World Congress Chairman In Washington, D.C.
Carpatho-Rusyn Research Center press release (Erie, Pennsylvania)
June 5, 2008

Washington, D.C. On June 4 and 5, 2008, the chairman of the World Congress of Rusyns, Dr. Paul Robert Magocsi, as part of a delegation of Rusyn Americans, was received by the embassies of Romania, Croatia, Ukraine, and Serbia. This fourth in a series of World Congress visits to diplomatic missions—previous ones have taken place in Washington, D.C. and Kiev—was organized by the National Capital Chapter of the Carpatho-Rusyn Society in the United States. Accompanying the World Congress chairman to some or all of the embassies were John Righetti, National President of the Carpatho-Rusyn Society, and members of the society’s National Capital Chapter based in Washington, D.C.—Larry Brindza, Professor Elaine Rusinko, and Christie Slifkey.

At the Embassy of Romania the Carpatho-Rusyn delegation was received by Ambassador Cosmin Vierita. Dr. Magocsi reported on the success of the Ninth World Congress of Rusyns held in Sighet, Romania in June 21-24, 2007 and on the warm reception given the World Council of Rusyns at Romania’s National Parliament in Bucharest in February 2008. The Rusyn-American delegation did, however, express its strong displeasure with one on-going problem. This concerns the refusal of the local authorities to mount plaques (in Romanian and Rusyn) commemorating the persecution in 1913-1914 of Orthodox Rusyns on the wall of the former county courthouse which is today the City Hall in Sighet. Ambassador Vierita assured the delegation that he would intervene with government authorities in Bucharest in order to do what is necessary to bring this matter to a positive conclusion.

At the Embassy of Croatia the Carpatho-Rusyn delegation met with the First Secretary, Sandra Štetić. Dr. Magocsi informed her that the Tenth World Congress of Rusyns will be held, in part, for the first time in Croatia, in the village of Petrovci, on June 6, 2009. He also requested clarification regarding Croatia’s constitutional definition of a national minority and whether the issue of a motherland country (matična zemlja) is a factor in that definition. Of particular concern is the status of the Rusnak Society (Družtvo Rusnak), which represents the Rusyns/ Rusnaks of Croatia and is the host of the Tenth World Congress in that country. Dr. Magocsi requested formal clarification of government policy, and why the Rusnak Society does not have the right to receive funding directly from Croatia’s Nationality Council, but instead has to go through the Ukrainian-oriented Society of Rusyns and Ukrainians in Croatia.

At the Embassy of Ukraine the delegation was received by Minister-Counselor Oleksandr Aleksandrovych. This is the third visit in three years by the World Congress chairman and Rusyn Americans to Ukraine’s Embassy in the United States. The delegation expressed its displeasure at not having received a response from the government of Ukraine on the question whether its 1996 “Proposed Measures for Resolving the Problem of Ukrainians-Rusyns” is still in force. There was extensive discussion about Ukraine’s recent contradictory actions regarding recognition of Carpatho-Rusyns as a distinct nationality. Dr. Magocsi submitted a memorandum on this matter entitled, “Ukraine’s Procrastination Provokes Extremism”.

At the Embassy of Serbia the World Congress chairman and Rusyn-American delegation was received by the Chargé d’Affaires Vladimir Petrović and First Counselor Djerdj Matković. The delegation informed the embassy that the Tenth World Congress of Rusyns will take place next year for the second time in Ruski Kerestur, but for the first time in the newly independent state of Serbia. Mr. Petrović appreciated being informed of the upcoming World Congress and pledged that the Embassy will do everything possible to assist in making the event a success, including intervention for those delegates (from Ukraine) who require visas to enter Serbia. Dr. Magocsi requested a formal reply to a previous request regarding the legal definition of a nationality (narodnost) in present-day Serbia and whether there is any need to have a motherland (matična zemlja) in order to qualify for nationality status.

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