Red Ruthenia

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Red Ruthenia (Ukrainian: Червона Русь, Chervona Rus, Polish: Ruś Czerwona, Latin: Ruthenia Rubra or Russia Rubra) is the name used since medieval times to refer to the area known as Eastern Galicia prior to World War I.

Some Ukrainian historians claim that this prefix designation (Red) is an artificial invention of Polish imperialism and does not have any historical context as for whole of western Ukraine, being meant at division of Rus (Ukraine) and polonization of this area (western Ukraine). Czerwien land applied most likely only to a few cities on Rus' borders with Poland.

1 History
2 Administrative division (14th century-1772)
- 2.1 The Ruthenian Voivodeship
- 2.2 The Bełz Voivodeship
3 See also

[edit] History

Originally it was related to a certain territory between Western Bug and Wieprz rivers. Its Polish name was Ziemia czerwieńska, or "Czerwień Land" by the name of Cherven, a town that existed there. (Today there are several towns with this name, none of them related to Red Ruthenia).

This area was mentioned for the first time in 981, when Volodymyr the Great of Kievan Rus took the area over on the way into Poland. In 1018 it returned to Poland, 1031 back to Rus, in 1340 Casimir III of Poland recovered it. Since these times the name Ruś Czerwona is recorded, translated as "Red Ruthenia" ("Czerwień" means the color red in Slavic languages, or it is possibly from the Polish village Czermno), applied to a territory extended up to the Dniester River, with priority gradually transferred to Przemyśl. Since the times of Władyslaw Jagiełło, the Przemyśl Voivodeship was called the Ruthenian Voivodeship ("województwo ruskie"), with the priority eventually transferred to Lwów. It consisted of five lands: Lwów, Sanok, Halicz, Przemyśl, and Chełm. City of Halicz gave the name to Galicia.

Between World War I and World War II this belonged to the Second Polish Republic. Presently, this area is split. The Western part is the area of Poland around Przemyśl, the Eastern part (around Lviv) is a part of Western Ukraine.

[edit] Administrative division (14th century-1772)

[edit] The Ruthenian Voivodeship

Chełm Land (Ziemia Chełmska), Chełm
- Chełm County, (Powiat Chełmski), Chełm
- Powiat of Krasnystaw, (Powiat Krasnystawski), Krasnystaw
- Powiat of Ratno, (Powiat Ratneński), Ratno
Halicz Land (Ziemia Halicka), Halicz
- Powiat of Halicz, (Powiat Halicki), Halicz
- Kolomyja County, (Powiat Kołomyjski), Kołomyja
- Trembowla County, (Powiat Trembowelski), Trembowla
Lwów Land (Ziemia Lwowska), Lwów
- Powiat of Lwów, (Powiat Lwowski), Lwów
- Powiat of Żydaczów, (Powiat Żydaczowski), Żydaczów
Przemyśl Land (Ziemia Przemyska), Przemyśl
- Powiat of Przemyśl (Powiat Przemyski), Przemyśl
- Powiat of Sambor, (Powiat Samborski), Sambor
- Powiat of Drohobycz, (Powiat Drohobycki), Drohobycz
- Powiat of Stryj, (Powiat Stryjski), Stryj
Sanok Land (Ziemia Sanocka), Sanok
- Sanok County (Powiat Sanocki), Sanok

[edit] The Bełz Voivodeship

- Belz County, (Powiat Bełzski), Bełz
- Grabowiec County, (Powiat Grabowiecki), Grabowiec
- Horodlo County, (Powiat Horodelski), Horodło
- Lubaczów County, (Powiat Lubaczowski), Lubaczów
- Busk Land, (Ziemia Buska), Busk