Аспекти на идентичността на бесарабските българи в Украйна
Aspects of the Identity of Bessarabian Bulgarians in Ukraine

Summary/Abstract: Bessarabian Bulgarians’ diaspora was formed between the second half of 18-th century and the first half of 19-th century when Bulgarian refugees left their home land to escape from the repressions of the Ottoman Empire after the Russo-Turkish wars. Bulgarian immigrants settled to live in Bessarabia (a region situated between the rivers Prut, Danube and Dnester), which had belonged to Romanian Principality of Moldavia but was annexed by the Russian Empire in 1812. Bessarabia is undoubtedly a peculiar region not just in historical, but also in contemporary aspect is largely due to the presence of Bulgarians who formed the biggest disapora there and moreover, continued to exist as such under the conditions of changing state and political regimes throughout the 20-th century. Since 1991 Bessarabia has been shared by two countries — Moldova and Ukraine, and it is inhabited by Russians, Ukrainians, Moldavians, Gagauz, Bulgarians, etc. For centuries now Bessarabian Bulgarians have constructed their ethnic identity through their language, the “memory” of leaving their mother land and the set up of new villages in a remote and unknown region, and also through their religion and the cultural specificities reflected in their everyday life, etc. Of course, the coexistence with diverse ethnic groups and national majorities in different political and state entities has left its mark on Bessarabian Bulgarians. Although Bulgarian diaspora has changed over the years under different historical and political contexts, it has preserved its Bulgarian identity and the most important resources and indicators are Bulgarian language and traditional culture.

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