Centre for Romanian Studies

Blue Danube, Black Sea: a portrait of the Danube Delta
By Paul Reddish

Nature’s role call is impressive. As many as 500,000 wild geese, including all the world’s 60,000 or so red-breasted geese, the greatest congregation of pelicans outside of Africa, along with spoonbills, glossy ibis and another 300 species of birds. They all live in and depend on this special place. And it is not just birds, 75 species of fresh water fish, over half the total for Europe, are concentrated in this one area. The largest freshwater fish and the most valuable both inhabit the waters. What and where is this extraordinary place?

The delta of the River Danube remains one of Europe’s best-kept secrets. This is Europe untamed, a wild place that has defied the hand of man for over a century. It lies mostly in Romania, but with its northern margins in the Ukraine. Covering 5,640 square kilometres, the delta is the largest area of reeds in the world.

Whilst the delta is still largely wild, it would be wrong to portray it as a wilderness, for people have lived here for centuries. The majority of the inhabitants are Lipovani, people who left Russia over 200 years ago to avoid religious persecution. The men are expert fishermen, and it through the thoughts and words of one such fisherman, Fiodor Butilchin, that the history of the delta is told. Fiodor is 79, and he has seen many changes in his life.

The remote nature of the vast interior of the delta must have appealed to Fiodor’s ancestors when they fled Russia so that they could live their own brand of Orthodox Christianity. That same isolation has made the delta a haven for wildlife. There are no roads into the delta; all traffic is by boat, and so access is limited and wild creatures are protected from the pressures of the modern world.

In winter, the temperatures plummet to -20 Celsius or lower and the lakes freeze over. In the past, when Fiodor was a young man, the channels also froze, as the current wasn’t as strong. The work of dredgers, deepening and straightening the channels, has changed the nature of the delta.

Fiodor and his friends used to catch many species of fish, but now his catch is dominated by crucian carp. This is an unfortunate result of the work of the dredgers. Their canals have caused dirty river water to enter the clear lakes. Fish that require clean water have been driven away. The hardy crucian carp was uncommon, but numbers escaped from the fish farms built in the delta by the communist regime. The fish farms are now closed, but the carp proliferate in the murky waters.

Spring brings a surge of life to the delta. The amphibian chorus becomes deafening. Pelicans, the majestic symbol of the delta arrive and start their bizarre courtship. There are 2,500 pairs of breeding pelican, which makes the delta the most important place for these birds outside of Africa. That number of pelicans can consume over 1,000 tons of fish in a season. No surprise that they were persecuted by the fishermen.

Nowadays the pelicans and other wildlife are protected as part of the Biosphere Reserve. The reserve is supported by the conservation organization WWF, and has areas, like the pelican colony, that are strictly guarded and other areas where traditional fishing can be practiced.

Fiodor sells his surplus catch of fish and frogs. While catching frogs may be bizarre, catching catfish is scary. The catfish can grow to over 200 kilos, and is capable of swallowing ducks whole. At night, settled in his hut on the bank, Fiodor can hear these grotesque fish as they suck down their prey. There is one fish larger than the catfish – sturgeon. The biggest is the beluga, famed for its eggs – caviare. Nowadays sturgeon are rare, but this is not due to the fishermen, it is a consequence of the many dams and sources of pollution further up the Danube.

So how is this little known part of Europe faring? Fiodor is optimistic, despite seeing the destruction of parts of the delta during his lifetime. The delta, under the care of the Biosphere Reserve, is improving. WWF has funded the removal of some of the artificial banks, letting water reflood the delta. Many of the dredgers are retired. While other parts of Europe suffer degradation, this most secret corner has its own success story. The future is bright for fishermen and pelican alike.

Production details: The 49-minute film with English soundtrack was shot over three years by cameraman Mike Potts and directed by Paul Reddish. The crew made over 10 trips and spent more than six months in the field.

