In an Orthodox parish in southern Poland, a church ceremony turned into a glorification of Russia. Lemkos protested
The organization «Lemko Union», operating in Poland, issued a statement strongly condemning an event that recently took place in the village of Gładyszów in the Lesser Poland Voivodeship. There, during a ceremony at the local Orthodox church, the organization «Union of Cossacks» presented it with a bell bearing the symbolism of the Russian Empire.
The statement from the Lemko organization emphasizes that this event looked like an open demonstration of Russian imperial and military symbolism. Especially since photos from the event show people in attire resembling Russian imperial uniforms, as well as with St. George ribbons, which are now associated with Russian aggression against Ukraine.
It is emphasized that for many Lemkos, this situation has become painful and unacceptable. They believe that their homeland should not be a place for the dissemination of symbols of a state historically perceived as an oppressor and a source of repression in the region.
The authors of the statement specifically emphasize that the Lemko community has nothing to do with such actions and does not want to be used to promote pro-Russian ideas.
Particular outrage was caused by the fact that money for the construction of this church was previously collected among Lemkos under the slogans of unity and support, but ultimately this place was used for an event with a clear political subtext.
The Lemko Union demanded a clear refusal to use Russian imperial symbolism and to cease the activities of organizations that promote it. Lemkos declare that they stand for dignity, freedom, and the right of peoples to live without violence and imperial pressure.
Lemkos are an East Slavic ethnographic group that historically lived in the Carpathians at the intersection of modern-day Poland, Slovakia, and Ukraine. Today, they are dispersed across various countries but preserve their unique culture.
Most researchers consider Lemkos a part of the Ukrainian nation (the autochthonous Ukrainian population of the Subcarpathian region). However, they often identify themselves either as a separate people or as an ethnic group of Ukrainians. Their dialect belongs to the southwestern dialects of the Ukrainian language with a strong influence from Polish and Slovak languages.
By confession, Lemkos are traditionally either Greek Catholics (Uniates) or Orthodox. They are also known for their distinctive wooden architecture (especially three-domed churches), unique folk clothing, songs, and wood carving skills.
After World War II, Lemkos were forcibly displaced from their native Carpathian lands. Some of them were deported to Soviet Ukraine, while the rest, in 1947, as part of the Polish military operation «Vistula,» were deported from their native places to the northern and western regions of Poland. With the aim of assimilation, they were not settled compactly but deliberately dispersed. Nevertheless, this group could not be completely destroyed; it endured difficult times and has survived to this day.
Today, the largest Lemko communities live in Poland, Ukraine, Slovakia, as well as in the USA and Canada, where they actively hold festivals (for example, «Lemko Vatra») to preserve their traditions.
The village of Gładyszów was part of the historical area of Lemko settlement; before World War II, they constituted the absolute majority of the population here. During Operation «Vistula,» local residents were also displaced, but later some of them were able to return, thanks to which Lemko culture and the Orthodox parish are now preserved here.
Church of the Nativity of Saint John the Baptist in Gładyszów. Photo: Wikimedia Commons
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