Summary:
At the 48th Festival of Rusyn-Ukrainan culture in Svidnik, Slovakia, the writer spoke with the leaders of Rusyn-Ukrainian organizations from Poland, Slovakia and Croatia about their current situation in their respective homeland. The general conclusion is that the transition to democracy has brought minorities the right to found cultural organizations, but states can only afford to fund them in part.

Oleksander Maslej of the Union of Lemkos (Poland) said that the Polish government funds about 30 percent of the Lemko Vatra festival, but private funds must make up the difference. Milan Bobak of the Union of Rusyn-Ukrainians (Slovakia) said that the government provided about 40 percent of the funds for the current festival. The government does not provide funding for the group’s Nove Zhyttia publication.

“In the thirty years since its founding, the Union of Rusyn-Ukrainians has received nothing from the government,” he said.

Of Ukraine, he said that that government has given the Union some books and one computer, but no funding.

Zvonko Kostelnik, of the Union of Rusyns and Ukrainians (Croatia) said that the Croatian government provided funding for his group’s central gathering, Petrovski Dzvon through its Secretariat for National Minorities.

A second gathering is planned for 4 August in the town of Mikloševci, to be called Mikloševci Ljeto, and this will be partially funded from the government directly.

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