History & Design:

The Carpatho-Rusyn Cultural Garden is a celebration of the rich history and vibrant culture of the Carpatho-Rusyn people. Most Rusyns immigrated to Cleveland from 1880 to World War I. By the 1930s, more than 30,000 Carpatho-Rusyns lived in the Cleveland area, and the Carpatho-Rusyn Cultural Garden (formerly known as the Rusin Garden) was created in 1939. The Carpatho-Rusyns are a distinct Eastern Slavic people who have lived more than a thousand years in remote villages scattered along the foothills and valleys of the Carpathian Mountains of East Central Europe. The topography of this Garden is reminiscent of the mountains, valleys and streams of their homeland. Visitors to the garden can stroll along well-maintained paths lined with native plants and trees, reflecting the natural beauty of the Carpathian Mountains.

The garden is set in a wooded glade sloping to the lower boulevard by way of a spacious terrace overlooking Doan Brook. The sandstone terrace has parapets of brick and stone.

Statuary/Busts/Reliefs/Monuments:

In 1952, a bust of Father Alexander Duchnovich was dedicated. Father Duchnovich was a priest, poet and patriot who was famous for the phrase “ I was, am and always will be, a Rusyn”. The bust was designed by Frank Jirouch. Sometime during the 1970s, the bust became lost. By the efforts of John Krenisky, a member of the Carpatho-Rusyn Society, and others, funds were raised to erect a new bust of Father Duchnovich. It was designed by Wawrytko Studios and Light Sculpture Works. On November 21, 2011, the new bust and pedestal were installed on the upper level of the garden, facing East Boulevard.