Having two motherlands or being a foreigner everywhere

1. Having two motherlands or being a foreigner everywhere The long way of returning Maria Marinova

2. The Ethnonym Bulgarians from Bessarabia • Ethnical Bulgarians • Bessarabia – between the river Prut (west), the river Danube (south), the Black Sea (south-east), the river Dniester (east and north),and the region Bukovina (north-west) • Ukraine – over 200 000 Bulgarians • Moldova – about 90 000 Bulgarians

3. Political Context • The Russo-Turkish Wars: • 1806-1812 • 1828-1829 • The Crimean War of 1853-1856 • Turkish repressions • The first emigrants were promised: land, independence, economic privileges • Thinly populated region of Budjak

4. The Interests of the Imperial Russia • Striving for an outlet on the south warm sea routes • Orthodox and Slavic idea • Interference of Austria and Great Britain – preservation of the territorial integrity of the Ottoman empire

5. Problems in the New Lands • 1830-1832 – epidemics of cholera and plague • 1833-1834 – drought and crop failure • Some Bulgarians come back to the south of the river Danube • 1860 – the Moldovian principality pursues politics of Romanification and deprives the Bulgarians of their rights and privileges

6. Nowadays – Historicalvs.Geographical Motherland • Love and pain in the poetry of the Bulgarians from Bessarabia • Emotional adherence of our compatriots to Bulgaria • The activity of association Rodolyubets (Patriot) • Bulgarian citizenship and permission for permanent residence • Interest in the history, customs, folklore of the Bulgarians in Bessarabia after 1990

7. Empirical Material • Interviews held in the summer of 2007: • 4 with Bulgarians from Bessarabia at different age, with different family status, and occupation • 1 with Emil Milanov – chief expert in international collaboration matters in the Ministry of education until 2005

8. At the moment the interviews took place • KatyaViktorova was a student at a metropoliten high school. Her parents returned to Bulgaria. • IustinaLyulenova was an art student in Sofia University. • Elena Vodinchar PhD was a scholar at Ethnographic institute in the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences. • Maria Delibaltova – Stoyanova was a PhD student at the University of VelikoTurnovo, married to a Bulgarian, and had a kid.

9. Bulgarians from Bessarabia keep • Archaic language with lexical loan-words of Russian, Romanian, Ukrainian, Gagauzian, but they have forgotten the meaning of the obscene words • Bulgarian verb tense system and syntax • Bulgarian Traditional believes and customs • Bulgarian Folklore vocal compo • Bulgarian self-awareness • A memory of their historical motherland and a unity of the settlers

10. Innovations in the Towns and Villages with Compact Bulgarian Inhabitants • Teaching of mother language (literary standard), Bulgarian literature and history • Professional education of folk-music and dances • Educational Bulgarian associations • Vicarious lecturers from the mother country • Opportunity to study in Bulgarian universities

11. The Bolgrad High School • Founded in 1859 • Bulgarian school until 1881 • Restored as a Bulgarian high school at 2001

12. Main Bulgarian Educational Centers in Bessarabia • Bulgarian lyceum in Kishinev – patron VasilLevski (1996) • Taraklia State University “GrigoriiTsamblak” (2004)

13. Religion • Bolgrad cathedral church “Transfiguration of Jesus” (1838) • Active constructionof massive churches after the migration

14. Connections to the Historical Motherland • Organized trips during the Soviet time • Teams of workers from Bulgaria to USSR • Family stories about the historical motherland • Bulgarian music as a connection

15. The Success of the Bulgarians from Bessarabia in Bulgaria • Often they are accepted as Russians • Scientific and educational institutions • Show business • Government and administrative institutions • Economic success – own business

16. Thank you for your attention!