by Bogdan Horbal
Bogdan Horbal's 1994 Karpatska Rus' piece tells the history of
Pravda*, the Carpatho-Rusyn newspaper founded in New York City on
February 2, 1902 by a group of activists led by Viktor P. Hladyk --
whose own biography, also by Horbal, appears in "Six Lemko Lives"
elsewhere in this room.*
By Bohdan Horbal - as published in "Karpatska Rus'," Yonkers,
NY March 4, 1994, Vol. LXVII, #5
On February 2, 1902 several Carpatho-Rusyn activists, led by Victor
P. Hladyk (born 1888 in the village of Kun'kova, Lemkovyna, died 1946),
met in New York City and decided to publish "a real Russian newspaper".
Money was borrowed to purchase a printing press and the first issue appeared
on March 24, 1902 (the old calendar). In the beginning it was difficult
to acquire readership for the newspaper. The Second General Convention
of the Russian Brotherhood Organization of the USA (R.B.O.) in September
1903 named Pravda its official publication and bought it from Hladyk
for $400. In May of 1906 the newspaper was moved to Olyphant, Pennsylvania
where the Rev. Feofan A. Obushkevych (born in 1841 in the village of Zhdynia,
Lemkovyna - died 1924) became editor. The next editor was I. Lutsyk , who
started publishing calendars of the RBO. The first calendar for the year
1909 appeared in 1908. M.P. Balandjuk briefly served as Pravda's editor;
subsequently his post was offered to Ilja Hojnjak (born in the village
of Ustja Ruske, Lemkovyna; died ??). At that time another Lemko - D. Salej
became manager. From the 4th of February 1919 this post was assumed by
Dymitrij Protsyk, who managed Pravda very well for over ten years. The
12th General Convention of the RBO, in June of 1921, placed the editorial
post once again, in the hands of Hladyk. A recent immigrant from Lemkovyna
- Symeon Pyzh (born 1894 in the village Vapenne - died 1957) was the next
one to assume the post of editor. Except for the period of March 1925 to
August 1926, when the editorial staff was led by Symeon Bendasluk, Pyzh
remained in this post for over ten years.
Up to the early thirties Pravda consisted of four pages and was published
twice weekly (Tuesday and Friday). There were plans to produce it daily
but these plans were never realized. After World War II, Pravda
became a weekly and soon thereafter, a monthly. In 1927 a single issue
of Pravda cost 3 cents.
News was published on the front page, including the most important information
concerning Carpatho-Rusyns, and the whole eastern Slavic region. The second
page carried articles and two or three editorials dealing exclusively with
Carpatho-Rusyn church, social and political life in America as well as
in the "Old Country." Probably the most interesting of these
was the regular feature "Letters from the Old Country." The third
and fourth pages consisted of financial reports of the RBO and other organizational
affairs. Advertisements included both ethnic Rusyn and non-Rusyn businesses.
The New York Public Library, thanks to the Carpatho-Ruthenian Microfilm
Project has an almost complete run of **Pravda **(call number ZAN-Q1208).
Unfortunately the first available issue dates from December 4, 1917. From
this date the collection is almost complete, without gaps, until 1975.
Pravda published ethnic community "calendars" Illjustrovanyj
Amerikansko-Russkij Kalendar, which ran 200-250 pages. It carried a
wide variety of articles including religious material, social and political
commentary and folk literature, as well as excerpts from 19th century Rusyn,
Ukrainian and Russian literature.
**Amerikansko- Russkij Kalendar **is also available in the New York
Public Library thanks to the Carpatho-Ruthenian Microfilm Project (call
number ZAN-Q1171.) Unfortunately this collection is not as complete as
the Pravda collection. The following volumes can be found on microfilm:
1925, 1928-1933, 1940, 1943, and 1950. Not on microfilm, but in their original
form are the following issues: 1909, 1912, 1914, 1920-1922, and 1924 (call
number QGAA). Taken together, these two sets give us a collection in which,
between the years of 1909 and 1940, only the following are still missing:
1910,1913, 1915-1919, 1926-1927 and 1934-1939.
Colophon
Bogdan Horbal's "About Pravda" (Karpatska Rus', Yonkers, NY, March 4,
1994, Vol. LXVII, #5) is hosted at carpatho-rusyn.org (Carpatho-Rusyn
Knowledge Base). Captured 2026-08-05 from
http://www.carpatho-rusyn.org/kr/pravda.htm. Published here under
permission held by the New Tianmu Anglican Church for this material,
recorded 2026-08-05; all rights remain with the original author, Bogdan
Horbal, and Karpatska Rus'.
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