Gypsies are perhaps one of the most incomprehensible and mythologized peoples on our planet, and this has been the case for many centuries. There are rumors around the world that when gypsies come to a city, they seduce men and women and then steal everything in sight, including children. There are also many myths about cunning and mysterious gypsy fortune tellers and gypsy camps. In any case, even if we put all myths and misconceptions aside, the Roma remain one of the most interesting ethnic groups in history.
1. Where did they come from?
The origins of the Gypsies are shrouded in mystery. At times it seemed that they appeared on the planet in some mysterious way. This in itself may have created a sense of fear among Europeans and contributed to the atmosphere of mystery surrounding the Gypsies. Modern scholars suggest that the Gypsies originally migrated en masse from India in the fifth century.
This theory suggests that their flight was linked to the spread of Islam, which the Roma were desperate to avoid in order to protect their religious freedom. This theory states that the Gypsies migrated from India to Anatolia and further to Europe, where they split into three separate branches: the Domari, the Lomavren, and the Gypsies themselves. Another theory suggests that there were as many as three separate migrations over several centuries.
2. Nomadic lifestyle of gypsies
Many stereotypes have long been formed around the gypsies. Who doesn’t know the phrase “gypsy soul” (which is used in relation to freedom-loving people). According to these stereotypes, gypsies prefer to live, as they say, outside the “mainstream” and eschew social norms in order to be able to lead a nomadic lifestyle, replete with fun and dancing. The truth is much darker.
For many centuries, Roma were often forcibly expelled from the countries in which they lived. Such forced evictions continue to this day. Many historians have suggested that the true reason for the nomadic lifestyle of the gypsies is very simple: survival.
3. Gypsies have no homeland
Gypsies are people without a specific citizenship. Most countries refuse to grant them citizenship, even if they were born in that country. Centuries of persecution and their closed community have led to the fact that the Roma simply have no homeland. In 2000, the Roma were officially declared a non-territorial nation. This lack of citizenship makes the Roma legally "invisible".
Although they are not subject to the laws of any country, they cannot access education, healthcare and other social services. Moreover, Roma cannot even obtain passports, making their travel very difficult or impossible.
4. Gypsy persecution.
It's worth starting with the fact that the Gypsies were actually enslaved people in Europe, especially in the 14th - 19th centuries. They were exchanged and sold as goods, and they were considered "subhumans." In the 1700s, Empress Maria Theresa of the Austro-Hungarian Empire passed a law that outlawed Gypsies. This was done to force the Roma to integrate into society.
Similar laws were passed in Spain, and many European countries banned Roma from entering their territory. The Nazi regime also persecuted and exterminated Roma by the tens of thousands. Even today the gypsies are persecuted.
5. Nobody knows how many gypsies there are in the world
Nobody knows how many gypsies live around the world today. Due to the discrimination that Roma often face, many of them do not publicly register or identify themselves as Roma. In addition, given their “legal invisibility”, the birth of children without documents and frequent moves, many Roma are listed as missing.
Also problematic is that Roma are not provided with social services, which would help paint a clearer picture of their numbers. However, The New York Times estimates the number of Roma people worldwide at 11 million, but this figure is often disputed.
6. Gypsies are an offensive word
For many people, the term "gypsy" means nomad and is not considered a racial slur. But for the “Roma” themselves (or “Romals” - the self-name of the Gypsies) this word has ominous overtones. For example, according to the Oxford Dictionary, the English word "gypped" (derived from "gypsie" - gypsy) means a criminal act.
Roma, often called gypsies, were considered losers and thieves, a word that was burned into their skin during the Nazi regime. Like many other racial slurs, the word "gypsy" has been used for centuries to oppress the Roma people.
7. Future, inexpensive...
There are many myths surrounding gypsies. One of these myths is that gypsies have their own magic, which has been passed down for centuries from generation to generation. The myth is associated with tarot cards, crystal balls and fortune tellers' tents, as well as other stereotypes. The literature is replete with references to the gypsy language and the magical arts of this people.
In addition, there are many films that show gypsy curses. Even in art, there are many paintings that describe Roma as mystical and magical people. However, many scientists believe that all this magic is fiction, resulting from the fact that people simply did not know anything about the gypsies.
8. Lack of formal religion
European folklore often claims that the Roma made a temple out of cream cheese. Presumably, they ate it during a period of severe famine, so they were left without an official religion. Generally, Gypsies join the church that is most widespread in the country in which they live. However, there are many traditional Romani beliefs. Some scholars believe that there are many connections between Roma beliefs and Hinduism.
9. Modesty
Although gypsy weddings are often accompanied by mass celebrations and luxurious attire, the everyday clothing of gypsies reflects one of their main life principles - modesty. Gypsy dancing is most often associated with women's belly dancing. However, many Romani women have never performed what is considered today belly dancing.
Instead, they perform traditional dances that use only their bellies for movement, not their thighs, as moving the hips is considered immodest. Additionally, the long, flowing skirts typically worn by gypsy women serve to cover their legs, as exposing their legs is also considered immodest.
10. The Gypsy contribution to world culture is enormous
From the very beginning of their existence, the Gypsies were closely associated with singing, dancing and acting. They carried this tradition throughout the centuries and significantly influenced world art. Many Gypsies have assimilated into different cultures, influencing them. Many singers, actors, artists, etc. had gypsy roots.
Mysterious peoples lived on our planet in the past. For example, such as .
Gypsies are a people covered in myths and legends. Well, at least start with whether they are a single people, and who can be considered a gypsy? The gypsies themselves consider themselves to be either Sinti, Kalo, or Keldari. In addition to the well-known European Roma, there are also Balkan “Egyptians” and Ashkali, Middle Eastern Dom, Transcaucasian Bosha, Central Asian Mugat and Chinese Einu. The surrounding population classifies them as gypsies, but our gypsies are unlikely to recognize them as one of their own. So, who are the gypsies, and where did they come from?
Gypsies-Ursari. Image borrowed from wikimedia foundation
In the beginning a legend
Previously, gypsies lived in Egypt between the Tsin and Gan rivers. But then a bad king came to power in this country and decided to turn all Egyptians into slaves. Then the freedom-loving gypsies left Egypt and settled around the world. I heard this story as a child in the Belarusian city of Slutsk from an old gypsy grandfather who worked at the local bazaar. Then I had to hear and read it in different versions. For example, that the gypsies come from the island of Tsy on the Ganges River. Or that the gypsies dispersed in different directions, crossing the Tsy-Gan River.
Oral history does not last long. As a rule, more or less truthful information about historical events is preserved for only three generations. There are exceptions, such as the ancient Greek poems about the Trojan War or the Icelandic sagas. They conveyed news about events centuries ago. But this happened thanks to professional storytellers. The gypsies did not have such storytellers, so myths took the place of truthful information. They were created on the basis of legends of local peoples, biblical stories and outright fables.
The Gypsies do not remember that the name of their people comes from the Greek word “atsigganos”. This was the name of a medieval Christian sect of sorcerers and fortune tellers originally from Phrygia (now the territory of Turkey). By the time the gypsies appeared in Balkan Greece, it was destroyed, but the memory of it was preserved and was transferred to a still little-known people.