Broadcasters who wish to buy the production, please contact Walter Koehler, ORF Natural History Unit, Austrian Broadcasting Corporation, Würzburggasse 30, A-1136 Vienna,
Tel: +43 1 878 78 14129. Fax: +43 1 878 78 14884. E-mail: nhu@orf.at

WWF contact: Claire Thilo, Communications Coordinator, WWF Danube Carpathian Programme. Tel: +43 1 488 17 271. E-mail: claire.thilo@wwf.at
————————

http://www.panda.org/news_facts/newsroom/features/news.cfm?uNewsID=2266
Feature Article (WWF)

[url=http://www.miningwatch.ca/]Mining Watch Canada:[/url]
[b]Romanian villagers oppose Canadian gold mine at Rosia Montana[/b]

(Ottawa, March 11, 2002) – A new citizens’ organization called Alburnus Major has been organized in Romania to oppose an open pit gold mine being promoted by Canadian company Gabriel Resources. They claim to represent 80% of the people living in Rosia Montana, the oldest village in Romania.

Gabriel intends to relocate their town and build a gigantic open pit gold mine on the site. The mine will also destroy an invaluable archaeological heritage site dating from Roman times.
Alburnus Major spokesperson, Francoise Heidebroek, says: “A large majority of the people are totally opposed to this resettlement operation. Nobody has consulted the population and asked whether they agree to move from their homes. Nobody has asked if they agree that their churches and cemeteries be excavated.”

According to the Northern Miner, the village “epitomizes the pastoral tranquillity of rural Europe.” Although there has been mining in the area for 2500 years, it was on a small scale. The village is considered Protected National Patrimony by a government decree of April 2000. Gabriel Resources estimates that about 800 residences and 2000 people will have to be relocated to make way for the mine.
“Although the 11 members of the local planning council of Rosia Montana have approved a new Land Use Plan to allow mining operations, they did so without organizing a referendum. Such an approval is illegal under Romanian law. The prefect of the region has confirmed that the land use plan is not valid without a referendum,” says Heidebroek.

The director of Archaeology of Romania’s National Museum of Unity, Horia Ciugudean, states: “the area is very, very rich archaeologically.” The Roman empire established mining there in 200 BC, and a village was built two kilometers from the site. The ruins now lie under the town, and will be destroyed by the mine. Two years ago, a team of German and French archaeologists uncovered 20 altars bearing inscriptions to Roman gods.

The Canadian firm, Gabriel Resources, has obtained licences to exploit this large gold body in the heart of Transylvania, in an area known as the golden quadrilateral. Grade is 1.4 ounces per tonne. The mine is expected to produce 500,000 oz per year at about US $157 million per ounce over a 16 year mine life. The company expects to payback the costs of development over 2.5 years, with an after-tax net profit of US$1.1 billion. They have been indemnified by the Romanian government against damage done to the environment by previous operators.

Romania is a disadvantaged country with a history of mining. It is desperate for foreign investment. To attract this mine, the Romanian government has designated the Rosia Montana region as a “Disadvantaged Zone” for 10 years or longer. This designation – with other benefits – means that the company enjoys the following:

* No VAT or customs duties on imports or the manufacture of depreciable assets
* No corporate income tax on profits
* No restrictions on foreign exchange
* No restrictions on payments of dividends
* No restrictions on repatriation of capital
* Corporate tax rate of 25%
* Indemnification against environmental damage caused by previous owners

The government of Romania holds a 20% interest in the project through the state mining company Minvest, and will receive a 2% gross production royalty.

The company has hired Planning Alliance of Toronto to manage the resettlement of the village. Resettlement packages, relocation and schedules will have to be negotiated before the mining can begin. Gabriel Resources is very optimistic about resettlement prospects, and expects to have the first phase finished this year.

Alburnus Major alleges that the Romanian authorities in charge (National Agency for Mineral Resources, Ministry for Environmental Protection, National Institute of Geology) lack the necessary financial and technical resources to carry out environmental monitoring and to assess environmental impacts.

