Articles by Bogdan Horbal
Shortly after the resettlement of the Lemkos during Operation "Vistula" (1947), the adjective "po... more Shortly after the resettlement of the Lemkos during Operation "Vistula" (1947), the adjective "post-Lemko" (połemkowski) began appearing in Polish official documents, journalistic works, and academic studies. Although not everyone writing about the Lemkos uses this term (and some explicitly argue against its use), the practice has persisted to this day. The author discusses this usage and advocates for its discontinuation.
Forty years ago, when Paul Robert Magocsi’s book Our People: Carpatho-Rusyns and Their Descendant... more Forty years ago, when Paul Robert Magocsi’s book Our People: Carpatho-Rusyns and Their Descendants in North America was published, it was the first comprehensive history of Carpatho-Rusyn immigrant communities in the United States and Canada. It served as both an academic and popular text, becoming a "bible" for many Carpatho-Rusyn Americans and Canadians, helping them understand who they are, where they come from, and why their ancestors left Europe to settle in the New World. At the same time, this publication became a starting point for scholars studying Carpatho-Rusyns in America, who treated its narrative on the shape and transformations of Carpatho-Rusyn migration almost as dogma. In 2023, the 5th, revised edition was published.
"Serving the Slavic and East European and Eurasian Collections of the New York Public Library: A First Biographical Listing of Staff, Volunteers, and Advisors," Slavic & East European Information Resources 25, no. 2-3 (2024): 301–415.
This article represents the first-ever attempt to create a biographical dictionary of the New Yor... more This article represents the first-ever attempt to create a biographical dictionary of the New York Public Library’semployees and volunteers who contributed their time and expertise to the development, cataloging, description, and ser-vice of the Library’s Slavic and East European collections, from their origins at the Astor and Lenox Libraries to the present day
"Acknowledgments and Accolades to the Slavic & East European Staff, NYPL: A First List," Slavic & East European Information Resources Volume 25, no. 2-3 (2024): 268–300
The Slavic and East European staff of the New York Public Library have received numerous acknowle... more The Slavic and East European staff of the New York Public Library have received numerous acknowledgments and accolades over their 125 years of service to both domestic and international research communities. The published expressions of praise presented here, listed in chronological order, were compiled from HathiTrust, Google Books, and information pro-vided by former curators and staff of the Slavic and Baltic Division. To our knowledge, this is the first such checklist evercreated.
“Snatching Victory from the Jaws of Defeat: The Rebranding of SS Cheliushkin,” in The Awe of the Arctic: A Visual History, edited by Elizabeth Cronin; with a foreword by Brent Reidy (Berlin: Hatje Cantz, 2024): 174-177.
"Russian Publishing Abroad: The New York Public Library Collections in the Longer View," Slavic & East European Information Resources 25, no. 1 (2024): 54-69.
From the early years of its existence the New York Public Library has systematically acquired Rus... more From the early years of its existence the New York Public Library has systematically acquired Russian titles published outside of Russia. They first included works by Russian authors escaping czarist censorship but soon gave way to publications by authors who could not freely publish their works in the Soviet Union. Russian and other publishers operating outside of Russia/Soviet Union played a vital role in making these works available to a broader public.
NOTE: This article is part of a series of three scholarly pieces in this issue dedicated to Tamizdat Publications at the New York Public Library (NYPL): 1. “What is Tamizdat?” by Yasha Klots 2. “Russian Tamizdat Publications at the New York Public Library: A Checklist,” by Hee-Gwone Yoo 3. “Russian Publishing Abroad: The New York Public Library Collections in the Longer View,” by Bogdan Horbal
At the pick of his career, Mihály Munkácsy (1844-1900) was seen in the first rank of living artis... more At the pick of his career, Mihály Munkácsy (1844-1900) was seen in the first rank of living artists. Many of his works were acquired by American collectors, including Blind Milton Dictating "Paradise Lost" to His Daughters. This large work had been displayed in many European cities before it arrived in New York City to be permanently displayed at the Lenox Library, the predecessor of the New York Public Library. The article discusses the marketing and the reception of the painting in the late 19 th century.
Beginning in 1970, Krēsliņš reviewed books and articles on the history of the Baltic states for t... more Beginning in 1970, Krēsliņš reviewed books and articles on the history of the Baltic states for the Association for the Advancement of Baltic Studies Newsletter. He was elected a Foreign Member of the Latvian Academy of Sciences, Division of Social Sciences and Humanities, in recognition of his many publications on the history and literatures of the Baltic region and collections of poetry. In additional to all his attainments, Krēsliņš was a passionate collector of Lettica books, archives, and art. His son, Dr. Jānis Krēsliņš, Jr., is Senior Academic Librarian for Research Affairs at the National Library of Sweden (Kungliga biblioteket).
