Misplaced Pages

Vlachs of Serbia: Difference between revisions

Article snapshot taken from Wikipedia with creative commons attribution-sharealike license. Give it a read and then ask your questions in the chat. We can research this topic together.
Browse history interactively← Previous editContent deleted Content addedVisualWikitext
Revision as of 08:45, 2 May 2007 editOlahus (talk | contribs)Extended confirmed users5,120 edits Subgroups← Previous edit Latest revision as of 01:34, 18 December 2024 edit undo93.87.190.44 (talk)No edit summaryTags: Mobile edit Mobile web edit 
(996 intermediate revisions by more than 100 users not shown)
Line 1: Line 1:
{{Short description|Romanian-speaking population in eastern Serbia}}
{{Ethnic group|
{{About|the Romanian-speaking population living in eastern Serbia|other uses|Vlachs of Serbia (disambiguation)}}
|group=Vlachs of Serbia
{{Use dmy dates|date=November 2022}}
|image=]
{{Infobox ethnic group
|poptime=50,000 (cens.) - 245,700 (est.)
|group = Vlachs of Serbia
|popplace=]:<br>40,000<br>]:<br>10,000
|image = Iabucovat.jpg
|langs=] (]) |rels=Predominantly ].
|flag =
|related=other ]<br/>
|population = '''21,013''' (2022 census)<ref>{{Cite web |title=Stanovništvo prema nacionalnoj pripadnosti |script-title=sr:Становништво према националној припадности |url=https://data.stat.gov.rs/Home/Result/3104020102 |access-date=9 May 2023 |publisher=] |language=sr}}</ref><br />150,000–300,000 (unofficial estimates)<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Sorescu-Marinković |first=Annemarie |date=2016 |title=Foggy Diaspora: Romanian Women in Eastern Serbia |url=https://www.researchgate.net/publication/305423592 |journal=Studia Universitatis Babeş-Bolyai Sociologia |language=en |volume=61 |issue=1 |page=43<!--37–58--> |doi=10.1515/subbs-2016-0002 |doi-access=free|hdl=21.15107/rcub_dais_13892 |hdl-access=free }}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Sorescu-Marinković |first1=Annemarie |last2=Huțanu |first2=Monica |date=2019 |title=Ideology and Representation of Vlach Romanian Online: Between Linguistic Activism and Unengaged Language Use |url=https://www.researchgate.net/publication/335749464 |journal=Bulletin of the Transilvania University of Brasov: Series IV: Philology and Cultural Studies |volume=12(61) |issue=1 |pages=74<!--71–86--> |doi=10.31926/but.pcs.2019.61.12.6 |doi-access=free|hdl=21.15107/rcub_dais_13918 |hdl-access=free }}</ref><ref>{{Cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=qZ-OAwAAQBAJ |title=The Central and Eastern Europe Handbook |date=1999 |publisher=Fitzroy Dearbon |isbn=1-57958-089-0 |editor-last=Heenan |editor-first=Patrick |location=London |page=274 |language=en |editor-last2=Lamontagne |editor-first2=Monique}}</ref>
|popplace = Eastern ] and ]
|langs = ] and ]
|rels = Predominantly ]
|related = ]
}} }}


The '''Vlachs''' ({{langx|ro|rumâń}}; {{langx|sr|власи}} / {{lang|sr-Latn|vlasi}}) are a ]-speaking population group living in eastern ], mainly within the ]. They are characterized by a culture that has preserved archaic and ancient elements in matters such as language or customs. Their ethnic affiliation is highly disputed, with some considering the Vlachs as an independent ] while others consider them part of the ].
''']''' (]/]: ''Rumâni'', ]: Власи or ''Vlasi'') are an ethnic group of ], culturally and linguistically cognate to ].


== History ==
They mostly live in eastern Serbia, mainly in ] region (roughly corresponding to ] and ] districts), but also in ] and ] districts. Some Vlachs also live around ] in ]. Also a small Vlach population exists in ] and ] (]), and in the municipalities of ] and ] (]), as well as in the ] in ].
"]" is a word of ] origin, originally used by the ] tribes to refer to the ]. It would later be adopted by the ], the ] and virtually all Slavs to refer to the ]-speakers in the ] that remained following the various migrations into the area. These peoples never referred to themselves as "Vlachs", but as some variant of "Roman". Today there are several peoples that are still commonly referred to as Vlachs, these including the Vlachs of eastern Serbia.{{sfn|Ivkov-Džigurski ''et al''.|2012|pp=62–63}}


There are hypotheses about an autochthonous origin of the Vlachs in the area in which they currently live. Researchers who promoted this idea include the researcher ], a native of the area.{{sfn|Huțanu|Sorescu-Marinković|2018|p=2}} However, most researchers agree that the Vlachs of eastern Serbia originate from areas in present-day ] and settled in land in which they live today as a result of migrations in the 18th and 19th centuries.{{sfn|Huțanu|Sorescu-Marinković|2018|p=2}}{{sfn|Manovich|2014|pp=22–23}} These migrations occurred due to the difficult living conditions in ], ] and ].{{sfn|Ivkov-Džigurski ''et al''.|2012|pp=68}} Strong migrations were recorded between 1718 and 1739 after the ]; during this time, eastern Serbia was part of the ]. Migrations to eastern Serbia continued after this period, albeit on a smaller scale.{{sfn|Huțanu|Sorescu-Marinković|2018|p=2}} More precisely, migrations were recorded in the periods of 1723–1725, 1733–1734, 1818 and 1834. These were directed to the settlements of ], ], ] ({{lang|ro|Laznița}}), ], ], ], ], ] ({{lang|ro|Jagubița}} or {{lang|ro|Jăgobița}}). These migrations increased the number of houses in the area around the ] ({{langx|sr|{{lang|sr-Cyrl|Хомољске планине}} / {{lang|sr-Latn|Homoljske planine}}|link=no}}; {{langx|ro|Munții Homolie|link=no}} or {{lang|ro|Munții Homoliei}}) from 80 in 1718 to 155 in 1733. Furthermore, the two latter waves led to the foundation of the settlements of ], ], ], ], ], ] and ]. According to the place of origin of these new migrants, the Vlachs of eastern Serbia were divided into {{lang|ro|ungureni}} (originating from the Kingdom of Hungary, or more precisely, from ] and ] proper) and {{lang|ro|țărani}} (originating from Moldavia and Wallachia).{{sfn|Ivkov-Džigurski ''et al''.|2012|pp=68}} The Vlachs are still divided into these two groups according to the ] they speak; the {{lang|ro|ungureni}} have a speech closely related to the ] while the dialect of the {{lang|ro|țărani}} is closer to the ]. Dialectally, there are two other groups of Vlachs, the {{lang|ro|munteni}} and the {{lang|ro|bufani}}, but these are largely ] into the former two.{{sfn|Huțanu|Sorescu-Marinković|2018|p=2}}
==Religion and language==


]
Most Vlachs are ] by faith and they speak the ] (]) language. The language spoken by one major group of Vlachs is similar to the Oltenian dialect spoken in ] while that of the other major group is similar to the Romanian dialect of Banat.


Before the ] in 1859, the Vlachs in eastern Serbia were officially known as "]".{{sfn|Ivkov-Džigurski ''et al''.|2012|p=66}} On the other hand, the country of Wallachia (the name of which was derived from "Vlach"),{{sfn|Ivkov-Džigurski ''et al''.|2012|p=63}} was known in ] as {{lang|sr-Cyrl|Влашка}} / {{lang|sr-Latn|Vlaška}}. Furthermore, in ethnographic studies of the 19th or early 20th century, the Vlachs of eastern Serbia were regarded as Romanians in an undisputed way. However, after 1859 and the formation of ], this practice was reversed, with the name of "Vlach" being imposed over on the community of eastern Serbia to break similarities with the Romanians; this was intensified after the creation of ].{{sfn|Ivkov-Džigurski ''et al''.|2012|pp=66–67}}
The Serbian Vlachs belong to the ]. However, by the canon of Orthodox church, no other local Orthodox church is allowed to operate within its territory. The relative isolation of the Vlachs has permitted the survival of various pre-Christian religious rites that are frowned upon by the Orthodox Church. Like the ], Vlachs celebrate the 'slava', though its meaning is chtonic (related to the house and farmland) rather than familial.
Although the Vlachs of the Timočka Krajina are culturally and linguistically cognate to Romanians, their history since the fall of the Ottoman Empire in the 19th century has significantly affected their political and cultural orientation towards the Serbian state and church.


