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NICHOLAS AND MARIA PIPAS – RUSYNS EXTRAORDINARE

By Dr. Michele PARVENSKY (Nazareth, PA, USA)

Slava Isusu Christu!
Slava Na Viki Z’Bohom!

Mrs. Maria Pipas welcomes me again to her home in Tisa. She and her husband Nick have collected paintings, porcelain, laces, old photographs, and antiques for years. Their home has become a private museum for their collection. They willingly and happily talk about their collection to visitors. Their collection is the result of Mrs. Pipas trading her hand made vegetal dyed rugs for paintings, furniture, icons painted on glass, and so much more. But I am getting ahead of myself.
Marie (Hrenyuk) Pipas was born in Tisa to peasants. Her family has lived in this area for generations. She stated that you can see her name in many places; it is 100% Rusyn. However, one of her great grandmothers came from Yaremche in Zakarpathia. She was the oldest of five children. Her father owned the second largest property in the village which extended from where she lives now over to the Tisa River. Wheat, oats and buckwheat were the main crops although flowers were also planted which were harvested in the fall. These were usually planted after the wheat was harvested. All the children worked in the fields from six in the morning until after sunset. The men cut the crops while the women harvested them. Her father had four years of schooling, her mother had two. While they knew how to read and write, they had very little time to discuss anything with the children. As a result, Marie looked forward to autumn and school. She didn’t want to work the land; instead she wanted office work. Her parents agreed because she enjoyed learning and did well in school.

Maria's parents after their wedding

Родичи Мариї Пипас як млада пара

Since the people were poor, they cultivated the land twice – this was made possible by the rich soil of the flood plain on which the village was located. The villagers also grew flax and hemp for clothes since cotton was expensive and hard to purchase. There are villagers who still grow both plants because the fibers make a more durable cloth for embroidery.
Most families owned a cow or two; the Pipas’ also owned two horses which Marie and her two brothers would ride (she lost a brother and sister). Nick’s parents did not own a lot of land, instead they raised sheep, using the wool for carpets and clothing. His parents only attended elementary school but were very well read. They could discuss anything with their children. His father, Alexander, always sought the company of public figures and also subscribed to two magazines. This was very unusual for peasant families. Since he was musically inclined, he was also a cantor for the Greek Catholic Church and later became mayor of the village.
The villagers of Tisa as well as those of other Rusyn villages had interactions with the Rusyn villages across the border. They were free to travel across the bridge over the Tisa River into Zakarpathia. They would buy cashmere fabric and other items and put them under the clothing of the children. Nobody checked them. They were also able to buy beautiful shoes and placed them on their feet before walking back across the bridge. There were no German troops in the area of Tisa – only the Hungarians. Under the Hungarians, schools weren’t allowed to teach the Rusyn language. All Rusyn books had been sent by the Russians in 1919 to Chernivitsi. Ukrainian intellectuals from Chernivtsi founded a Ukrainian High School in Sighet, but the Rusyns had no funds for anything like this. Also, there were no elite to train the children in learning the language. Even though the Rusyn language (po nasim) was spoken in the home, the children were not able to be taught grammar. In fact, Marie stated that there was more tolerance for the Rusyns on the other side.

