20.6.2009. Father Dimytry Sydor: The Ruthenian statehood has never been annulled.
Ukrainian edition of Strategic Culture Foundation publishes an interview of Andrew Ganja with the rector of the Holy Cross [Krestovozdvizhensky] cathedral, city of Uzhgorod (UOC-MP), Archpriest Dimytry Sydor - a consistent supporter of cultural and national autonomy of the Ruthenians.
Please give a historical and legal assessment of the rights of the Ruthenian nation and the situation with the Ruthenian issue in Ukraine today.
State of threat to life has always triggered a natural instinct for survival. This survival instinct triggered by the threat of destruction of the Ruthenian nation by the nationalist government of Ukraine (especially in the reign of President Yushchenko and his "Orange regime"). The fact of discrimination of the Ruthenians and dying Ruthenian language and culture, the threat of destruction of internationally recognized statehood of Subcarpathian Ruthenia urged me and other leaders of the Ruthenian organizations appeal to the public around the world for legal support.
Indeed, according to the international law, human rights, freedoms, and rights of the whole nation are no longer just an internal affair of the state of Ukraine. In addition, the United Nations in 2007 had already pointed to the fact of discrimination of the Ruthenian nation in Ukraine on a national basis.
The peaceful existence and prosperity of the state is impossible if it does not completely comply with its obligations to other nations. Such public and political nation, to whom Ukraine, Czech Republic, U.S. and EU still not fulfilled their commitments, is the Republic of Subcarpathian Ruthenia-Transcarpathian Ukraine, which became part of the USSR-Ukrainian SSR in June 1945 against its will. Stalin, Khrushchev and Ukrainian Communists in 1946 illegally denied our people the right to Ruthenian nationality, the right to self-determination and to maintain our state - which became apparent annexation of the Ruthenian autonomous territory by Ukraine.
As is known, independent of Hungary from December 21, 1918, the Ruthenian Republic Ruska Krajna (compare with the name of today's Serbian Krajna) freely joined Czechoslovakia in September 10, 1919, with the status of autonomy and the name of Subcarpathian Ruthenia. This happened according to the will of the Ruthenian people and the decision of an international treaty in Saint-Germaine, which provided Ruthenian nation status of a subject of international law - inalienable and indisputable. This means that not the Czechs and Slovaks issued an autonomous state to the Ruthenians, but we freely joined Czechoslovakia with that status as early as in 1919.
This fact was stated in the Constitution of Czechoslovakia in 1920, which exposed the impostors - historians, who fantasized that Prague issued autonomy to the Ruthenians only 20 years later, in 1938. Soviet and Ukrainian historians concealed the fact that the Autonomous Republic of Subcarpathian Ruthenia, after it seceded from Hungary, continued to have the broadest possible autonomy in Czechoslovakia, which led to the complete consolidation of the national Ruthenian state in the federal Czechoslovakia by 1938.
Thus, the Republic of Subcarpathian Ruthenia in November 22, 1938 by the will of its people, along with Slovakia, legally consolidated the status of a national state within the Federal Czechoslovakia.
Since then, we became constituent people, who 90 years ago successfully exercised the right to self-determination. Moreover, to date, no one legally deprived us of this right. Only Ruthenian people, in a free legal form of expression, could decide to dissolve their state Subcarpathian Ruthenia.
In 1938, Czechoslovakia survived dismemberment of Germany. How it affected Ruthenians?
It affected us very badly. German Abwehr in the "hour X", in March 14, 1939, conducted a special operation of provocative proclamation of the "independence of Slovakia." For the "separation of the Subcarpathian Ruthenia from Bohemia" agents of Abwehr used their people, at that time international terrorists from Galicia. According to the orders from Berlin, as an alien unlawful tribe of Polish citizens, they joined the process of the Ruthenian nation building as part of Czechoslovakia, and provoked A. Voloshin for "an act of proclamation of Carpathian Ukraine in March 15". That was what he did, but without secession from Czechoslovakia. This act was not some new and momentous decision, because Subcarpathian Ruthenia already had the status of national autonomous state within the Czechoslovak federation. In addition, Ruthenians themselves were prepared peacefully declare this new status with the right to elect the head of the autonomous Ruthenian state. However, according to the instructions from Berlin,
A. Voloshin has changed the name of the Ruthenian Republic to illegal and alien "Carpathian Ukraine", with the Ukrainian state language, and Austrian blue-yellow flag.