According to an article by Ivan Miladinović for '']'', at the end of 1946, ] leader ] presented a proposal to allow ] to annex the Vlach-populated areas in eastern Serbia since "Romanian comrades, ] and ], think it is their people and their territory"; Secretary of the Central Committee of the ] ] would have expressed strong opposition to this proposal.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.novosti.rs/c/drustvo/vesti/1167975/sramne-stranice-hrvatske-povjesti-sta-povezuje-kosovo-metohiju-istru-kakve-veze-tim-ima-musolini|title=СРАМНЕ СТРАНИЦЕ ХРВАТСКЕ ПОВЈЕСТИ: Шта повезује Косово и Метохију и Истру и какве везе са тим има и Мусолини|first=Ivan|last=Miladinović|newspaper=]|date=30 October 2022|language=sr}}</ref>
==Subgroups==
Vlachs are divided into four different groups, each speaking their own distinct dialects:


==Culture==
* the ] (''Ţărani'')
===Language===
* the ] (''Ungureani'' / "Ungureni")
{{Main|Romanian language in Serbia}}
* ] (''Ungureani-Munceani'' / "Ungureni-Munteni")
The Vlachs speak a group of archaic Romanian varieties known as "Vlach" in Serbia. The ] is not in use in local administration, not even in localities where members of the minority represent more than 15% of the population, where it would be allowed according to Serbian law.<ref name="coe"/> This is mostly because of the lack of teachers and because Vlach is more of an oral than a written language. Since 2012, there have been continuous efforts to standardize Vlach in a written form, and the teaching of Vlach has started in schools. While the Vlach standard written language is under development, the Vlach Council in Serbia in 2006 debated the use of Serbian as the official language and Romanian as the literary language. This proposition of the council was confirmed in a document it issued in 2010 – endorsing the Serbian language while written Vlach was being developed. In 2012, the council decided to adopt a proposition on written and oral Vlach and started to work towards its standardization.<ref>{{Citation |title=Vlaška nacionalna manjina: Demografski podaci |url=http://fer.org.rs/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/Odgovor-na-rumunski-non-paper-20.2.2012.pdf |language=sr |mode=cs1 |script-title=sr:Влашка национална мањина: Демографски подаци |url-status=dead |via=fer.org.rs |access-date=2020-11-30 |archive-date=2020-07-16 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200716174151/http://fer.org.rs/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/Odgovor-na-rumunski-non-paper-20.2.2012.pdf }}</ref> According to the Serbian census of 2011, among the 35,330 individuals who identified as Vlachs, 28,918 declared that they spoke Vlach, and 186 Romanian. Out of 43,095 individuals who declared that their mother tongue was Vlach, 28,918 declared their ethnicity as Vlach, 12,156 as Serb, 67 as Romanian, 174 as other, 1,150 who did not declare and 266 unknown.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.stat.gov.rs/en-us/oblasti/popis/popis-2011/popisni-podaci-eksel-tabele/ | title=Census data - excel table &#124; Statistical Office of the Republic of Serbia }}</ref> In southern and eastern Serbia, where the population with a Vlach identity was concentrated, there were 32,873 people with a Vlach identity, and 2,073 people with a Romanian identity, according to the 2011 Serbian census.<ref>See the table "Population by ethnicity and sex, by municipalities and cities" at https://www.stat.gov.rs/en-us/oblasti/popis/popis-2011/popisni-podaci-eksel-tabele/</ref>
* ].


===Religion===
Of these, the Ungurjani or 'Ungureni' of Homolje are related to the Romanians of ] and ], since 'Ungureni' (compare with the word "]") is a term used by the Romanians of ] to describe their kin who once lived in provinces formerly part of the ]. The connection is evident in the similarities of dialectal phonology and folk music motifs as well as in sayings such as "Ducă-se pe ]" (May the Mureş take it away), a reference to the Transylvanian river.
The ], built in 2004, is the first ] in eastern Serbia. Before its construction, ] in ] were not allowed to hear liturgical services in their native language.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://bignewsmagazine.com/2004/12/xenophobic-actions-against-timoc-romanians/ |title=Xenophobic actions against Timoc Romanians |access-date=2012-02-28 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20120716120125/http://bignewsmagazine.com/2004/12/xenophobic-actions-against-timoc-romanians/ |archive-date=2012-07-16 |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=SERBIA: Romanian priest to pay for official destruction of his church|url=http://www.forum18.org/Archive.php?article_id=654|work=F18News|publisher=Forum 18 News Service|access-date=26 June 2012|author=Drasko Djenovic|date=9 September 2005}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=2 March 2008 |title=Haiducul credintei din Valea Timocului, Boian Alexandrovici, decorat de presedintele Basescu |url=http://www.rgnpress.ro/Politic/Haiducul-credintei-din-Valea-Timocului-Boian-Alexandrovici-decorat-de-presedintele-Basescu.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080919130036/http://www.rgnpress.ro/Politic/Haiducul-credintei-din-Valea-Timocului-Boian-Alexandrovici-decorat-de-presedintele-Basescu.html |archive-date=2008-09-19 |website=RGN Press |language=ro}}</ref> Most Vlachs of Eastern Serbia are ] who had belonged to the ] since the 19th century. This changed on 24 March 2009, when Serbia recognized the authority of the ] in ] and the confessional rights of the Vlachs.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Miron |first=Gheorghe |language=ro |date=7 December 2009 |title=Biserica Română din Timoc a fost recunoscută de către Curtea Supremă de Justiţie a Serbie |url=http://www.ziuadevest.ro/actualitate/5863-biserica-roman-din-timoc-a-fost-recunoscut-de-ctre-curtea-suprem-de-justiie-a-serbiei.html |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110726162514/http://www.ziuadevest.ro/actualitate/5863-biserica-roman-din-timoc-a-fost-recunoscut-de-ctre-curtea-suprem-de-justiie-a-serbiei.html |archive-date=2011-07-26 |access-date=2010-02-21 |website=Ziua de Vest}}</ref>
The 2006 Serbian law on religious organizations did not recognize the ] as a traditional church, as it had received permission from the Serbian Church to operate only within Vojvodina, but not in ].<ref name="coe"/> At Malajnica, a Vlach priest belonging to the Romanian Orthodox Church encountered deliberately-raised administrative barriers when he attempted to build a church.<ref name="coe"/><ref>, ''BBC Romanian'', 16 September 2005</ref>


====Vlach magic====
The Ţărani (Carani) of the Bor, Negotin and Zaječar regions are closer to the Olteni in their speech and music. The Ţăran saying 'Nu dau un leu pe el' (He's not worth even a leu) can possibly show their Romanian origin since the leu is a Romanian monetary unit. However, it can also show a possible trade connections between Carani and the Romanian population that lives just across the ].
{{Split section|Vlach magic|date=October 2023}}
The relative isolation of the Vlachs has permitted the survival of various pre-Christian religious customs and beliefs that are frowned upon by the Orthodox Church. Vlach magic rituals are well known across modern Serbia. The Vlachs celebrate the ] (''hospitium'', in Latin), called in Serbian ''praznik'' or '']''. The customs of the Vlachs are very similar to those from Southern Romania (]).<ref>{{Cite web |last=Brodner |first=Raluca |date=17 June 2009 |title=Obiceiuri de înmormântare la românii din Timoc |url=http://www.ziarullumina.ro/articole;940;1;24534;0;Obiceiuri-de-inmormantare-la-romanii-din-Timoc.html |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110721093559/http://www.ziarullumina.ro/articole%3B940%3B1%3B24534%3B0%3BObiceiuri-de-inmormantare-la-romanii-din-Timoc.html |archive-date=July 21, 2011 |website=ZiarulLumina.ro |language=ro}}</ref>


==Identity and ethnic classification==
There has been considerable intermixing between the Ungureni and Ţărani so that a dialect has evolved sharing peculiarities of both regions.
The identity and ethnic classification of the Timok Vlachs is highly contested. The Serbian government considers the Timok Vlachs a distinct and independent group and rejects any conflation with the Romanians, citing census results and their right to self-identify with the minority of their choice. On the other hand, the Romanian government's position is that the Timok Vlachs are simply Romanians, that the split into "Romanian" and "Vlach" identities is artificial and that Serbia has failed to protect the minority rights of the Romanians.{{sfn|Manovich|2014|pp=23–24}}


These disputes also occur between the Timok Vlachs themselves. Two main groups stand out: an "anti-Romanian" group and another "pro-Romanian" group. The former regards Serbia as the homeland of the Timok Vlachs and rejects any connection to Romania, while the latter relates the Timok Vlachs and Romanian through elements such as language and often regards Romania as the homeland of the Timok Vlachs, although both agree on the need for the Serbian government to do more to protect the Timok Vlachs.{{sfn|Manovich|2014|p=27}}
The Bufani are immigrants from ] (Oltenia).


