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 that
is 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 will
prove 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 Rusyn
language 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 distribution. All of these components are vital for the CD to be professionally produced. Martina and her team recognize that the project is financially demanding, but she believes it to be an “investment in preserving the language and culture, which can have a long-term impact on future generations.”
You can help this vision come to life by contributing your support to this project. To learn more about Martina and Spivana Prohul’ka, please watch the video recording of the presentation in the YouTube link below. Additionally, Martina discusses the ways people can donate. Please consider supporting Spivana Prohul’ka and its mission of assisting in the Rusyn language living on for the generations to come.