The first stirrings of a Carpatho-Rusyn (Ruthenian) cultural revival in America began in the earl... more The first stirrings of a Carpatho-Rusyn (Ruthenian) cultural revival in America began in the early 1970s. It is fair to say that sociologist Richard Renoff was among its first heralds and remained one of its most stalwart supporters. He defended his still as yet unpublished doctoral dissertation on "the loss of community among the Carpatho-Rusyns" at New York University's Department of Sociology in 1971. In many respects, Richard's professional interests were shaped by the circumstances of his birth, education, and the ethnic and minority social politics that prevailed during the period of his early career.
"The Latvian Collections at the New York Public Library: A Historical Overview," Slavic & East European Information Resources 23, no. 4 (2022): 392-432.
The NYPL’s Latvian collection is one of the largest in North America. Herman Rosenthal, the first... more The NYPL’s Latvian collection is one of the largest in North America. Herman Rosenthal, the first chief of the Slavonic Division, was born in what is now Latvia and laid a solid foundation for this collection. In the 1920s and 1930s, the NYPL had an exchange partnership with the Latvian State Library. The Library also holds Latvian materials published during post World War II years, both from the Communist-dominated homeland and those printed in the West. At present, the NYPL is the lead library when it comes to the development of the Latvian collection within the framework of ReCAP cooperative collection development.
“42nd” and “The Heights:” A Century Long Romance," Slavic & East European Information Resources, 23, no. 1/2 (2022): 118–159.
The New York Public Library was created in 1895, the same year Columbia’s Low Library opened its ... more The New York Public Library was created in 1895, the same year Columbia’s Low Library opened its doors on the new campus in Morningside Heights. From that time on, the two institutions engaged in formal and informal cooperation in collection development and have been viewed as either complementary resources or even one resource. There were numerous individuals who, while being affiliated with one of these institutions, were also readers at the other institution or even impacted the other institution through their activities. The present essay highlights foundational interactions between the NYPL and Columbia University that had an enduring impact in the field of Slavic, East European, and Eurasian studies.
"Lemko Generals and Senior Officers"
Every ethnic group is proud of its accomplished individuals ... more "Lemko Generals and Senior Officers"
Every ethnic group is proud of its accomplished individuals no matter
whether they function(ed) within this group or even manifest(ed) any association with it. Among the Lemkos, information about such individuals was passed on from generation to generation and was also recorded in scattered, printed accounts. In the present article, I reviewed information about several high-ranking military officers, including generals, who were reported to be of Lemko background. While my research provides basic biographical information about them it also shows that while most of these individuals were indeed of Lemko background, a few were not.
"Aleksandr Vasilevich Viskovatov and his Istoricheskoe opisanie odezhdy i vooruzheniia rossiiskikh voisk," Slavic & East European Information Resources 21:3-4 (2020): 211-226.
This article is devoted to Aleksandr Vasilevich Viskovatov’s
Istoricheskoe opisanie odezhdy i voo... more This article is devoted to Aleksandr Vasilevich Viskovatov’s
Istoricheskoe opisanie odezhdy i vooruzheniia rossiiskikh voisk
[Historical description of the uniforms and arms of the Russian
armies]. Published over the span of more than 20 years it
encompasses 30 volumes of explanatory text and 30 volumes
of illustrative materials (lithographs) dealing with the time period from the Middle Ages to the reign of Emperor Nicholas I (d.
1855). Unique in scope and size, this immense publication
remains, even to this day, the most widely recognized, cited,
and consulted work on the subject.
"Nowy Sącz as a Center of Western Lemko Region." -
At the turn of the 19th and the 20th centurie... more "Nowy Sącz as a Center of Western Lemko Region." -
At the turn of the 19th and the 20th centuries, Nowy Sącz became an important center for the Lemko Region. A group of East Galician activists teamed up with several local Lemko activists to set up Rusyn Boarding School (1898). Ideological differences led the former group to create a rival Ukrainian Boarding School (1902). Ukrainians also established the Lemko Bank (1903) and were behind the erection of a Greek Catholic church in the city (1911). Competing ethnonational agendas were also reflected in the activities of Prosvita (1902) and Kachkovsky (1903) societies. The overall presence of both groups in the city was noticeable. However, after World War I only the Greek Catholic parish continued its activity but when its church was destroyed, the Lemko organized presence in the city also disappeared.
