THE FIRST PHASE OF PUBLISHING THE <em>RUTHENIAN NEWSPAPER</em> (1924-1930)

Abstract

The Ruthenian National Educational Society, founded in 1919, started publishing in 1924 a weekly newspaper – Ruthenian Newspaper – the first newspaper in the language of the Ruthenians of South Hungary/Yugoslavia. From the very beginning the Russian National Educational Society (RNPD) had financial problems in publishing the Ruthenian Newspaper, and at the beginning of the world economic crisis these problems started to endanger the publication. Eventually, at the very end of the year 1930 the publishing of the newspaper was briefly put to a stop.

A deeper analysis of the problems concerning the publishing of the Ruthenian Newspaper shows that there were not only financial, but also other problems that RNPD had to face, such as lack of interest among a big part of Ruthenian population for the newspaper, the strengthening of some circles who started to more openly express their disbelief and dissatisfaction with the national and religious orientation of the leadership of the RNPD. The crisis caused the cracs and breaking up between the older and younger generations in RNPD in their attitude towards the national issue of the Ruthenians in the state and towards its solving. The end of the first phase in the publishing of the Ruthenian Newspaper will be marked by the arrival of a younger generation and by gradual changes in standpoints and in solving the national issue of the Ruthenians in the Kingdom of Yugoslavia.