In some countries, gypsies are still called Egyptians (remember the English word Gypsies or the Spanish Gitano). This name also originates on the Balkan Peninsula, where immigrants from Egypt for a long time traded in magic tricks and circus performances. After the conquest of Egypt by the Arabs, the flow of magicians from there dried up, but the word “Egyptian” became a common noun and was transferred to the gypsies.
Finally, the self-name of European gypsies “Roma” sometimes refers to them as immigrants from Rome. We will talk about the real origin of this word below. But, if we remember that in the Middle Ages the inhabitants of Byzantium called themselves nothing less than Romans, then we again return to the Balkan Peninsula.
It is curious that the first written mentions of Gypsies are also associated with the Balkan Peninsula. The life of the Greek monk George of Athos, written in 1068, tells that shortly before his death, the Byzantine emperor Constantine Monomakh turned to some Indians to clear his gardens of wild animals. In the 12th century, to the displeasure of Orthodox monks, gypsies in Constantinople sold amulets, told fortunes, and performed with trained bears. In 1322, the Irish pilgrim Simon Fitz-Simons met them on the island of Crete. In 1348, a record of gypsies appears in Serbia, in 1378 - in Bulgaria, in 1383 - in Hungary, in 1416 - in Germany, in 1419 - in France, in 1501 - in the Grand Duchy of Lithuania.
In the Middle Ages, the arrival of settlers was always welcomed by the feudal lords, as they counted on cheap labor. In 1417, Emperor Sigismund of Luxembourg even issued a safe conduct to the gypsies. But very soon the European monarchs became disillusioned with the newcomers. They did not want to settle in a specific place and were more like vagabonds. Already in the 15th century, laws began to be passed aimed at expelling the Gypsies. Moreover, in some cases, violators faced the death penalty. The gypsies left and returned. They had nowhere to go, since they did not remember where their homeland was. If their homeland is not the Balkan Peninsula, then where did they come from?
Ancestral home in India
In 1763, Transylvanian pastor István Valý compiled a dictionary of the Romani language and concluded that it was of Indo-Aryan origin. Since then, linguists have found many facts that confirm his conclusion. In 2004 – 2012, works by geneticists appeared who determined that the ancestral homeland of the gypsies should be sought in the north-west of India. They found that most Roma men are descended from a small group of relatives who lived 32 to 40 generations ago. Fifteen centuries ago they left their native places and for some reason moved west.
The evidence of the Indian origin of the Roma is so clear that in 2016, the Indian Ministry of External Affairs declared the Roma to be part of the overseas Indian community. Therefore, if you want to find out how many Indians live, for example, on the territory of Belarus, add another 7079 Belarusian gypsies to the 545 people from India!
At the same time, neither linguists nor geneticists have yet precisely determined which ancestors of which modern Indian people (after all, many peoples live in India!) are related to the Gypsies. This is partly because northwest India is home to different tribes. There are especially many of them in the states of Gujarat and Rajasthan. Perhaps the ancestors of the gypsies were one small tribe. After they went west, they had no close relatives or descendants left in India.
“Wait, how can this be! - someone will exclaim. “After all, there are gypsies in India!” Travelers write about Indian gypsies in blogs and film them. I myself had to see in the north of India representatives of the people who are called “Banjara”, “Garmati”, “Lambani” and so on. Many of them continue to lead a nomadic lifestyle, living in tents and engaging in begging or petty trading. The attitude of Indians towards them is approximately the same as that of Europeans towards the Roma gypsies. That is, despite all the tolerance and romantic fairy tales, it is very bad. However, “Banjara-Garmati” are not gypsies. This people has its own history. He comes from Gujarat, but began to lead a “gypsy” lifestyle only in the 17th century. The Banjara Garmati and the Gypsies are indeed distantly related, but no more so than other tribes and peoples of northwestern India.
How did the gypsies end up in the west?
In 2004, British historian Donald Kendrick published the book “The Gypsies: From the Ganges to the Thames.” He tried to summarize all known information that could shed light on the appearance of gypsies in Europe. His work is only a version; it contains many indirect facts and controversial conclusions. Nevertheless, it looks plausible, and it is worth retelling it very briefly for Russian-speaking readers.
The westward migration of Indians to the neighboring Persian Empire began more than 1,500 years ago. The Persian poem Shahnameh talks about this in lyrical form. Allegedly, Shah Brahram Gur, who ruled in the 5th century, turned to one of the Indian kings with a request to send Luri musicians. Each musician received a cow and a donkey, as the Shah wanted the settlers to settle on the land and raise new generations of musicians. But more often Indians moved to Persia as mercenary soldiers and artisans. D. Kendrick notes that in Iran the ancestors of the gypsies could get acquainted with tents. Later, the “vardo” wagon will become a symbol of the nomadic gypsies in Europe.
In 651, Persia was conquered by Muslim Arabs. The Arabs knew the Indian settlers as "Zotts". Perhaps it comes from the Jat people, who in our time live just in the north-west of India. The Zotts formed a kind of state in the lower reaches of the Tigris and Euphrates, collecting tribute from passing merchants for the use of trade routes. Their arbitrariness angered Caliph Al-Mu'tasim, who defeated the Zotts in 834. He resettled some of the prisoners to the area of the city of Antioch on the border with Byzantium. Now this is the borderland of Turkey and Syria. Here they served as shepherds, protecting their flocks from wild animals.
In 969, the Byzantine emperor Nikephoros captured Antioch. Thus, the ancestors of the gypsies ended up within the Byzantine Empire. For some time they lived in eastern Anatolia, where a significant part of the population was Armenians. It is not without reason that many linguists discover borrowings from Armenian in the Gypsy language.
From Eastern Anatolia, some of the Roma moved to Constantinople and the Balkan Peninsula, and then to other European countries. These gypsies are known to us as "Rum". But another part of the gypsies remained in Anatolia and already during the Turkish conquests they mastered the expanses of the Middle East, Transcaucasia, Iran, and Egypt. These are known as "house". Gypsies “at home” still live in Muslim countries, profess Islam, but separate themselves from the Arabs, Turks and Persians. It is typical that in Israel they cooperate with the authorities and even serve in the Israeli army. In neighboring Egypt, the Domari live near large cities. Among the Egyptians, their women have the dubious reputation of being good dancers and cheap prostitutes.
Journey of the Gypsies to the West in the 5th - 15th centuries
In Armenia, the “lom” gypsies, also known as “boshas,” converted to Christianity and are now almost indistinguishable from other Armenians. In Central Asia, people began to speak the Tajik language and call themselves “Mugat”, although the surrounding peoples more often call them “Lyuli”. In Western China, on the southern slopes of the Tien Shan Mountains and in the oases of the Taklamakan Desert, you can meet very exotic “Einu” gypsies. They speak a strange language that combines Indo-Aryan and Tajik words with Turkic grammar. Einu are ordinary peasants and artisans, not prone to theft, begging or drug dealing. However, their Chinese and Uyghur neighbors treat them with contempt. The Einu themselves say that they came to China from Iran, that is, they are descendants of the medieval Zotts or the same gypsies “home”.
