Shadows of a Forgotten World

A folk band from Przemysl  —  Krajka, together with Ukrainian musicians  —  released a new album dedicated to the lands that lie along the current Polish-Ukrainian border. "The album contains traditional music from the Polish-Ukrainian borderland, from the regions of Kholm, Lubaczow, Przemysl, to the Carpathian mountains and valleys. These lands were once replete with the splendor and richness of culture, traditions, and ethnos. Today this music is largely unknown and forgotten. It has been reconstructed using recordings gathered during field expeditions and from available materials  —  to save it from oblivion and bring back its ancient luster." "The album 'Krajka. W domu' contains songs exclusively from the Polish-Ukrainian borderland. This territory, on which from time immemorial reigned a balance of diverse cultural components, was brutally destroyed by the war and postwar deportations. The expulsion of Ukrainians, Boykos, and Lemkos is above ...

My paternal grandfather was born in the village of Lybokhora (Turka District), the "capital" of Boyko instrumental music. His parents, who were from the Sambir and Lviv regions, moved to this Carpathian village in the early 1900s to direct and teach at the local school. This is a picture from Lybokhora (1930s) of my grandfather (white shirt in second row, with bird on his shoulder) with his parents, siblings, and some family friends.  Many years ago I came across an album of authentic music recordings from his village. When I listen to it, I can image that during celebrations and rituals, my ancestors heard precisely this music. Links with info and downloads: http://lemko.org/lvpro/turka.html http://www.ex.ua/7952774 http://www.discogs.com/

A Ukrainian ethnic subgroup, which makes up the third group of Carpathian highlanders in addition to the Hutsuls and Lemkos , is the Boykos. My grandfather was born in the Boyko region of the Carpathians, though his parents were from the Sambir and Lviv regions. Like the Hutsuls and Lemkos, the Boykos have a distinct culture, largely stemmed from their isolation in the mountains and highlander ways. But like all the different Ukrainian cultures, dialects, and traditions, the Boyko culture is slowly disappearing. Here's a good article about the Boykos in English.