The situation within the {{ill|National Council of the Vlach National Minority|sr|Национални савет влашке националне мањине}} is particularly convulsed. In 2009, during an interview for the Serbian newspaper '']'', Živoslav Lazić, the president of the council and mayor of ] ({{lang|ro|Grădiștea Mare}}), called the efforts by "some in Serbia" to prove that the Romanians and the Timok Vlachs are a separate minority as "xenophobic". He also argued that claims about ] of the Timok Vlachs by Romania come from people whose real aim is the assimilation of the Timok Vlachs.<ref name="politika">{{cite news|url=https://www.politika.rs/scc/clanak/87404/Vlasi-istocne-Srbije-od-asimilacije-do-rumu-nizacije|title=Власи источне Србије – од асимилације до румунизације|first=Marko|last=Albunović|newspaper=]|date=17 May 2009|language=sr}}</ref> In 2010, shortly before the first elections to choose the members of the Vlach National Council, Vlach politician ] accused the council of being pro-Romanian and of having as its main objective "transfer" the Vlachs into the Romanians, adding that Serbia was the homeland of the Vlachs.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.novosti.rs/%D0%B2%D0%B5%D1%81%D1%82%D0%B8/%D0%BD%D0%B0%D1%81%D0%BB%D0%BE%D0%B2%D0%BD%D0%B0/%D0%BF%D0%BE%D0%BB%D0%B8%D1%82%D0%B8%D0%BA%D0%B0.393.html:272804-Vlahe-bi-u-Rumune|title=Влахе би у Румуне|newspaper=Novosti|date=8 May 2010|language=sr}}</ref> The new council elected in 2010 adopted an anti-Romanian stance. In 2012, the new president, Radiša Dragojević, stated that "Nobody has the right to ask Vlachs to declare themselves as Romanians", that "Vlachs consider Serbia their motherland" and that "We have no objections, nor any basis to turn to Romania, nor does Romania have any basis to make any demands on our behalf". According to Dragojević himself, according to the 23 members that corresponded to the council of the Timok Vlachs, only four were pro-Romanian.{{sfn|Manovich|2014|pp=24}} In 2018, a new Vlach council was elected, and the coalition Vlachs for Serbia won 22 of the 23 seats. Dragojević, president of the Vlach council and member of the coalition commented that their result was due to pro-Romanian Vlach political formations having either boycotted the elections or having run for the elections for the ] instead.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.politika.rs/scc/clanak/415651/Pre-cetiri-godine-Vlah-sada-Rumun|title=Пре четири године Влах, сада Румун|first=Biljana|last=Baković|newspaper=Politika|date=13 November 2018|language=sr}}</ref>
There is also a group of Vlachophone ] centered around the village of Lukovo, as well as a few ] families who live in Knjaževac, but they form a tiny migrant group.


Today there is a movement among some members of the Timok Vlachs to align themselves with Romania and identify themselves as part of the Romanian identity in Serbia.{{sfn|Sorescu Marinković ''et al''.|2021|p=130}} As of 2009, an estimated two to three thousand Timok Vlachs were attending secondary schools and universities in Romania. It has been said that the Serbian political elite might fear that part of these could return to Serbia with a Romanian national consciousness that could influence the rest of the Timok Vlachs.<ref name="politika" /> The Association of the Vlachs of Serbia ({{langx|sr|Zajednica Vlaha Srbija|link=no}} / {{lang|sr-Cyrl|Заједница Влаха Србије}}, ZVS) stands out for this. The ZVS has made claims such as that Romania is the motherland of the Timok Vlachs, that they speak Romanian and that Serbia tries to assimilate the Vlachs by referring to them in this way to separate them from the Romanian nation. The ] is a Wlach political party in Serbia led by ]. The party claims that the Serbia is trying to manipulate the culture and history of the Vlachs and impose a "historical cultural construct" on them. It also blends the Timok Vlachs with the Romanians from Romania into the same group. Timoc Press is another pro-Romanian organization in the Timok Valley, funded by the ] of the Romanian government, which considers the Timok Vlachs and the Romanians a single nation, the former of which is being assimilated by the Serbs. Even so, there are anti-Romanian organizations. An example is the Vlach Democratic Party (VDS), whose president in 2012, Siniša Celojević, declared that "The Vlachs of Serbia are not, and will never be, members of the Romanian national minority", which Romania claims groups outside its borders to reinforce their historical continuity and national identity and that Romania takes advantage of the lack of minority rights for the Timok Vlachs to "infiltrate" among them. Celojević was a member of the Vlach National Council.{{sfn|Manovich|2014|pp=25–26}}
== Origins ==
Some of the Vlachs of East Serbia were settled there from regions north of the Danube by the Hapsburgs at the beginning of the 18th century. The origins of these Vlachs are indicated by their own self-designations: ''Ungurjani'' (Ungureani), i.e., those who came from Hungary (that is, Banat and Transylvania). The ''Carani'' (Ţărani) are either an autochthonic Vlach population of the region (their name means "people of the country" or "countrymen"), or they came from Wallachia (in Romanian, Ţara Românească - "Romanian State").


==Legal status==
The area roughly defined by the Morava, the Danube and the Timok rivers where most of the Vlachs live became part of modern Serbia starting from 1830. Prior to that, the land was part of the Habsburg Empire and the ] (Pashalic of ] and ]).
]]]


The ethnonym is ''Rumâni'' and the community ''Rumâni din Sârbie'',<ref>{{Cite web |title=Statut |url=http://www.vdss-petrovac.com/statut.php |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110903054552/http://www.vdss-petrovac.com/statut.php |archive-date=2011-09-03 |access-date=2014-03-01 |website=vdss-petrovac.com |language=sr}}</ref> translated into English as "Romanians from Serbia".<ref>{{Cite web |title=Odluka o promeni sedišta |url=http://www.vdss-petrovac.com/dokumenta.php |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110903055803/http://www.vdss-petrovac.com/dokumenta.php |archive-date=2011-09-03 |website=vdss-petrovac.com |language=sr}}</ref> They are also known in Romanian as ''Valahii din Serbia'' or ''Românii din Timoc''.<ref>{{cite book|author=C. Constante, Anton Galopenția|year=1943|title=Românii din Timoc: Românii dinitre Dunăre, Timoc și Morava|page=50|quote=Apoi, Valahii din Serbia, sunt harnici, muncitori, economi şi de mare dârzenie în privinţa portului şi a limbei.}}</ref> Although ethnographically and linguistically related to the Romanians, within the Vlach community there are divergences on whether or not they belong to the Romanian nation and whether or not their minority should be amalgamated with the Romanian minority in Vojvodina.<ref name="coe"> {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120123185605/http://assembly.coe.int/Main.asp?link=/Documents/WorkingDocs/Doc08/EDOC11528.htm |date=2012-01-23 }}, at the ], 14 February 2008</ref>
The second wave of Vlachs from present-day Romania came at the beginning of the 19th century. In 1835 feudalism was fully abolished in the Principality of Serbia and a large number of individuals and smaller groups from Wallachia came there to enjoy the status of free peasants.


In a ]n-] agreement of November 4, 2002, the Yugoslav authorities agreed to recognize the Romanian identity of the Vlach population in Central Serbia,<ref>{{cite web|url=https://adevarul.ro/news/societate/iugoslavia-recunoaste-apartenenta-vlahilor-valea-timocului-minoritatea-romaneasca-1_50ad38cf7c42d5a6639102f5/index.html |title=Iugoslavia recunoaste apartenenta vlahilor din Valea Timocului la minoritatea romaneasca|work=]|language=ro|date=6 November 2002|quote=Prin acordul privind minoritatile, semnat, luni, la Belgrad, de catre presedintii Ion Iliescu si Voislav Kostunita, statul iugoslav recunoaste dreptul apartenentei la minoritatea romaneasca din Iugoslavia al celor aproape 120.000 de vlahi (cifra neoficiala), care traiesc in Valea Timocului, in Serbia de Rasarit. Reprezentantii romanilor din Iugoslavia, profesori, ziaristi, scriitori, i-au multumit, ieri, la Pancevo, sefului statului pentru aceasta intelegere cu guvernul de la Belgrad. Acordul este considerat de importanta istorica pentru romanii din Valea Timocului, care, din timpul lui Iosip Broz Tito, traiesc fara drept la invatamant si viata religioasa in limba materna, practic nerecunoscuti ca etnie. "Nu vom face ca fostul regim, sa numim noi care sunt minoritatile nationale sau sa stergem cu guma alte minoritati", a spus, ieri, Rasim Ljajic, ministrul sarb pentru minoritati, la intalnirea de la Pancevo a presedintelui cu romanii din Iugoslavia. Deocamdata, statul iugoslav nu a recunoscut prin lege statutul vlahilor de pe Valea Timocului, insa de-acum va acorda acestora dreptul la optiunea etnica, va permite, in decembrie, constituirea Consiliului Reprezentantilor Romani si va participa in Comisia mixta romano-iugoslava la monitorizarea problemelor minoritatilor sarba si romana din cele doua state. In Iugoslavia traiesc cateva sute de mii de romani. Presedintele Ion Iliescu s-a angajat, ieri, pentru o politica mai activa privind romanii din afara granitelor: "Avem mari datorii fata de romanii care traiesc in afara granitelor. Autocritic vorbind, nu ne-am facut intotdeauna datoria. De dragul de a nu afecta relatiile noastre cu vecinii, am fost mai retinuti, mai prudenti in a sustine cauza romanilor din statele vecine. (...) Ungurii ne dau lectii din acest punct de vedere", a spus presedintele, precizand ca romanii trebuie sa-si apere cauza "pe baza de buna intelegere".}}</ref> but the agreement was not implemented.<ref> {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120405135858/http://www.curierulnational.ro/Specializat/2003-01-25/Sa+nu-i+uitam%2C+pe+cei...+uitati |date=5 April 2012 }}: ''Chiar si acordul dintre presedintii Ion Iliescu si Voislav Kostunita, semnat la sfarsitul anului trecut, nu este respectat, in ceea ce priveste minoritatile, deoarece locuitorii din Valea Timocului, numiti vlahi, nu sunt recunoscuti ca minoritari, ci doar „grup etnic“.''</ref> In April 2005, 23 deputies from the ], representatives from ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], and ] protested against Serbia's treatment of this population.<ref> {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131230233921/http://assembly.coe.int//Mainf.asp?link=http%3A%2F%2Fassembly.coe.int%2FDocuments%2FWorkingDocs%2FDoc05%2Fedoc10533.htm |date=30 December 2013 }}: ''Deeply concerned over the cultural situation of the so-called “Vlach” Romanians dwelling in 154 ethnic Romanian localities 48 localities of mixed ethnic make-up between the Danube, Timok and Morava Rivers who since 1833 have been unable to enjoy ethnic rights in schools and churches''</ref>
Thus the idea that all Vlachs of Serbia are descendants of the original Romanized population of the Balkans that never moved from this region is incorrect. However, it is likely that some of them can trace their ancient roots to this region. The present geographic location of the Vlachs is near the medieval Bulgaro-Vlach empire of the Asens, suggesting their continuity in the area. In addition a Vlach population in the regions around Branicevo (near the ancient Roman city of Viminacium) is attested by 15th century Ottoman defters (tax records). The modern Vlachs occupy the same area where in antiquity the Romans had a strong presence for many centuries: Viminacium and Felix Romuliana. In addition, the Vlachs from the area around Vidin in Bulgaria, with whom the Vlachs of Timok form a continuous group, separated only by the Danube by the Romanians, are natives to the area, not being the result of recent colonization or emigration.


