Do you ever wonder how our people lived a hundred years ago? What the place your grandparents grew up in looked like? It is becoming more and more difficult to find such pristine historical environments…
From that sad realization this project, Novoselytsia, was born – an attempt to create a virtual museum of a hypothetical Subcarpathian village in the year 1928, on its first steps towards industrialization. It all began with a simple video guide on how to build a replica of an authentic Rusyn house in Minecraft, and ended up growing into a whole village that you can now take a walk in.
So let us take the narrow-gauge railway to the place your ancestors would call their home… to Novoselytsia!
Trailer
Novoselytsia trailer in Rusyn
How to connect
For non-tech-savvy people
First off, to visit Novoselytsia you will need _Minecraft: Java Edition_, which is only available on Windows, macOS and Linux. If you have previously bought Minecraft in Windows/Xbox Store, you probably already own Java Edition.
Currently it is not possible to visit Novoselycia from Minecraft: Bedrock Edition that you can get for Xbox, PlayStation, Android and iOS – but we might work on it in the future if we see enough demand coming from players on those platforms.
Specifically, you will need Minecraft: Java Edition version 1.20.6 or higher – you can set your Minecraft version in the game’s launcher.
Here’s how to do that in the official Minecraft launcher:
In the sidebar to the left select Minecraft: Java Edition.
Go to Installations in the top tab bar.
Either Add installation or change version of an existing installation via … → Edit.
Set version to 1.20.6 or higher.
Once you’re in the game, select Multiplayer, then Add server; you can write whatever you want in the Server name field, but make sure you type (or copy and paste) play.novoselytsia.kocky.cc as Server address.
With that done, you should be all set up and ready to connect!
For seasoned Minecrafters
To connect, you need Minecraft: Java Edition 1.20.6 or higher. We might try hosting for Bedrock Edition as well if there’s demand for it.
The server address is play.novoselytsia.kocky.cc.
Why Novoselytsia?
Novoselytsia (Rusyn: Новоселиця) literally means “new settlement”. It’s also a fairly common name for real life Rusyn villages; there are at least four Novoselytsias in Zakarpatska oblast: near Perechyn, near Mukachovo, near Khust, near Tiachovo.
Why bother if there are physical museums?
Exactly – because they are physical! Novoselytsia offers a different approach with its own upsides and downsides; if, say, the skansen in Uzhhorod is too far away from you, you might be seeking easier ways to admire some Rusyn architecture of yore – and that’s where a virtual space like Novoselytsia steps in. You can visit from almost any location, and the digital buildings won’t degrade over time or fall victim to a natural disaster.
But you’re not going to be able to physically touch the buildings, of course. That’s what physical museums are for!