American Carpatho-Rusyn scholarship of the modern era began in the early 1970s. Beginning in 1988... more American Carpatho-Rusyn scholarship of the modern era began in the early 1970s. Beginning in 1988 and continuing through 2019, scholars of Carpatho-Rusyn studies have regularly participated in the American scholarly world on panels and roundtables at the annual conventions of the Association for Slavic, East European, and Eurasian Studies and the Association for the Study of Nationalities. This essay surveys the history and development of Carpatho-Rusyn studies in the United States through an analysis of the research presented at these conferences since 1988. From general topics on panels organized by other ethnic groups to in-depth presentations on panels with specific Carpatho-Rusyn themes, and most recently to papers that apply new perspectives and research methodologies on multi-ethnic, multi-disciplinary panels and roundtables, the evolution of Carpatho-Rusyn studies over the last thirty years demonstrates the growth of the field in terms of quality and scholarly sophistication. The essay is followed by a bibliography and an appendix of Carpatho-Rusyn papers and panels presented at the annual convention of the Association for Slavic, East European, and Eurasian Studies from 1988 to 2019.
On April 28, 1947 Polish communist authorities began Operation ‘Vistula’ which they argued was to... more On April 28, 1947 Polish communist authorities began Operation ‘Vistula’ which they argued was to eliminate the activity of the Ukrainian Insurgent Army (UPA). One way to support this goal, according to them, was to resettle civil Ukrainian and Lemko population to the western and northern territories of Poland. Suspected UPA collaborators were to be imprisoned at the Central Labor Camp in the city of Jaworzno (formerly a part of the Auschwitz Concentration Camp). The first prisoners were brought in the early May of 1947. At least 543 people from the Lemko Region were eventually held there. The majority of them were Lemkos, but some Poles living among Lemkos were also arrested. Most had no ties to UPA and were victims of ethnic persecution. They were brought from local prisons and railway stations where the resettled population was loaded on the trains or were later pulled from transports during a stop-over in the city of Oświęcim. Due to brutal interrogations, torture, poor food and hygiene, all suffered loss of health while 18 Lemkos died. Prisoners were gradually released beginning in late December 1947, while some were moved to be imprisoned elsewhere. The Ukrainian part of the camp was closed in January 1949.
The New Rusyn Times, 2015
Lemkos began to settle in the United States in the late 1870s. By the mid-1880s, numerous communi... more Lemkos began to settle in the United States in the late 1870s. By the mid-1880s, numerous communities of Lemkos and other Carpatho-Rusyns were forming in the anthracite coal mining districts of northeastern Pennsylvania. One of the largest concentrations of Lemko immigrants was in the city of Shamokin and in surrounding coal “patches” such as Excelsior, Hickory Swamp, and Enterprise. The community’s development began with the founding of the Ss. Cyril & Methodius Brotherhood (1888) and Transfiguration Greek Catholic Church (1889).
In addition to the church and fraternal lodges, the 1889 founding of the Russian Mercantile Company, a cooperative store run by and for Lemkos/Carpatho-Rusyns, was a milestone that led to the proliferation of Lemko-owned hotels/taverns and grocery stores in the city. Many of the leading businessmen were also active in the local Greek Catholic parish and in the Ruskii Narodnŷi Soiuz/Russian National Union founded in Shamokin in 1893 (in 1914 renamed the Ukrainian National Association).
The article draws on city directories, biographical information, memoirs, and advertisements in newspapers and almanacs to describe the development of local Lemko community institutions and businesses. It focuses on the activities of community leaders and businessmen Tevdozii Talpash (Theodor Talpasz), Ivan/John Talpash, Iuliian Kopŷstianskii (Julian Kopyscianski), Ivan Glova (John Glowa), Aleksii Sharshon' (Alexis Sharshon), Havryl Malyniak (Gabriel Maliniak), Petro Kuzmych (Peter Kuzmicz), Iefrem Luchkovets (Ephrem Luczkovec), and others, some of whom even became board members of otherwise non-Lemko establishments functioning beyond their ethnic community. This serves to illustrate a ready adaptation to American society and a vibrant entrepreneurship in the early Lemko immigration that was first manifested in Shamokin and seen later in other American Lemko communities.
Ювілейний збірник на честь професора Павла-Роберта Маґочія: до 70-рiччя вiд дня народження науков... more Ювілейний збірник на честь професора Павла-Роберта Маґочія: до 70-рiччя вiд дня народження науковця = А Jubilee Collection: Essays in Honor of Professor Paul Robert Magocsi: On His 70th Birthday, відповід. ред. та упоряд.: Валерій Падяк, Патріція Крафчик, вип. ред. : Лариса Ільченко (Ужгород ; Пряшів ; Нью-Йорк: Видавництво В. Падяка, 2015): 259-271.