This venture of the Galician terrorists and threat of the ethnic cleansing of Hungarians and Ruthenians coming from them, accelerated occupation of territory by Hungary, which started the same day - in March 14, 1939. It was less tragic than the occupation of the Galicians - agents of Abwehr, because the Hungarians, respecting the Ruthenian culture and Ruthenian national schools, 20 years ago granted autonomy to Subcarpathian Ruthenians, not to Galician Ukrainians. The Hungarians also conducted a census, according to which in the Subcarpathian Ruthenia were over 506,000 Subcarpathian Ruthenians and only two hundred Ukrainians in the Diaspora from Polish Galicia. Is it not strange in this case, that for these two hundred Ukrainians was proclaimed Carpathian Ukraine and Ukrainian language as a state language?
This was clearly the occupation of the sovereign territory of Subcarpathian Ruthenia. Moscow annexed the Republic of Subcarpathian Ruthenia to the Soviet Union in the status of sovereign state, and the Supreme Soviet of the Ukrainian SSR on the 22nd of January 1946, illegally annexed it to form a Stalin's anomaly - Transcarpathian region. Then, after December 1, 1991, restored in their rights Ruthenian state was "conquered" by independent Ukraine, which was flagrant disregard of the will of Transcarpathians. Thus, the annexation of the Ruthenian territory by Ukraine repeated. Proof of this are the criminal governmental "Plans of actions to address issues of Ruthenians-Ukrainians", which mandated ethnic elimination of the Ruthenian nation, and flagrant refusal of the Galician representatives of the Supreme Council include the results of the referendum of Dec. 1, 1991, to the Constitution of Ukraine in 1996.

Father Dimytry, in public speeches and interviews you constantly warned about the possible disappearance of the Ruthenian people through the actions of the central government of Ukraine. Do you still accuse Kiev of genocide?
I accuse the official Kiev of ethnocide, discrimination with explicit elements of genocide. Because there is barbaric denial of the Ruthenian people, their nationality, prohibition of Ruthenian schools and the Ruthenian language. There are court trials against the Ruthenians. After all, I am tried not because I am a separatist, but because I want to be Ruthenian.
According to the Constitution, Ukraine is a unitary state. Now, however, there can be traced clear trends of disintegration of this state. It is usually assumed that the main source of the danger of disintegration is the Crimean Tatars. How about "Ruthenian issue", could it stimulate such disintegration?
I don t think so. There is a fundamental difference between separatism and our requirements. We do not claim part of a foreign country, but restoration of the pre-Soviet status of our republic, destroyed by Stalin in Ukraine. Therefore, if Ukraine with such trepidation lights candles for those who suffered in the Famine, then why not light a candle to another victim, so that we, Ruthenians, regained our autonomous statehood. However, Ukraine does not want to pay any attention to this issue for two decades already. Therefore, it provokes Ruthenians for the confrontation.
You must understand that if the requirements of the Ruthenians are met, that would trigger "Domino effect", - next would be Crimea, then the Donetsk-Krivoy Rog republic, then a free port Odessa, and so on +
You know, we, Ruthenians, are taught to sympathize with history. We are sorry for Ukraine, because God did not give it decent leaders. Those three Presidents, who reigned in Ukraine, were its direct enemies and destroyers. If one beats his wife, she would leave him in the end! His claims that she was "evil separatist and neighbour spy" would be then in vain, because he should not have beaten her in the first place!
Subcarpathian Ruthenia has been waiting for mercy over 20 years, peacefully asking to recognize the legitimacy of its autonomy, and yet crazy Galicians, entrenched in Kiev, wanted to destroy it by administrative means!
