigeľ, PhD. RUSÍNI NA SLOVENSKU PO II. SVETOVEJ VOJNE. Rusíni história, súčasnosť a perspektívy. Spoločenskovedný seminár Prešov, 29 - 30. júna 2006. p. 28-29
- Historica Carpatica. Východoslovenské múzeum. 1978. p. 90.
- Institut für Sorbische Volksforschung in Bautzen (1964). Letopis Instituta za serbski ludospyt: Rjad B: stawizny. Domowina. p. 175.
- Tamara Archleb Gály (2006). The Encyclopaedia of Slovakia and the Slovaks: A Concise Encyclopaedia. Encyclopaedic Institute of the Slovak Academy of Sciences. p. 570. ISBN 978-80-224-0925-4.