Having as objective the variability of human cultures, anthropology is by definition a comparative analysis of human societies whether is trees to understand a society or to reveal general rules, the particular by analyzing different cultures or just some of its elements.
Like any other Moldavian towns, Roman had a mixed population; its major ethnical elements being Romanians, Saxons who previously lived in Transylvania, Hungarians and Armenians.
Later in the XV-XVI centuries, there were the Jeans and the Greeks and the Lippovan Russians in the XVIII century. The Gypsies are found in Roman and in the nearby villages since the XIV century.
The history of anthropology cannot be separated from that of the European colonization and evangelization that took place from the XVI century until the first half of the XIX century.
There are many terms used when an anthropological study is made on a group of people that are not subjectively, objectively or behavioural similar like: ethnic group, minority, community and even nationality.
We consider that both the Lippovan Russian and the Gypsies are mostly related to the characteristics of a community because they give the impression of a powerful relation among their members especially from the cultural, spiritual and behavioural points of view. Among all the communities in Roman that are not Romanians, these two preserved their language, tradition and the number of people along the centuries. The town of Roman being an example of interethnic and multireligios living. They both kept their individuality having a contribution to the economical political and social development of the town. It should be pointed out the ides that the majority of Romanians haven’t shown an attitude of exclusivist, nationalism intolerance towards other ethnic communities in the region.
Religion was the central symbol that generated the community of the Lippovan Russian, uniting its members, establishing a behaviour and selecting those who enter the community.
Being at the beginning a cause for dividing the Russians, religion becomes a factor of unity among the Lippovan Russians. The first to enter the Romanian Principalities were the Starover Russians ( protestants against Patriarh wikon ) at the end of the xvii century ( in Dobrogea and Valachia) and a century later in Moldavia ( after the moment when Russia occupied the east of Poland where the Antinikonian Russian settled ) . After 1775 they reach Moldavia, in Bucovina, then near the towns of Botosani, Iasi, Vaslui and Roman. At first they were tolerated but according citizens of Romania with equal rights. They had an important contribution to the economic development of the town.
It is a great challenge to write about the Gypsies from our town. It involves knowing their customs, the way they behave, the relation between the duties of the community and the personal freedom but also the relation between the superiors and the members of the Gipsy community.
You cannot decide which of the three big communities of Gypsies in our town, each witch their own identity ( customs and traditions ) you can choose. It is a great strain to involve in understanding the mystery of a closed universe from which to escape is likely possible. Although there is the phenomenon of a absorption or assimilation from the majority of the urban area, the Gypsies in our town managed to maintain their identity. We shouldn’t let ourselves influenced in judging a large ethnic groups only by the behaviour of some people that cast embarrassment and shame on their community.
In the same way, we shouldn’t ignore their efforts of supporting those who want to integrate in the society.
We, as inhabitants of this town, may give ourselves as examples of the European model, in the way we accept, tolerate and model their bahaviour and take part in their 200 year molding, comparable to the towns in Western Europe and European Union.
Teacher Flenchea Petru
Liceul Teologic Romano-Catolic
“Sf. Francisc de Assisi” Roman