The ] postponed the ratification of Serbia's candidature for ] in the European Union until the legal status and minority right of the Romanian (Vlach) population in Serbia is clarified.<ref>{{Cite web |date=26 October 2011 |title=Biroul Permanenent al Senatului a amânat votul privind ratificarea Acordului de aderare a Serbiei la UE. Motivul: drepturile românilor /vlahilor din Timoc |url=http://www.rgnpress.ro/categorii/politic/3587-biroul-permanenent-al-senatului-a-amanat-votul-privind-ratificarea-acordului-de-aderare-a-serbiei-la-ue-motivul-drepturile-romanilor-vlahilor-din-timoc.html |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111030003541/http://www.rgnpress.ro/categorii/politic/3587-biroul-permanenent-al-senatului-a-amanat-votul-privind-ratificarea-acordului-de-aderare-a-serbiei-la-ue-motivul-drepturile-romanilor-vlahilor-din-timoc.html |archive-date=October 30, 2011 |website=Romanian Global News |language=ro}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=Rumunija će blokirati kandidaturu? |url=https://www.b92.net/info/vesti/index.php?yyyy=2012&mm=02&dd=23&nav_category=206&nav_id=585200 |work=B92 |date=23 February 2012 |language=Serbian}}</ref>
==Population==
]
In the 2002 census 40,054 people in Serbia declared themselves ethnic Vlachs, and 54,818 people declared themselves speakers of the ].<ref name="popis2002">{{Sr icon}} {{PDFlink||477&nbsp;]<!-- application/pdf, 488946 bytes -->}}, p. 2 and {{PDFlink||441&nbsp;]<!-- application/pdf, 452227 bytes -->}}, p. 12</ref> The Vlachs of Serbia are recognized as an autochthonous ethnic group, separate to the ], which number 34,576 according to the 2002 census. On the census, the Vlachs declared themselves either as Serbs or Vlachs. Therefore, the "real" number of the people of Vlach origin could be much greater than the number of recorded Vlachs, both due to mixed marriages with Serbs and also Serbian national feeling among some full-blooded Vlachs.


Predrag Balašević, president of the Vlach party of Serbia, accused the government of assimilation by using the national Vlach organization against the interests of this minority in Serbia.<ref> {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120212225657/http://www.pravda.rs/2011/05/30/vlasi-optuzuju-srbiju-za-asimilaciju/ |date=2012-02-12 }}</ref>
===Historical population (according to different censuses)===
The following numbers reflect on the possible number of Vlachs in the ]es:


Since 2010, the Vlach National Council of Serbia has been led by members of leading Serbian parties (] and ]), most of whom are ethnic Serbs having no relation to the Vlach/Romanian minority.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Ghica |first1=Sorin |title=Falşi vlahi folosiţi împotriva românilor |url=https://adevarul.ro/stiri-interne/societate/falsi-vlahi-folositi-impotriva-romanilor-1092209.html |work=Adevărul |date=29 February 2012 |language=Romanian}}</ref> Radiša Dragojević, the current president of Vlach National Council of Serbia, stated that no one has the right to ask the Vlach minority in Serbia to identify themselves as Romanian or veto anything.<ref>{{cite news |title=Драгојевић: Власи нису Румуни |url=https://www.politika.rs/scc/clanak/210048/Dragojevic-Vlasi-nisu-Rumuni |work=Politika |date=28 February 2012}}</ref> As a response to mister Dragojević's statement, the cultural organizations ''Ariadnae Filum'', ''Društvo za kulturu Vlaha - Rumuna Srbije'', ''Društvo Rumuna - Vlaha „Trajan“'', ''Društvo za kulturu, jezik i religiju Vlaha - Rumuna Pomoravlja'', ''Udruženje za tradiciju i kulturu Vlaha „Dunav“'', ''Centar za ruralni razvoj - Vlaška kulturna inicijativa Srbija'' and the Vlach Party of Serbia protested and stated that it was false.<ref>{{cite news |title=Ne gurajte probleme pod tepih |url=https://www.b92.net/info/vesti/pregled_stampe.php?yyyy=2012&mm=02&dd=29&nav_id=586595 |work=B92 |date=29 February 2012 |language=Serbian}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=Vlasi (ni)su obespravljeni u Srbiji |url=https://www.b92.net/info/vesti/index.php?yyyy=2012&mm=02&dd=29&nav_category=12&nav_id=586593 |work=B92 |date=29 February 2012 |language=Serbian}}</ref>
*1816: 97,215 Romanians/Vlachs (10% of Serbia's population. Note that Serbia was several times smaller than today in 1816.)<ref>{{Ro icon}} V. Arion; ]; G. Vâlsan; ]; G. Bogdan-Duică. ''România şi popoarele balcanice'' (1913). Tipografia Românească. Bucureşti, p. 22</ref>
*1859: 122,593 Romanians/Vlachs
*1884: 149,713 Romanians/Vlachs
*1890: 143,684 Romanians/Vlachs
*1895: 159,510 Romanians/Vlachs
*1921: 142,773 Vlach-speakers in Central Serbia
*1931: 57,000 Romanian/Vlach/Cincar speakers were recorded in Eastern Serbia (52,635 in the ] and the rest in southern parts of ] south of the ]) {{Fact|date=February 2007}}
*1953: 198,793 Vlach-speakers in central Serbia (169,670 declared as Serbs, 29,000 as Vlachs) {{Fact|date=February 2007}}
*1961: 1,330 Vlachs
*1981: 135,000 people declared ] as their mother language (population figure given for the ])<ref>{{Sr icon}} Ranko Bugarski, Jezici, Beograd, 1996.</ref>
*1991: 71,536 Vlach-speakers in Serbia (of those 53,721 Serbs, 16,539 Vlachs, 42 Romanians; out of the 17,807 declared Vlachs, 677 Serbocroat-speakers) {{Fact|date=February 2007}}
*2002: 40,054 declared Vlachs, 54,818 people declared Vlach as their mother language (population figures given for entire ]) or 39,953 declared Vlachs, 54,726 people declared Vlach as their mother language (population figures given for ] only)<ref name="popis2002"/>


According to a 2012 agreement between Romania and Serbia, members of the Vlach community that choose to declare as Romanians will have access to education, media, and religion in the Romanian language.<ref>{{cite news |title=Basesku: "Rumunski problem" naduvan |url=https://www.b92.net/info/vesti/index.php?yyyy=2012&mm=03&dd=02&nav_category=1262&nav_id=587330 |work=B92 |date=2 March 2012 |language=Serbian}}</ref>
The Vlach population is concentrated mostly in the region limited by ] (west), ] (north) and ] (south-east). According to the sources from the Vlach community, the Vlachs live in 134 villages (exclusively with Vlach population) and in 20 towns (with mixed population - ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], etc).


