PolishOrigins(TM) Forum

Re: Lemkos and Boykos

KHHardy — Wed Apr 11, 2018 4:36 am

Author: KHHardy

Posted: Wed Apr 11, 2018 4:36 am

My grandfather Franciszek Jozef Zalot (b. 1896) who was NOT Lemko was from Brzozow, but his wife Mariam Pearl Krapko *was* Lemko--although I can't figure out where the family was from. My grandma Mary's parents immigrated to America 3 years before her birth: My g-grandfather Antony Krapko (could be Chrapko/Chrapko transliterated?) was born in 1872 and emigrated to America in 1900, two years before his wife, Baska Drahuszczak (b. ~1869). Their oldest children "Steve" and Katherine were born prior to emigrating. The family was Greek Catholic.

Any help on finding *any* information would be appreciated: my mother regrets being utterly uncurious before her parents died--and knows nothing about the family. Since my parents' home was destroyed in the floods of hurricane Harvey (including my grandfather's original Austrian passport), I don't have much to go on, and it would make my mom really happy to have any info on the family.

Dziękuje bardzo!

Re: Lemkos and Boykos

PESteeves — Tue Jan 23, 2018 6:10 pm

Author: PESteeves

Posted: Tue Jan 23, 2018 6:10 pm

Thank-you for the warm welcome, Aga.

I have had others tell me that they thought Powchak was the American version of Popochak. Hopefully someone here will connect with the family name. I will continue to look, but feel at a disadvantage without knowledge of the language and writing.

Pam

Re: Lemkos and Boykos

Agnieszka Pawlus — Tue Jan 23, 2018 1:47 am

Author: Agnieszka Pawlus

Posted: Tue Jan 23, 2018 1:47 am

Pamela,

Welcome to our Forum!
All I was able to find about the genealogy of Maksym Sandowicz (as this would be the original transcription of this surname) is that he came from Zdynia and his parents were Tymoteusz (Timofiej) and Krystyna Sandowicz. Here is the article about him in Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maxim_Sandovich

As for Powchak, I checked the surnames Powczak and similar with no results. Maybe it was Popowczak?
See the surname distribution map: http://www.moikrewni.pl/mapa/kompletny/popowczak.html.

Several Popowczak families were living in Krempna: http://www.carpatho-rusyn.org/new/157.htm, Konieczna: http://www.carpatho-rusyn.org/new/150.htm and Bednarka: http://www.carpatho-rusyn.org/new/29.htm

Re: Lemkos and Boykos

PESteeves — Mon Jan 22, 2018 10:58 pm

Author: PESteeves

Posted: Mon Jan 22, 2018 10:58 pm

Yes, Aga.

I have just recently learned of my Lemko heritage. My great grandparents Christina Sandovich and Wasil/William Powchak were from Galicia. My understanding is that she is 1/2 sister of Saint Maxim Sandovich. I welcome any and all information about these surnames.

Thank-you for allowing me membership here.

Pam

Re: Lemkos and Boykos

Agnieszka Pawlus — Fri Dec 15, 2017 9:13 am

Author: Agnieszka Pawlus

Posted: Fri Dec 15, 2017 9:13 am

Have you heard about the Vistula operation (Akcja Wisła)?

This year is the 70th anniversary of the displacements of people.
Watch the documentary on the exile of Lemkos: "Even tears were not enough"
The whole movie is available on YouTube - maybe this is a good option for the upcoming weekend

[html-link]

Re: Ruthenians, Lemkos too?

PolAmPrincess53 — Tue Feb 28, 2017 3:42 pm

Author: PolAmPrincess53

Posted: Tue Feb 28, 2017 3:42 pm

I had the same thing on my grandmother's Ellis Island manifest. She was born in Stary Dxikow (Podkarpackie, formerly Lubaczow). She was also RC and identified her ethnicity as Ruthenian. The village is about 20-25 km from the current Ukranian border, and her maiden name was Mudlo, a name found most often in modern day Ukraine. Wondered if she was also a Lemko. I know a lot of them were expelled from this area after WWII.

Re: Lemkos and Boykos

Henryk — Thu Jan 15, 2015 1:36 pm

Author: Henryk

Posted: Thu Jan 15, 2015 1:36 pm

Aga Pawlus wrote:

Edziu,

The term Ruthenians might have different connotations. This might be historical term for people living in Ruthenia - historical area in the medieval kingdom of Kievan Rus'.

The use of Ruthenian continued into the inter-war period.
From: Polish Encyclopaedia: Volume II: Territory and Population of Poland
Original: Published by the Committee For the Polish Encyclopaedia Publications at Fribourg And Geneva (Switzerland), Printed by ATAR Ltd, Geneva, 1924
Reprint: Publications of the Polish National Committee Of America, Reprint Edition by Arno Press, 1972
In the pre-War I Russian censuses and the German 1916 census, Ruthenian is used for Ukrainians, and White-Ruthenian for Bela-Rusian.

Re: Lemkos and Boykos

Agnieszka Pawlus — Thu Jan 15, 2015 2:40 am

Author: Agnieszka Pawlus

Posted: Thu Jan 15, 2015 2:40 am

Edziu,

The term Ruthenians might have different connotations. This might be historical term for people living in Ruthenia - historical area in the medieval kingdom of Kievan Rus'.

In narrower, ethnographic sense Ruthenians or Rusyns are ethnic group of a cross-border region around the northern Carpathian Mountains. Inhabited (and some of them still are) today's Poland, Ukraine, Slovakia. They were mainly Greek-Catholics, spoke the Ruthenian language (I had the opportunity to hear the Lemko dialect and this is something between Polish and Ukrainian). Ruthenians have local sub-groups: Lemkos, Boykos, Hutsuls, Rusyns from Slovakia, and some more smaller groups.

Your case is interesting: as you mentioned your grandfather was Roman Catholic and he came from Krzywa near Sędziszów. This area was inhabited by ethnically Polish group: Rzeszowiacy. I do not know why he considered himself Ruthenian? Maybe had some Ruthenian roots in earlier generations?

Lemko's

Edziu340 — Wed Jan 14, 2015 11:39 am

Author: Edziu340

Posted: Wed Jan 14, 2015 11:39 am

Aga,
On my grandfathers immigration records he identifies himself as Ruthenian. He was Roman Catholic. Do you have any information about what is Ruthenian? He was from Krzywa village, of Czarna Parish in Sedzsizow Malopolska.

Lemkos and Boykos

Agnieszka Pawlus — Wed Jan 14, 2015 11:01 am

Author: Agnieszka Pawlus

Posted: Wed Jan 14, 2015 11:01 am

Do you have any ancestors coming from the south-east part of Poland (Sanok, Brzozów, Przemyśl, Gorlice) or from western part of today's Ukraine?

It is possible that they were Boykos or Lemkos: ethnic sub-group inhabiting the Carpathian Mountains who also identify as Rusyn.

We will try to post here some interesting articles or other links concerning those groups.
To begin with, watch these historical photographsof Lemko and Boyko people:

[html-link]

During PO Galicia Tour we will visit the land of Boykos and Lemkos. You will have the opportunity to find out more about their culture during the first 3 days of the tour (especially in Sanok's open air museum).

See our itinerary and the details of the tour: http://polishorigins.com/document/galicia_tour