РІЧНИК РУСКОЙ БУРСЫ 2014 ROCZNIK RUSKIEJ BURSY "РУСКА БУРСА" ҐОРЛИЦІ GORLICE 2014 Богдан Горбаль ... more РІЧНИК РУСКОЙ БУРСЫ 2014 ROCZNIK RUSKIEJ BURSY "РУСКА БУРСА" ҐОРЛИЦІ GORLICE 2014 Богдан Горбаль Не спосіб тепер ствердити од як давна Руснакы были зобовязаны выполняти войскову службу, але приграничне положыня Лемковины мусіло уж давно накладати на них войсковы обовязкы. В 1578 році за пануваня короля Штефана Баторого основано тзв. ланову піхоту abyśmy w koronie i państwach naszych dostatek pieszych ludzi do potrzeb wojennych mieli. Хоц початково плянувано побором обняти вшыткых хлопів, Сойм затвердил, же до войсковой службы ze wsi królewskich ma być jeden człowiek na pieszego obrany (…) między inszemi śmielszy i dostateczniejszy i do potrzeby wojennej pochopniejszy1. Тых вояків не было дуже. Ци были медже нима Руснакы?
Uploads
Articles by Bogdan Horbal
NOTE: This article is part of a series of three scholarly pieces in this issue dedicated to Tamizdat Publications at the New York Public Library (NYPL): 1. “What is Tamizdat?” by Yasha Klots 2. “Russian Tamizdat Publications at the New York Public Library: A Checklist,” by Hee-Gwone Yoo 3. “Russian Publishing Abroad: The New York Public Library Collections in the Longer View,” by Bogdan Horbal
Every ethnic group is proud of its accomplished individuals no matter
whether they function(ed) within this group or even manifest(ed) any association with it. Among the Lemkos, information about such individuals was passed on from generation to generation and was also recorded in scattered, printed accounts. In the present article, I reviewed information about several high-ranking military officers, including generals, who were reported to be of Lemko background. While my research provides basic biographical information about them it also shows that while most of these individuals were indeed of Lemko background, a few were not.
Istoricheskoe opisanie odezhdy i vooruzheniia rossiiskikh voisk
[Historical description of the uniforms and arms of the Russian
armies]. Published over the span of more than 20 years it
encompasses 30 volumes of explanatory text and 30 volumes
of illustrative materials (lithographs) dealing with the time period from the Middle Ages to the reign of Emperor Nicholas I (d.
1855). Unique in scope and size, this immense publication
remains, even to this day, the most widely recognized, cited,
and consulted work on the subject.
At the turn of the 19th and the 20th centuries, Nowy Sącz became an important center for the Lemko Region. A group of East Galician activists teamed up with several local Lemko activists to set up Rusyn Boarding School (1898). Ideological differences led the former group to create a rival Ukrainian Boarding School (1902). Ukrainians also established the Lemko Bank (1903) and were behind the erection of a Greek Catholic church in the city (1911). Competing ethnonational agendas were also reflected in the activities of Prosvita (1902) and Kachkovsky (1903) societies. The overall presence of both groups in the city was noticeable. However, after World War I only the Greek Catholic parish continued its activity but when its church was destroyed, the Lemko organized presence in the city also disappeared.
In addition to the church and fraternal lodges, the 1889 founding of the Russian Mercantile Company, a cooperative store run by and for Lemkos/Carpatho-Rusyns, was a milestone that led to the proliferation of Lemko-owned hotels/taverns and grocery stores in the city. Many of the leading businessmen were also active in the local Greek Catholic parish and in the Ruskii Narodnŷi Soiuz/Russian National Union founded in Shamokin in 1893 (in 1914 renamed the Ukrainian National Association).
The article draws on city directories, biographical information, memoirs, and advertisements in newspapers and almanacs to describe the development of local Lemko community institutions and businesses. It focuses on the activities of community leaders and businessmen Tevdozii Talpash (Theodor Talpasz), Ivan/John Talpash, Iuliian Kopŷstianskii (Julian Kopyscianski), Ivan Glova (John Glowa), Aleksii Sharshon' (Alexis Sharshon), Havryl Malyniak (Gabriel Maliniak), Petro Kuzmych (Peter Kuzmicz), Iefrem Luchkovets (Ephrem Luczkovec), and others, some of whom even became board members of otherwise non-Lemko establishments functioning beyond their ethnic community. This serves to illustrate a ready adaptation to American society and a vibrant entrepreneurship in the early Lemko immigration that was first manifested in Shamokin and seen later in other American Lemko communities.