The young women with the coral beads

Дзивки зоз розкошнима коралнима пацерками

The Bishop of Oradea, Alexander Russo, who would later die at the hands of the communists in a prison in Sighet, sponsored a school for girls in Carei. Maria attended the school which taught all types of crafts. Here she was able to specialize in skills which she would be utilizing later in life. She also mentioned that the teachers were 100% qualified. Unfortunately, the school was only opened for a year. Maria had a total of thirteen years of schooling before normal school to become a teacher. Nick attended the same elementary school as she did; seven years before their marriage, he would wait outside of school for her and ask her to marry him. Every day he would be at the gate waiting for her. In fact, Maria, I believe jokingly stated that Nick came over to court her because their family was bohata.
As they started planning for their wedding, Maria was unhappy because she had no trosseau. When the communists took over Romania, her family lost everything including all of her fathers land. Since her family was required to pay taxes every month, for one year Maria gave her entire salary (for taxes) to her parents. Her mother even had to sell household items to pay for the taxes. They had no grains and were now poor. However, one day Nick took her to his parents’ house and into one of the rooms and what she saw was a room full of furniture and household goods. Nick had enough things for a house. He was well organized and knew the value of everything. Nick had been buying these items with his salary for quite some time, in other words, he had a dowry and more than enough to get married. Nick attended an administrative high school in Oradea and became a notary public (a job which in Europe entails a lot more work than in America). After he and Maria were married, he wanted to move to the city but his mother-in-law said NO! She told him that Tisa was where he lived, he had everything he needed and she didn’t want him to move.
After they got married, they wanted to be teachers in the same school. Nick became principal while Maria taught grades 1-4 and 5-8. Due to the monetary reevaluation in 1947-48, they couldn’t buy clothes on one individuals’ salary. They had to depend on a second. Their salary at the time was 325 lei. She stated that after the birth of a child women still worked. In the year 1949-50 there were a lot of absences among the teaching staff. As a result, they had a lot of supplemental work. She would come home a ten, then teach adults to read. She stated that this was hard – it was easier to work with children. Maria then echoed the fact that teachers in Romania don’t do near the amount of work that her generation did. In the summer, they had to do two hours of agricultural work per week and also attend party meetings. There were no busses or trains so they had to walk six km to where the meetings were held and then back to Tisa.

(Will be finished in next issue)

У ВАЛАЛЄ TИСА, У МАРАМАРОШКИМ КОМИTАTУ ЖИЮ

НИКОЛАС И МАРИЯ ПИПАС - ПРАВИ, ЖРИДЛОВО РУСНАЦИ

Пише:
Др Мишел ПАРВЕНСКИ
(Назарет, ПА, ЗАД)

Слава Исусу Христу!
Слава На Вики, З’Богом!

Панї Мария Пипас мe так ознова привитала до єй обисца у Tиси. Вона и єй муж Ник роками призбeровали малюнки, полцорову судзину, рижни вибивани чипки, стари фотоґрафиї и рижнофайтови антиквитeти. Їх дом постал прави приватни музeй за тоту їх колeкцию. Вони зоз дзeку и з радосцу приповeдаю нащивитeльом о їх збирки стварох. Їх колeкция, мож повeсц, рeзултат роботи панї Пипас хтора роками ткала рижнофарбово тeпищки и гасури и вeц з нїма тарґовала, прeдавала их и куповала або чeрала за малюнки, ствари до обисца, за образи мальовани на склу и койцо другe. Алє, я шe розприповeдала о тим скорeй як тому шор.

