12th International Summer School for Rusyn Language and Culture - Studium Carpatho-Ruthenorum 2024

Now offered for the twelfth time, the program’s goal is to help participants acquire or strengthen communicative competency in the Rusyn literary language and to broaden their knowledge of Carpatho-Rusyn history, culture and ethnography.

The University of Prešov is the only university in the Slovak Republic which offers an accredited program toward bachelor’s and master’s degrees in Rusyn language and literature, both administered through the Institute of Rusyn Language and Culture. The University of Prešov is also the only university in the world which has responded to interest in Rusyn Studies on the part of individuals both locally and from abroad by hosting a three-week educational program, entitled Studium Carpatho-Ruthenorum International Summer School for Rusyn Language and Culture.

The Studium summer school is intended for those interested in studying the Rusyn language and the history of the Carpatho-Rusyns, including high school (18 and over) and college students, as well as Slavists and any who wish to broaden their knowledge of East Slavic language, history, and culture. Participants can expect to acquire a familiarity with or strengthen their competency in the Rusyn language, as well as gain an understanding of Carpatho-Rusyn history, culture, literature, and ethnography.

The language of instruction, in parallel courses, is either Rusyn or English. The program offers 20 hours of history lectures and 30 hours of language instruction. A ten-hour course in Carpatho-Rusyn ethnography will be offered in English and a course in Carpatho-Rusyn ethnography in Rusyn as part of the curriculum. The 12th year of the Studium Carpatho-Ruthenorum will include four hours of lectures in Carpatho-Rusyn literature. Extra practice sessions outside of the classroom will help participants strengthen their conversational skills. Participants who complete the program receive official certificates from the Studium, and transcripts will be available for students who wish to earn credits for the program through their home universities.

CARPATHO-RUSYN HISTORY: The history lecture series focuses on Carpathian Rus’ and the Carpatho-Rusyns worldwide from the earliest times to the present. Lecturers include Professor Dr. Paul Robert Magocsi, University of Toronto, and Assoc. Prof. Volodymyr Fenych, Uzhhorod National University, Ukraine.

RUSYN LANGUAGE: The Rusyn language is offered for beginners, for students who have some knowledge of Russian, Ukrainian, or another Slavic language, and for native speakers of Rusyn. These classes are intended to help participants acquire an understanding of the theoretical linguistic aspects of the Rusyn language, as well as to develop proficiency in the spoken and written language. Lecturers include Assoc. Prof. Dr. Kvetoslava Koporová, University of Prešov, and Dr. Nathan Marks, University of Oklahoma.

CARPATHO-RUSYN ETHNOGRAPHY: The course in Carpatho-Rusyn ethnography is taught in English by Mgr. Katarína Babčáková, PhD., National Centre of Culture and Further Education, Slovakia, and in Rusyn by Assoc. Prof. Dr. Valerii Padiak, University of Prešov, and covers selected topics in folklore and ethnography.

LECTURES ON CARPATHO-RUSYN LITERATURE: The lectures in English present a new perspective on the past and present of Carpatho-Rusyn literature. The lecturer is Assoc. Prof. Dr. Nicholas Kupensky, United States Air Force Academy. The lecturer in Rusyn is Assoc. Prof. dr. Valerii Padiak, University of Prešov.

EXTRACURRICULAR ACTIVITIES: The following activities take place outside of class and include:

– presentations on Rusyn traditions, folklore, and the socio-cultural life of Carpatho-Rusyns in Slovakia;

– presentations on Rusyn folk architecture and culture, including visits to museums, skanzens, and wooden churches, and excursions in the Prešov Region of northeastern Slovakia where Carpatho-Rusyns reside and abroad;

– a Rusyn literary evening;

– visits to the Alexander Dukhnovych Theater and film viewings;

– pysankŷ (wax resist egg decorating), folksong and dance workshops;

– participation in the teaching process in a Rusyn elementary school.

HOUSING AND MEALS:

Participants are housed in a University of Prešov dormitory in standard 2-bed/2-room suites with Internet access for laptop computers and dine in the university cafeteria. The dormitory provides a communal kitchen with refrigerator, washing machines, and dryers. Wireless Internet is accessible in the cafeteria building. Available in the university neighborhood are grocery stores, a pharmacy, restaurants, Internet cafes, bookstores, and easy access to city transportation.

APPLICATIONS: Applications and a complete program schedule for the Studium may be found at http://www.unipo.sk/cjknm/hlavne-sekcie/urjk/ls/2024/ and http://www.c-rrc. org. Applications will be accepted online until April 1.

To register for the Studium Carpatho-Ruthenorum 2024, you need to fill in and send the registration form, which can be found at: https://www.unipo.sk/cjknm/hlavne-sekcie/urjk/ ls/2024/en/.

COST:

The cost for the three-week session, including tuition, housing, three meals daily, all excursions, and all museum admissions, is 1800 Euros or $2000. A non-refundable administrative deposit of 100 Euros or $100.00 is due by April 15, 2024. This fee will be applied to the total cost, with the remainder of 1700 Euros or $1900.00 due by May 15, 2024.

Participants are responsible for their own travel costs to and from Prešov. Some financial aid for undergraduate and graduate students registered in a college or university may be available on a needs basis.

Please address any requests for financial aid at:

Prešovská univerzita v Prešove, Ústav rusínskeho jazyka a kultúry, Ul. 17. novembra 1, 080 01 Prešov, SLOVAK REPUBLIC

urjk@unipo.sk

PAYMENT by bank transfers is preferred:

Current Account: Prešovská univerzita Prešov, Account Number: 7000066503/8180 BIC - SWIFT: SPSR SKBA, IBAN: SK15 8180 0000 0070 0006 6503, Bank Name: Štátna pokladnica, Bank Address: Radlinského 32, 810 05 Bratislava 15, Slovak Republic, Variable symbol: 1840

Due to the high cost of wire transfers from US banks, we recommend the use of TransferWise (now called Wise), by which it is possible to quickly and securely pay from your bank account, or by debit or credit card to the account information above. It is also possible to pay in cash upon arrival in. Unfortunately, it is not possible to accept US checks.

CONTACTS:

Within Slovakia and Europe, contact Dr. Timea Verešová, (English-speaking) for information, at urjk@unipo.sk, tel.: +421 (51) 757 0253, +421 915 412 917. Within North America, contact Associate Professor Dr. Patricia Krafcik, at krafcikp@evergreen.edu.