Lemkos

The Lemkos, or Lemky, are an East Slavic ethnic group traditionally associated with the Lemkivshchyna region in the Carpathian Mountains. They are closely related to the Rusyns, and their language, Lemko, is generally considered a dialect of Rusyn within the East Slavic language family; many Lemkos are bilingual in Polish or Ukrainian.

Historically, the Lemkos trace their roots to medieval settlers in the Carpathians and lived in areas now part of southeastern Poland and adjacent regions of Ukraine and Slovakia. Under the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth and later the Austro-Hungarian Empire, they maintained distinct religious and cultural practices, with a majority traditionally following Eastern Christian rites (Greco-Catholic) and a significant Roman Catholic presence. In the 20th century, World War II and its aftermath disrupted Lemko communities; after the war, the Polish government pursued population transfers, most notably Operation Wisła in 1947, which dispersed many Lemkos to other parts of Poland and abroad.

In contemporary usage, Lemko identity persists among communities in Poland, Ukraine, Slovakia, and diaspora populations. Cultural preservation efforts focus on language, music, folklore, and religious rites, though language vitality varies by region. The Lemkos’ relationship to Rusyn and Ukrainian identities is diverse, with some identifying Lemko as a distinct ethnicity and others aligning with Rusyn or Ukrainian groups.