The Anatomy of a Lemko Longhouse

Reproduction of a Lemko farmhouse from Pielgrzymka.
Sanok Skansen (outdoor museum) in Sanok, Poland.
Photo by C. Caudill, 2011

by Corinna Caudill

Until about the middle of the twentieth century, Lemkos typically lived in wooden “long houses” (dovha khata) - multipurpose buildings that combined dwelling space, grain storage, and livestock stables.  Since Lemkos made their living mainly on agriculture and breeding animals, these types of farmhouses were practical structures used by many central and eastern Europeans given the climate and the materials that were available for construction.  The typical house had thick timbered walls and a thatched roof covered with rye straw.  Farmers usually built the homes by themselves with the help of relatives, friends and neighbors.

Design and Construction: The Lemko longhouse was designed to shield its residents from the changing elements of their mountain climate, to conserve heat, to provide shelter for livestock, and to provide storage for harvested crops.  The wooden cottages were built with wooden or stone posts driven into the earth in the corners, forming the structural frame.  In the spaces between the posts, horizontal logs were placed, interlocking in the corners.  The corners and spaces between the logs were stuffed with a type of moss insulation.  Doors were attached to posts, which were fastened to the wall.  The corner posts extended to the height that the ceiling would be placed, where wooden logs would be laid horizontally and overlaid with crossbeams and joists which supported the rafters.  Windows (usually small) were cut into the logs, and grooves were carved to hold glass, which was usually obtained through trade in nearby towns.  (Kubijovyc, pp.303-304)

Layout of the Farmhouse: The longhouse was rectangular in shape and compartmentalized into storage, living quarters, and shelter for livestock.  According to the Encyclopedia of Rusyn History and Culture:

"...the basic model for domestic dwellings throughout most of the region was a tripartite structure, consisting of an entry vestibule (sini/sien’/pitvor), the living quarters (khyzha/perednia khyzia), and pantry (komora).  The house was constructed from large beech or oak logs with a four-sided sloped roof covered with straw sheaves.  The interior walls were covered with clay and white-washed.  Along the outside front and one side wall was a wide porch supported by carved posts.  In the living space, just to the left of the door, was an earthen stove; under the window a large bed; to the right were benches; and in the center a table.  Small windows punctuated the front and side walls under the porch.  This was the basic model for houses in the Carpathians, although in the Lemko Region, the form of traditional houses has varied with regard to the relative size and layout of the three parts of the structure.  The roofs may have been covered with wooden shingles rather than straw, and some families with relatives abroad (who sent funds) even had tin or metal roofs.  From this basic structure the so-called long house (dovha khata) evolved with the addition of elements that resulted in a structure that was rectangular in shape." (Magosci and Pop, p. 11.) 

Above: Drawings from Encyclopedia of Rusyn History and Culture by Magosci and Pop.
The top depicts a basic tripartite structure, and the bottom depicts an extended version.

The longhouse served the Lemkos as both a residential dwelling and a facility for working to meet their basic needs of food and shelter.  The interior of the longhouse included the following compartments, separated by walls and doors:

(1.) Entry Vestibule (Sini/Sien’/Pitvor)- The entry vestibule was usually located toward the center of the structure, and once inside, there were separate doors leading to the other rooms of the home.  By having a separate entry room limited the amount of cold air that would find its way into the house in the cold winter months.

Depiction of a kitchen (kuknya) with a wood stove
 in the living area of a Lemko longhouse.
OOL Lemko Museum in Stamford, CT.
Photo by C. Caudill, 2012

(2.) Living Space (Khyzha/Perednia Khyzia)- Located near the center of the house were the living quarters which consisted of a large kitchen adjacent to a large living room, both having earthen floors.  The kitchen (kuknya) had a large stove that served as the only heating source in the house, as well as a wooden table and benches (in some areas of the Lemko region, such as the Jaslo area, tables were covered with stone from nearby quarries.)  The living room opened to the pantry/storage room and sometimes had another door opening to a separate thrashing room (although in simpler structures, the pantry and thrashing room were combined.)

(3.) Pantry/Storage Room (Komora) - An important consideration to Lemko farmers was the storage of food for the winter.  The komora was a dedicated area for storing leftover crops and provisions.  Leftover grain was kept in wooden chests, large bins, or granaries, and sometimes hollowed out stumps were used as containers.

(4.) Stable (Stainia) - Stables were usually located on the other side of the vestibule, near the center of the structure, and generally housed horses and cows.  Straw from the thrashing room was used to feed cows during the winter when there was no grass available for grazing (which meant that cows yielded little milk during the winter.)  Horses were fed hay and oats.

(5.) Threshing Room (Pelevnya/Boisko/Stodolya)- In the late fall and winter, farmers used this room to thresh grain (beat the stems or husks to separate wheat from chaff, yielding grain, hay and straw), and the residual straw was placed in the joists (horizontal wood beams under the rafters) to provide insulation.

