"Plaj" is an old Ruthenian word referring to the road to the middle of the mountains, crossing the Carpathian ridges. The most important road in the Snina region is Via (Porta) Rusica, leading from former Hungary to Poland through the Przełęcz nad Roztokami Górne (Ruské sedlo - transl.).
The oldest indirect data on this trade route comes from the second half of the 18th century. Two interesting records from 1772 from Stakčín are available from that period: "If we had cattle and carts for this, we could get to Humenne, and wine to Poland, wozit, so furmanyit "and from Ruské:" Or here the road is to Poland, wagon, wine and dohan polszkim wozime trade and that is why we earn money. "
At the same time, we learn from them about the type of goods transported to Poland or Hungary. According to the oral record, the toll was collected in the village of Ruské on the stone bridge, which was located in the now-defunct brick church.
In the nineteenth century, the military importance of this road became the foreground. In 1811, the General Staff of the Austrian Army prepared secret material on the defense of the Carpathians, which also included a proposal to restore roads of strategic military importance. The road from Humenne through Snina and the Przełęcz nad Roztokami Górnych to Baligród also fell into this category.
