“Where do we come from?”: politics of memory in Nash Lemko

The article analyses the construction of the politics of memory in the newspaper Nash Lemko (Lviv, 1934-1939). The study has highlighted its conceptual thoughtfulness, genre diversity, and content richness. The aggressive national policy of the Second Rzeczpospolita made the newspaper primarily tackle the issue of “polonization” of Rusins’ historical consciousness. Therefore, Nash Lemko consistently argued about the age-old connection between Rusins and Ukrainians in numerous popular surveys, local lore essays, journalistic articles, and works of art. According to Nash Lemko editorial board, the Moscophile ideology posed the same danger as Polish propaganda, sinсe Old Rusin cultural influences were traditionally popular among the Lemkos. The newspaper contributors convinced their readers that the cultural Slavophilism of the Galician activists of the 19th century had nothing in common with the aggressive ideology of modern Moscophiles. Nash Lemko also paid a lot of attention to strengthening local patriotism. Promoting a deep knowledge of history and culture, the newspaper editors encouraged Lemkos to transform the ugly present and vigorously plan for the future. All these measures had a substantial consolidating effect on the Rusin community on the eve of WWII. Due to the carefully crafted politics of memory, the Lemkos formed a most cohesive emigration communities after after being expelled from their native lands.

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