Moldovenism
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 History of Moldova |
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| Dacia | |
| - Bastarnae | |
| - Moesia Inferior | |
| Tivertsi | |
| Brodniks | |
| Moldavia | |
| - Eastern Moldavia | |
| Bessarabia in the Russian Empire | |
| Moldavian Democratic Republic | |
| - Sfatul Ţării | |
| - Union with Romania | |
| Bessarabia in Greater Romania | |
| Moldavian ASSR | |
| - Moldovenism; Moldovan language | |
| - Soviet occupation | |
| Moldavian SSR | |
| Moldova since 1989 | |
| - War of Transnistria | |
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| Moldavia • Bessarabia • Transnistria
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Moldovenism a political ideology that claims a distinct identity for the Moldovans from Romanians.
Contents |
[edit] Early history
The notion Romanian has existed at least since the 16th century[1] (See Etymology of Romania). In the second half of the 19th century, the population from former Ottoman-dominated Moldavia began using the appellative "Romanian", movement which was not mirrored in Bessarabia, where the Romance-speaking population continued to consider itself Moldovan.[2] Unlike Bukovinians, Romance-speaking Bessarabians continued to consider themselves Moldovans, rather than Romanians, even after Bessarabia became part of Romania in 1918.[3]
[edit] Moldovenism in the USSR
After the creation of the Moldavian ASSR in 1924 as well as after the annexation of Bessarabia in 1940, the Soviet authorities referred to the titular nationality as Moldovans, rather than Romanians and to the language as "Moldavian language", rather than ”Romanian language”, for the purpose of giving the region its own identity separate from Romania. [4][5][6][7] The Latin alphabet was changed to a version of the Cyrillic alphabet derived from the Russian variant. To justify this, the government noted that in the past the language had been usually written in Cyrillic. (See: Moldovan alphabet)
Nevertheless, the official Soviet policy on the Moldovan language and identity was not constant: there were two intervals (1932-1937 and in the mid-1950s) during which the Soviet scholars were allowed to declare the unity between the two languages.[8]
[edit] Moldovenism in independent Moldova
The debate surrounding the nationality of the Moldovans has resurfaced after the collapse of the USSR. One side argues that Moldovans have always been Romanians, despite the region's modern history separate from Romania. The other side emphasizes the distinctiveness of Moldovans. Some argue that Moldovans have always been separate from Wallachians and that the Moldovans from Moldova and Romania thus form a common ethnic group distinct from the other peoples known as Romanians; others state that the Moldovans from Bessarabia have changed due to their long isolation from Romania and that nearly two centuries of political separation was "more than ample time for each country to develop its own separate national identity" [9]
A 1992 survey by American professor William Crowther, showed that 87% of the Romance-speaking population of Moldova considers itself "Moldovan", rather than the "Romanian".[10]
On 19 December 2003, the Moldovan Parliament adopted a controversial document called "The Concept on National Policy of the Republic of Moldova", which defines the official nationality policy of Moldova. The document revolves around the following ideas:
- there are two different peoples (Romanians and Moldovans) that live in both Moldova and Romania, speaking two different languages, Romanian and Moldovan.
- Romanians are an ethnic minority in Moldova.
- the Republic of Moldova is the rightful successor of the medieval Principality of Moldova.
This document has been criticised by part of the press and human rights organizations for being "anti-European" and also contradicting Article V of the Moldovan Constitution, which states that "no ideology may be pronounced as official ideology of the State". [11]
On the other hand, former Romanian president Ion Iliescu spoke about “two Romanian states, with a joint birth, culture and history”, a theme that was repeated several times under his successor, president Traian Băsescu.
[edit] See also
[edit] Notes
- ^ The Letter of Neacşu from Câmpulung (1521)
- ^ Cristina Petrescu, "Contrasting/Conflicting Identities:Bessarabians, Romanians, Moldovans" in Nation-Building and Contested Identities, Polirom, 2001, pg. 157
- ^ Cristina Petrescu, "Contrasting/Conflicting Identities:Bessarabians, Romanians, Moldovans" in Nation-Building and Contested Identities, Polirom, 2001, pg. 157-8
- ^ Grenoble 2003, pp 89-93
- ^ Ana Coreţchi, Ana Pascaru, Cynthia Stevens, The Republic of Moldova: dimensions of the Gagauz socio-linguistic model, Linguapax Institute.
- ^ Elizabeth Blackwell, The Sovietization of Moldova, College of Political Science, James Madison University
- ^ A Country Study: Moldova (Language section), Library of the US Congress.
- ^ Michael Bruchis. The Language Policy of the CPSU and the Linguistic Situation in Soviet Moldavia, in Soviet Studies, Vol. 36, No. 1. (Jan., 1984), pp. 119.
- ^ "Moldovan: An Identity but not a Language"
- ^ Charles King, "The Moldovans: Romania, Russia, and the Politics of Culture", Hoover Press, 2000, pg. 159
- ^ Gribincea A., Grecu, M. The Concept on National Policy of the Republic of Moldova UNHCR.
[edit] References
- Argentina Gribincea, Mihai Grecu Moldova: Situation analysis and trend assessment commissioned by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, October 2004
[edit] Further reading
- Argentina Gribincea Moldovenism: the State Ideology of the Republic of Moldova
- Monica Heintz Republic of Moldova versus Romania: The Cold Var of National Identities
- Argentina Gribincea Moldovenisti pentru linistea expansionismului rusesc sau cautatori de sine (Romanian)
- Evocare Eugeniu Coşeriu (22) (Romanian) Contrafort, October-November 2003
- Constitutional Watch A country-by-country update on constitutional politics in Eastern Europe and the ex-USSR, Summer 2002
- Constitutional Watch A country-by-country update on constitutional politics in Eastern Europe and the ex-USSR, Winter 2002/Spring 2003
- "Moldovan-Romanian Dictionary" by Former Communist Deputy Available for Sale July 29 2003
- Marian Enache, Dorin Cimpoiesu Misiune diplomatica in Moldova 1993-1997, Bucharest, Polirom, 2000 ISBN 973-683-443-3 (Romanian)
- Eugen Holban - Dreptul la adevar (Romanian) Observatorul, Wednesday, Dec 20, 2006
- Mai multe literaturi, o limbă, mai multe limbi, o literatură. A treia Conferinţă internaţională a Centrului PEN Român, Iaşi, 21-23 aprilie 2000 (Romanian)
