BALTIC WORLDSBALTIC A scholarly journal and news magazine. September 2018. Vol. XI:2–3. 100 years since the Baltic states’ From the Centre for Baltic and East European Studies (CBEES), Södertörn University. declaration of independence September 2018. Vol. XI:2–3 BALTIC WORLDSbalticworlds.com Romani Studies in the Balkan area: Roots, barriers, Roma in the Balkan Peninsula. Peninsula. Balkan the in Roma & ways Cultural, historical, and sociological dimensions sociological and historical, Cultural, forward also in this issue Illustration: Karin Sunvisson MANNERHEIM’S MANY FACES / BREZHNEV’S DIARIES / MEDIA-LIFE IN BELARUS / ALL-SOVIET CULTURE & LES’ KURBAS Sponsored by the Foundation BALTIC2 for Baltic and East European Studies WORLDSbalticworlds.com editorial in this issue Roma in the Balkan. Between Yugoslavia & the EU his issue gives insights into the field Rom and a woman, as examples Romani Studies. Together with of intersectional levels of oppres- the guest editors Julieta Rotaru sion. and Kimmo Granqvist, we present Tseveral rich articles. Romani Studies is multi- ON FEBRUARY 6, 2018, the Europe- disciplinary in itself and is also connected to a an Commission adopted a strat- Lithuania’s wide geographical area but yet to a community egy for “A credible enlargement based on identitities that however cross bor- perspective for and enhanced EU traumatic past ders as well as cuts intersectional relations. engagement with the Western The Jewish culture is part All of which are matters interlinked to Baltic Balkans” (the Western Balkans of our own country’s his- Worlds’ research interests. Strategy). One of the demands tory; it is tragic that people know It is striking that, as Sofiya Zahrova writes, to meet is “Decisive efforts are so little about it. Page 4 many Roma writers in Post-Yugoslavia today needed to protect minorities and “ feel a connection to the pan-Roma community discrimination, notably against that once existed in Yugoslavia. To be Yugoslavi- the Roma — for whom social in- an was a shared belonging regardless of ethnic clusion should be more robustly group. Zahrova argues that in Yugoslavia Roma promoted”. was granted status as a nationality. The legacy A question one might ask is of Yugoslavia is emphasized by Roma writers, whether the planned strategy is a in contrast to writers from other ethnic groups way towards more equal rights in in today’s Post-Yugoslavia. the daily life of all Roma people. In an interview, five Romani IN THIS THEME it is shown that the Roma people Studies scholars give their views during the years of existence in the area of the on their own roles as Roma Media Balkans, here also including Romania, occa- scholars, as part of the academic in Belarus sionally were and are, in a most scattered way, community, and in relation to the Natallia Radzina was interwoven and part of the society, as well as Roma communities. Professor Da- arrested and put into excluded and discriminated against. vid Gaunt in his turn comments: custody, along with other media Elena Maroshiakova and Vesselin Popov “To gain access to a community’s personalities. Page 113 have studied the flow of measures and projects trust there must be some sort of “ taken by the EU to in different ways “help” the mutual respect. Yet the discus- Roma people in the Balkans. They are critical sants, particularly Kuchukov, to these kinds of initiatives that in their eyes stress that they have difficulty feed the pockets of project leaders and NGOs finding respect inside the Romani that more or less dis-empower the Roma peo- community. As academics, they ple from solving their own problems in their have become unusual outsiders.” own ways. This special section offers inter- Yet there are of course great challenges to esting reading for scholars in the meet regarding the daily lives of Roma people. field of Romani Studies, as well as Lynette Šikić-Mićanović presents the lives of in other disciplinces, and also to three specific Roma women and the discrimina- all readers outside academia. ≈ tion that they experience being poor, being a Ninna Mörner contents 3 colophon Baltic Worlds is published by the Centre for Baltic and East European Studies (CBEES) at Södertörn University, Sweden. Editor-in-chief features 124 Polarization also grows in Sweden, Ninna Mörner 4 Lithuania – a century of Carl Marklund Publisher remembering & forgetting, Joakim Ekman Påhl Ruin story Scholarly advisory council 16 Mannerheim: from “white devil” to 113 Charter 97 and the Thomas Andrén, Södertörn national hero, Sven Eliaeson shrinking space for free University; Sari Autio-Sarasmo, media in Belarus, reviews Aleksanteri Institute, Helsinki Marina Henrikson 116 As Brezhnev saw it. Diaries of a “stable Universiy; Sofie Bedford, IRES, decline” in three volumes, Tomas Sniegon Uppsala University; Michael commentaries 11 100 years of Baltic 118 Exploring the topography of the Gentile, Oslo University; Markus independence, Anu Mai Köll power play. By concentrating on the Huss (chair), Stockholm University; 13 The role of