==Notable people==
By some Vlach organizations, in Eastern Serbia live around 250,000 people of Vlach origin, although the results of censuses can't prove that.
* ], Romanian Orthodox priest in the Timok Valley
* ], politician defending the identification of the Vlachs as Romanians
* ], ethnologist
* ], ethnologist
* ], politician
* {{ill|Izvorinka Milošević|sr|Изворинка Милошевић}}, singer of Serb and Vlach folklore
* ], one of the best known singers of Vlach folklore from Eastern Serbia, originating from the village of Slatina near ]
* ], well-known Vlach folklore singer, originating from ], from Eastern Serbia<ref>{{Cite web |date=19 November 2018 |title=Poznati vlasi: Staniša paunović |script-title=sr:Познати власи: Станиша пауновић |url=https://recnaroda.co.rs/poznati-vlasi-stanisa-paunovic/ |access-date=19 June 2022 |website=Reč naroda |language=sr |script-website=sr:Реч народа}}</ref>
* ], politician and mayor of Žagubica
* ], activist for the minority rights of the Vlachs and their right for education in the Romanian language
* ], activist and researcher
* {{ill|Adam Puslojić|pt|Adam Púsloitch|ro|Adam Puslojić|sr|Адам Пуслојић}}, poet, translator and writer


==See also==
===Number of Vlachs in Serbia by municipality===
* ]
* ]
* ]
* ]
* ]
* ]


==Citations==
Official numbers of declared Vlachs (2002 census) and unofficial estimated numbers of people of Vlach origin (2004 data). {{Fact|date=February 2007}} Note that the second given number also include people for whom is just thought that they are of Vlach origin, but whom neither consider themselves Vlachs neither can speak Vlach language.
{{reflist}}


==References==
*]
*{{cite journal|url=https://www.researchgate.net/publication/321383067|title=Writing systems and linguistic identity of the Vlach community of Eastern Serbia|first1=Monica|last1=Huțanu|first2=Annemarie|last2=Sorescu-Marinković|journal=Diacronia|issue=7|pages=1–14|year=2018|doi=10.17684/i7A106en|doi-broken-date=28 November 2024 |doi-access=free}}
**] - 10,064 (18.03%) declared Vlachs; 46,100 (82.2%) estimated people of Vlach origin
*{{cite journal|url=https://www.researchgate.net/publication/269629889|title=The Mystery of Vlach Magic in the Rural Areas of 21st century Serbia|first1=Anđelija|last1=Ivkov-Džigurski|first2=Vedrana|last2=Babić|first3=Aleksandra|last3=Dragin|first4=Kristina|last4=Košić|first5=Ivana|last5=Blešić|journal=Eastern European Countryside|volume=18|issue=2012|pages=61–83|year=2012|doi=10.2478/v10130-012-0004-9|ref={{harvid|Ivkov-Džigurski ''et al''.|2012}}|doi-access=free}}
**] - 568 (2.41%) declared Vlachs; 16,300 (74.1%) estimated people of Vlach origin
*{{cite thesis|url=http://www.etd.ceu.edu/2014/manovich_diane.pdf|title=Folk Linguistics and Politicized Language: the Introduction of Minority Language Education for the Vlachs in Serbia|first=Diane|last=Manovich|publisher=]|type=MA|year=2014}}
**] - 2,817 (11.89%) declared Vlachs; 18,600 (78.2%) estimated people of Vlach origin
*{{cite book|url=https://brill.com/view/title/59768|title=The Romance-speaking Balkans: Language and the Politics of Identity|first1=Annemarie|last1=Sorescu Marinković|first2=Mihai|last2=Dragnea|first3=Thede|last3=Kahl|first4=Blagovest|last4=Nyagulov|first5=Donald L.|last5=Dyer|first6=Angelo|last6=Costanzo|chapter="What Language do We Speak?" the Bayash in the Balkans and Mother Tongue Education |publisher=]|series=Brill's Studies in Language, Cognition and Culture|volume=29|pages=207–232 |year=2021|isbn=9789004452770|doi=10.1163/9789004456174_010|s2cid=242757808|ref={{harvid|Sorescu Marinković ''et al''.|2021}}}}
**] - 3,000 (6.91%) declared Vlachs; 28,900 (65.8%) estimated people of Vlach origin


==Further reading==
*]
*Dimitrijevic-Rufu, Dejan. Le rituel de la slava et l'imaginaire communautaire de l'unité. Les Roumains de Homolje et les Serbes en France, Revue européenne de migrations internationales. Vol. 16 N°2. Fêtes et rituels dans la migration. 2000, pp.&nbsp;91–117.
**] - 2,981 (4.52%) declared Vlachs; 16,100 (24.4%) estimated people of Vlach origin
*Dragić, Dragomir. Forum za kulturu Vlaha. Vlasi ili Rumuni iz istočne Srbije i "vlaško pitanje" - pitanja i odgovori; Helsinški odbor za ljudska prava u Srbiji, Beograd, 2002.
**] - 4,162 (26.26%) declared Vlachs; 10,200 (63.8%) estimated people of Vlach origin
*{{citation|first=Mihai Viorel|last=Fifor|author-link=Mihai Fifor|title=Assimilation or Acculturation: Creating Identities in the New Europe. The Case of Vlachs in Serbia|journal=Cultural Identity and Ethnicity in Central Europe|publisher=]|location=Cracow|year=2000}}
**] - 3 (0.008%) declared Vlachs; 600 (1.62%) estimated people of Vlach origin
*Sorescu-Marinković, Annemarie. "The Vlachs of North-Eastern Serbia: Fieldwork and Field Methods Today." Symposia–Caiete de Etnologie şi Antropologie. 2006.
**] - 9 (0.05%) declared Vlachs; 200 (1.05%) estimated people of Vlach origin
*Sikimić, Biljana, and Annemarie Sorescu. "The Concept of Loneliness and Death among Vlachs in North-eastern Serbia." Symposia–Caiete de etnologie şi antropologie. 2004.

*Marinković, Annemarie Sorescu. "Vorbarĭ Rumîńesk: The Vlach on line Dictionary." Philologica Jassyensia 8.1 (2012): 47–60.
*]
*Ivkov-Džigurski, Anđelija, et al. "The Mystery of Vlach Magic in the Rural Areas of 21st century Serbia." Eastern European Countryside 18 (2012): 61–83.
**] - 109 (0.15%) declared Vlachs; 13,900 (18.6%) estimated people of Vlach origin
*Marinković, Annemarie Sorescu. "Cultura populară a românilor din Timoc–încercare de periodizare a cercetărilor etnologice." Philologica Jassyensia 2.1 (2006): 73–92.
**] - 354 (1.71%) declared Vlachs; 3,800 (18.1%) estimated people of Vlach origin
**] - 870 (8.78%) declared Vlachs; 5,200 (52.0%) estimated people of Vlach origin
**] - 342 (2.62%) declared Vlachs; 2,000 (15.4%) estimated people of Vlach origin
**] - 3,268 (22.05%) declared Vlachs; 11,400 (76.0%) estimated people of Vlach origin
**] - 5,204 (27.67%) declared Vlachs; 15,700 (82.6%) estimated people of Vlach origin
**] - 401 (2.90%) declared Vlachs; 6,100 (43.8%) estimated people of Vlach origin
**] - 3,535 (10.24%) declared Vlachs; 18,200 (52.8%) estimated people of Vlach origin

*]
**] - 1,356 (4.04%) declared Vlachs; 4,200 (12.5%) estimated people of Vlach origin
**] - 427 (1.67%) declared Vlachs; 16,600 (64.82%) estimated people of Vlach origin
**] - 235 (0.92%) declared Vlachs; 10,300 (40.38%) estimated people of Vlach origin
**] - 30 (0.04%) declared Vlachs; 1,400 (1.97%) estimated people of Vlach origin
**] - 1 (0.002%) declared Vlach; 700 (1.20%) estimated people of Vlach origin

*]
**] - 9 (0.008%) declared Vlachs; 4,800 (4.50%) estimated people of Vlach origin
**] - 35 (0.08%) declared Vlachs; 4,000 (9.10%) estimated people of Vlach origin

*]
**] - 0 (0%) declared Vlachs; 400 (1.79%) estimated people of Vlach origin

*]
**] - 12 declared Vlachs
**] - 3 declared Vlachs
**] - 11 declared Vlachs
**] - 11 declared Vlachs
**] - 35 declared Vlachs
**] - 7 declared Vlachs

TOTAL: 40,054 declared Vlachs in Serbia; 245,700 estimated people of Vlach origin

==Vlach identity==

The term "''Vlach''" is the English transcription of the Serbian term used to describe this group (''Vlasi''), while "''Romanians''" is the English transcription of its Romanian counterpart (''român/rumân'').<ref></ref><ref>: "We all know that we call ourselves in Romanian Romanians and in Serbian Vlachs."</ref>

Despite their recognition as a separate ethnic group by the Serbian government, Vlachs are cognate to Romanians in the cultural and linguistic sense. Some Romanians, as well as international linguists and anthropologists, consider Serbia's Vlachs to be a subgroup of Romanians. Additionally, the Movement of Romanians-Vlachs in Serbia, which represents some Vlachs, has called for the recognition of the Vlachs as a Romanian national minority, giving them similar rights to the ]. However most Vlachs of Eastern Serbia opt either for the Vlach, or Serb identity rather than the Romanian one.<ref name="popis2002"/>

Romania has given modest financial support to the Vlachs for the preservation of their culture and language, since at present the Vlachs' language is not recognized officially in any localities where they form a majority, there is no education in their mother tongue and there is no media or education funded by the Serbian state. Also there are no church services in Vlach. Until very recently in the regions populated by Vlachs church policy opposed the giving of non-Serbian baptismal names.

Family names of Vlachs either are or sound Serbian because from the late 19th century up to the 1918 there was an edict that all citizens of ] should have last names ending in -ić, the base of the name usually coming from the then father's name: Nikolić, Marković, Radulović. There are a few notable exceptions where the Vlach / Romanian origin is evident, as in Jepurović (from iepure, meaning rabbit), Florić (from floare, meaning flower) or Stangačilović (from stângaci, meaning left-handed).

