Brzuska

Infobox Settlement
name = Brzuska
settlement_type = Village
total_type =


image_shield =


subdivision_type = Country
subdivision_name = POL
subdivision_type1 = Voivodeship
subdivision_name1 = Subcarpathian
subdivision_type2 = County
subdivision_name2 = Przemyśl County
subdivision_type3 = Gmina
subdivision_name3 = Bircza
latd = 49
latm = 46
lats =
latNS = N
longd = 22
longm = 29
longs =
longEW = E
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elevation_m =
population_total =
website =

Brzuska IPA-pl| [|'|b|ż|u|s|k|a|] is a village in the administrative district of Gmina Bircza, within Przemyśl County, Subcarpathian Voivodeship, in south-eastern Poland. It lies approximately convert|9|km|mi|0 north of Bircza, convert|21|km|mi|0|abbr=on west of Przemyśl, and convert|46|km|mi|0|abbr=on south-east of the regional capital Rzeszów.cite web |url=http://www.stat.gov.pl/broker/access/prefile/listPreFiles.jspa |title=Central Statistical Office (GUS) - TERYT (National Register of Territorial Land Apportionment Journal) |date=2008-06-01 |language=Polish]

Brzuska (Berzka/Bereska in Ukrainian) was a large village 10km north of Bircza with approx 1500 inhabitants before World War 2.

The inhabitants were mostly originally Rusyns, who then became Ukrainian. There were also some Poles (80) and Jews (50) who lived in the village. All were farm workers.

The main land owner was a Jewish family, surname Ringel, who was taken away by the Russians during or after the war.

Originally, a Greek Catholic church once stood on the hill - Saint Nicholas the Miracle Worker, which was destroyed. There was also a masonry church called Transfiguration of Our Lord. It was erected in 1868, renovated in 1920. It was also destroyed.

During the 1944-1947 expulsion of the Ukrainian inhabitants, approximately 250 were killed including Rev. Oleksa Bilyk (1892-1944) and his family. It is reported the killings were a revenge attack for the massacre of Poles in Volhynia. After the expulsion, it is reported the UPA burned the village so they could not be inhabited by the Polish population.

A Ukrainian cemetery still exists on the hill in the village, but the access road has been removed and it can only be reached by foot. Rev. Oleksa Bilyk's grave is there and is still tended to. A local Ukrainian lady, who still lives in the village, sold a cow to pay for a headstone.

References

External links

[http://www.http://www.carpatho-rusyn.org/new/14.htm Carpatho-Rusyn Knowledge Base]