Ромистика в Бессарабии XIX – начала XX в. Зарождение и динамика
Romani studies in Bessarabia of the 19th century - early 20th century. Origin and dynamics

Summary/Abstract: At the beginning of the 19th century, the newly acquired territory of Bessarabia aroused genuine interest among Russian officials, officers, and writers, attracting with its unexploredness, southern flavor, and the diversity of the multi-ethnic population. This study examines the little-studied history of the appearance of the first descriptions of the Bessarabian Romas, made by Russian authors, who, due to various circumstances, took up the pen. Their names are well known in historiography, these are P.S. Kunitsky. P.P. Svinin and A.A. Skalkovskiy. A.I. Zashchuk. K.V. Khanatsky. However, it turned out that modern Romani studies, which began to develop actively in the Republic of Moldova in recent decades, did not pay full attention to the analysis of the sources of the 19th century. This gap is what the author of this publication is trying to fill. The article also provides information about the image of Romas, reflected in the works of Russian authors of that time. The latter is methodologically important in historiography, as an additional source that illuminates the life and customs of the Bessarabian Romas. The described time, especially the first half of the 19th century, is the period of the formation of ethnographic science. The first descriptions of the Romas, like other peoples of the region, were made without a serious scientific plan, often superficial, emotionally colored, which modern science usually avoids. But, despite the individual features characteristic of the time and circumstances, eyewitness accounts of that period seem important for the formation of a comprehensive picture of the beginning of the study of the local population, including the Romani people of Bessarabia.

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