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Alexander
Duchnovich: Priest and Nationalist,
1803-1865
Carpatho-Russians trace their heritage to the Carpathian Mountains, once part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire. They have endured many years under foreign occupation, weakening their sense of national identity. A majority of them immigrated to Cleveland before the First World War. The Encyclopedia of Cleveland History
Alexander Duchnovich is a key figure in Russian history due to his dedication to the cultural integrity and nationalist spirit of the Carpatho-Russian people. He was a Greek Orthodox priest who wrote several books in the Rusin language. He is perhaps most known for writing the Rusin National Anthem while being imprisoned for having Rusin tendencies. When asked to renounce those tendencies for freedom, Duchnovich refused. (Lederer, Clara. Their Paths Are Peace. p.88)
“In addition to the National Anthem, he is famous for the Rusin national march, several primers for children, volumes of poems, plays and history, and—one of the most cherished treasures of the Rusin people—a prayer-book, The Bread of the Soul." (Lederer, Clara. Their Paths Are Peace. p.88)
On May of 1952, a bust of Father Alexander Basil Duchnovich was unveiled by Father Joseph Hanulya in the Rusin garden. Inscribed on the pedestal of the bust are the words, “Ja Rusyn byl, jesm’ y budu” or “I was, am, and always will be Rusyn.” The bust was stolen and no longer stands in the garden. Carpatho-Rusyn Society
Photographs:
Bust of Duchnovich Carpatho-Rusyn Society, Cleveland: Bust no longer stands
Further Reading:
Carpatho-Russians, Encyclopedia of Cleveland History
Cleveland State University, Special Collections Library