Orthodox Ukraine is the most suitable format for the new maternal state after Austria-Hungary and Czechoslovakia. In Europe, we will not have such a church environment. As a priest, I cannot cause harm of separation to my Orthodox Church. The Church would have two dioceses abroad, if the Ukrainian government let go of Ruthenians. From the church point of view, we are opposed to the collapse of Ukraine.
It is true from the position of church, but from a political point of view, you, in my opinion, are a clear supporter of the collapse of Ukraine?
No, I am personally not a supporter of collapse because this collapse would do no good to anyone. However, on the other hand, our Congresses decided: if Ukraine is not able to recognize our legitimate autonomy and always complains that Transcarpathia lives on donations from Kiev, we should relieve them of such a burden of subsidized region, and peacefully part, just like the Czech Republic and Slovakia.
You know, you often repeat the word "peacefully". Have you also thought of force scenario?
This scenario is provided by international law. The people after years of demands for their rights have a right to arms to defend their freedom. In addition, this is a valid norm. Who today condemns the Croats, who with arms fought against the Serbs? No, we are not going to fight; we would use diplomatic channels, because we realize the reality of the rights of the Ruthenian political nation.
How many are you? What is the percentage of Ruthenians in the population of Transcarpathia?
We are at least 70%. We are the "titular nation" in the region, about 800 000 people.
However, your movement is not monolithic; there are many Ruthenian political organizations.
True, not without "help" from SSU. They create parallel organizations. There is a Ruthenian "Soym", and a parallel "Soym". There are several organizations with the name "People's Parliament". We are not afraid to have many Ruthenian organizations. On the contrary, many Ruthenian organizations are a guarantee that our movement will not be under control of secret services.
SSU want our movement to become a marginal, so that we would be writing letters with the requirements to the deaf-mute Ukrainian authorities. Their task is to blur Ruthenian demands of the autonomy and nationality.
Besides, though we have many organizations, we have a Coordinating Council, which ensures consistency of our actions.
Now, let me ask you not as a priest and political activist, but as a resident of Transcarpathia, a resident of Uzhgorod. While you are solving Ruthenian issues, there is the process of defining feudalism in Transcarpathia: not the state seizes control in the region, but a personality, loyal to the central government. How do you feel about that?
As for the clan division of Transcarpathia, we mourn that the central Ukrainian government, consisting of political Galician clouds has been destroying our land for two decades. Criminalization of the area by immigrants is the result of small-minded policies of the Centre. Moreover, Kiev policy is an example of crime. There are criminals in power since 2004. They do not even have a right to be officials of such an Orthodox state as Ukraine.
What is your opinion about Viktor Baloga and Sergey Ratushniak?
My opinion is positive. They are patriots of Ukraine and the region.
However, they seem to be the enemies of the Ruthenians, given their anti-Ruthenian publications in the media, controlled by them!
No way! We, Ruthenians, respect them, even if they misunderstand something regarding legal issues of the Ruthenian political nation, or do not get along with us. It is easy to restore.
How about Baloga, is he a Ruthenian?
You should better ask him about it. I believe that he is! Even if we have internal conflicts, they cannot be the reason not to love them.
They are "our people", and we would not allow anyone to insult them.
Who is your political partner, whom would you like to have as such?
We do not want anyone amongst the "Orange" elite. They are godless anti-Orthodox scum. Within the region, we have good people among the intelligentsia, among young businessmen. However, we cannot name them all, because the SSU for us is a terrorist organization, which destroys the potential contributors to our movement. We have long been convinced that the secret service officers simply do not know what human rights mean, and are ready to jump to the command "full face" even at their own parent. They have never been involved in the protection of the rights of people! They have these rights violated every day, hiding behind hypocritical phrase "protection of the interests of Ukraine." However, we do not need a state that exists at the expense of total violation of the rights of citizens.
In my opinion, the State and its prosecutors, courts, the SSU must serve the people, while they became the opposite - direct enemies of the people, and Ukraine, serving for the last few years only the "Orange" totalitarian power.
You know, today we are optimistic for Viktor Yanukovych and the Party of Regions, changing the situation in Ukraine for the better.
Let us return to Europe as a partner of the Ruthenians.