The names “rum” and “house” have a common origin, differing only in pronunciation. But, if “rum” refers our imagination to Rome, then “house” clarifies the true roots of the self-name of the gypsies. In Punjabi language, the word "dam-i" means a person or a man.
Second coming
So, in the 14th century, the gypsies began to leave the cozy Balkan Peninsula, where they spent several centuries, and move to other European countries. There is nothing surprising in this if we remember that during this period the Turkish conquest of the lands of the former Byzantine Empire took place. However, the number of migrants cannot be called huge. Proof of this are materials about the persecution of Roma by the authorities. As a rule, before the 18th century, Gypsy communities in European countries barely numbered a few hundred people each. In Russia, Gypsies are not mentioned until 1733, and even then they lived only in the Baltic states.
By the 19th century, many European gypsies abandoned their nomadic lifestyle, one way or another fit into existing social structures, served in the army, and participated in the colonial expansion of European peoples. The negative image of the gypsies gradually eroded. Romantic poets sang the gypsies' love for freedom. But in the middle of the 19th century, a new stream of gypsy migrants poured from the Balkan Peninsula, to whom the definition of free was never suitable.
Where did they come from? Despite the Turkish invasion, most medieval gypsies chose to remain where they lived before. At the beginning of the 17th century, we discover gypsy suburbs near the Athos monastery, settlements of gypsy artisans in Bulgaria, and even gypsy soldiers in the Ottoman army. While in European countries the gypsies were persecuted, in the Ottoman Porte they were recognized as subjects of the Sultan, paid taxes and in some cases enjoyed a certain independence.
It is not surprising that among the Ottoman gypsies there were many sedentary ones. Some converted to Islam, others remained Christians, and others tried to merge with the local population. This is how a small group of Ashkali gypsies arose in Kosovo, who lived in permanent villages, gardened and spoke Albanian. In Bulgaria, the Roma were more likely to accept the Turkish language and culture.
Village of Romanian gypsies in the 19th century. Image borrowed from wikimedia foundation
However, there was one big exception in the northern Balkans. In the Romanian principalities of Wallachia and Moldavia, gypsies were slaves. It is curious that the very first mention of the Gypsies in Wallachian documents of the 14th century speaks of them as unfree. Most of the gypsies belonged to the prince, but there were also slaves dependent on monasteries or landowner boyars. Some of the gypsy slaves led a sedentary lifestyle, others were allowed to roam, but one way or another they worked for the owner. The owners disposed of their property, allowed or prohibited marriages, tried and punished them. Slaves were cheap in Wallachia. For example, in 1832, thirty gypsies were exchanged for one britzka. In Moldova, in addition to the gypsy slaves, there was a small group of Tatar slaves. Tatars became slaves when they were captured. But how the Roma population ended up in slavery is difficult to understand. There were no hostilities between Romanians and Gypsies.
Slavery was finally abolished only in 1856. Although the Romanian authorities took steps to ensure that the Gypsies mixed with the Romanians, many of the freed slaves chose to move away from their former masters. This was especially true for those who maintained a nomadic lifestyle. Many of the gypsies living in Western European countries, Russia, Ukraine and Belarus are direct descendants of that very later wave of gypsies from Romania.
In the 20th century, in the USSR and other socialist countries, they tried to transfer the gypsies to a sedentary lifestyle. The Nazis exterminated Roma in concentration camps. Thus, during the Second World War, Belarus lost almost its entire indigenous Roma population. The gypsies living with us today are descendants of post-war settlers from other Soviet republics. Nowadays, a suspicious and sometimes outright hostile attitude towards Gypsies is characteristic of all European countries from France to Russia.
Gypsies are not loved, they are admired, but they continue to lead an isolated lifestyle. And so for one and a half thousand years!
1. "Gypsies" is a collective term, the same as "Slavs", "Caucasians", "Scandinavians" or "Latin Americans". Several dozen nationalities belong to the gypsies.
2. The Roma have a national anthem, a flag and an artistic culture, including literature.
3. Gypsies are conventionally divided into Eastern and Western.
4. The Gypsies as a nation were formed in Persia (eastern branch) and the Roman Empire (aka Romea, aka Byzantium; western branch). In general, when talking about gypsies, they usually mean Western gypsies (Roma and Kale groups).
5. Since the Roma gypsies are Caucasians and arose as a nation in a European country, they are Europeans, and not a “mysterious eastern people,” as journalists like to write. Of course, like the Russians and Spaniards, they still have some heritage of Eastern mentality.
6. “Eastern” gypsies began to be called gypsies only in the 19th and 20th centuries, when Europeans visiting Asia drew attention to their external resemblance to gypsies, as well as some common crafts and traditions. “Eastern” gypsies have a culture that differs sharply from the “general gypsy” (i.e., the culture of the noticeably more numerous and culturally developed “western” gypsies), although both have a common cultural heritage of Indian ancestors. “Eastern” and “Western” gypsies practically do not communicate.
7. The Romani languages are overwhelmingly descendants of Sanskrit. Ethnically, the Gypsies are descendants of the Aryans, with a Dravidian admixture (the Dravidians are the indigenous population of India, conquered by the Aryans, one of the oldest literate cultures, at the time of the conquest they were more developed than the culture of the nomadic Aryans).
8. Contrary to the statements of some people who are far from ethnography and history, there was never any “expulsion of the Gypsies” from India and the Roman Empire.
In India there were no gypsies at all, there were Hindus. According to recent genetic and linguistic studies, the ancestors of the Gypsies, a group of Hindus of the "house" caste of approximately 1,000 people, left India sometime in the 6th century. It is assumed that this group of musicians and jewelers was presented by the Indian ruler to the Persian, as was the custom of that time. Already in Persia, the size of the group grew greatly, and a social division appeared within it (mainly by profession); In the 9th–10th centuries, part of the Roma began to gradually move westward and finally reached Byzantium and Palestine (two different branches). Some remained in Persia and from there spread to the east. Some of these gypsies eventually reached the homeland of their distant ancestors - India.
9. The gypsies left Byzantium during the period of its conquest by Muslims, in the hope of receiving help from fellow Christians (the people and times were naive). The exodus from the Roman Empire lasted for decades. Some Gypsies, however, remained in their homeland for various reasons. Their descendants eventually converted to Islam.
10. There is a hypothesis that the gypsies received the nickname “Egyptians” back in Byzantium, for their dark complexion and for the fact that the most noticeable part of the gypsies, like the visiting Egyptians, were engaged in circus art. Another nickname was associated with circus art and fortune telling, from which the word “gypsies” came: “atsingane”. Initially, this was the name given to certain sectarians seeking secret knowledge. But over time, apparently, the word has become a household word, ironic for anyone involved in esotericism, magic tricks, fortune telling and divination. The gypsies even then called themselves “Roma” and gave themselves the nickname “kale”, that is, dark-skinned, dark-skinned
11. It is believed that it was the gypsies who widely spread belly dancing in Muslim countries. However, there is no evidence or refutation of this.
