âGypsies in a noisy crowd / They wander around Bessarabia / They are over the river today / Spend the night in tattered tents ...â So begins the famous southern poem of Pushkin, which glorified the Bessarabian region almost 200 years ago and sowed great interest in society for the exotic people described in it. The romantic trend in art was distinguished by the fact that it contrasted the European consciousness, which was saturated and corrupted by civilization, with a different - a "pure", natural, natural attitude to life. Therefore, the heroes of such works were either independent, proud highlanders, or freedom-loving children of the Gypsies, or brave, risky pirates-smugglers without a clan-tribe. Of course, fiction embellished a lot, put a lot in a special light. And how do Roma really live? We will conduct a small study, based on the ethnographic materials of the former Bessarabia, and the current Moldova.
Three capitals
On the territory of the state there are 3 recognized centers of the gypsy tribe. All of them are in the northern part of Moldova, in the cities of Soroca, Attack and Edinet. This does not mean that nowhere else on the territory of the former Soviet republic can you meet these dark-skinned black-haired people with a quick tenacious gaze and a peculiar guttural voice. Long colorful skirts of Roma women sweep the streets of Chisinau, Beltsy, and Ungheni. But it is in the north of Moldova that the largest, most numerous communities of this once nomadic people are concentrated. And each diaspora has its own gypsy barons!
Title value
In culturally, musically educated people, this phrase will be associated with the famous operetta of the Austrian composer Johann Strauss. However, we are interested in the different meaning of the expression. Gypsy barons are authoritative representatives of a tribe (camp) or an entire clan.
The Roma people, although Europeans were considered wild, uncontrollable, are in fact not alien to some kind of organization and submission to their laws, âhabits and customsâ. Therefore, ordinary Gypsies allowed them to be âstoodâ by a fairly respectable, respected person, able to speak flowery and brightly, knowing several basic languages ââof the area where the camp usually roams or where the clan has a donkey. He had to resolve contentious issues between "his" and the local population, administration and law enforcement agencies. Gypsy barons also regulated intra-ship or intra-community relations.
Pun
By the way, about the "baronetism". The Roma people do not actually have any high titles, especially noble, aristocratic. But there is a sonorous word âbaroâ, which means âimportantâ. And rum baro is translated as "an important gypsy." What does this combination resemble to people whose language is far from the dialect of âromantics from the high roadâ? That's right, that same "baron". So the myth arose that the leaders of the camp are aristocrats from the natives. That is, gypsy barons! However, those who directly came into contact with the life of the camp, know its nuances from the inside, will say the opposite: the power there is concentrated in the hands of not one person, but a group of the most respected people. They manage society on the basis of rather strict local gypsy laws. By the way, unwritten!
From a fairy tale to reality
Also, a huge number of rumors, legends, fairy tales envelops the life of this once nomadic tribe. Yes, the days are long gone when the life of the gypsies passed on wheels, under the peppy clatter of horse hooves and the creaking of the wagons. Most representatives of the nationality began to lead a sedentary image in the second half of the twentieth century. Many parents even sent their children to schools - though not for long, for 3-4 classes, so that they could read and write. In the Soviet era of total shortages, gypsies sold jeans and rubber flip flops, books and cosmetics, cigarettes, âchameleonsâ wallets and many more different attributes of a âbeautifulâ life. As well as the famous lollipops, sweets, âtoffeeâ, chewing gum. Naturally, along the way, they suggested fortune telling, âtelling the whole truthâ, bewitching, removing spoilage, and even curing a sudden illness. The poor people of Roma rarely hunted horse-stealing, theft in Soviet times. The children, however, begged, but not explicitly, in moderation.
The situation has changed dramatically over the past 20 odd years. Gypsies, on the one hand, clearly âcultivatedâ, somewhat civilized. On the other hand, their strongest social stratification occurred. Crime and marginalization are now quite commonplace among the Roma. But they still adore gold, bright, colorful outfits, dance and sing wonderfully, preserving their originality. Even the little grimy gypsy girl has a cool mobile phone, most often âexpropriatedâ. Mostly women work in families. The scope of their labor is all the same markets, trade. Men trade in goods and turn things around. Girls are forbidden intimacy before the wedding. And even the custom of showing the sheet after the wedding night, the gypsies honor and fulfill. The elders in the family must be honored, marital infidelity is punished cruelly, divorce is rare, abortion is prohibited, children are loved and will give birth to many - these are the basic realities of the life of gypsies.
To the question of castles
As already mentioned, the social stratification of the people is striking right away, you just have to go through those streets of the small village of Edinets or the larger cities - Atakam and Sorokam, where the gypsy population is concentrated. The last settlement is really the Moldavian capital of this people. Old houses with peeling window frames, cracks in the facade, crumbling plaster, standing in cluttered, groomed yards, look sad and scream about deep poverty. The picture is completed by half-naked dirty babies with obviously hungry, but very tricky little faces.
Another thing is the house of gypsy barons and just very rich representatives of the diaspora! In the same Forty, a whole hill was allotted for their magnificent buildings! And the dwellings themselves, by the whims of architectural decisions, the richness of design, can compete with the palaces of the stars of show business. And another question - who will win the dispute!
Architectural fantasies
How gypsy barons live, one can imagine at least by the external parameters of their houses. There are no one-story houses. Rare in two floors. Usually in three and four. Red tiled roofs, columns and balustrades, arches, pediments, stucco moldings, statues, weathervanes ... Turrets, medieval steeples, domes like on cathedrals are also signs of the "Baron" palaces. Many are decorated with coats of arms, as the owners claim, ancient. True, for some reason, with images of the head of the family, who, in fact, tells about the history of the clan. The yards are tiled and resemble Italian courtyards. They have fountains, gazebos or simply benches, comfortably arranged under the canopy of trees, among flowering flower beds. The ancient Greek gods and goddesses, the quadriga of the Bolshoi Theater, the Admiralty spire, wonderful animals, peacocks are the usual attributes of the palaces in which the clan of the gypsy baron lives. But this splendor often resembles the title of the novel âThe Shine and Poverty of the Courtesansâ. Most of the buildings are not completed, the work goes from year to year, and they donât see the end.
Interior decoration
Icons, paintings, gilding, marble, natural wood, antique carpets and new-fangled wallpapers, upholstered furniture make up the inner surroundings of dwellings. Striking luxury, sometimes clearly tasteful, but often mottled and clumsy, is the main element in the decoration of the interior. Many rooms, including separate bedrooms, living rooms, dining rooms, even cabinets for receiving guests and petitioners. Gypsy barons, photos of which you can see in this article, pass on their title by inheritance, and with them many serious duties and obligations to fellow tribesmen. Indeed, at present, it is precisely these people who have concentrated the fullness of power in the diaspora. Legal disputes, administrative, even family-domestic disputes with gypsies are decided to be resolved through the baron. Therefore, in their homes and separate rooms are reserved for reception rooms.
Instead of a conclusion
To say that to know the Roma is rich is to say nothing. According to media reports, in 2012, according to estimates, Baron Arthur Cherar of Soroca and his clan has an annual income of up to 40 million euros. And this is not the ceiling! Strange as it may seem, the funeral is especially impressive. Crypts from Italian marble, graves, where cars, computers, household items, furniture and much more descend together with the body, which, according to Roma, may be necessary for their relatives and in the next world, once again confirm the validity of the famous song: âGypsies love rings / / And the rings are golden ... âYes, they love sparkle, noise, movement, everything is bright, exotic - the way they are.