Christine HrichakPublished: July 29, 2026 The Carpatho-Rusyn Society is pleased to share information about a creative endeavor by a Rusyn from Ukraine, Myter Erdeli. His YouTube channel features Rusyn music playlists in various genres. C-RS: Welcome! Please introduce yourself to the Carpatho-Rusyn Society. Myter: First of all, thank you for the opportunity to speak on such an interesting topic. I am Myter Erdeli, a Carpatho-Rusyn from Subcarpathia. I was born and raised in a Rusyn village Bilky in the Old Country, so Rusyn is my mother tongue. However, I came to my Carpatho-Rusyn identity on my own through literature, music, and social media. At home, a sort of national indifference prevailed, caused by decades of the Rusyn identity being banned. In this sense, I share something in common with the diaspora, as I discovered and rebuilded my Rusyn heritage practically from scratch. C-RS: You have a number of playlists containing remixes of Rusyn music, categorized by genre. What inspired you to create these playlists? Myter: If you ask how many Rusyns read books, the answer will be quite pessimistic. But if you ask how many listen to music, that would be the absolute majority. Nevertheless, there is a deep-seated stereotype that Rusyn music, or music in the Rusyn language, is nothing but folk or something trivial. I love music myself, both folk and contemporary, and I am always looking for modern Rusyn music. I realized very quickly that Rusyn music does exist and is even represented across various modern genres, but it is typically amateur and scattered across different platforms. Most importantly, up to two-thirds of these tracks are unavailable or unlicensed on streaming platforms like Spotify or Apple Music, which is where young people usually spend their time. My first impulse was to gather Rusyn music in one place just for myself. Very quickly, this evolved into building a library of modern Rusyn music on my channel, including curated playlists so that people can discover this phenomenon for themselves without spending hours searching for it, the way I did. C-RS: How long have you been creating playlists like this, whether on YouTube or elsewhere? Myter: I launched my YouTube channel back in 2016, and that was around the time I uploaded first Rusyn songs. For me personally, this interest in Rusyn music and the search for something new within it has been ongoing for a decade. The creation of […]
Spivana Prohul’ka
On March 14th , Martina Leňová Kobanová delivered a presentation to the Carpatho-Rusyn Society on her newest project—Spivana Prohul’ka. This project’s mission is to bring the Rusyn language closer to children, and there is no one more qualified to accomplish this than Martina. Martina was born in the Carpatho-Rusyn village of Klenova, in the Snina District of Slovakia. She describes herself as “a proud Rusyn, who loves our nation, language, and culture above all.” Martina has the distinct honor of being a teacher that has taught at the only Rusyn school in Slovakia. While on maternity leave, she devoted her spare time to further study of the Rusyn language and literature. Always passionate about serving children, the idea of Spivana Prohul’ka was born. Martina and her team have organized a variety of modern children’s songs in the Rusyn language, with the goal of bringing the Rusyn language to children in a way thatis relatable, modern, fun, and “at the same time show that this language has its place in contemporary culture.” The songs will be performed by famous Rusyn singers and artists, as well as children. After production, the songs will be put on a CD, which willprove to be a treasure for all Rusyn households. Perhaps the most exciting development in this project has been the confirmation that Štefan Štec, who is considered the most popular Rusyn singer, will be participating. In Martina’s words, “this project was born from the conviction that the Rusyn language should not only be a memory of the folklore and traditions of the past, but a living language that speaks to children and today’s young generation.” Today, the Rusynlanguage faces greater challenges than ever before. In many areas, the language is disappearing, and younger people are not using it in their conversations with one another. Spivana Prohul’ka presents a fantastic way for the language to connect with children, meeting them where they are, in a modern format. Additionally, the CD will be an excellent educational resource both at home and in kindergartens and grade schools. Like all projects of importance, Spivana Prohul’ka has financial necessities that must be met in order to achieve success. Some of the services they will need to purchase include: professional music production, musical backing, and arrangements; legal and licensing matters; fees for singers and musicians; studio recording, mixing, and mastering; production and release of the CD; and promotion and […]
Genealogy Committee Call for Volunteers
Dear Friends, The Carpatho-Rusyn Society is looking for volunteers to help build and support a new Genealogy Committee. Genealogy has long been one of the most valuable services we provide to individuals seeking to learn more about their Carpatho-Rusyn heritage. As interest continues to grow, we are reorganizing our efforts to better respond to inquiries, improve our resources, and expand the support we can offer to members and researchers. We are seeking volunteers with a variety of backgrounds and skill sets. You do not need to be a genealogy expert to participate. In fact, we welcome individuals with different levels of experience and interests. Ideal volunteers should have: Potential activities may include: Genealogy experience is preferred but not required. However, an interest in learning genealogy research is vital. If you are interested in serving on the Genealogy Committee or would like to learn more, please reply to bdemko@c-rs.org and briefly tell us about your background and interest in volunteering. Thank you for helping preserve and promote our Carpatho-Rusyn heritage. Sincerely, Ben DemkoBoard Member
