Lemkovyna: A History of the Lemko Region of the Carpathian Mountains in Central Europe - Softcover

Polianskii, Ioann

Softcover

ISBN 10: 1938292014 ISBN 13: 9781938292019

Publisher: Carpathian Institute, 2012

Synopsis

Lemkovyna: A History of the Lemko Region of the Carpathian Mountains in Central Europe is both a celebration of the mountain area the author calls a "foretaste of paradise," and a lament over its suffering, especially the ethnic cleansing of its inhabitants after WW II. Along the way, Polianskii traces the social, political, and religious history of Lemkos and neighboring Carpatho-Rusyns, chronicling early Slavic tribes and the introduction of Christianity, how villagers earned their living and worked against long odds to improve their circumstances, including emigration to America, and how the Lemko world in the Carpathians was shattered by forced resettlements after the Second World War, including the infamous Operation "Vistula".

Polianskii's passion for his native region brings his subjects to life, from indentured servants in medieval manors to outlaws raiding noblemen's carriages. His eye for detail and access to source material are evident in the detailed histories of Lemko towns such as Sanok, Gorlice, Krynica, Nowy Sacz, and many more.

Appearing for the first time in English and including over one hundred photographs, along with Polianskii's own autobiography and appendices by Lemko scholars Paul Best, Walter Maksimovich, Mykhailo Almashii, Stanislaw Stepien, and Bogdan Horbal, this book is recommended not only for those with roots in the region, but for anyone looking for a unique perspective on a nearly forgotten corner of Central Europe.

About this title

About the Author

Author Ioann Polianskii (1888-1978) witnessed firsthand the turbulent history of an often forgotten corner of Europe, his native Lemko Region of Poland. Arrested six times by different political regimes, imprisoned in the twentieth century's first concentration camp, and briefly sentenced to death by the occupying Nazis, he survived it all to write this remarkable book, now available in English for the first time.

Edition details

• Publisher: Carpathian Institute
• Publication date: 2012
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 1938292014
• ISBN 13: 9781938292019
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 574
• Editor: Best Paul, Decerbo Michael, Maksimovich Walter