12. Traditional areas of activity for Gypsies include the arts, trade, horse breeding and crafts (from the prosaic of brick making and basket weaving to the romantic art of jewelry and embroidery).
13. Soon after coming to Europe, the Gypsies became one of the victims of great socio-economic crises and were subjected to severe persecution. This has led to severe marginalization and criminalization of Roma. What saved the Gypsies from complete extermination was the generally neutral or friendly attitude of the majority of the common people, who did not want to implement bloody laws against the Gypsies.
14. They say that the famous Papus learned fortune telling from the gypsies.
15. The Inquisition was never interested in the gypsies.
16. Medicine knows no cases of leprosy among the Roma. The most common blood types among Roma are III and I. The percentage of III and IV blood is very high compared to other European peoples.
17. In the Middle Ages, Gypsies, like Jews, were accused of cannibalism.
18. In the 18th and 19th centuries, with increasing tolerance towards them in European society, the crime rate of the Roma decreased sharply and greatly. In the 19th century, a very rapid process of integration of Roma into society began in Europe.
19. Gypsies came to Russia more than 300 years ago. Like other now established peoples (for example, Kalmyks), they received imperial permission to live in Russia and engage in traditional crafts (trade, horse breeding, fortune telling, singing and dancing). After some time, these gypsies began to call themselves Russian Roma, which is still the largest gypsy nationality in Russia. By 1917, the Russian Roma were the most integrated and educated Gypsies in Russia.
20. At various times, Kelderars (Kotlyars), Lovaris, Servas, Ursaris, Vlachs and other gypsies also immigrated to Russia.
21. Almost all names of Roma nationalities are either the names of key professions or reflect the name of the country they consider their homeland. This says a lot about Roma priorities.
22. The famous gypsy national costume was invented in the 19th century. The Kalderars were the first to wear it. The Russian Roma national costume was invented by artists to create a more exotic stage image. Historically, Gypsies have always tended to wear clothing typical of their country of residence.
23. Gypsies are famous pacifists. However, at various times they served with the armies and in the armies of Germany, Prussia, Sweden and Russia.
In 1812, Russian Roma voluntarily donated large sums of money for the maintenance of the Russian army. Young Roma boys fought as part of the Russian troops.
At the same time, what’s funny is that quite a few French gypsies fought in Napoleon’s army. There is even a description of a meeting between two gypsies from different sides during the battle between the Spaniards and the French.
During the Second World War, Gypsies participated in hostilities as part of both regular armies (USSR, France; privates, tank crews, military engineers, pilots, orderlies, artillerymen, etc.) and partisan groups, mixed and purely Gypsy (USSR , France, Eastern Europe). The guerrilla actions of the Roma against the Nazis are sometimes called “Aryans against Aryans.”
24. As a result of the systematic targeted extermination of the Gypsies by the Nazis, about 150,000 Gypsies (for comparison, in the USSR lived from 60,000, according to the census, to 120,000, according to assumptions) died in Europe. "Gypsy Holocaust" is called Kali Thrash (there are also variants Samudaripen and Paraimos).
25. Among the outstanding Roma there are scientists, writers, poets, composers, musicians, singers, dancers, actors, directors, boxers (including champions), football players, historians, politicians, priests, missionaries, artists and sculptors.
Some are better known, for example, Marishka Veres, Ion Voicu, Janos Bihari, Cem Mace, Mateo Maximov, Yul Brynner, Tony Gatlif, Bob Hoskins, Nikolai Slichenko, Django Reinhardt, Bireli Lagren, others less, but can also boast of significant contributions to gypsy culture.
26. If you see the phrase “nomadic people” without quotation marks in an article about Russian gypsies, you don’t have to read it. The author will not write anything truly reliable if he does not even know the fact that only 1% of Russian Gypsies are nomadic.
27. According to the Ministry of Internal Affairs, despite the fact that in the media Roma fraud is in first place when mentioned in criminal articles, in statistics they are in last place. Ethnographers believe that the situation with gypsy fraud and drug trafficking is similar in Russia.
28. During Stalin's time, the Roma were subjected to targeted repression.
29. The term “gypsy baron” has been used by gypsies only for the last couple of decades, and not by everyone. This is borrowed from the media and romantic literature. The term is used specifically to communicate with non-Gypsies.
30. There are several notable gypsy theaters in the world: in Russia, Ukraine, Slovakia, Germany, as well as smaller theaters and studios in these and other countries.
31. One of the most interesting gypsy concepts is the concept of “filth”. It is associated with the lower part of the body of a married or just an adult woman. All she has to do is walk over something and the place becomes “desecrated.” Clothing worn by a woman below the waist and shoes are automatically considered “defiled.” Therefore, the women's national costume of many gypsies around the world includes a large apron. And for the same reason, in order not to be desecrated, gypsies prefer to live in small, one-story houses.
32. Short hair among gypsies is a symbol of dishonor. The hair of the exiled and isolated was cut. Until now, gypsies avoid very short haircuts.
33. Gypsies understand many simple phrases spoken in Hindi. That's why gypsies love some Indian films so much.
34. Roma have “undesirable” professions, which are usually hidden so as not to “fall out” of Roma society. These are, for example, factory work, street cleaning and journalism.
35. Like every nation, gypsies have their own national dishes. Since ancient times, gypsies lived in or near the forest, so they ate animals caught in hunts - hares, wild boars and others. A special national dish of the gypsies is hedgehog, fried or stewed.
36. Carriers of gypsy genes are called Romano rats. Romanians are recognized as having the right, if they wish, to become gypsies. Romano Rath is the guitarist of the Rolling Stones group Ronnie Wood, Sergei Kuryokhin, Yuri Lyubimov, Charlie Chaplin and Anna Netrebko.
37. The word “lave” in Russian slang is borrowed from the Gypsy language, where it has the form “lowe” (Gypsies do not “akayut”) and the meaning “money”.
38. An earring in one ear of a gypsy means that he is the only son in the family.
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Material from Wikipedia
Total population: 8~10 million
Settlement: Albania:
from 1300 to 120,000
Argentina:
300 000
Belarus:
17 000
Bosnia and Herzegovina:
60,000
Brazil:
678 000
Canada:
80 000
Russia:
183,000 (2002 census)
Romania:
535,140 (see population of Romania)
Slovakia:
65,000 (officially)
USA:
1 million Handbook of Texas
Ukraine:
48,000 (2001 census)
Croatia:
9,463 to 14,000 (2001 Census)
Language: Gypsy, Domari, Lomavren
Religion: Christianity, Islam
Gypsies are the collective name for about 80 ethnic groups, united by a common origin and recognition of the “Gypsy law”. There is no single self-name, although recently the term Romanies, that is, “rum-like,” has been proposed as such.
