PREPARATION FOR THE ESTABLISHMENT OF A RUTHENIAN CULTURAL AND EDUCATIONAL NATIONAL SOCIETY

Abstract

Until 1918, Ruthenians in the Southern Hungary did not have their cultural, educational and national organizations or institutions. An attempt to start with publishing of the calendar for 1913 in the native language of the Ruthenians in Bačka and Srem was a realistic way to develop their cultural-educational and national life, but only after the collapse of the Austro-Hungarian Empire and the foundation of the Kingdom of SCS, which created favorable conditions to move in that direction. Preparations for the establishment of the first Ruthenian cultural-educational societies in this region revealed dilemmas about accepting the Ruthenian language, and problems of choice of the language taught at schools, which was related to the provision of textbooks for the Ruthenian schools. Partitions and a lack of willingness on the part of activities of the Ruthenian intelligence and objectively unfavorable postwar conditions were very strong obstacles to very agile Đura Bindas to start with the implementation of plans to initiate an educational, cultural and national revival of the Ruthenians. Finally, on 02 July 1919, the Constitutional Assembly established Ruthenian National Educational Society in Novi Sad in order to preserve the Ruthenian ethnicity, expand and develop cultural and educational life, and represent the interests of the Ruthenians in the country.