Coat of Arms of Carpathian Ruthenia |
|
Regions with significant populations | |
---|---|
Slovakia | 33,482 |
Serbia | 14,246 |
Ukraine | 10,183 |
United States | 8,934 |
Hungary | 3,882 |
Croatia | 2,879 |
Czech Republic | 1,109 |
Poland | at 638–10,531 |
Romania | at least 200 |
Languages | |
Rusyn · Ukrainian · Slovak · Romanian | |
Religion | |
Greek Catholicism, Eastern Orthodoxy | |
Related ethnic groups | |
Ukrainians · Slovaks · Boykos Hutsuls · Lemkos |
Rusyns, also known as Ruthenes (Rusyn: Русины Rusynŷ; also sometimes referred to as Руснакы Rusnakŷ – Rusnaks), are a primarily diasporic ethnic group who speak an East Slavic language known as Rusyn. The Rusyns descend from Ruthenian peoples who did not adopt the use of the ethnonym "Ukrainian" in the early 20th century. As residents of Carpathian Mountains region, Rusyns are also sometimes associated with Polish highlander community of Gorals (literally - Highlanders).
The endonym Rusyn has frequently not been recognised by various governments and in other cases has been prohibited. Rusyn is an endonym of Ruthenian.
The main population of Rusyns are Carpatho-Rusyns, Carpatho-Ruthenians, Carpatho-Russians of Carpathian Ruthenia: a discrete cross-border region of western Ukraine, north-east Slovakia, and south-east Poland. In official Ukrainian contexts, the various subgroups of Carpatho-Rusyns are often known collectively as Verkhovyntsi (Верховинської) literally meaning "Highlanders".
Today, Slovakia, Poland, Hungary, the Czech Republic, Serbia and Croatia officially recognize contemporary Rusyns (or Ruthenes) as an ethnic minority. In 2007, Carpatho-Rusyns were recognized as a separate ethnicity in Ukraine by the Zakarpattia Regional Council, and in 2012 the Rusyn language gained official regional status in certain areas of the province as well as nationwide based on the 2012 Law of Ukraine "about principles of state policy in Ukraine". Most contemporary self-identified ethnic Rusyns live outside of Ukraine.