The English traditionally called them Gypsies (from Egyptians - “Egyptians”), the Spaniards - Gitanos (also from Egiptanos - “Egyptians”), the French - Bohémiens (“Bohemians”, “Czechs”), Gitans (distorted Spanish Gitanos) or Tsiganes (borrowing from Greek - τσιγγάνοι, tsinganos), Germans - Zigeuner, Italians - Zingari, Dutch - Zigeuners, Armenians - Գնչուներ (gnchuner), Hungarians - Cigany or Pharao nerek ("Pharaoh's tribe"), Georgians - ბოშ ები (bosebi), Finns - mustalaiset (“black”), Turks - Çingeneler; Azerbaijanis - Qaraçı (Garachy, i.e. “black”); Jews - צוענים (tso’anim), from the name of the biblical province of Tsoan in Ancient Egypt; Bulgarians - Tsigani. Currently, ethnonyms from the self-name of a part of the gypsies, “Roma” (English Roma, Czech Romové, Finnish romanit, etc.) are becoming increasingly widespread in various languages.
Three types predominate in the traditional names of Gypsies:
The literal translation of one of the self-names of the Gypsies is Kale (Gypsies: black);
reflecting the ancient idea of them as immigrants from Egypt;
distorted versions of the Byzantine nickname “atsinganos” (meaning “fortune tellers, magicians”).
Now gypsies live in many countries of Europe, Western and South Asia, as well as in North Africa, North and South America and Australia. The number, according to various estimates, ranges from 2.5 to 8 million and even 10-12 million people. There were 175.3 thousand people in the USSR (1970 census). According to the 2002 census, about 183 thousand Roma lived in Russia.
National symbols
Gypsy flag
On April 8, 1971, the first World Gypsy Congress took place in London. The result of the congress was the recognition of the gypsies of the world as a single non-territorial nation and the adoption of national symbols: a flag and an anthem based on the folk song “Djelem, Djelem.” Lyricist: Jarko Jovanovic.
The peculiarity of the anthem is the absence of a clearly established melody; each performer arranges the folk tune in his own way. There are also several versions of the text, in which only the first verse and chorus are exactly the same. All options are recognized by gypsies.
Instead of a coat of arms, gypsies use a number of recognizable symbols: a wagon wheel, a horseshoe, a deck of cards.
Such symbols are usually decorated with Gypsy books, newspapers, magazines and websites, and one of these symbols is usually included in the logos of events dedicated to Gypsy culture.
In honor of the first World Gypsy Congress, April 8 is considered Roma Day. Some gypsies have a custom associated with it: in the evening, at a certain time, they carry a lighted candle along the street.
History of the people
The most common self-name of the gypsies, which they brought from India, is “rum” or “roma” among the European gypsies, “home” among the gypsies of the Middle East and Asia Minor, and “lom” among the gypsies of Armenia. All these names go back to the Indo-Aryan "d"om" with the first cerebral sound. The cerebral sound, relatively speaking, is a cross between the sounds "r", "d" and "l". According to linguistic studies, the Roma of Europe and houses and crowbars Asia and the Caucasus were the three main "streams" of migrants from India. Under the name "d"om, low-caste groups appear today in various areas of modern India. Despite the fact that modern houses in India are difficult to directly relate to the gypsies, their name has a direct connection with them. The difficulty is to understand what the connection was in the past between the ancestors of the Gypsies and the Indian houses. The results of linguistic research conducted back in the 20s. XX century by the major Indologist-linguist R.L. Turner, and which is shared by modern scientists, in particular, the linguists-Romologists J. Matras and J. Hancock, show that the ancestors of the Gypsies lived in the central regions of India and several centuries before the exodus (approximately in the 3rd century BC) migrated to Northern Punjab.
A number of data indicate the settlement in the central and northwestern regions of India of a population with the self-name d"om / d"omba starting from the 5th-4th centuries. BC. This population was originally tribal groups of common origin, possibly related to the Austroasiatics (one of the largest autochthonous strata of India). Subsequently, with the gradual development of the caste system, d"om / d"omba occupied the lower levels in the social hierarchy and began to be recognized as caste groups. At the same time, the integration of houses into the caste system occurred primarily in the central parts of India, and the northwestern regions remained a “tribal” zone for a very long time. This tribal character of the areas of origin was supported by the constant penetration there of Iranian nomadic tribes, whose resettlement in the period before the migration of the ancestors of the Gypsies from India took on a massive scale. These circumstances determined the nature of the culture of the peoples of the Indus Valley zone (including the ancestors of the Gypsies), a culture that for centuries retained its nomadic and semi-nomadic type. Also, the very ecology of Punjab, Rajasthan and Gujarat, the arid and infertile soils near the Indus River contributed to the development of a semi-pastoral, semi-trading mobile economic model for a number of local population groups. Russian authors believe that during the period of exodus the ancestors of the Gypsies represented a socially structured ethnic population of common origin (rather than a number of separate castes), engaged in commercial transportation and trade in transport animals, and also, if necessary, as auxiliary occupations - a number of crafts and other services, which formed part of everyday skills. The authors explain the cultural and anthropological difference between the gypsies and the modern houses of India (which have more pronounced non-Aryan features than the gypsies) by the indicated strong Aryan influence (in particular, in its Iranian modification), characteristic of the northwestern regions of India, where the ancestors of the gypsies lived before the exodus . This interpretation of the ethno-social origin of the Indian ancestors of the Roma is supported by a number of foreign and Russian researchers.
Early history (VI-XV centuries)
According to linguistic and genetic studies, the ancestors of the Roma left India in a group of about 1,000 people. The time of migration of the ancestors of the Roma from India is not precisely established, as is the number of migration waves. Various researchers approximately determine the outcome of the so-called “proto-Gypsy” groups in the 6th-10th centuries AD. According to the most popular version, based on an analysis of loanwords in the languages of the Roma, the ancestors of modern Roma spent about 400 years in Persia before the Roma branch moved west into the territory of Byzantium.
They concentrated for some time in the eastern region of Byzantium called Armeniak, where the Armenians were settled. One branch of the ancestors of modern Gypsies advanced from there to the region of modern Armenia (the Lom branch, or Bosha Gypsies). The rest moved further west. They were the ancestors of the European gypsies: Romov, Kale, Sinti, Manush. Some of the migrants remained in the Middle East (the ancestors of the houses). There is an opinion that another branch passed to Palestine and through it to Egypt.
As for the so-called Central Asian gypsies, or Lyuli, they are, as is sometimes figuratively said, cousins or even second cousins of the European gypsies.
Thus, the Central Asian gypsy population, having absorbed various streams of migrants from Punjab (including Baloch groups) over the centuries, has historically been heterogeneous.
The Gypsies of Europe are descendants of the Gypsies who lived in Byzantium.
Documents indicate that the gypsies lived both in the center of the empire and on its outskirts, and there most of these gypsies converted to Christianity. In Byzantium, the gypsies quickly integrated into society. In a number of places, their leaders were given certain privileges. Written references to the Gypsies from this period are sparse, but they do not seem to suggest that the Gypsies attracted any special interest or were perceived as a marginal or criminal group. Gypsies are mentioned as metalworkers, horse harness makers, saddlers, fortune tellers (in Byzantium this was a common profession), trainers (in the earliest sources - snake charmers, and only in later sources - bear trainers). At the same time, the most common crafts, apparently, were still artistic and blacksmithing; entire villages of gypsy blacksmiths are mentioned.
