ETHNOGEOGRAPHIC GROUNDLESSNESS AND DESTRUCTIVE GEOPOLITICAL ORIENTATION OF THE ANTI-UKRAINIAN GEOPOLITICAL PROJECT OF POLITICAL RUSYNISM
Authors: Dnistrianskyi Myroslav 
Published: June 2022

Various aspects and consequences of spreading the ideology of political Rusynism as a special ethno-separatist project constructed by foreign centers, which is aimed at the rejection of ethnic Ukrainians from the Ukrainian people of the Transcarpathian region and people from this region, are revealed. It is concluded that this project received some support among the local population due to the later establishment of the self-name "Ukrainians" in the Transcarpathian region.

The preconditions for the emergence of political Rusynism, its basic principles and destructive geopolitical orientation have been studied. The ethnohistorical, ethnogeographical and ethnolinguistic groundlessness of the interpretation of the Ukrainian population of the Transcarpathian region, as well as ethnic Ukrainians in some neighboring states as a separate nation - Ruthenians is substantiated. On the basis of ethnographic materials, the kinship of Ukrainians of the Transcarpathian region and the Ukrainian population of neighboring regions was revealed. The location of the population of the Transcarpathian region, which according to the 2001 census identified itself as Ruthenian, is mapped, its low demographic weight and concentration mainly in ethnocontact strips are shown. The position that Ruthenian ethnic separatism is the basis for political separatism, generating various ideas of violating the territorial and political integrity of Ukrainian society, also distorting the international image of Ukraine is substantiated.

Specific examples show the demographic losses among foreign Ukrainians due to the spread of the project of political Rusynism and the disruption of cultural ties between different groups of the Ukrainian diaspora. Its negative impact on the development of religious and religious relations is revealed. It is concluded that the State of Ukraine has all the means to eliminate ethno-political and geopolitical dangers caused by various organizations and groups of political Rusyns in Ukraine and abroad, but subject to active and qualified action in information and legal policy.

Political Rusynism is a predominantly ethno-separatist project artificially constructed by foreign centers, aimed at alienating ethnic Ukrainians from the Transcarpathian region and people from the region, but gaining some support among the local population through the later establishment of the self-proclaimed "Ukrainians" in the Transcarpathian region. The majority of the Ukrainian population of Zakarpattia region belongs to such ethnographic groups of the Ukrainian people as Boyks, Lemkos, Hutsuls, who also live in neighboring Ukrainian regions, which indicates the connection of ethnic Ukrainians with the core of the Ukrainian people. The analysis of Transcarpathian dialects also testifies to the groundlessness of the conclusions about the existence of a separate Ruthenian people. The cartographic location of the population of the Zakarpattia region, which according to the 2001 census identified itself as Ruthenians, showed its low demographic weight and concentration mainly in ethnocontact strips.Ruthenian ethnic separatism is the basis for political separatism, generating various ideas of violation of the territorial and political integrity of Ukrainian society, also distorting the international image of Ukraine. The influences of political Rusynism on church life are also negative.The spread of political Rusynism among foreign Ukrainians has led to significant demographic losses of the Ukrainian population and disruption of cultural ties between different groups of the Ukrainian diaspora. The state of Ukraine has all the means to eliminate ethno-political and geopolitical dangers caused by the activities of various organizations and groups of political Rusyns in Ukraine and abroad, but subject to active and qualified action in the field of information and legal policy.

Key words: territorial and political integrity of Ukraine, political Rusynism as an anti-Ukrainian project, separatism in Ukraine, geopolitics, foreign Ukrainians, ethnodemographic processes.