Rusin

Rusin is an ethnonym with several related uses in the East Slavic and Central European context. Historically, it has been used to refer to the Ruthenian or Rusyn populations of the Carpathian region and their language, and in other languages the form appears as Rusin (Polish), Русин (Russian/Ukrainian), or Rusín (Czech/Slovak). In English, Ruthenian or Rusyn are common labels for these communities and their speech.

The core group associated with the name are the Rusyns, an East Slavic people concentrated in the Carpathian Mountains and surrounding areas. They speak Rusyn, a language or language continuum that is related to Ukrainian and Belarusian but treated by many scholars and communities as a distinct language with several regional varieties. Rusyn is written in both Latin and Cyrillic scripts depending on local tradition and state policy. The Rusyn language and identity are associated with a range of religious communities, including the Greek Catholic Church (Byzantine rite) and various Orthodox jurisdictions.

Geographically, Rusyn communities have historically inhabited areas that are now part of Ukraine (notably Transcarpathia), Slovakia, Poland, Romania, and the Czech Republic, with smaller populations in Serbia, Croatia, and the broader diaspora in North America and Australia. In modern times, Rusyn identity has been the subject of cultural revival and varying degrees of minority rights recognition in different states, reflecting the region’s complex history in the 20th and 21st centuries.

Rusin is also a surname of Slavic origin, found in several countries in Central and Eastern Europe.