With the collapse of the Byzantine Empire, the gypsies began to migrate to Europe. The first to arrive in Europe, judging by written European sources, were marginal, adventurously minded representatives of the people who were engaged in begging, fortune telling and petty theft, which marked the beginning of a negative perception of the Gypsies as a people among Europeans. And only after some time, artists, trainers, artisans, and horse dealers began to arrive.
Gypsies in Western Europe (XV - early XX centuries)
The first gypsy camps that came to Western Europe told the rulers of European countries that the Pope had imposed a special punishment on them for a temporary apostasy from the Christian faith: seven years of wandering. At first, the authorities provided them with protection: they gave them food, money and letters of protection. Over time, when the period of wandering had clearly expired, such indulgences stopped, and the gypsies began to be ignored.
Meanwhile, an economic and social crisis was brewing in Europe. Its result was the adoption of a number of cruel laws in Western European countries, directed, among other things, against representatives of itinerant professions, as well as simply vagabonds, the number of which increased greatly due to the crisis, which, apparently, created a criminogenic situation. Nomadic, semi-nomadic, or those who tried to settle down but became bankrupt, the gypsies also became victims of these laws. They were identified as a special group of vagabonds by issuing separate decrees, the first of which was issued in Spain in 1482.
In the book “History of the Gypsies. A New Look" (N. Bessonov, N. Demeter) provides examples of anti-Gypsy laws:
Sweden. A law from 1637 prescribed the hanging of male Gypsies.
Mainz. 1714 Death to all Gypsies captured within the state. Flogging and branding of women and children with hot irons.
England. According to the law of 1554, the death penalty was for men. According to an additional decree of Elizabeth I, the law was tightened. From now on, execution awaited “those who have or will have friendship or acquaintance with the Egyptians.” Already in 1577, seven Englishmen and one Englishwoman fell under this decree. They were all hanged at Aylesbury.
Historian Scott-McPhee counts 148 laws adopted in the German states from the 15th to the 18th centuries. They were all approximately the same, the diversity is only evident in the details. Thus, in Moravia, gypsies had their left ears cut off, and in Bohemia, their right ears. In the Archduchy of Austria they preferred to brand, and so on.
Stigma used in Germany during the anti-Gypsy laws
Perhaps the most cruel was Frederick William of Prussia. In 1725, he ordered that all male and female gypsies over eighteen years of age be put to death.
As a result of persecution, the Roma of Western Europe, firstly, were heavily criminalized, since they did not have the opportunity to legally obtain food for themselves, and secondly, they were practically culturally preserved (to this day, the Roma of Western Europe are considered the most distrustful and committed to literally following ancient traditions). They also had to lead a special way of life: moving at night, hiding in forests and caves, which increased the suspicion of the population, and also gave rise to rumors about cannibalism, Satanism, vampirism and werewolves of the gypsies, the consequence of these rumors was the emergence of related myths about kidnapping and especially children (for consumption or for satanic rituals) and about the ability to perform evil spells.
Picture from a French entertainment magazine showing gypsies cooking human meat
Some of the gypsies managed to avoid repression by enlisting in the army as soldiers or servants (blacksmiths, saddlers, grooms, etc.) in those countries where soldier recruitment was active (Sweden, Germany). Their families were thereby also taken out of harm's way. The ancestors of Russian gypsies came to Russia through Poland from Germany, where they mainly served in the army or with the army, so at first among other gypsies they bore the nickname, roughly translated as “army gypsies.”
The repeal of anti-Gypsy laws coincides with the beginning of the industrial revolution and Europe's recovery from the economic crisis. After the repeal of these laws, the process of integration of Roma into European society began. Thus, during the 19th century, gypsies in France, according to Jean-Pierre Lejoie, author of the article “Bohemiens et pouvoirs publics en France du XV-e au XIX-e siecle,” mastered professions thanks to which they were recognized and even began to be valued: they they sheared sheep, weaved baskets, traded, were hired as day laborers in seasonal agricultural work, and were dancers and musicians.
However, by that time, anti-Gypsy myths were already firmly rooted in the European consciousness. Now traces of them can be seen in fiction, linking gypsies with a passion for child abduction (the goals of which are becoming less and less clear over time), werewolves and service to vampires.
By that time, the abolition of anti-Gypsy laws had not occurred in all European countries. Thus, in Poland, on November 3, 1849, a decree was passed on the arrest of nomadic gypsies. For each Roma detained, the police were paid bonuses. As a result, the police captured not only nomadic, but also sedentary gypsies, recording those detained as vagrants and children as adults (to get more money). After the Polish Uprising of 1863, this law became invalid.
It can also be noted that, starting with the abolition of anti-Gypsy laws, gifted individuals in certain areas began to appear among the Gypsies, stand out and receive recognition in non-Gypsy society, which is another evidence of the prevailing situation, which is more or less favorable for the Gypsies. So, in Great Britain in the 19th and early 20th centuries, these were preacher Rodney Smith, footballer Rabie Howell, radio journalist and writer George Bramwell Evens; in Spain - Franciscan Seferino Jimenez Mallya, Tocaor Ramon Montoya Salazar Sr.; in France - jazzmen brothers Ferret and Django Reinhardt; in Germany - boxer Johann Trollmann.
Gypsies in Eastern Europe (XV - early XX centuries)
Migration of Roma to Europe
At the beginning of the 15th century, a significant part of the Byzantine gypsies led a semi-sedentary lifestyle. Gypsies were known not only in the Greek regions of Byzantium, but also in Serbia, Albania, and the lands of modern Romania and Hungary. They settled in villages or urban settlements, gathering compactly based on kinship and profession. The main crafts were working with iron and precious metals, carving household items from wood, and weaving baskets. Nomadic gypsies also lived in these areas, who also engaged in crafts or circus performances using trained bears.
In 1432, King Zsigmond of Hungary granted tax exemption to the gypsies because they began to play an important role in the defense of the region. The gypsies made cannonballs, edged weapons, horse harnesses and armor for warriors.
After the conquest of the Balkans by Muslims, most of the artisans remained in their jobs, since their work remained in demand. In Muslim sources, the gypsies are described as craftsmen who are capable of any delicate metal work, including the manufacture of guns. Christian Gypsies often obtained guarantees of security for themselves and their families by serving the Turkish army. A significant number of Roma came to Bulgaria with Turkish troops (which was the reason for their rather cool relations with the local population).
Sultan Mehmed II the Conqueror imposed a tax on the Gypsies, but exempted the gunsmiths from it, as well as those Gypsies who lived in the fortresses. Even then, some Roma began to convert to Islam. This process accelerated due to the subsequent policy of Islamization of the conquered lands by the Turks, which included increased taxes for the Christian population. As a result of this policy, the Roma of Eastern Europe were actually divided into Muslims and Christians. Under the Turks, Gypsies also began to be sold into slavery for the first time (for tax debts), but this was not widespread.
