Stanley Bejda
Published: September 8, 2025

It took me thirty years of wandering around the world to realize how important it is for me to be a Rusyn, and how important it is for my children to know that Rusyn blood flows in their veins. Let me tell you why; but, first, I must start with where I was born.

Being a Rusyn in an environment where everyone around you is Rusyn is nothing special. That’s how I grew up in Medzilaborce. At school, we were taught all subjects in Slovak. At home; with friends; in shops; the doctor’s office; the post office; or at grandma’s, we always spoke only po našomu—Rusyn. These were the 1980’s. In socialist Czechoslovakia, the stores were empty, bread had to be ordered in advance, and if you came late, you were out of luck. But, for us kids it didn’t matter, we lived our simple childhood lives. Being Rusyn was so natural back then that I didn’t see it as anything special.

When I left to study music in the wider world, everything changed. Whenever I told someone I was Rusyn, I often heard “Šalený Rusyn” (crazy Rusyn). It wasn’t pleasant, but over time I got used to it. Whenever I met another Rusyn, it always brought me joy. Deep inside I felt a secret sense of kinship, something hard to describe in words. I believe this feeling is known only to those who live abroad, and perhaps for us Rusyns, it is even stronger, since we never had our own state.

After finishing high school at the military conservatory, I worked as a volunteer with the Union of Rusyns and Ukrainians in Košice. I felt like I was in heaven—among my own. We laughed, worked, celebrated together, always on the same wavelength. We helped each other selflessly and with joy. I met Rusyns in many places, and there was always respect and dignity in how we treated each other. If someone needed help, others simply helped, and never asked for anything in return. After all, we were all Rusyns. I have never experienced such solidarity anywhere else in the world as I did among Rusyns. At that time, however, I still did not realize how important it was for me to be Rusyn.

Life went on. Today I am fifty, living with my family in Denmark. Here, I am alone, without a community. Here, I began to understand who I am and what I am missing. As we say in my online business, “the algorithms never sleep.” And what I started missing began to appear in different forms. On social media, Rusyn organizations started popping up, and that’s how I discovered the Carpatho-Rusyn Society. Their activities remind me of the life I once had among Rusyns in Košice.

I put music aside shortly after leaving Košice, and with it ended my active cooperation with the Rusyn community. I didn’t realize that God had given me a gift—playing Rusyn music. And a person has no right to reject a gift that comes from God. A gift must be used, not wasted.

My son is six years old and has a tremendous musical talent. But, he has never seen his father actively play, even though I once played eleven instruments, from flute to guitar to double bass. If I want him to embrace music and bring joy to people the way I once did, I must start playing again. And not just any music – but our music, Rusyn music. Our songs.

I cannot explain in sophisticated words what is happening to me now, or why it is happening precisely at this time. But maybe this is the reason why it is so important for me to be Rusyn—because of our music. So that one day my children will know it, too. This music fills me with joy, gives me energy, stirs my blood, and makes me happier. It is the music through which I once brought happiness to thousands of people, and maybe one day it will bring happiness to my son as well. That gives my life meaning.

For me, being Rusyn means being happier. As simple as that.