Hungary is currently suing Romania for US$105 million in environmental damages, alleging negligence for the collapsed tailings dam at Baie Mare last year, which destroyed life in the Tisza River.
– 30 –

For more information please contact:
Joan Kuyek, National Coordinator,
MiningWatch Canada at (613) 569-3439

From:
http://www.miningwatch.ca/publications/Rosia_Montana_rls_110302.html

by Jimmy Goldbergstein – The Glasgow Herald (Oct 2000)
— – – – – – – – – –

THE INCLUSION of a Romanian poet who had close links with former Romanian dictator Nicolae Ceaucescu, sparked controversy at a recent St Andrews University poetry festival Romanian poet, Adrian Paunescu reading at the St Anza poetry festival provoked an angry response from some students and sponsors.

Paunescu appeared on Saturday, October 7th, reciting to a gathering of less than 30 people. While being billed as a “special guest from Romania” on the St Anza programme, and having been “harassed” by the former political regime, critics of the poet labelled him as a supporter and propagandist of Ceaucescu’s repressive regime. Paunescu’s 1983 poem, Romania’s future, gushed:”We have our own very such sun emerging from our capital city Bucharest. It is Ceaucescu.”

Constantin Roman, an honorary professor of the University of Bucharest, living and working in Cambridge, said compatriots should be outraged at any ‘celebration’ of Paunescu and his work. He said: “The Scots, along with others in the UK, have done many things for those in the Romanian orphanages, victims of Ceaucescu regime. What has Paunescu done? It is ironic that at a time when the people of Yugoslavia give a thumbs down to Milosevic, the University of St. Andrews has invited this fraud to their festival.”

The University of St Andrews were however quick to defend their decision to invite Adrian Paunescu. Dr Gavin Bowd, a lecturer in the French department of St Andrews university and one of the organisers of the festival, said: “Mr Paunescu formed an example of the expression of political thinking in poetry in eastern Europe, but in no way does his appearance equate with a condoning of Paunescu’s political outlook.”

And Fife Council, one of the main sponsors of the St Anza festival, are now conducting an enquiry after the criticism of the event. Councillor Christine May, leader of the Fife Council, said: “The council wasn’t aware of this person’s background. I certainly wouldn’t want to be associated with someone who promulgated racist views and I don’t think there is a single elected member of the council who would.”

We would like to know about your experiences of being published in Romania. Are you a Romanian living in Romania? or perhaps a member of the diaspora? Have you found your situation to be a help or a hinderance? and what channels have you tried to get your work published.

Please send your comments to :
editor @ romanianstudies.org.

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VLACH Journal (2002)
By Karlos Zurutuza, BA, MA
Donostia – San Sebastian
Basque Country, Spain

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EDITOR’S NOTE: These are a series of impressions during an ethnographic survey of the Romanian-speaking peoples South of the Danube, in the Balkan peninsula, (Northern Greece, Macedonia and Albania), during the summer of 2002. Because of their spontaneity and “on the hoof” remarks they were kept as they were, with a minimum of editing, in order to preserve their freshness/authenticity.
Karlos Zurutuza is a freelance Journalist from San-Sebastian
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Donastia San Sebastian, 11 June 2002

Draga frate,

I will travel to “Aromania” on 4 July flying from Bilbo -Zurich-Thessaloniki,
arriving at Thessaloniki airport at 1am. I am very excited about this trip and especially meeting my Balkan “cousins”.
In the meantime Practising my travel pidgin with you.