In the 16th century, the Turks made considerable efforts to census the Roma. Ottoman documents detail age, occupation, and other information required for tax purposes. Even nomadic groups were included in the register. The list of professions was very extensive: documents from the Balkan archives list blacksmiths, tinkers, butchers, painters, shoemakers, watchmen, wool beaters, walkers, tailors, shepherds, etc.
In general, Ottoman policy towards Roma can be called soft. This had both positive and negative consequences. on the one hand, the Roma have not become a criminalized group, as in Western Europe. On the other hand, the local population recorded them as the “favorites” of the Turkish authorities, as a result of which the attitude towards them was cold or even hostile. Thus, in the Moldavian and Volosh principalities, the gypsies were declared slaves “from birth”; Each gypsy belonged to the owner of the land on which the decree found him. There, for several centuries, Roma were subjected to the most severe punishments, torture for entertainment and mass executions. Trade in Gypsy serfs and torture of them were practiced until the mid-19th century. Here is an example of advertisements for sale: 1845
The sons and heirs of the deceased Serdar Nikolai Nico, in Bucharest, are selling 200 families of gypsies. Men are mostly metalworkers, goldsmiths, shoemakers, musicians and farmers.
And 1852:
Monastery of St. Elijah offered for sale the first lot of gypsy slaves, May 8, 1852, consisting of 18 men, 10 boys, 7 women and 3 girls: in excellent condition
In 1829, the Russian Empire won the war with the Turks; Moldavia and Wallachia came under her control. Adjutant General Kiselyov was temporarily appointed ruler of the principalities. He insisted on amending the civil code of Moldova. Among other things, in 1833 the gypsies were recognized as individuals, which meant that their killing was prohibited. A paragraph was introduced according to which a gypsy woman forced to become her master’s concubine was freed after his death.
Under the influence of the progressive minds of Russia, the ideas of abolition of serfdom began to spread in Moldavian and Romanian society. Students studying abroad also contributed to their spread. In September 1848, a youth demonstration took place on the streets of Bucharest demanding the abolition of serfdom. Some of the landowners voluntarily freed their slaves. However, for the most part, slave owners resisted new ideas. In order not to cause their discontent, the governments of Moldavia and Wallachia acted in a roundabout way: they bought slaves from their owners and freed them. Finally, in 1864, slavery was outlawed by law.
After the abolition of slavery, active emigration of Kalderar gypsies from Wallachia to Russia, Hungary and other countries began. By the beginning of World War II, Kalderars could be found in almost all European countries.
Gypsies in Russia, Ukraine and the USSR (late 17th - early 20th centuries)
The earliest Russian official document mentioning gypsies dates back to 1733 - a decree of Anna Ioanovna on new taxes for the maintenance of the army.
The next mention in documents occurs a few months later and shows that the Roma came to Russia relatively shortly before the adoption of the tax decree and secured their right to live in Ingermanland. Before this, apparently, their status in Russia was not defined, but now they were allowed:
Live and trade horses; and since they showed themselves to be natives of the area, it was ordered that they be included in the capitation census wherever they wished to live, and placed in the regiment of the Horse Guards
From the phrase “they showed themselves to be natives here,” one can understand that there was at least a second generation of gypsies living in this area.
Even earlier, about a century, gypsies (serva groups) appeared on the territory of modern Ukraine.
2004 Modern gypsy servants in Ukraine.
As we can see, by the time the document was written they were already paying taxes, that is, they were living legally.
In Russia, new ethnic groups of Roma appeared as the territory expanded. Thus, when parts of Poland were annexed to the Russian Empire, Polish Roma appeared in Russia; Bessarabia - various Moldovan gypsies; Crimea - Crimean gypsies.
The decree of Catherine II of December 21, 1783 classified the Gypsies as a peasant class and ordered that taxes and taxes be collected from them in accordance with the class. However, Gypsies were also allowed, if they wished, to attribute themselves to other classes (except, of course, the noble, and with the appropriate lifestyle), and by the end of the 19th century there were already quite a few Russian Gypsies of the bourgeois and merchant classes (for the first time, Gypsies were mentioned as representatives of these classes, however , back in 1800). During the 19th century, there was a steady process of integration and settlement of Russian Gypsies, usually associated with an increase in the financial well-being of families. A layer of professional artists has emerged.
Gypsies from the city of Novy Oskol. Photography from the early 20th century.
At the end of the 19th century, not only settled gypsies sent their children to schools, but also nomadic ones (staying in the village in winter). In addition to the groups mentioned above, the population of the Russian Empire included the Asian Lyuli, Caucasian Karachi and Bosha, and at the beginning of the 20th century also the Lovari and Kelderar.
The revolution of 1917 hit the most educated part of the Gypsy population (since it was also the wealthiest) - representatives of the merchant class, as well as Gypsy artists, whose main source of income was performances in front of nobles and merchants. Many wealthy gypsy families abandoned their property and went into nomadism, since nomadic gypsies during the Civil War were automatically classified as poor. The Red Army did not touch the poor, and almost no one touched the nomadic gypsies. Some Roma families emigrated to European countries, China and the USA. Young gypsy boys could be found both in the Red Army and in the White Army, since the social stratification of Russian gypsies and serfs was already significant by the beginning of the 20th century.
After the Civil War, gypsies from among the former merchants who became nomads tried to limit their children’s contact with non-gypsies and did not allow them to go to school, in fear that the children would accidentally reveal their families’ non-poor origins. As a result, illiteracy became almost universal among the nomadic gypsies. In addition, the number of settled gypsies, whose core was merchants and artists before the revolution, has sharply decreased. By the end of the 20s, the problems of illiteracy and a large number of nomadic gypsies in the gypsy population were noticed by the Soviet Government. The government, together with activists from among the Roma artists remaining in the cities, tried to take a number of measures to solve these problems.
Thus, in 1927, the Council of People's Commissars of Ukraine adopted a resolution on assistance to nomadic gypsies in the transition to a “working sedentary lifestyle.”
At the end of the 20s, Roma pedagogical technical schools were opened, literature and press were published in the Roma language, and Roma boarding schools operated.
Gypsies and World War II
During World War II, according to recent research, about 150,000-200,000 Roma in Central and Eastern Europe were exterminated by the Nazis and their allies (see Roma Genocide). Of these, 30,000 were citizens of the USSR.
On the Soviet side, during the Second World War, their co-religionists, the Crimean Gypsies (Kyrymitika Roma), were deported from Crimea, along with the Crimean Tatars.
The gypsies were not only passive victims. Gypsies of the USSR participated in military operations as privates, tank crews, drivers, pilots, artillerymen, medical workers and partisans; Gypsies from France, Belgium, Slovakia, the Balkan countries were in the Resistance, as well as Gypsies from Romania and Hungary who were there during the war.
Gypsies in Europe and the USSR/Russia (second half of the 20th - beginning of the 21st century)
Ukrainian gypsies, Lviv
Ukrainian gypsies.
