The Lemkos are a people of Vlach-Rusyn origin who settled down on the northern slopes of the Carpathians following migrations from the south. The origins of this group, recognised as an ethnic minority in 2005, have not been clearly explained to this day. In their Carpathian homeland, they were shepherds and farmers.
The name of the group comes from the particle "łem" often used in their colloquial language, corresponding to the Polish “tylko” [only]. Having lived in the borderland for centuries, they adopted many Ruthenian and Polish words into their songs. This population was resettled in 1947 to Lower Silesia as part of the “Vistula” action of forced expatriation. Currently, the community, made up of people of Lemko origin, is one of the strongest cultural ethnic groups in Lower Silesia.
The Lemko Song and Dance Company “Łastiwoczka” from Przemków is a multi-generational group consisting of singers, dancers and players, who have been cultivating the legacy of traditions transferred from the sub-Carpathian region to Lower Silesia after 1946. Living in a region with a broken settlement continuity, for almost eight decades since their expatriation, they have cherished their own traditions with the utmost care: the language, customs, rituals and music, which, in addition to the Lemko language preserved in everyday use, constitute an important value of intangible cultural heritage. The company’s repertoire is based on an archaic performance canon. The group is a prize-winner at the National Festivals of Folk Bands and Singers in Kazimierz Dolny, the International Festival of Highland Folklore in Zakopane, as well as folklore festivals in Hungary, Romania, Türkiye, and Germany. In 2019, the group performed in a series of concerts of the 54th International Festival Wratislavia Cantans at the National Forum of Music in Wrocław.
The activity of “Łastiwoczka” is a fine example of the protection of cultural identity by a community integrated around the values of traditional culture. In 2023, “Łastiwoczka” was honoured with the prestigious Oskar Kolberg Award, Poland’s most important honour distinguishing folk artists.
The National Form of Music runs a project The Songs of Forests and Fields presenting repertoires of folk early music performed by singers coming from post-WW2 groups of settlers in Lower Silesia.