Carol “cel Vlachsque”
===================================

June 12, 2002

Thanks again for all your tips frate. I really wonder if my sketchy Romanian will be enough for an Aromanian, as both languages seem to be non intelligible to each other (In any case I’m taking my sleeping bag with me, as the weather will be fine to sleep in the open air (specially in the Pindus mountains). I’ve read wonderful stories about lonely and bored Vlach shepherds in the Pindus who share their cheese with you for a bit of “conversation”. Ohrid and Bitola look great too, and if the situation in northern Albania is safe enough I might do a Blitzbesuche to Kotor in Montenegro. Anyway I’d better focus on Vlachland to be able to write something titled “Between Vlachs” or so (I’m serious ;O)

Un abrazo

Carol
==================================

Donostia, June 14

Draga frate,

A blitz mail to tell you about a very interesting thing I read yesterday.
Old Romanian used to use the infinitive( like Latin or Spanish) instead of
the subjunctive for constructions like “vreau sa dorm”. In Spanish it still
works this way, as you have “yo quiero dormir, tu quieres dormir, el quiere
dormir…etc”. This guy I´ve told you about some other time, Marius Sala,
says that this construction is still maintained in Maramures and Crisana. I´d like to know how it works in Vlach.

Pe curind

Z
===================================

Donostia, Jun 18, 2002

Draga frate,

I’m most busy planning my trip, specially with trying to contact the
Aromanian associations, which don’t seem to like my gentle E-mails (no answers at all). I’ll keep on trying, and in the meanwhile you can check these two sites I sure you’ll like:

www.formula-as.ro/454as/spiritualitate.html

http://209.249.165.201/v2/intindex.cgi?bbs=5322&level=0

Cu bine

Carol
===================================

Subject: information on Aromanians

Dear Karol,
I have been to those places you mention in your letter. I wouldn´t call
the Istroroumanians Aromanians! Forheron, there is probably no sense to go to Notia because there are Pontic Greek from Asia Minor living there
today. Do you want me to send you some data on Aromanians by post? My personal adresses and other data concerning my work on Aromanians you can find at the end of the mail.
Yours
Thede Kahl

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Donostia, 17 June 2002
Circular letter posted on the Internet:
Subject: A Basque

Dear friends,
I’m a Basque philologist VERY interested in your people, so interested that I’m travelling around Macedonia, Albania and Greece during this summer in order to do some field research and get enough material to publish it in the shape of ethnography articles for a Basque minorities issues publisher, and a book too. I visited the Aromanian communities in Istria last summer and I had no problem to meet them as they are very located communities, close to each other and therefore much easier to find than the ones I´m visiting this summer. I would feel very grateful If you could tell me which are the main places to visit for my purpose, in order not to lose anything that should be vital for my purposes. I’ve checked the wide range of Aromanian web sites in the net and I think I got some clues about the main places which should be the following: around Nanta in Northern Greece, Bitola, Ohrid in Macedonia, Korca, Berat, Shipsca, Valona and Moscopole in Albania and Veria, Metzovo, Avdela and Veroia along the Pindus.Are they the right places?Any strong recomendations? Any suggestions? I hope you can help me with my requests Thanks a lot in advance to all of you
Yours
Karol Zurutuza

PS: Vorbesc chiar un putin de Romaneste dar nu am gausit nimic despre limba armaneasca.

Filikotata / Ancljiniciunj / Salutari / Sardechni pozdravi / Meilleures
salutations / Prisrcen pozdrav / Muchos saludos / Best regards /
Selâmlar / Herzliche Grüße / S privetom / Sok szíves üdvözlettel /
Complimenti
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Donostia, June 19, 2002

Draga frate,

I feel very grateful for your collaboration. You are the kind of person who doesn’t need to be asked for help, you just do it yourself.
Back to the Aromanian collaborators, do they speak Vlach to each other or is it just my imagination?
I think that all these preparatives are taking too much time and concentration for me so I think I«m gonna talk about something else (it’s not only Vlachs in this world ;o).

I’m finishing at work next week and this is a big thing, not only because of this Vlach project, but also for taking a rest from the demanding student vampires that have sucked all my blood.