After World War II, the Roma of Europe and the USSR were conventionally divided into several cultural groups: the Roma of the USSR, socialist countries, Spain and Portugal, Scandinavia, Great Britain and Western Europe. Within these cultural groups, the cultures of different Roma ethnic groups moved closer together, while the cultural groups themselves moved away from each other. The cultural rapprochement of the Gypsies of the USSR took place on the basis of the culture of the Russian Gypsies, as the largest Gypsy ethnic group.
In the republics of the USSR there was intensive assimilation and integration of Roma into society. On the one hand, the persecution of Roma by the authorities, which took place shortly before the war, did not resume. On the other hand, original culture, in addition to music, was suppressed, propaganda was carried out on the theme of the liberation of the Gypsies from universal poverty by the revolution, a stereotype of the poverty of the Gypsy culture itself was formed before the influence of the Soviet regime (see Culture of the Gypsies, Inga Andronikova), the cultural achievements of the Gypsies were declared achievements in the first place turn of the Soviet government (for example, the Romen Theater was universally called the first and only gypsy theater, the appearance of which was attributed to the merit of the Soviet government), the gypsies of the USSR were cut off from the information space of the European gypsies (with whom some connection was maintained before the revolution), which cut off Soviet gypsies also from the cultural achievements of their European fellow tribesmen. However, the assistance from the Soviet government in the development of artistic culture and in increasing the level of education of the Roma population of the USSR was high.
On October 5, 1956, the Decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR “On the introduction to work of gypsies engaged in vagrancy” was issued, equating nomadic gypsies to parasites and prohibiting a nomadic lifestyle. The reaction to the decree was twofold, both from local authorities and from the Roma. Local authorities carried out this decree, either by providing housing to the gypsies and encouraging or forcing them to take official employment instead of handicrafts and fortune-telling, or by simply driving the gypsies out of the sites and subjecting the nomadic gypsies to discrimination at the everyday level. The gypsies either rejoiced at their new housing and quite easily transitioned to new living conditions (often these were gypsies who had gypsy friends or settled relatives in their new place of residence who helped them with advice in establishing a new life), or they considered the decree the beginning of an attempt to assimilate, to dissolve the Gypsies as an ethnic group and avoided its implementation in every possible way. Those gypsies who initially accepted the decree neutrally, but did not have informational and moral support, soon perceived the transition to settled life as a misfortune. As a result of the decree, more than 90% of the Roma of the USSR settled.
In modern Eastern Europe, less often in Western Europe, Roma often become the object of discrimination in society.
At the end of the 20th and beginning of the 21st centuries, Europe and Russia were swept by a wave of Roma migrations. Impoverished or marginalized Roma from Romania, western Ukraine and the former Yugoslavia - former socialist. countries in which economic and social difficulties arose after the collapse of the USSR - went to work in the European Union and Russia. Nowadays, they can be seen literally at any crossroads in the world; the women of these gypsies have returned en masse to the ancient traditional occupation of begging.
In Russia, there is also a slower but noticeable impoverishment, marginalization and criminalization of the Roma population. The average educational level has decreased. The problem of drug use among teenagers has become acute. Quite often, gypsies began to be mentioned in criminal chronicles in connection with drug trafficking and fraud. The popularity of gypsy musical art has noticeably decreased. At the same time, the Gypsy press and Gypsy literature were revived.
In Europe and Russia, there is active cultural borrowing between gypsies of different nationalities, a common gypsy music and dance culture is emerging, which is strongly influenced by the culture of Russian gypsies.
Gypsies are one of the most mysterious nations living in Russia. Some are afraid of them, others admire their cheerful songs and lively dances. As for the origin of this people, there are a wide variety of versions on this matter.
Version one: Indian
The most amazing thing is that the Roma are one of the few peoples in the world who do not officially have their own country. In 2000, they were legally recognized as an extra-territorial nation. For the past one and a half millennia, they have been roaming all over the world. The most paradoxical thing is that it is still unknown exactly how many representatives of this ethnic group live on the planet. The figure usually given is 11 million, but it is often questioned. There is a legend according to which gypsies appeared on Earth magically. That is why they allegedly have an innate ability for fortune telling and divination. Modern scientists, of course, cannot be content with such a theory. According to them, the gypsies originated in India, from where they emigrated to Western Asia in the 5th century. It is assumed that the reason that prompted them to leave this country was the spread of Islam. As a freedom-loving nation, the Roma categorically did not want to come under the pressure of any religious dogmas.
Version two: philistine
Unfortunately, after leaving India, the gypsies did not find a new homeland in European countries. From the 14th to the 19th centuries they were openly feared and disliked. Their way of life, very different from the European one, caused sharp rejection. In European countries, a number of discriminatory laws have appeared against Roma, including a ban on their residence in a particular state. Many philistine fables were also born, many of which told about the origin of the gypsies. Since this people did not have written sources describing their history, the guesses about their arrival in Europe were one more incredible than the other. European townspeople assured each other that the gypsies were the remnants of the people of Atlantis, the ancient Egyptians or German Jews. It is noteworthy that the Egyptian version had indirect confirmation. The fact is that on the way from India the gypsies actually visited Egypt. According to some sources, their ability for magic and astrology was inherited from the Egyptian priests. This hypothesis turned out to be so popular that in Hungary the gypsies began to be called nothing more than “the people of the pharaohs”, and in England - Egyptians. The most interesting thing is that the gypsies not only did not refute such inventions, but also supported them. When encountering negative attitudes towards themselves in European countries, they assumed a mystical fog as a defense.
Version three: Athos
Today, based on the similarity of the language of the Gypsies and a number of Indian nationalities, scientists have quite accurately established their place of origin. Nevertheless, a number of ancient authors called Asia the birthplace of this people. The famous scientist Henri de Spond argued that the Gypsies descended from the medieval Atsingan sect. This theory arose from the first written record of the appearance of gypsies in Europe, dating back to 1100. Its authorship is attributed to George Mtatsmindeli, a monk of the Athos Monastery. He associated the gypsies with the Atsingan sect. Byzantine sources adhered to the same version, considering the Atsingans to be the remnants of a Manichaean sect that disappeared in the 8th century. It is important to note that the Atsingans not only looked like gypsies in appearance, they also actively practiced magical rituals.
Version four: Asian
The ancient historians Strabo and Herodotus associated the appearance of the gypsies with the Central Asian tribe of the Siggins. Indeed, linguists, studying the language of the Roma, have established the route of their settlement around the world. From India, gypsy tribes moved to the territory of Western Asia, mainly to Iran, Afghanistan and Armenia. Their next stop was Byzantium, from which the gypsies spread throughout the Balkan Peninsula. In the 15th century they came to Hungary, the Czech Republic and Slovakia. A century later, tribes of Gypsies could be found throughout Central, Western and Northern Europe. At the same time, it should be noted that the gypsy tribes scattered around the world are heterogeneous in composition. Over the course of one and a half millennia of wandering around the planet, they have absorbed such a huge number of representatives of other peoples that they have largely lost their historical national identity.
