Moldova, Moldavia, Bessarabia Yefim Kogan, 25 September 2015 Dear Researchers, I have received recently an email from Marilyn Newman: Hello Yefim, I've been following this project and appreciate your more complete break down in today's Jewishgen Digest. I did contribute to Bob Wascou before he passed. The reason for this message is that I'm confused. My family were from Moinesti and Tirgu Ocna, both near each other in Moldova. However, this area was not Bessarabia..... Can you explain what areas of Moldova are covered other than Bessarabia and Chisanou (sp.). Many Thanks, Marilyn Newman Marilyn thank you. I think this is a very important question. I was getting many similar message for many years. Let’s clear this confusion. Let's start with terminology. The term Moldavia and Moldova mean the same region! Moldova is in Romanian language and Moldavia was adopted by Russian and other languages, including English. Charles King in 'The Moldovans. Romania, Russia, and the Politics of Culture', Stanford U., 1999 writes that 'It is a myth that Moldova changed its name from Moldavia. What happened in the 1990s was simply that we in the West became better informed about what locals themselves had always called it.' So let's dive into the history of the region: Moldavia is known as a country or Principality from 14 century until 1812. There were also two other Danube or Romanian Principalities - Walachia and Transilvania. At some point in the history Moldavia joined other Principalities. In 1538 Moldavia surrendered to Ottoman Empire, and remained under Turks for about 300 years. It was not a colonization in a strict sense. Moldavia inhabitants exercise their Christian Orthodoxy, Turks were not able to settle in the region, except in several fortified towns on the border, and in far north and south parts of the region. Map of Moldavia, 1500 1 An excerpt from Map of Central Europe, 1648 From Historical Atlas of Central Europe, Paul Robert Magocsi, University of Washington Press, Seattle, 2002 You can find more details about the history, governments of the region also History of Jews at our Bessarabia SIG website or directly at http://www.jewishgen.org/Bessarabia/files/HistoryOfJewsInBessarabia15-19c.pdf . You also can explore a set of historical maps on Moldova at Wikimedia at https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Category:Maps_of_the_history_of_Moldova and many more maps and articles on the topic of this discussion. Here is a History from 18 century in a simple version (I probably missed a few details). Starting from 18 century Russia tried to influence Moldavia, occupied it at the end of 18 century, established military rule, fought many wars on the territory of Moldova with Ottomans. Finally Moldavia was divided in 1775, when Austrian Empire occupied part of Moldova - Bukovina, and in 1812 Russian Empire received the eastern part of Moldavia - a region between rivers Prut and Dnester. That region became Bessarabia Oblast and later in 19c Bessarabia Gubernia (province). In 1812 the rest of Moldova (western part) was still under Ottoman rule until Moldavia and Walachia formed Romania. Romania was officially recognized as an independent country in 1878. There was one additional swap of lands: from 1856-1878 south-western part of Bessarabia went back to Moldova. That region included towns of Izmail, Kiliya, Reni, Leovo, Kagul. You can see the map with that region on page 4 of the article above. 2 An excerpt from Map of Central Europe, 1815 From Historical Atlas of Central Europe, Paul Robert Magocsi, University of Washington Press, Seattle, 2002 Let's follow the history: until WWI there were no territorial changes in the region. After WWI and Russian Revolution of 1917 and Russian Civil War, the region of North Bukovina and Bessarabia went back Romanian rule. This is why who ever lived in Bessarabia in 1920-1940 knows that they were born in Romania, but in many cases their parents who were born in the same shteitlakh, but before 1917 know that they were born in Russia. In 1940 Soviet Union took the lands of Bessarabia and North Bukovina back. This is the time that Moldavskaya Sovetskaya Sotsialisticheskaya Respublika (MSSR) was formed, one of 15 Soviet Republics. MSSR Included most part of Bessarabia and a small region on the left side of Dniester River, now called Transnistria (with towns of Tiraspol, Rybnitsa, Kamenka, Slobodzeya, Rashkov, etc.) Also south region of Bessarabia with towns of Akkerman, Kiliya, Ismail, Reni, and far north region of Bessarabia with towns of Khotin, Sokeryani, Klishkivtsi, Novoselitsa, etc. became part of Ukraine Soviet Republic. Here is my personal story from my family who lived in what is Bessarabia for several centuries: - I was born in the Soviet Union, Republic of Moldova; - My parents were born in Romania; - Grandparents were born in Russian Empire. What's happening in the region after1990 you probably know very well. A new country was established – Republic of Moldova with capital Kishinev (Chisineu). 3 Why we are confused and how to fix it? - Our members are looking for information about their relatives, and they see that now Bessarabia Vital records database and Bessarabia Revision List database has more than 250,000 records. But if the towns the relatives live are Moinesti or Tirgu Ocna, which is in “proper” Romania, no records will be in the Bessarabia Database! The thing is that the Romania (Moldova) and Bessarabia (Republic of Moldova parts of Ukraine) have different genealogy. Bessarabian records are written mostly in Russian or Russian and Hebrew, and Romanian (Moldova) records most likely were written in Romanian. Also most of the Bessarabian records are held in Chisinau (Kishinev - this is how I remember that town), and of course the Romanian records are most likely in Yassy, a provincial center in what used to be Moldova Principality, and later a large center in Moldova region of Romania. The Romanian records might be also in smaller towns in the region. - The same names Moldova, or Moldavia are used for land in current state of Romania - that is the western part of Romania, as well as the whole country of Republic of Moldova. I have suggested a number of times to JewishGen to avoid at least some of the confusions: 1. Rename the Romanian Database to Romania-Moldova Database or Romania-Bessarabia Database 2. At the list of Romanian Databases there is a section Moldavia, but it should be Romania (Moldavia) 3. The section of Moldavia Vital Records should be renamed Romania (Moldavia) Vital Records. I believe that these small modifications will be very helpful. If you have any questions or probably even more questions than before, please let's discuss, send to me or to the group. Yefim Kogan Bessarabia SIG Coordinator [email protected] 4 .