On the other hand, some Vlachs consider themselves to be simply ] that speak the Vlach language. In fact ethnic research has found{{Fact|date=April 2007}} that among the Serb-speaking population of Eastern Serbia, some are Slavicized Vlachs and some Vlach-speakers were formerly Slavs (such as in the village of ] near Zaječar and the village of Slatina near Bor, where Serbs had been assimilated as Vlachs for centuries) or even Roma (such as in Lukovo). Most Vlachs do not see themselves as ethnic Romanians, because, while culturally and linguistically cognate to Romanians, they have lived in Serbia for generations and hence do not identify with the ], but rather see themselves as a distinct Eastern Romance people. {{Fact|date=February 2007}}

Many of those Vlachs who see themselves as Serbs were historically hard-line Serbian nationalists, and many fought as volunteers on the Serbian side in the wars in ] and ], together with Serbs from those regions whom they saw as religious and ethnic brethren. One of the reasons why Vlachs consider Serbs to be their ethnic brethren is because many Serbs have Vlach origin. The Serbian Orthodox Church has played a large role in this.{{Fact|date=April 2007}} In addition, during the Ottoman rule, Serbs migrated from the valleys to the mountains where they mixed with the Vlach population; thus, many present-day Serbs and Vlachs have both Slavic and Vlach blood.

It must be noted that ] is commonly used as a historical umbrella term for all Latin peoples in ], including ]. In more recent usage, it is a synonym for Latin peoples south of the Danube, hence excluding Romanians. The old meaning is the origin for the modern Vlach ethnic identity, since Vlachs see themselves as descendants of those ancient Vlach peoples, and rather see Romanians as a subgroup of the Vlachs than Vlachs as a subgroup of Romanians. From the Vlach point of view, Romanians are those Vlachs who created their state of Romania and succeeded in gaining world acceptance for their own name for themselves, rather than the exonym term Vlach. In their own language Vlachs never use the term Vlach, but Rumân. They call their language ''română'',<ref>Website of the </ref> but sometimes also ''rumâneşce/româneşte''. {{Fact|date=February 2007}}

In some notes of the government of Serbia, officials recognise that "''certainly members of this population have similar characteristics with Romanians, and the language and folklore ride to their Romanian origin. The representants of the Vlach minority sustain their Romanian origin.''"<ref>'''', published ] ]</ref>

==Famous Vlachs==

Possibly the best known Vlach from eastern Serbia is ], who was the president of the ] between 1993 and 1997.

==See also==
*]
*]
*]
*]

==References==
{{reflist}}


==External links== ==External links==
*

*
*
*
*
*
* *
* (Romanian/Serbian)
*
*
*
*
*


{{Ethnic groups of Serbia}} {{Ethnic groups in Serbia}}
{{Eastern Christianity footer}}
{{Ethnic groups in Bulgaria}}


{{DEFAULTSORT:Vlachs Of Serbia}}
]
]
] ]
] ]
]
]

]
]
]
]

Latest revision as of 01:34, 18 December 2024

Romanian-speaking population in eastern Serbia This article is about the Romanian-speaking population living in eastern Serbia. For other uses, see Vlachs of Serbia (disambiguation).

Ethnic group
Vlachs of Serbia
Total population
21,013 (2022 census)
150,000–300,000 (unofficial estimates)
Regions with significant populations
Eastern Serbia and Belgrade
Languages
Romanian and Serbian
Religion
Predominantly Eastern Orthodox
Related ethnic groups
Romanians in Serbia

The Vlachs (Romanian: rumâń; Serbian: власи / vlasi) are a Romanian-speaking population group living in eastern Serbia, mainly within the Timok Valley. They are characterized by a culture that has preserved archaic and ancient elements in matters such as language or customs. Their ethnic affiliation is highly disputed, with some considering the Vlachs as an independent ethnic group while others consider them part of the Romanians.

History

"Vlach" is a word of Germanic origin, originally used by the Germanic tribes to refer to the Romans. It would later be adopted by the Byzantine Empire, the Ottoman Empire and virtually all Slavs to refer to the Romance languages-speakers in the Balkans that remained following the various migrations into the area. These peoples never referred to themselves as "Vlachs", but as some variant of "Roman". Today there are several peoples that are still commonly referred to as Vlachs, these including the Vlachs of eastern Serbia.

There are hypotheses about an autochthonous origin of the Vlachs in the area in which they currently live. Researchers who promoted this idea include the researcher Atanasie Popovici, a native of the area. However, most researchers agree that the Vlachs of eastern Serbia originate from areas in present-day Romania and settled in land in which they live today as a result of migrations in the 18th and 19th centuries. These migrations occurred due to the difficult living conditions in Hungary, Moldavia and Wallachia. Strong migrations were recorded between 1718 and 1739 after the Austro-Turkish War of 1716–1718; during this time, eastern Serbia was part of the Banat of Temeswar. Migrations to eastern Serbia continued after this period, albeit on a smaller scale. More precisely, migrations were recorded in the periods of 1723–1725, 1733–1734, 1818 and 1834. These were directed to the settlements of Jošanica, Krepoljin, Laznica (Laznița), Osanica, Ribare, Suvi Do, Vukovac, Žagubica (Jagubița or Jăgobița). These migrations increased the number of houses in the area around the Homolje Mountains (Serbian: Хомољске планине / Homoljske planine; Romanian: Munții Homolie or Munții Homoliei) from 80 in 1718 to 155 in 1733. Furthermore, the two latter waves led to the foundation of the settlements of Bliznak, Breznica, Izvarica, Jasikovo, Krupaja, Milanovac and Sige. According to the place of origin of these new migrants, the Vlachs of eastern Serbia were divided into ungureni (originating from the Kingdom of Hungary, or more precisely, from Banat and Transylvania proper) and țărani (originating from Moldavia and Wallachia). The Vlachs are still divided into these two groups according to the Romanian dialect they speak; the ungureni have a speech closely related to the Banat Romanian dialect while the dialect of the țărani is closer to the Wallachian one. Dialectally, there are two other groups of Vlachs, the munteni and the bufani, but these are largely assimilated into the former two.

Ethnic map of Vlachs in eastern Serbia

Before the unification of Moldavia and Wallachia in 1859, the Vlachs in eastern Serbia were officially known as "Romanians". On the other hand, the country of Wallachia (the name of which was derived from "Vlach"), was known in Serbian as Влашка / Vlaška. Furthermore, in ethnographic studies of the 19th or early 20th century, the Vlachs of eastern Serbia were regarded as Romanians in an undisputed way. However, after 1859 and the formation of the first modern Romanian state, this practice was reversed, with the name of "Vlach" being imposed over on the community of eastern Serbia to break similarities with the Romanians; this was intensified after the creation of Yugoslavia.

According to an article by Ivan Miladinović for Večernje novosti, at the end of 1946, Yugoslav Partisans leader Josip Broz Tito presented a proposal to allow Romania to annex the Vlach-populated areas in eastern Serbia since "Romanian comrades, Gheorghiu-Dej and Ana Pauker, think it is their people and their territory"; Secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Serbia Blagoje Nešković would have expressed strong opposition to this proposal.

Culture

Language

Main article: Romanian language in Serbia

The Vlachs speak a group of archaic Romanian varieties known as "Vlach" in Serbia. The Romanian language is not in use in local administration, not even in localities where members of the minority represent more than 15% of the population, where it would be allowed according to Serbian law. This is mostly because of the lack of teachers and because Vlach is more of an oral than a written language. Since 2012, there have been continuous efforts to standardize Vlach in a written form, and the teaching of Vlach has started in schools. While the Vlach standard written language is under development, the Vlach Council in Serbia in 2006 debated the use of Serbian as the official language and Romanian as the literary language. This proposition of the council was confirmed in a document it issued in 2010 – endorsing the Serbian language while written Vlach was being developed. In 2012, the council decided to adopt a proposition on written and oral Vlach and started to work towards its standardization. According to the Serbian census of 2011, among the 35,330 individuals who identified as Vlachs, 28,918 declared that they spoke Vlach, and 186 Romanian. Out of 43,095 individuals who declared that their mother tongue was Vlach, 28,918 declared their ethnicity as Vlach, 12,156 as Serb, 67 as Romanian, 174 as other, 1,150 who did not declare and 266 unknown. In southern and eastern Serbia, where the population with a Vlach identity was concentrated, there were 32,873 people with a Vlach identity, and 2,073 people with a Romanian identity, according to the 2011 Serbian census.

Religion

The Romanian Orthodox Church in Malajnica, built in 2004, is the first Romanian church in eastern Serbia. Before its construction, Romanians in Eastern Serbia were not allowed to hear liturgical services in their native language. Most Vlachs of Eastern Serbia are Orthodox Christians who had belonged to the Serbian Orthodox Church since the 19th century. This changed on 24 March 2009, when Serbia recognized the authority of the Romanian Orthodox Church in Eastern Serbia and the confessional rights of the Vlachs.