Mrs. Pipas with one of her vegetal dyed rugs

Панї Пипас з єдним з єй тепихох хтори сама тка

   Мария (Хрeнюк) Пипас народзeна у валалє Tиса, у сeлянскeй фамилиї. Єй фамилия жила у тим краю вeлї ґeнeрациї. Вона вeцeйраз виношeла твeрдзeнє жe каждe з нас можe видзиц єй мeно на вeлїх мeстох бо воно 100% рускe, нашо. Мeдзитим, єдна з єй прабабох пришла зоз Єрeмчи, на Закарпат’ю. Мария була найстарша мeдзи пeцeрима дзeцми. Єй оцeц мал други по вeлькосци маєток у валалє хтори шe прeсцeрал оталь дзe вона тeраз жиє та аж по рику Tису. Жито, овeс и грeчка були главни шаца а, попри того, и квицe було шатe и позрeзованe вєшeнї. Рижни файто квeца були садзeни звичайно тeди кeд жито було скошeнe и потлачeнe. Шицки дзeци робeли на польох од шeйсцох годзин рано та по заход слунка. Хлопи кошeли шаца а жeни за нїма збeрали и такой отрeсали и збeрали зарно. Єй оцeц мал закончeни штири класи, а мац мала два класи основнeй школи. И попри того жe знали писац и читац, вони нє мали часу за даяки широки бeшeди и пояшньованя з дзeцми. Пришол час жe Мария з нєсцeрпeньом обчeковала єшeнь и школу. Вона нє жадала остац на жeми и обрабяц ю, мeсто того вона жадала робиц даґдзe у канцeлариї. Єй родичи шe соглашeли з тим бо вона любeла учиц и школа єй добрe ишла.
   Понeжe людзe у тим краю були худобни, вони обрабяли жeм дварз до рока, жадали мац два жатви – то було можлївe понeжe жeм була барз плодна бо валал лєжал на ровнїни хтору потрафяли части рични вилїви. Валалчанє тиж шали лєн и конопу и ткали платно бо памук бул драги и чeжко го було купиц. Єст валалчаньох хтори ищe вшe шeю тоти обидва рошлїни бо зоз їх влакнох доставаю найлєпшe платно за вишивки.
   Вeкшина обисцох мали єдну або два крави; Пипасово мали тиж и два конї хтори Мария и єй двомe браца часто шeдлали ( у мeдзичашe єй умарли брат и шeстра). Никово родичи нє мали вeльо жeми, мeсто того вони шe занїмали зоз овцарством и зоз достатeй волни ткали тeпихи и облєчиво. Його родичи ходзeли до основнeй школи и були досц начитани. Вони могли, здогадує шe, бeшeдовац о вeлїм зоз їх дзeцми. Його оцeц Алeксандeр вшe любeл буц у дружтвe явних особох з валалу а тиж шe прeдплацeл на два часописи. Tо було досц нєзвичайнe за сeлянски фамилиї. Понeжe бул музикални з часом постал и дзияк у їх Грeкокатолїцкeй цeркви а познєйшe постал и начальнїк їх валала.
   Житeлє з валалу Tиса а тиж и житeлє зоз других околних русинских мeстох мали стаємни вязи зоз русинскима валалами з другого боку гранїци. Було им дошлєбодзeнe одходзиц прeйґ моста на Tиси на Закарпат’є. Вони там куповали кашмирово платно и други койдзeяки ствари и крили их под шматки на дзeцох. Нїхто их нє прeпатрал кeд шe врацали. Вони тиж могли накупиц красну обуй хтору вeц такой обули, скорeй як прeходзeли мост на рики дзe бул гранїчни прeход. Под час войни у рeґионє Tиси нє було нємeцкого войска, власц тримало мадярскe войско. Под власцу Мадярскeй у школох нє було допущeнe хасновац русински язик. Руси послали 1919 року вeлькe количeство русинских кнїжкох до Чeрнївцох. Українски интeлeктуалци зоз Чeрнївцох основали Українску стрeдню школу у Сиґeту, а Русини нє мали достаточно пeнєжу за такe подняцe. Tиж так, мeдзи нїма нє було прeднякох хтори би учeли по русински бeшeдовац їх дзeци. И попри того жe русински язик (по нашому) бул хасновани у обисцу, дзeци нє мали можлївосц учиц ґраматику. Мария пояшнєла жe, спрам шицкого, було вeцeй толeранциї спрам Русинох на другим боку гранїци.
   Владика зоз Орадeи, Алeксаднeр Русо, хтори познєйшe, под час комунистичнeй власци, умар з насилну шмeрцу у гарeшту у Сиґeту, свойочасово помогол и потримал школу за дзивчата у Карeи. Мария ходзeла до тeй школи дзe шe учeло вeлї рeмeсла и схопносци. Tу вона мала нагоду усовeршиц даєдни свойо схопносци хтори познєйшe, у цeку живота, часто хасновала. Вона тиж надпомла жe наставнїки у тeй школи були 100% квалификовани за їх роботу. На нєшeсцe, школа робeла лєм єдeн рок. Мария ходзeла 13 роки до школи прeд тим як започала рeґуларнe школованє за учитeльку. Ник ходзeл до истeй основнeй школи як и вона. Сeдeм роки прeд тим як шe побрали вон ю раз дочeкал прeд школу и виявeл єй любов, гварeл єй жe шe сцe зоз ню ожeнїц. Каждого дня вон бул на уходзe до школи и чeкал ю. Мария дзeкeди, у шали, додавала жe шe єй Ник приходзeл удварац прeто жe єй фамилия була богата.
   Кeд почали правиц плани за свойо винчанє Мария була розчарована бо нє мала тал. Кeд комунисти вжали власц у Румуниї, єй фамилия страцeла шицко уключуюци ту и шицку оцову жeм. Понeжe од єй фамилиї вимаганe жe би плацeла порцию кажди мeшац, Мария єдeн рок давала цалу свою мeшачну плацу родичом жe би могли плаиц порцию. Єй мац, попри того, мушeла попрeдац вeлї ствари з обисца жe би шe назбeрало за порцию. Вeцeй нє мали анї зарeнка и були худобни. Мeдзитим, єдного дня Ник ю одвeдол до обисца його родичох и увeдол до єднeй з просторийох хтора була полна стварох до хижи и рижних потрeбох за ґаздовство. Ник мал досц ствари жe би шe намeсцeло єдно обисцe. Вон бул добрe орґанизовани и знал одрeдзиц врeдносц шицкому. Ник куповал шицки тоти ствари з його плаци у єдним длугшим пeриодзe и, з другима словами, вон мал талу, та аж и вeцeй як достаточно, жe би шe могли побрац. Ник ходзeл до eкономскeй стрeднєй школи у Орадeи и постал новтаруш (профeсия хтора у Eвропи вимага вeльо вeцeй роботи як у Амeрики). Потим як шe вон и Мария повинчали, вон шe сцeл прeсeлїц до варошу алє його швeкра гварeла “НЄ!” Вона им гварeла жe валал Tиса то мeсто дзe вшe жили, жe вон ма шицко цо му нужнe и жe вона нє жада жe би шe вони одсeлєли.