On our first congress, we have decided to ask, no, require our return to the historic place - in the heart of Europe. After all, Ukrainian authorities do not even want to listen to us. We were Ruthenians - people in the heart of Europe for eight hundred years. So, what now, as soon as we got to the "brothers-Ukrainians", we immediately ceased to be such? This is a historical travesty and almost genocide!
What are you charged with by the SSU?
According to the instruction of the former President Viktor Yushchenko and former chief of the SSU, V. Nalyvaichenko, they fabricated that I came up with a draft decision by which we, without any reason, demanded national autonomy, which is supposedly equal to the demand to change borders. The Court turned into a spectacle in which to me, a priest, the judge repeated twenty times, - "Defendant Sydor (not even mentioning the name) stand up, defendant Sydor sit down!" They were trying to bring me down this way, and they threaten other Ruthenians all the same.
By the way, did you file a counterclaim?
In the Transcarpathia, Ukrainian laws do not apply to Ruthenians. After all, if Ruthenians "do not exist", how can they initiate claims against the state?
Let us move on, from the Ruthenians to other people. What is your position in relation to
Hungarians? Do not you think that there is a very active Hungarian diffusion in the region? First, they settle compactly, after that they would demand cultural autonomy, then the political +
Oh God, how do you not understand that we have been living peacefully with Hungarians for thousands of years. This is our common land. Hungarians have never been a threat to the Ruthenian movement. They have been our potential allies for 90 years, from 1918. I think that someday we will help them.
How about Russia then?
Russians could help us, but they do not understand that after the demise of the USSR, the Russian Federation became the successor of the Fierlinger-Molotov Treaty of June 29, 1945. After all, they were obliged actively engage in the fate of our nation, just as Americans engaged in the fate of the Croats, but they remained inactive during the reign of Yushchenko.
If patriarch Cyril arrived to the Transcarpathia, would it encourage the Ruthenian movement?
It depends on what you mean by the word "encourage." Patriarch Cyril for us, Orthodox Ruthenians, is not so much a politician as a truly spiritual father and unique mentor in saving souls in the bosom of the Russian Orthodox Church. However, he first uttered the familiar for the Ruthenians phrase about the borders of the Russian world, part of which we, the Orthodox Ruthenians, are as well. His arrival to the Transcarpathia would become a triumph of faith, peace, and understanding. That would be a spiritual celebration of reconciliation, preaching peace, joy, communication between representatives of the Russian world. We Ruthenians have come from Pre-Russia; we have common roots.
Father Dimytry, I have heard that there is an idea to invite here not only Cyril, but also Pope Benedict XVI.
Yes, we would like them to meet here, in the ancient Ruthenian land.
Would it not cause a scandal?
No, the opposite. The fact is, that we are the only region in Ukraine, where religious strife was not spitting out, like, for example, in Galicia, where political Galicians slaughtered Poles, Jews, Czechs and Lemkies-Ruthenians, or Volynians in 1943. Now they are prepared to slaughter Subcarpathian Ruthenians as well.
Let us continue the conversation about the allies. What are your relations with Romania?
Romania also has its own group in the population of Transcarpathia. They are about forty thousand. They are peaceful, Orthodox, and they do not claim anything, except to have their own language and culture. Ruthenians will gladly allow cultural autonomy to Hungarians and Romanians. We are the same historical people with them.
What about Jews?
You know, we have an expression here - "Ruthenian Jews." They are the ones who live with us for centuries and who easily mastered the Ruthenian language. I think that they are also our potential allies. They are witnesses of political repressions against peaceful Ruthenian people, which Ukraine has decided to trample with the help of Galician fascist boot.
I have the impression that all the smaller nationalities of Transcarpathia ready to join hands together and throw away the Ukrainian government.
No, we all voted for the Ukrainian state. However, the state itself, through "Orange" crazy rulers, deprived us of our rights. I am a man devoid of most civil and political rights, such as the simple right for my children to study Ruthenian language, and call themselves Ruthenians. Public men of Ukraine did everything to make people hate them. However, thanks to the Orthodox faith, unity of the state is supported by church. However, it is in danger. SSU brings here nationalists from Lvov, threatening and provoking conflicts during our conferences. They would not escape future trials by the Ruthenian people and public worldwide. They call us "separatists"! Nevertheless, in fact, who started the idea of separatism in Ukraine?