Cu bine

Zuru

========================

Muenster, Germany, June 20, 2002

From: “THODI = Dr. Thede Kahl”

Subject: Re: information on Aromanians

Buna dzua again,
I think the best places to come in touch with Aro(u)manian is around
Metsovo (Aminciu). There is the most beautiful mountain landscape and a good situation of Vlach language. See the Eastern Zagori-Villages or Smixi, Distrato, Samarina (hard to go) or, easy to go, the Olymp-Aromanians in Livadi Ellasonos (1 our from Katerini). But more active Aromanians you will find around Bitola and around Stip in Republic of Macedonia, there is stronger Vlach identity. In Romania the best villages are around Constanta and Tulcea, best language and culture situation is at Stejaru/Eski Baba (Tulcea) and Mihai Kogalniceanu (Constanta).
I differentiate between the terms Vlach and Aromanian. Of course, Aromanians, Istroroumanians and Meglenites are Vlachs, as also the old name for (Daco-)Romanians have been Vlach too. But use “Aromanian” also for the group who calls themselves “armânj”.
Do you need any addresses?
Yours
Thede Kahl
================================

Muenster, Germany, 19 June, 2002

From: “THODI = Dr. Thede Kahl”
Subject: information on Aromanians

Dear Karol,

I have been to those places you mention in your letter. I wouldn´t call the Istro-roumanians Aromanians! Forheron, there is probably no sense to
go to Notia because there are Pontic Greek from Asia Minor living there today. Do you want me to send you some data on Aromanians by post? My personal addresses and other data concerning my work on Aromanians you can find at the end of the mail.
Yours
Kahl

==================================================

Thanks a lot for your help, frate.

About the Istrorumanians I’ve heard that they could be related to the Moti people in Romania. Another possible link would be the Dalmatian theory that links them with the people in Ragusa and Veglia, therefore you are right when you say that they shouldn«t be considered as Vlachs. I met them in Zejane, where they told me that they felt strongly linked to Romania, a sort of nostalgic feeling, but in Susnievica they considered themselves as Vlachs. I«ve also checked this last fact in the big amount of web sites about them, and they are considered to be Vlachs(only Susnievicans).
I would really appreciate any suggestion about places that you could strongly recommend me to visit or any sort of information that were useful for me. I’m also most interested in these Meglenites, and also the Yoruk people in the north of Thessaloniki. I hope that I«m not too demanding as I don«t want you to waste (all) your time, only a bit of it ;0)

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Muenster, Germany, June 24, 2002
From: “THODI = Dr. Thede Kahl”
Re: information on Aromanians

Carole, egun on!
your Bask-lesson is very welcome. In Livadhia are Vlachs, no Meglenites. In Polikastro tzhere are a lot, but there are difficult to find because P. is a city. Better go to the villages Lungunci=Langadhia, Luminitsa=Skra, Oshiani=Archangelos, Koupa, Tsrnareka=Karpi; Uma is in FYROM!!

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Zurich, July 4, 2002

Sunt inca la Zurich.. delays and delays

=======================

OHRID, 8 July 2002

Buna dzua,

I’m in the wonderful village of Ohrid in Macedonia. I spent the last days in
Skro(Meglen Vlachs from Northern Greece) just to check quite a lot of (sad) things. I met the president of the Vlach community who told me that they had quite a lot of problems. At the begining I thought that he was obviously talking about the Greek government, but devil happened to be the EU, who wanted consider them a minority and therefore make an effort to protect their language and their culture. “WE ARE NOT MINORITY, NOT DIFFERENT. WE ARE GREEK” It’s not only that they don’t care about Vlach language disappearing, they even want to accelerate the process and the youngest speakers (around 40) speak Greek to each other full time. The president’s wife told me that the situation will be better when their language has disappeared, ‘cos nobody will doubt about their “Hellenicity”.
They where suspicious about me, being a Basque interested in the Vlachs: WHY? WHAT ARE YOU GOING TO WRITE? WHO IS PAYING FOR THAT? WE ARE GREEK, WE ARE GREEK, WE ARE GREEK, GREEK, GREEK…..

