Russian right-wing conservative periodical press about Rusins at the beginning of WWI

Abstract

Now, when the spiritual unity of the Slavic world is undergoing another test of strength, it seems relevant to appeal to the rich historical experience of the relationship of the Slavic peoples. Of particular interest are plots associated with turning points in history, in particular the First World War, when the fate of the Slavic peoples was decided on the battlefields. In this article, the author turns to the Russian right-wing conservative press at the initial stage of the First World War to study the Rusin question. According to him, Russian right-wing conservative publicists showed a genuine interest in the life of Rusins in Eastern Galicia and Bukovina, occupied by Russian troops in 1914. Such periodicals as Groza, Pochaevskiy listok, Susanin, Moskovskie Vedomosti, Russkoe znamya, Kolokol, Zemshchyna covered the following subjects: the history and culture of Rusins, their religious and socio-political life, the Rusin-Polish and Rusin-Austrian relations, attitude to “Ukrainism”, the life of Rusins after the capture of Eastern Galicia and Bukovina by Russian troops, the future of Rusins as part of the Russian Empire. The author concludes that almost all above-mentioned right-wing conservative publications agreed on the perniciousness of “Ukrainianism”, which became widespread in Galicia supported by Polish magnates, as well as on the need for Rusins to transit from Uniatism to Orthodoxy. They also emphasized that the annexation of Galicia and Bukovina had a positive effect on Rusins, the majority of whom were in favor of reunification with Russia.