Galicians, with their "Galician Assembly!"
Exactly. Well, so be it. If Galicia will be returned to Poland, its mamma, we, Ruthenians, will pray "for the health of travellers", and Ruthenian brass band will play
" Varshavyanka" in their honour. If Ukraine and the new government would be able to recognize the rights of Ruthenians, we, Ruthenians, are ready to become Ukrainian enclave, Ukrainian Kaliningrad. We, the nation in our sovereign territory, autonomous from 1919, voluntarily (and as said the old Ruthenian, "foolishly") voted in favour of integration in Ukraine, with the pre-Soviet status of autonomous republic.
Moreover, the "Orange" politics cynically called our will separatism and an attempt to change borders.
The question is, was it done according to their will or by the will of Stalin's divisions?
Then, through the 4-th Ukrainian Front, it was done by the Army General Petrov, whose task was the occupation and retention of Transcarpathia. Now, the problem is not the divisions, but savage politics of the Ukrainian integral nationalism, that hast prepared ethnic death to the Ruthenians. We need to defend against a clear threat of possible ethnic cleansing by the political Galicia.
This is a very serious accusation!
According to the majority of Ruthenians, they have long been preparing ethnic cleansing. Now they control Transcarpathia. You were talking about the fights of the local clans. However, local clans control only 3-5 percent of the economy of Transcarpathia. The rest is controlled by Kiev and nationalistic clans.
Galicia controls much more than V. Baloga and S. Ratushniak. In addition, I am tried not by Ukrainian people for some serious misconduct, but by these fascist forces.
Father Dimytry, do not take offence for the next question. Are you ready for the role of martyr for the Ruthenian idea?
I would rather not use the word "martyr" in the political sense. After all, we, Orthodox Ruthenians in Transcarpathia, are real martyrs for the faith of Christ. Even less, I am offended by my political prosecutors, mostly Galician Greek-Catholics. Yushchenko has decided to put in jail at least one priest, and close the mouth of the preacher and missionary, so he found himself among the persecutors, like Stalin, whom he angrily denounced.
Therefore, I am a Ruthenian, not just some political "martyr"! I am a patient and persevering priest, defender of the rights of Ruthenian political nation in Ukraine.
How strong are you? How many people you can lead to the streets?
We have no such purpose. It is the Ruthenian tradition to defend our freedom by parliamentary means. This way we have defended our autonomy as a part of Slovakia and Hungary. We will act the same way in Ukraine. In December 1, 1991, Ruthenians through their votes in the referendum have already restored their statehood de jure, but de facto, the totalitarian "Orange" Ukraine by hands of Viktor Yushchenko exercised
genocide of Ukrainian nation, and so as of Ruthenian nation.
To cover his own crimes against the Ukrainian people, he needed a "Harvard format Famine."
What do you wish to those who would read this interview?
I wish all the readers God's blessings! I sincerely ask for forgiveness, that loving my Ruthenian people, the unique ancient Russian Ruthenian language, I am compelled to assert, according to the Basic Social Concept of the Russian Orthodox Church, my Ruthenian nationality, while respecting the rights of brothers, the Ukrainians, Russians, Belarusians, etc.
By the way, traditionally the Ruthenian nation has always been defended by Ruthenian priests, and very rarely by the representatives of Ruthenian intelligentsia. That is also true today!
Over 1100 years of history of Subcarpathian Ruthenia, independent Ukraine is the seventh state with the seventh state language for us. However, within all empires, we managed to retain our culture, mentality, national identity, historical memory, the perception of commitment to a common culture. Nevertheless, most importantly, we managed to keep our mother tongue, proficiency of which we retained until today. Incidentally, I co-authored academic publication, "Grammar of the Ruthenian language", also translated into English.
I believe that God will help us to save from destruction Ruthenian political nation, to return our rightful status of autonomy within Ukraine, and that our Victory Day is not far off.
http://odnarodyna.ru/topics/2/339.html

.

Banners for your Promotion