The history of Roma people is getting lost in depth of centuries. The Romas leaved India and moved to Europe through Persia and Armenia more than thousand years ago. There is also legend among big quantity of stories about Roma people: Gypsies are descendants of saved inhabitants of Atlantida.
One legend more speaks about ancient nationality, which formerly existed in Egypt. Its leaders promised to Moses to leave country with him and to wander with him during 40 years. This people didn’t keep its promise and went to another place. So, Moses was angered and he said: “You will always wander and you will never have your own country”. From that time Roma people wanders.
They came to Belarusian territory from Poland and Germany in XV century and from Hungary – at the end of XVI – in the beginning of XVII centuries. Historians propose to take as reference point the date 25 May, 1501: the High Lithuanian Prince Aleksandr Kazimirovich gave Edict to “gypsy bailiff”. In according with this Edict Gypsies received a right to wander through princedom’s territory. The small town Zelva was main place of their meetings.
In XVII century the government of Rech’ Pospolitaya tried to accustom Roma to settled mode of life and gave them administrative authorities: elected persons were named Gypsies Kings and they were provided with unlimited authority on gypsies. The gypsy community in small town Mir (where governed King Yan Marzinkevich) was the most known. Romas constructed manufactories of cloth, linen and fur here.
At the end of XVII the quantity of Romas on Belarusian territory was sharply reduced: they came to Moldova, Bessarabia and Walachia under leadership of their Kings.
The mode of Roma’s life wasn’t change during many centuries. They wandered in summer, and they asked refuge in villages in winter.
The fairs were a place of meeting of different groups; Romas were gathered most of all in Vetka, Vitebsk, Gomel, Halcha.
The Ukase of Presidium of Supreme Soviet “About junction to work of Gypsies, who are engaged in vagrancy”(1965) put the end to nomadic mode of Roma’s life in USSR.
GYPSIES OF BELARUS
Important part of modern Roma population of Belarus is descendants of post-war immigrants from other regions of former USSR (Moldova).
Now 9.927 persons of Roma nationality live in Belarus according to the census (1999). The Romen organizations give other figure – about 58 000. It is almost impossible to define less as much exact quantity of Roma in Belarus or in Europe. It is supposed that in the World, basically in Europe, now lives 12-18 millions of Roma, including 8 million in countries of East Europe.
Three Romen organizations are registered in Belarus: Public Association “Belarusian Gypsy Diaspora”, Belarusian Association of Gypsies “Roma” and International Romen public organization “Regeneration”. They actively supported foreign contacts during last years and they are members of International unions of Romen associations.
HOLIDAYS
Easter and Christmas are the most favorite holidays and Romas prepare themselves very carefully and long before these holidays.
The younger Romas usually visited elder people, and the members of large family are met together. The Radunica is also important
holiday for Roma people.
There are following civil holidays: New Year, Women’s Day and 9 May. The most important holiday among their big quantity is
Victory Day. The Romas were exposed themselves to violent genocide during World War II. Only in concentration camps and
ghetto died more than half of million Romas. It is impossible to have more exact figure of victims.
FAMILY TRADITIONS
The Romas developed their own moral code during hundreds years of nomadic life, and they follow it in a present time too.
And, firstly, that regards to family traditions, which were changed insignificantly.
In the past Romen girls married in 12-14 years of old, but now – in 17-18 years of old, though there are exceptions to the rules.
It wasn’t custom to ask children about their wish in choice of future husband or wife. The parents chose a bride for their son,
than there was an agreement between families of suitor and bride and the wedding was taken place. Now a satiation is changed.
Only 40% of marriages are made in our time in accordance with decision of parents (without opinion of children). But in all cases
an agree of parents is necessarily.
The reputation of family in a society plays a great role in a choice of future wife or husband. Firstly moral side is taken into
account, and only after it – well being.
The parents of suitor usually come to house of perspective bride and ask whether “coming of match-makers” is possible.
If parents of bride don’t want marriage of their daughter and this man, they usually tell: “Girl is very yang, let’s grow up”
and so on. If they are consent to it, the match-makers come later to speak about wedding. The negotiations are hold with
the owner of house; if he is not home, match-makers come in other time. The civil marriage may be put off, but church
ceremony of wedding is necessarily.
Romas usually invite 100-120 persons to the marriage. It lasts only one day in a present time, but until morning. The gifts
are given at the end of solemnity. If the marriage was good, the gifts will be good, in other cases gifts will be modest.
ROMEN CUISINE
National cuisine of Roma nation doesn’t exist in traditional understanding. When Roma people had nomadic mode of life,
they went to the villages and asked food. The inhabitants of villages gave them mainly bacon, bread and eggs. Therefore
was an opinion that these products are favorite eating of Romas. Actually it is not true, besides eating partialities of Romas
had great changes after times of settled mode of life. So, we perhaps can talk about Romen cuisine today.
Romas are cooking very tasty. The dinner-table should be formulated beautifully. The principles of present Romen cooking
are close to Hungarian, Romanian and partly Bulgarian cuisine. As a rule, Romas successfully use cuisine of country, where
they live, by means of its transformation in accordance with Romen traditions.
There is a restaurant “Droma-Romen” (“Romen Ways”) in Minsk, which has gypsy colouring, but different dishes of this
inn are invented by workers of restaurant. The dishes have national names: “Romen Baron”, “Romen Chicken” and so on.
Roma nation has its own special methods of cooking, which were put in practice during many centuries. Do you know, for example,
any way to cook chicken in the wood or in open field? It is made as follows. It is necessary to draw blood from the bird, to remove
interiors and to coat it with clay. It is not necessary to remove feathers, the clay is set down upon them. Then you should dig a
dimple and fill up it there. Then you should to light a fire by putting wood on this place. You may take out chicken through one hour.
Then you should remove the clay, and all feathers would removed with clay. And now – bon appetite! It is unusually tasty.
Just try to do it!
Larisa Mihalchuk
The author thanks PA “Belarusian Gypsy Diaspora”
and personally Mr.Oleg Kozlovsky for his help in preparation of article.
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