The Political Rusyn Movement in Zakarpattia
In Ukraine's western Zakarpattia region, the activities of figures associated with political Rusynism, including priest Dmytro Sydor and blogger Gabriella Derepa, have drawn significant scrutiny. Their calls for regional autonomy, ties to pro-Russian groups, and ongoing legal troubles are central to this attention. Dmytro Sydor, the head of the Cathedral of the Exaltation of the Cross in Uzhhorod and leader of the 'Soym of Subcarpathian Rusyns', was charged by the SBU in 2023 under Article 161 of the Criminal Code for inciting religious hatred. Previously, in 2012, he received a three-year suspended sentence for actions threatening Ukraine's territorial integrity.
Sydor has long championed autonomy for Rusyns. At a 2008 congress in Mukacheve, he supported a memorandum calling for the restoration of Rusyn statehood, and later that year in Minsk, he proclaimed the independence of the 'Republic of Subcarpathian Rus'. His organization is reported to have received funding from the Russian foundation 'Russkiy Mir'. Sydor ran unsuccessfully for the Zakarpattia Regional Council in 2020 on the ticket of the pro-Russian Opposition Platform — For Life (OPZZh) party. In 2022, SBU searches of his cathedral uncovered propaganda materials and symbols related to the 'Republic of Subcarpathian Rus' and the OPZZh. As of March 31, 2026, a verdict in Sydor's case has not been announced.
Gabriella Derepa and Core Demands of the Movement
Gabriella Derepa, a blogger of Ukrainian origin now based in Switzerland, is another vocal supporter. In 2025, she addressed a UN forum in Zurich, urging recognition of Carpatho-Rusyns as a minority in Ukraine. The 2001 Ukrainian census recorded 10,000 citizens identifying as Rusyns. Other key figures include Petro Getsko, a self-proclaimed Rusyn leader who has been in hiding in Russia since 2014. He was sentenced in absentia to 12 years in prison in 2021, and then to 20 years in April 2023 for state treason and separatism.
The primary political demands associated with this Rusyn faction are:
- The separation of Zakarpattia from Ukraine;
- The creation of a 'Rusyn Autonomous Region of Subcarpathian Rus'.
The broader Rusyn movement contains two main strands: a cultural wing focused on linguistic and cultural rights, and a political wing with close links to the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the Moscow Patriarchate (UOC-MP), communist and pro-Russian parties, and Russian security services. Paul Robert Magocsi, Honorary President of the World Council of Rusyns and chair of Ukrainian studies at the University of Toronto, stated in 2008 that the Council distances itself from all forms of extremism.
Sydor has commented on the situation, stating: 'We accuse Kyiv of ethnocide, of discrimination with clear elements of genocide.'
Thus, the actions of Sydor and Derepa continue to spotlight issues of autonomy and cultural identity for Rusyns in Ukraine. The Rusyn movement in Zakarpattia reflects the complex interplay of national identity within Ukraine, particularly amid ongoing political tensions. This dynamic could influence future state policy toward national minorities and internal political processes in the region. The interaction between cultural and political groups representing Rusyns may have significant implications for the stability and development of Zakarpattia.