The 2006 Serbian law on religious organizations did not recognize the Romanian Orthodox Church as a traditional church, as it had received permission from the Serbian Church to operate only within Vojvodina, but not in Eastern Serbia. At Malajnica, a Vlach priest belonging to the Romanian Orthodox Church encountered deliberately-raised administrative barriers when he attempted to build a church.

Vlach magic

It has been suggested that this section be split out into another article titled Vlach magic. (Discuss) (October 2023)

The relative isolation of the Vlachs has permitted the survival of various pre-Christian religious customs and beliefs that are frowned upon by the Orthodox Church. Vlach magic rituals are well known across modern Serbia. The Vlachs celebrate the ospăț (hospitium, in Latin), called in Serbian praznik or slava. The customs of the Vlachs are very similar to those from Southern Romania (Wallachia).

Identity and ethnic classification

The identity and ethnic classification of the Timok Vlachs is highly contested. The Serbian government considers the Timok Vlachs a distinct and independent group and rejects any conflation with the Romanians, citing census results and their right to self-identify with the minority of their choice. On the other hand, the Romanian government's position is that the Timok Vlachs are simply Romanians, that the split into "Romanian" and "Vlach" identities is artificial and that Serbia has failed to protect the minority rights of the Romanians.

These disputes also occur between the Timok Vlachs themselves. Two main groups stand out: an "anti-Romanian" group and another "pro-Romanian" group. The former regards Serbia as the homeland of the Timok Vlachs and rejects any connection to Romania, while the latter relates the Timok Vlachs and Romanian through elements such as language and often regards Romania as the homeland of the Timok Vlachs, although both agree on the need for the Serbian government to do more to protect the Timok Vlachs.

The situation within the National Council of the Vlach National Minority [sr] is particularly convulsed. In 2009, during an interview for the Serbian newspaper Politika, Živoslav Lazić, the president of the council and mayor of Veliko Gradište (Grădiștea Mare), called the efforts by "some in Serbia" to prove that the Romanians and the Timok Vlachs are a separate minority as "xenophobic". He also argued that claims about Romanianization of the Timok Vlachs by Romania come from people whose real aim is the assimilation of the Timok Vlachs. In 2010, shortly before the first elections to choose the members of the Vlach National Council, Vlach politician Miletić Mihajlović accused the council of being pro-Romanian and of having as its main objective "transfer" the Vlachs into the Romanians, adding that Serbia was the homeland of the Vlachs. The new council elected in 2010 adopted an anti-Romanian stance. In 2012, the new president, Radiša Dragojević, stated that "Nobody has the right to ask Vlachs to declare themselves as Romanians", that "Vlachs consider Serbia their motherland" and that "We have no objections, nor any basis to turn to Romania, nor does Romania have any basis to make any demands on our behalf". According to Dragojević himself, according to the 23 members that corresponded to the council of the Timok Vlachs, only four were pro-Romanian. In 2018, a new Vlach council was elected, and the coalition Vlachs for Serbia won 22 of the 23 seats. Dragojević, president of the Vlach council and member of the coalition commented that their result was due to pro-Romanian Vlach political formations having either boycotted the elections or having run for the elections for the National Council of the Romanian National Minority instead.

Today there is a movement among some members of the Timok Vlachs to align themselves with Romania and identify themselves as part of the Romanian identity in Serbia. As of 2009, an estimated two to three thousand Timok Vlachs were attending secondary schools and universities in Romania. It has been said that the Serbian political elite might fear that part of these could return to Serbia with a Romanian national consciousness that could influence the rest of the Timok Vlachs. The Association of the Vlachs of Serbia (Serbian: Zajednica Vlaha Srbija / Заједница Влаха Србије, ZVS) stands out for this. The ZVS has made claims such as that Romania is the motherland of the Timok Vlachs, that they speak Romanian and that Serbia tries to assimilate the Vlachs by referring to them in this way to separate them from the Romanian nation. The Vlach National Party is a Wlach political party in Serbia led by Predrag Balašević. The party claims that the Serbia is trying to manipulate the culture and history of the Vlachs and impose a "historical cultural construct" on them. It also blends the Timok Vlachs with the Romanians from Romania into the same group. Timoc Press is another pro-Romanian organization in the Timok Valley, funded by the Department for Romanians Everywhere of the Romanian government, which considers the Timok Vlachs and the Romanians a single nation, the former of which is being assimilated by the Serbs. Even so, there are anti-Romanian organizations. An example is the Vlach Democratic Party (VDS), whose president in 2012, Siniša Celojević, declared that "The Vlachs of Serbia are not, and will never be, members of the Romanian national minority", which Romania claims groups outside its borders to reinforce their historical continuity and national identity and that Romania takes advantage of the lack of minority rights for the Timok Vlachs to "infiltrate" among them. Celojević was a member of the Vlach National Council.

Legal status

Ethnological map of the Romanian population by Élisée Reclus

The ethnonym is Rumâni and the community Rumâni din Sârbie, translated into English as "Romanians from Serbia". They are also known in Romanian as Valahii din Serbia or Românii din Timoc. Although ethnographically and linguistically related to the Romanians, within the Vlach community there are divergences on whether or not they belong to the Romanian nation and whether or not their minority should be amalgamated with the Romanian minority in Vojvodina.

In a Romanian-Yugoslav agreement of November 4, 2002, the Yugoslav authorities agreed to recognize the Romanian identity of the Vlach population in Central Serbia, but the agreement was not implemented. In April 2005, 23 deputies from the Council of Europe, representatives from Hungary, Georgia, Lithuania, Romania, Moldova, Estonia, Armenia, Azerbaïdjan, Denmark, and Bulgaria protested against Serbia's treatment of this population.

The Senate of Romania postponed the ratification of Serbia's candidature for membership in the European Union until the legal status and minority right of the Romanian (Vlach) population in Serbia is clarified.

Predrag Balašević, president of the Vlach party of Serbia, accused the government of assimilation by using the national Vlach organization against the interests of this minority in Serbia.

Since 2010, the Vlach National Council of Serbia has been led by members of leading Serbian parties (Democrat Party and Socialist Party), most of whom are ethnic Serbs having no relation to the Vlach/Romanian minority. Radiša Dragojević, the current president of Vlach National Council of Serbia, stated that no one has the right to ask the Vlach minority in Serbia to identify themselves as Romanian or veto anything. As a response to mister Dragojević's statement, the cultural organizations Ariadnae Filum, Društvo za kulturu Vlaha - Rumuna Srbije, Društvo Rumuna - Vlaha „Trajan“, Društvo za kulturu, jezik i religiju Vlaha - Rumuna Pomoravlja, Udruženje za tradiciju i kulturu Vlaha „Dunav“, Centar za ruralni razvoj - Vlaška kulturna inicijativa Srbija and the Vlach Party of Serbia protested and stated that it was false.

According to a 2012 agreement between Romania and Serbia, members of the Vlach community that choose to declare as Romanians will have access to education, media, and religion in the Romanian language.