diaspora Balts periphery, Yuliya Yurchuk Katarina Leppänen, University of Gothenburg; Thomas Lundén, in the cold war endgame, 120 From Soviet seclusion to West Fredrik Stöcker European integration. The CBEES, Södetörn University; development of Baltic air connections, Kazimierz Musiał, University of 22 In the shadows of Sweden. Gdańsk; Barbara Törnquist Plewa, State building in Finland and Thomas Lundén Centre for European Studies, Lund Norway, Torbjörn Nilsson University Corresponding members Roma in the Balkan Peninsula: Cultural, Aija Lulle, University of Latvia; Michael North, Ernst Moritz theme historical, and sociological dimensions Arndt University Greifswald; Andrzei Nowak, Jagiellonian 58 The life trajectories of Roma women introduction University, Kraków; Andrea Petö, Tackling intersectional 23 The Romani paradigm in living in poverty. Central European University, discrimination, Lynette Šikić-Mićanović the Balkan area, Julieta Budapest; Jens E. Olesen, Rotaru and Kimmo Granqvist 88 Migration vs. Inclusion: Roma Ernst-Moritz-Arndt University, Mobilities from east to west, Elena Greifswald; Olga Schihalejev, peer-reviewed Marushiakova and Vesselin Popov Tartu University articles essay Copyediting/proofreading 25 Romani writers and the 70 Romani immigrants from Romania Matthew Hogg, Semantix AB; legacies of Yugoslavia, in Poland in the 1990s. Ethnographic Bridget Schäfer Sofiya Zahova observations, Sławomir Kapralski and Layout 34 Aspects of Romani Paweł Lechowski Sara Bergfors, Lena Fredriksson, demographics in the 19th Serpentin Media century Wallachia, interview Illustrator Julieta Rotaru 101 “Being a part of the community that is Karin Sunvisson 51 The communist being investigated creates a number Subscription authorities’ refusal to of complications”, Kimmo Granqvist Sofia Barlind recognize the Roma as a commentary Printed by national minority. 112 “The Post-Gypsy Lore moment: Elanders Sverige AB A moment in the history of Defining Romani Studies”, Printed: ISSN 2000-2955 the Roma in Romania, David Gaunt Online: ISSN 2001-7308 1948 –1949, Viorel Achim Contact Baltic Worlds [email protected] The content expresses the views of the authors and does not necessarily reflect the views of Baltic Worlds. 4 feature LITHUANIA– A CENTURY OF REMEMBERING FORGETTING& by Påhl Ruin his year Lithuania is celebrating 100 years since its dec- feelings are very provocative among people who lost family laration of independence. Some aspects of the century members under the oppressive Soviet regime. that has passed deserve more attention than they get. At Lithuanian museums depicting the occupation, you learn During 1918 — the last chaotic year of the First important things about persecutions, torture and resistance — World War — all three Baltic countries managed to escape the but not much more. It is simply very difficult to summarize the Russian grip and enjoyed some two decades of independence Soviet era in a comprehensive manner without offending people before they came under Russian/Soviet rule again. Despite the on one side or the other. So how was Lithuanian society affected fact that the loss of their independence lasted for the following by the Soviet occupation, apart from the oppression? Very few 50 years, all three countries celebrate their centenary this year. historians or other academics have even tried to paint a broad So how are the past 100 years described? I lived in Vilnius, picture, instead looking only at specific areas of society. Lithuania, for five of these years (2011—2016), working as a jour- One brave historian, Violeta Davoliūtė, wanted to get away nalist. One of my major interests was precisely the way in which from the notion that the Soviet period was nothing more than a the country portrayed its own history. Over the years I pinpoint- dark parenthesis. She argues that the development of a national ed facts and covered aspects of this history that were not often Lithuanian identity, which began in 1918, did not come to a com- highlighted in official speeches or by mainstream media. plete stop between 1940 and 1991 — rather, it continued, but in a In the following I will focus on two topics in the case of Lithu- different manner. Arguing for Lithuanian independence was of ania — the Soviet period and the Jews. course strictly forbidden — but paying attention to Lithuanian culture, language and history was permitted. It was even encour- The Soviet period aged, and the Russians saw this as an important message to the Some years ago I visited the GDR Museum in Berlin. There you Poles who had occupied the Vilnius area during the interwar can get an idea of how​​ everyday life was in the communist state period. — what the homes looked like, what people worked with, what This permissive stance from Moscow was utilized by the lead- they did in their spare time, what they bought. In Lithuania ership of the Communist Party in Lithuania. The party was led there is no such museum of everyday life during the Cold War. by a Lithuanian, while the number two always was a Russian.