Sorry

Buna vedere

========================

BITOLA July 9th 2002

Bitola, Macedonia, the same Vlach (Meglen-vlach) but pro Romania, send their young to Romania for higher education, Romanian flags in their local office….. will they manage to maintain their Vlach tongue or will the following generations transform it into Romanian? I don’t know if I should be less scared about the language than in Greece, but I guess that that’s how it works in the Balkans.

Trebuie sa te las

Buna vedere frate

====================

Moloviste, July 15, 2002

Draga frate,

I’m writing to you a couple of things just to tell you that I feel ABSOLUTELY OVEWHELMED by the people here> I’ve never met such friendly people, and the fact that apart from them being such lovely people they are also Vlachs who open their house to you (Moloviste), octogenarians who speak sephardic I can perfectly understand, Macedonian Turkish, Roma who speak Roma language(not like in Spain) or Geghs (northern Albanian people in Macedonia) etc keeps me in a state of “ethno-priapism” I can hardly stand (more or less like prince Mony ;o). I’m having too much input and I’m getting the feeling that I’m not writing everything down. I’ve taken more than a hundred photos, 90% per cent of them from the most varied people I’m meeting in tiny vlach villages, trains, street kiosks or soviet style cities such as Skopje. I will send them to you. If you add to this that I still have two more weeks and that I have not been to Albania yet I get to the conclusion that there won’t be enough plate stickers to cover my knapsack by the end of this trip.

Take care frate ;0)

Carolica

PS: I will be in Albania tomorrow and I don’t know if I’ll have many chances
to check my e mail there.
==================================

Tirana, July 18, 2002

Buna frate,

Been “Vlaching” around Voskopje (not much to say about it, octogenarian Vlachs-no future) and I’m on my way north to the wild mountains. Might change my plans and go to Belgrade through Montenegro. I feel a bit depressed about the GREEK Vlachs and I don’t feel like hearing them crying they are Greeks. Plan B should be Belgrade via Podgorica, Skopje and Salonika. I’ll tell you more another day.

==================================

Ulcinj, Montenegro, July 22, 2002

Got to Montenegro to a tiny Venetian village called Ulcinj with some intentions of crossing Serbia or Kosovo and head southwards to Thessaloniki, but despite Montenegro and Serbia being both Yugoslavia you don’t need a visa for Montenegro but you DO NEED ONE FOR SERBIA. The idea of getting arrested by the gentle Serbian militia wasn’t attractive at all, so now I’m back in Tirana.
Te las frate

Carol
===================================================

Thessaloniki 27 July 2002

Draga frate,

I’m back in this completely uninspiring town of Thessalonikki after a couple of days in Aminciu (Metsovo for the Greeks (including the Vlachs))where I was lucky enough to see a Vlach wedding. It was absolutely amazing, with all the people wearing their Vlach regalia, dancing a koro, playing the clarinet and the violins and singing in Vlach. Everybody speaks the language there, even the young people, but it’s not written at all. I took quite a lot of pictures and I will send them to you as soon as possible.
This trip was a very good idea from the very beginning, I’ve met quite a lot of interesting (minority and non minority)people and also experienced the weird experience of travelling in Albania, where the shock of chaos was mitigated by the hospitality of its wonderful people.
I need to take a rest now and spend some days to assimilate all that I’ve
seen during these 25 days.

After the Balkan tour is going to beat my Nikkei down in the underground.

Te las frate

Zuru
=================================

San Sebastian-Donostia Sat, 27 Jul 2002

Re: Almost finished

Back in San Sebastian, but my mind still absent (lost somewhere in Vallachia). It will take a while to settle down again after such trip (specially for my stomach, which still has nightmares about Albania. I have to send a lot of postcards and photos to a lot of wonderful people I met, and I«m starting to realise that this will take its time too. Anyway I«m thinking about starting with a brief article on the Vlachs for a Basque magazine which has published a lot about the “first line minorities” like Irish, Welsh or Bretagne. It can be useful as a warming before I start with more serious stuff.
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