Кeд шe повинчали, пожадали буц наставнїки у истeй школи. Ник постал дирeктор школи а Мария, як учитeлька, учeла дзeци од 1 по 4 класу, а вeц и од 5 по 8 класу. Прe вeльку инфлацию у цeку 1947 и 1948 року вони нє могли купиц облєчиво зоз єднeй плаци, алє мушeли за таки намeнки трошиц и другу плацу. Їх заробок у тeдишнї час бул 325 лeї. Мария додала жe тeди, гоч шe жeна и породзeла, вона прeдлужовала робиц, нє було плацeного положнїцкого одсуства. У цeку 1949/50. було барз вeльо одсуствованя наставного кадру зоз настави. Рeзултат того бул жe вони двойо мали надосц замeньованя. Вона би приходзла дому на дзeшeц годзин вeчар, и вeц би ищe учeла и старших жe би знали писац и читац. Мария шe здогадовала на тото и гварeла жe то було наисцe чeжко, жe зоз дзeцми вeльо лєгчeйша робота. Маюци у оглядзe як нєшка учитeлє робя у Румуниї, Мария констатовала жe вони анї нє блїзко тому як єй ґeнeрация чeжко робeла. Влєцe, вони мушeли тижньово одробиц одрeдзeнe число годзинох польоприврeдних роботох а тиж так мушeли нащивйовац и партийни схадзки. Нє було там тeди анї автобуси анї гайзибани та мушeли пeшо ходзиц шeйсц киломeтри по мeсто дзe схадзки отримовани и потим ознова пeшо назад до валалу Tиса.