A harrow (plowing tool) stored outside a 
reproduction of a Lemko longhouse.  
Photo by C. Caudill, 2011 at Sanok Skansen

(6.) Shed (Shopa)- Sheds were usually located at the end of the house, and were used for storing farm equipment and machinery.  Farmers also stored large farm equipment, such as harrows, on hooks outside the house.

(7.) Hay and Grain Storage (Polovnyk/Pelevnyk) - Along one side of the length of the structure was a long, narrow area for storing grain, straw and hay.  This feature also provided some additional insulation to the house.  External insulation was accomplished during the winter by stuffing any cracks or crevices in the inside or external parts of the house with straw, or by tying straw to the outside of the structure.

Where to Find a Lemko Longhouse Today: 
In many parts of Europe, longhouses are relics of a more distant past.  However, some longhouse structures still remain in Lemko villages that managed to escape destruction during World War II and its aftermath.  The ethnographic park or skansen (Park Etnograficzny) in Sanok also contains several examples of Lemko longhouse reproductions from the villages of Komancza (Sanok area); Smolnik (Sanok area); Krolik Polski (near Rymanow); Pielgrzymka (Jaslo area); and Zdynia and Klimkowka (Gorlice area.)


Sources:  
(1.) Kubijovyc, Volodymyr (Ed.) Ukraine: A Concise Encyclopedia.  Volume I.  University of Toronto Press, 1963.
(2.) Magosci, P. Robert and Ivan Pop.  Encyclopedia of Rusyn History and Culture, 2005.
(3.) Kipfer, Barbara A.  Encyclopedic Dictionary of Archaeology, New York, NY 2000.
(4.) Rapawy, Stephen.  "War Comes to Karlykiv."  Lemkivshchyna Magazine.  Issues 3 and 4, 1998.



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Writing to the Polish Archives: Tips for Genealogists (who don't speak Polish)

You don't speak Polish?  No problem.  Here are a few resources that can show you how to write the letters to Polish archives that will help you obtain family records.

•               The Polish Genealogical Society: Even though you're not doing research on Polish genealogy, archives in Poland contain information about Lemkos.  The PGSA has some information on their website that will be useful to you, including forms and templates, so check them out: www.pgsa.org

•               Church of Latter Day Saints Polish Letter Guide:  LDS has published an extremely helpful guide that can serve as your template for writing to the Polish archive centers, and is chock full of templates and tips.  Note that getting information from the Polish archives will take time, but a few months down the line, you might be pleasantly surprised to find a treasure trove of information waiting for you in your mailbox.  Get the guide here: http://www.scribd.com/doc/77051047/LDS-Pamphlet-on-Writing-to-Polish-Archives?in_collection=3415871

Polonna (Полонна): Once a Lemko Village

by Corinna Wengryn Caudill

Polonna/Полонна (Polish: Płonna) is a village in the Sanok powiat (county/administrative district) of southeastern Poland. For centuries, it was a village mostly inhabited by eastern Slavic Greek Catholics (Rusyny/Ruthenians) who were driven out of the area in post-World War II ethnic cleansing operations that culminated in "Akcja Wisla," or "Operation Vistula" (1947.) According to a placard posted outside the ruins of its Greek Catholic church, the village of Polonna was named in 1699 (previously known as Plone - 1433, Plona - 1437, Plonna - 1508.) It is a village with documented medieval origin, and its name derives from the Slavic word “plonina” meaning “treeless mountain valley” or “pastureland.” Its current name is Płonna, the Polish name for the village.

Drawing from O. Iwanusiw's "Church in Ruins."

Settlement, Population and Migration: According to the placard displayed outside the church ruins, "...the origin of the village of Polonna is connected with the wave of Arumun (Vlach) settlement. (See this link for more information on Vlach/Arumun linkage.) Arumuns/Vlachs were a pastoral people who came from the Balkan peninsula, from where they gradually spread to the north, reaching territory that is now within the modern borders of Poland. The colonists assimilated with the local Ruthenian people, a process that led to the existence of several regional ethnic groups; including Lemkos, Boykos, Dolinians, and Hutsuls." [Note: This theory is disputable. There are conflicting theories about the extent to which Vlach influence and mixing extended to this region.]

Over the next two centuries, the village was continuing to develop. The 1787 Austrian cadastral (census) records enumerated 67 households in Polonna, mainly Greek Catholics (Rusyny/Ruthenians), whereas the minority of Roman Catholics (Poles) were the dwellers of the "dvir" or manor house. In 1816, the census in Polonna recorded 116 houses and more than 750 inhabitants. The biggest boom of population, however, took place during the interwar period (1919-1939), and the census takers who came to Polonna in 1931 counted 170 buildings and 1,069 inhabitants. At the turn of the 20th century, the process of emigration escalated as land became scarce (families got larger and divided land over generations) and opportunities became more abundant, particularly in North America (farming in Canada, and steel mills, coal mining and factory work in the United States.)

