If you are of Carpatho-Rusyn descent and would like to read more about your heritage, there are several sources.

FamilySearch is normally an excellent resource for accessing digital books. In this case, while there are thousands of genealogy books available, most of the Rusyn collection is under copyright protection and can’t be viewed online. Google Books is, unfortunately, much the same. However, the Internet Archive appears to have permission from several modern day authors who write about Carpatho-Rusyns both in English and other languages to present their writing.

• A general search for Rusyn brought up too many results to share, including the journal by Dr. Patricia Krafcik, a Rusyn authority: Carpatho-Rusyn American (also available at C-RRC).
• A second search for Dr. Paul Robert Magocsi, a professor, author, and probably the best known Rusyn expert, brought up many terrific results, including the Paul Robert Magocsi Carpatho-Ruthenica Library. This virtual library houses a collection of 596 items, written in various languages, including English, Rusyn, Slovak, and Latin. Many are accessible digitally, but some of the more recent books are listed, but under copyright and no files are accessible.

A quick Carpatho-Rusyn reading list is available on GoodReads’ Listopia, created by Christine Hrichak

Online books

• Podkarpastska Rus by Amalie Kozminova, 1922
• Eternal Memory by Ann Walko, 1999
• Icon of Spring by Sonya Jason, 1993

For those wanting to build a home library of Rusyn history, the first stop for purchasing books should be The Carpatho-Rusyn Research Center (C-RRC) – They have a fairly extensive catalog of books and ship quickly. Browse the website or ask for a publications list – sometimes their prices are way better than other online sellers. (For example, The Lemko Studies handbook ($45.00 from C-RRC) by Horbal was found with a second hand seller online listed for $1495.50!!!)

In addition to the recommended books below, I’d highly recommend purchasing the Map of Carpatho-Rusyn Villages – only $18.00 from C-RRC! All known villages are included on this large (30″ x 40″) map. It’s worth every penny!

Rusyn history and culture book recommendations:

1. With Their Backs to the Mountains, Paul Robert Magocsi, Central European University Press, Budapest- New York, 2015. This is the premier book written about Rusyn history in terms of details and depth of information. Dr. Magocsi is a professor at the University of Toronto and has published many books and articles about Carpathian Rus’ and its peoples. I’d highly recommend purchasing this as a reference book. ($45.00 from C-RRC)
2. Encyclopedia of Rusyn History and Culture, Revised and Expanded Edition, Paul Robert Magocsi and Ivan Pop, University of Toronto Press, 2005. ($75.00 from C-RRC)
3. Carpathian Rus’: A Historical Atlas, Paul Robert Magocsi, Governing Council of the University of Toronto, 2017. ($28.00 from C-RRC)
4. The People from Nowhere: An Illustrated History of the Carpatho-Rusyns, Paul Robert Magocsi, V. Padiak Publishers, Uzhhorod, Ukraine, 2006. ($24.50 from C-RRC)
5. The Rusyns of Hungary: Political and Social Developments, 1860-1910, Maria Mayer, East European Monographs, Columbia University Press, New York, 1997. ($24.50 from C-RRC)
6. The Rusyns of Slovakia, Paul Robert Magocsi, 1994 ($65.00 on Amazon)
7. Our People: Carpatho-Rusyns and Their Descendants in North America, Paul Robert Magocsi, 2023 (5th Revised Edition $39.00 from C-RRC)
8. Lemko Studies: A Handbook, B. Horbal, 2010 with an updated 2021 edition available. ($45.00 from C-RRC)
9. Wooden Churches of the Rusyns + In The Footsteps of Our Ancestors, Dr. Michele Parvensky, 2018. ($28.00-$33.00 individually, or $55 together from C-RS)
10. The Byzantine Rite – A  Short History, Robert F. Taft, 1992 ($10.00 online)
11. Mapping Stateless Peoples: The East Slavs of the Carpathians (revised), Paul Robert Magocsi, 2018, ($8.75 from C-RRC)
12. God Is a Rusyn: An Anthology of Contemporary Carpatho-Rusyn Literature, edited by Elaine Rusinko, 2011 ($34.95 from the publisher)
13. Harvard Encyclopedia of American Ethnic Groups, Stephan Thernstrom, Editor, Belknap Press of Harvard University Press, Cambridge, Massachusetts and London, England, 1980. This book has nine pages (200-209) dedicated to statistical information about Rusyns who settled in the United States. There are also numerous footnotes identifying scholarly works for further reference. An added benefit is that information on the collateral ethnic group to which your family belongs (Polish, Romanian, Ukrainian or Slovak) can be found in this book, too. (There are often copies on eBay for under $25.00.)

Other books, which are definitely in the collectible category, as they are somewhat rare and expensive, include: 

• Andy Warhol is arguably the most famous Rusyn. Raymond M. Herbenick wrote Andy Warhol’s Religious and Ethnic Roots: The Carpatho-Rusyn Influence on His Art. Mellen Press still carries the book, but it’s $200.00. However, that is much cheaper than the $350-500 prices when the book is found on Amazon or eBay.
• Another fun book is Rusyn Easter Eggs from Eastern Slovakia by Pavlo Markovyc, 1987. It costs around $100.00 when copies can be found for sale online.
• The Lost World of Subcarpathian Rus’: Photographs of Rudolph Hulka, 2016 (Out of stock from C-RRC)
• Peoples of North America: The Carpatho-Rusyn Americans, Paul Robert Magocsi, 1989 (Out of print)
• The Rusyn-Ukrainians of Czechoslovakia, Paul Robert Mabocsi, 1993 (Out of stock from C-RRC)
• Byzantine Rite Rusins in Carpatho-Ruthenia and America by Walter C. Warzeski, 1971 (~$100.00 on eBay or Amazon)

Rusyn language book recommendations:

Learning to speak the Rusyn language is not for the faint of heart. C-RRC has several language books for sale, including revised editions of Let’s Speak Rusyn (Prešov Region edition, Transcarpathian edition, and Lemko Region edition. Each is just $15.00. These books are basic vocabulary and phrase guides, but are helpful because they present information in 3 columns – English translation, Cyrillic alphabet, and a pronunciation guide using the Latin alphabet.

Stefan M. Pugh published a textbook (Вітаєме! Welcome!) for learning Rusyn in 2021. This textbook requires knowledge of the Cyrillic alphabet and its pronunciation, as there are no tapes or videos. ($32.75 from C-RRC) 

If you are looking for a more interactive learning experience, try the Carpatho-Rusyn Society’s own Introduction to Rusyn Language & Culture: A Basic, Self-Study Course for English Speakers, which comes with a CD. ($60.00 from C-RS)