“EVERY EVIL EVOLVES FROM DRUNKENNESS”: ANTI-ALCOHOL POLICY OF “NASH LEMKO”

Abstract

The purpose of the research is to find out the features of the anti-alcohol policy of the newspaper editorial board of “Nash Lemko” (“Our Lemko”). The methodology of the research is based on the interdisciplinary approach. The following methods and approaches have been used as systematic, comparative and critical analysis of the source base, represented by large text arrays. The application of the content analysis technique made it possible to carry out the correct interpretation of various genres of newspaper information. The scientific novelty is that for the first time an attempt has been made of a comprehensive analysis of anti-alcohol issues on the pages of the newspaper “Nash Lemko”. The Conclusions. Taking into consideration the anti-alcohol issues on the pages of “Nash Lemko”, we will point out its richness and plot, which correlated with the real scale of this threat to the Ruthenians during the interwar period of the XXth century. In the newspaper there was the issue of promoting a healthy lifestyle among its readers quite systematically as the newspaper editorial board even used the considerable work of the European and Ukrainian movement activists, who were fighting for sobriety at that time. Appealing to the readers’ minds with eloquent data of statistics and criminal chronicles, the newspaper at the same time disturbed the imagination of the Ruthenians by many means of artistic influence. The consequences of the above-mentioned policy, despite its sometimes inconsiderable moments, were a growing awareness among the Beskyd population that numerous problems were due to their own abuse of alcohol and nicotine. The Lemkos, in general, gave a worthy answer to the social disaster, as evidenced by the positive dynamics of the “Vidrodzhennia” (“The Renaissance”) Society foundation in the mountain villages, which united more and more Ruthenian abstainers. Such consolidation was very important for the Lemkos community on the eve of the ordeal of World War II.

Key words: “Nash Lemko”, Ruthenian, anti-alcohol policy, II Rzeczpospolita, “Vidrodzhennia” Society.