Church History: The first wooden church was built in the village of Polonna in 1488. According to documents, at the turn of the 15th century and in the 16th century, there was a manor house surrounded by moats and embankments. According to Oleh Iwanusiw’s book Church in Ruins “...the legend says that the previous tserkva in this village was burned down together with worshipers and the parish priest by the Tatars.” The "new" church, called the "Patronage of the Blessed Virgin Mary," was established in 1790 in the vicinity of the manor house grounds. It was founded by the Truskolaski family (a Polish noble family.) Not far away from the stream was a small cemetery and oratory situated in the place of the old wooden church, which had been burned down during the Tatar raid. Polonna's Greek Catholic parish was a multi-village congregation, and included the villages of Kamienne, Wysoczany and Kozuszne (filial parishes.) It operated liturgies until 1947, when all of the remaining inhabitants (who had not been deported to Ukraine) were forcibly deported to former German territories acquired by Poland as a provision of the Yalta Agreement.

Schools and Educational Facilities. In 1836, Polonna's diocese register records (for the first time) Polonna's parish school, noting that the school had 7 pupils that year. Thirty-five years later, a second school was built in the village, where the Ruthenian language was spoken in both schools. The educational system in Polonna, as well as in neighboring villages, was developed as the result of the efforts of a social education organization called "Prosvita." During the German occupation, the Polish language was struck from the curriculum and Ukrainian and German were taught in the schools. By the fall of 1944, the schools effectively closed down in the chaos of the German-Soviet front, and were not reopened.

German Occupation (1939-1944): At the beginning of September 1939, Polonna was invaded by German troops. In 1942, a temporary assembly point for Jews was established in or near Polonna where the Jewish residents of the area were collected, divided and transported to labor camps, such as Zwangsarbeitslager Zaslaw in nearby Zahiria (Zagorz) and later, to the Belzec extermination camp, where most perished. In the summer of 1944, the 96th Wehrmacht Infantry Division deployed in the village. The Nazis transformed the village school, the church and the manor house into field hospitals. Approximately 200 German soldiers were buried near the church. As a result of the front's activities in the fall of 1944, more than 40 houses were set on fire. Throughout the occupation and the Soviet-German fighting in 1944, over a dozen of Polonna's inhabitants were killed. During that period, the Ukrainian underground's [including the Organization of Ukrainian Nationalists (OUN) and the Ukrainian Insurgent Army (UPA)] activities were developing in and around the village, as they prepared to focus their underground activities in "Zakerzonnia" - lands east of the so-called Curzon line, which was the demarcation point between Poland and the Soviet Union as established through a secret "Lublin pact" in July 1944 between the Polish provisional government and the Soviet Union (represented by Nikita Khrushchev) in Lublin.

The End of the War and the Post-War Period (1944-1947): In the fall of 1944, after the Red Army effectively occupied Poland, Polish communists collaborated with Soviet authorities to develop a plan to evict all Ukrainians from Polish territory, and the plan came into action almost immediately, with pressure on locals to "voluntarily" emigrate to Ukraine. At first, 6 families from Polonna and some local Romanies (Tsigani/Roma/Gypsies) who had survived the Holocaust were convinced to desert the village and relocate to Ukraine, but most of Polonna's residents did not agree to go. The violence escalated, and the Polish People's Army, along with Polish bandits and later ORMO (Ochotnicza Rezerwa Milicji Obywatelskiej, Polish reserve militia) from Bukowsko and other Polish towns and villages perpetrated raids and acts of brutality throughout the region, most notably in the nearby village of Zavadka Morokhivska (Pol: Zawadka Morochowska), where they brutally murdered approximately more than 120 residents in the early winter of 1946. Being afraid for their lives, another desperate group of Polonna's residents decided to leave the village. By the summer of 1946, all pretense of "voluntary movement" was dropped and Polish authorities began rounding people up in the whole of the Lemko region, but UPA was successful in significantly disrupting their efforts. As a result, many Lemkos remained (including in Polonna) until Akcja Wisla in 1947, when the Polish authorities quintipled their efforts and effectively suppressed underground activities. The remainder of the residents of Polonna and the rest of the Lemko region were taken to "ziemie odzyskane" or the so-called "recovered territories" (former German territories including Silesia, Prussia and Pomerania) that Poland had received as a provision of the Yalta Agreement in 1945.





The church as it was in the interwar period.
See www.beskid-niski.pl


Polonna: Then and Now: Today, all that remains in Polonna are the ruins of the church and its bell tower, as well as the collective farm buildings that were constructed after World War II. Through the restoration efforts of Andrzej Skrawan, the Lemko diaspora from the United States and Canada have helped to preserve Polonna’s ruins by erecting displays and historical plaques on the outside of the ruins. The displays include photos of the village’s former residents and depictions of the iconography that once graced the interior of the church.

The photos below shows the current ruins of the church and bell tower.

Church Ruins, Photo by C. Caudill, 2011

Bell Tower, Photo by C. Caudill, 2011

Icon reproduction hanging outside church wall.
Photo by C. Caudill, 2011

Collective farm buildings in Polonna - Located across the road from the church ruins
Photo by C. Caudill, 2011