Notable people

See also

Citations

  1. "Stanovništvo prema nacionalnoj pripadnosti" Становништво према националној припадности (in Serbian). Statistical Office of the Republic of Serbia. Retrieved 9 May 2023.
  2. Sorescu-Marinković, Annemarie (2016). "Foggy Diaspora: Romanian Women in Eastern Serbia". Studia Universitatis Babeş-Bolyai Sociologia. 61 (1): 43. doi:10.1515/subbs-2016-0002. hdl:21.15107/rcub_dais_13892.
  3. Sorescu-Marinković, Annemarie; Huțanu, Monica (2019). "Ideology and Representation of Vlach Romanian Online: Between Linguistic Activism and Unengaged Language Use". Bulletin of the Transilvania University of Brasov: Series IV: Philology and Cultural Studies. 12(61) (1): 74. doi:10.31926/but.pcs.2019.61.12.6. hdl:21.15107/rcub_dais_13918.
  4. Heenan, Patrick; Lamontagne, Monique, eds. (1999). The Central and Eastern Europe Handbook. London: Fitzroy Dearbon. p. 274. ISBN 1-57958-089-0.
  5. Ivkov-Džigurski et al. 2012, pp. 62–63.
  6. ^ Huțanu & Sorescu-Marinković 2018, p. 2.
  7. Manovich 2014, pp. 22–23.
  8. ^ Ivkov-Džigurski et al. 2012, pp. 68.
  9. Ivkov-Džigurski et al. 2012, p. 66.
  10. Ivkov-Džigurski et al. 2012, p. 63.
  11. Ivkov-Džigurski et al. 2012, pp. 66–67.
  12. Miladinović, Ivan (30 October 2022). "СРАМНЕ СТРАНИЦЕ ХРВАТСКЕ ПОВЈЕСТИ: Шта повезује Косово и Метохију и Истру и какве везе са тим има и Мусолини". Večernje novosti (in Serbian).
  13. ^ "The situation of national minorities in Vojvodina and of the Romanian ethnic minority in Serbia" Archived 2012-01-23 at the Wayback Machine, at the Council of Europe, 14 February 2008
  14. Vlaška nacionalna manjina: Demografski podaci Влашка национална мањина: Демографски подаци (PDF) (in Serbian). Archived from the original (PDF) on 16 July 2020. Retrieved 30 November 2020 – via fer.org.rs.
  15. "Census data - excel table | Statistical Office of the Republic of Serbia".
  16. See the table "Population by ethnicity and sex, by municipalities and cities" at https://www.stat.gov.rs/en-us/oblasti/popis/popis-2011/popisni-podaci-eksel-tabele/
  17. "Xenophobic actions against Timoc Romanians". Archived from the original on 16 July 2012. Retrieved 28 February 2012.
  18. Drasko Djenovic (9 September 2005). "SERBIA: Romanian priest to pay for official destruction of his church". F18News. Forum 18 News Service. Retrieved 26 June 2012.
  19. "Haiducul credintei din Valea Timocului, Boian Alexandrovici, decorat de presedintele Basescu". RGN Press (in Romanian). 2 March 2008. Archived from the original on 19 September 2008.
  20. Miron, Gheorghe (7 December 2009). "Biserica Română din Timoc a fost recunoscută de către Curtea Supremă de Justiţie a Serbie". Ziua de Vest (in Romanian). Archived from the original on 26 July 2011. Retrieved 21 February 2010.
  21. "Biserica românească din Malainiţa ameninţată din nou", BBC Romanian, 16 September 2005
  22. Brodner, Raluca (17 June 2009). "Obiceiuri de înmormântare la românii din Timoc". ZiarulLumina.ro (in Romanian). Archived from the original on 21 July 2011.
  23. Manovich 2014, pp. 23–24.
  24. Manovich 2014, p. 27.
  25. ^ Albunović, Marko (17 May 2009). "Власи источне Србије – од асимилације до румунизације". Politika (in Serbian).
  26. "Влахе би у Румуне". Novosti (in Serbian). 8 May 2010.
  27. Manovich 2014, pp. 24.
  28. Baković, Biljana (13 November 2018). "Пре четири године Влах, сада Румун". Politika (in Serbian).
  29. Sorescu Marinković et al. 2021, p. 130.
  30. Manovich 2014, pp. 25–26.
  31. "Statut". vdss-petrovac.com (in Serbian). Archived from the original on 3 September 2011. Retrieved 1 March 2014.
  32. "Odluka o promeni sedišta". vdss-petrovac.com (in Serbian). Archived from the original on 3 September 2011.
  33. C. Constante, Anton Galopenția (1943). Românii din Timoc: Românii dinitre Dunăre, Timoc și Morava. p. 50. Apoi, Valahii din Serbia, sunt harnici, muncitori, economi şi de mare dârzenie în privinţa portului şi a limbei.
  34. "Iugoslavia recunoaste apartenenta vlahilor din Valea Timocului la minoritatea romaneasca". Adevărul (in Romanian). 6 November 2002. Prin acordul privind minoritatile, semnat, luni, la Belgrad, de catre presedintii Ion Iliescu si Voislav Kostunita, statul iugoslav recunoaste dreptul apartenentei la minoritatea romaneasca din Iugoslavia al celor aproape 120.000 de vlahi (cifra neoficiala), care traiesc in Valea Timocului, in Serbia de Rasarit. Reprezentantii romanilor din Iugoslavia, profesori, ziaristi, scriitori, i-au multumit, ieri, la Pancevo, sefului statului pentru aceasta intelegere cu guvernul de la Belgrad. Acordul este considerat de importanta istorica pentru romanii din Valea Timocului, care, din timpul lui Iosip Broz Tito, traiesc fara drept la invatamant si viata religioasa in limba materna, practic nerecunoscuti ca etnie. "Nu vom face ca fostul regim, sa numim noi care sunt minoritatile nationale sau sa stergem cu guma alte minoritati", a spus, ieri, Rasim Ljajic, ministrul sarb pentru minoritati, la intalnirea de la Pancevo a presedintelui cu romanii din Iugoslavia. Deocamdata, statul iugoslav nu a recunoscut prin lege statutul vlahilor de pe Valea Timocului, insa de-acum va acorda acestora dreptul la optiunea etnica, va permite, in decembrie, constituirea Consiliului Reprezentantilor Romani si va participa in Comisia mixta romano-iugoslava la monitorizarea problemelor minoritatilor sarba si romana din cele doua state. In Iugoslavia traiesc cateva sute de mii de romani. Presedintele Ion Iliescu s-a angajat, ieri, pentru o politica mai activa privind romanii din afara granitelor: "Avem mari datorii fata de romanii care traiesc in afara granitelor. Autocritic vorbind, nu ne-am facut intotdeauna datoria. De dragul de a nu afecta relatiile noastre cu vecinii, am fost mai retinuti, mai prudenti in a sustine cauza romanilor din statele vecine. (...) Ungurii ne dau lectii din acest punct de vedere", a spus presedintele, precizand ca romanii trebuie sa-si apere cauza "pe baza de buna intelegere".
  35. Curierul Naţional, 25 ianuarie 2003 Archived 5 April 2012 at the Wayback Machine: Chiar si acordul dintre presedintii Ion Iliescu si Voislav Kostunita, semnat la sfarsitul anului trecut, nu este respectat, in ceea ce priveste minoritatile, deoarece locuitorii din Valea Timocului, numiti vlahi, nu sunt recunoscuti ca minoritari, ci doar „grup etnic“.
  36. Parliamentary Assembly, 28 April 2005 Archived 30 December 2013 at the Wayback Machine: Deeply concerned over the cultural situation of the so-called “Vlach” Romanians dwelling in 154 ethnic Romanian localities 48 localities of mixed ethnic make-up between the Danube, Timok and Morava Rivers who since 1833 have been unable to enjoy ethnic rights in schools and churches
  37. "Biroul Permanenent al Senatului a amânat votul privind ratificarea Acordului de aderare a Serbiei la UE. Motivul: drepturile românilor /vlahilor din Timoc". Romanian Global News (in Romanian). 26 October 2011. Archived from the original on 30 October 2011.
  38. "Rumunija će blokirati kandidaturu?". B92 (in Serbian). 23 February 2012.
  39. Власи оптужују Србију за асимилацију - Правда Archived 2012-02-12 at the Wayback Machine
  40. Ghica, Sorin (29 February 2012). "Falşi vlahi folosiţi împotriva românilor". Adevărul (in Romanian).
  41. "Драгојевић: Власи нису Румуни". Politika. 28 February 2012.
  42. "Ne gurajte probleme pod tepih". B92 (in Serbian). 29 February 2012.
  43. "Vlasi (ni)su obespravljeni u Srbiji". B92 (in Serbian). 29 February 2012.
  44. "Basesku: "Rumunski problem" naduvan". B92 (in Serbian). 2 March 2012.
  45. "Poznati vlasi: Staniša paunović" Познати власи: Станиша пауновић. Reč naroda Реч народа (in Serbian). 19 November 2018. Retrieved 19 June 2022.

References

Further reading

  • Dimitrijevic-Rufu, Dejan. Le rituel de la slava et l'imaginaire communautaire de l'unité. Les Roumains de Homolje et les Serbes en France, Revue européenne de migrations internationales. Vol. 16 N°2. Fêtes et rituels dans la migration. 2000, pp. 91–117.
  • Dragić, Dragomir. Forum za kulturu Vlaha. Vlasi ili Rumuni iz istočne Srbije i "vlaško pitanje" - pitanja i odgovori; Helsinški odbor za ljudska prava u Srbiji, Beograd, 2002.
  • Fifor, Mihai Viorel (2000), "Assimilation or Acculturation: Creating Identities in the New Europe. The Case of Vlachs in Serbia", Cultural Identity and Ethnicity in Central Europe, Cracow: Jagellonian University
  • Sorescu-Marinković, Annemarie. "The Vlachs of North-Eastern Serbia: Fieldwork and Field Methods Today." Symposia–Caiete de Etnologie şi Antropologie. 2006.
  • Sikimić, Biljana, and Annemarie Sorescu. "The Concept of Loneliness and Death among Vlachs in North-eastern Serbia." Symposia–Caiete de etnologie şi antropologie. 2004.
  • Marinković, Annemarie Sorescu. "Vorbarĭ Rumîńesk: The Vlach on line Dictionary." Philologica Jassyensia 8.1 (2012): 47–60.
  • Ivkov-Džigurski, Anđelija, et al. "The Mystery of Vlach Magic in the Rural Areas of 21st century Serbia." Eastern European Countryside 18 (2012): 61–83.
  • Marinković, Annemarie Sorescu. "Cultura populară a românilor din Timoc–încercare de periodizare a cercetărilor etnologice." Philologica Jassyensia 2.1 (2006): 73–92.

External links

Ethnic groups in Serbia
Serbs (Vojvodina, Kosovo)
Larger ethnic minorities
Smaller ethnic minorities
See also
Demographic history of Serbia
Eastern Christianity
Cultural area of Christian traditions that developed since Early Christianity in the Middle East, Eastern Europe, North and East Africa, Asia Minor, South India, and parts of the Far East.
Main
divisions
Communions
Independent Churches/Communions
Protestantism
Christ Pantocrator (Deesis mosaic detail)
Christ Pantocrator (circa 1261) in Hagia Sophia
History
Scriptures
Theology
Worship
Categories: