Dobre Den! Good Day! My name is Cheryl Dutko and I am an American of Carpatho-Rusyn descent. I imagine that you never heard of a country called Carpatho-Rus and you would be correct. There never was a country of that name. But people who live in the Carpathian Mountains of Eastern Europe are from a region that was called Rus (not Russia) that today encompasses the countries of Poland, Slovakia, Ukraine and Romania.
The crafts that I learned were taught to me from my mother, who learned from her mother, my Baba, who also learned from her mother. The ethnic crafts and foods from this region are colorful and vibrant and made use of all of the natural resources abundant in the area. People who lived in this rural and mountainous region were farmers, herders or miners and despite their economic status found creative ways to express their art. Beeswax was used after harvesting honey combined with simple tools to create designs with the melted wax on eggs (pisanki). Embroidery designs were derived from natural fauna or the wildlife in the region as well as everyday life and religious traditions.
The ethnic dances of the region are based on everyday events such as herding, preparing for winter or courting. Influences from many regions were incorporated over time to reflect the ruling power at the time. Dances are spirited and varied from village to village.
There are also many other traditions of the Carpatho-Rusyn people such as ethnic foods particular to the region (pirohi, holubki, kapusta) as well as many religious traditions. I love them all, but embroidery, pisanki and dancing are my favorites.
You can reach Cheryl at momdutko@gmail.com