![]() This aggressive attitude was the basis of Vladimir Putin’s brutal invasion of Ukraine in 2022 due to Putin’s misguided belief that the Ukrainians are merely “Little Russians,” and not a distinct ethnic group within the wider Slavic community. The expansionist Russian Empire, autocratic and orthodox, deemed all other Slavic people as mere “tributary” streams flowing into the mighty Russian “river.” The Russians, they maintained, were foremost among the Slavic peoples, mandating a duty to recognize Russian superiority and leadership. Many Poles are rightfully suspicious of the concept of Pan Slavism because it has been used as an instrument of Russian chauvinism and imperialism. The Serbs and Macedonians are known as the “Southern Slavs,” Poles and Czechs are referred to as the “Western Slavs,” and Russians, Ukrainians and Belorussians are identified as “Eastern Slavs.” Each language is distinct, while the Eastern Slavs generally follow the Orthodox Christian faith while Poles and Czechs are predominately Roman Catholic. Stephen’s Church in Lackawanna, which I wrote about in a previous column. Cyril and Methodius Church in Blasdell and Serbian Fest at St. I thought about the story of Pan Slavism after attending two festivals this summer sponsored by the Macedonian community at SS. ![]() ![]() Although close kin, the brothers’ descendants eventually developed unique cultures and languages within the Slavic family of nations. Lech chased game which led him to the region of what is now Poland, Czech to the current Czech Republic and Rus to the lands of Russia. The old Slavic legend found in the Polish 14th century Wielkopolska text, told of how three brothers, Czech, Lech and Rus, followed different paths in pursuit of good hunting grounds. Over the last three columns, I wrote about the concept of “Pan Slavism,” an idea promulgated in the 19th century by Central and Eastern European intellectuals attempting to identify or advocate the unity of the Slavic people based on their common linguistic and cultural origins. ![]()
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