You're reading: Pastoral life of ethnic communities in Odessa Oblast streaked with anxiety over relations with Russia

ZHOVTNEVE, Odessa Oblast – Piotr Kirpik likes to joke that in his village the Ukrainians are an ethnic minority. Over 200 years ago it was founded by Albanians, Albanians, Gagauz and Bulgarians, who sought asylum from persecution in the Ottoman Empire, and received an offer of land in southern Ukraine from Russian empress Yekaterina II. 

The
villagers have much sentiment towards Moscow – a lot more than to Kyiv, and are
growing more anxious over the worsening of relations between the two countries.
“There is a very big support of Russia here,” Kirpik says.

Half of
2,800 residents of Zhovtneve are ethnic Albanians. They predominantly live on
the eastern bank of the river Karasulak. The other bank is populated mostly by
the Gagauz, a Turkic group that has an autonomous district in Moldova, right
across the border from here. The village is home to 11 ethnic groups, including
Moldavian, Russians and Belorussians.

Kirpik, who
is half Albanian and half Gagauz, says he freely speaks five languages. And
what he worries about is the future of Russian language in Ukraine. But it’s
not just about the language.

At first
glance, looks like any other village in Odessa region. But a more careful look
reveals houses that are more elongated, and supported with a row of columns on
one side. These are traditional Albanian dwellings. They resemble a long string
of rooms, one after another.

Piotr Kirpik and his mother Elena Ivanovna at the kitchen of their house in Zhovtneve, Odessa Oblast.

“There are
very big cultural differences on the west of Ukraine and here on the south,” he
said. “They honor (Stepan) Bandera or (Roman) Shukhevych. And we here give
honors to those who perished at war in 1941-1945.”

Kirpik
believes that Ukraine should remain united in its current borders, but he also
thinks that the idea of federalization makes sense. However, federalization for
him and the locals means more autonomy for the region, election of local
authorities and more command over budget for the community.

Ukrainians
know little about the Albanian community, which is significant in Odessa. Also
known by another name, Arnauts, they gave their name to two streets in the city
of Odessa, Big and Small Arnautska. There were only about 3,000 Albanians
living in Ukraine in 2001, when the last census in the country was conducted.
Most of them are based in Odessa region.

Odessa-based
political expert Artem Filipenko said that national minorities of the region
traditionally supported the Party of Regions of the now-ousted President Viktor
Yanukovych and also the Communists party. They have always been rather
pro-Russian.

Kirpik, who
is a member of the Party of Regions, says that now he doesn’t know which
candidate to support in the next elections. The Party of Regions is in a deep
crisis. Mired by infighting, its popularity is hovering at historical low, and
four of its members are competing in the May 25 presidential election.

“I was
ready to vote for (the official Party of Regions candidate Mykhailo) Dobkin,
but then I read his program and didn’t like it,” Kirpik said.

Maria Bitova shows the Albanian museum of ethnology in Zhovtneve, Odessa Oblast.

Maria
Bitova, another Albanian who heads a library and the Albanian museum of ethnology
in Zhovtneve, shows off pots for cooking bryndza, a type of homemade cheese
made out of sheep milk, shearing scissors, shoes for shepherds and a bronze
statue of Skanderbeg, the national Albanian hero.

Bitova says
that while local children love to visit the museum because they only get to
speak Albanian there. “We no longer remember many words that our grandparents
knew,” she says.

Kirpik says
that the Albanian language has evolved, but the local community saved the
version their forefathers brought to Ukraine. “So when people from Albania came
to visit us here initially we didn’t understand each other at all, but later we
found the common words,” he said.

Svitlana
and Dmytro Stasko are Ukrainians, but they live in one of the oldest Albanian
houses remaining in the village along with their five children.

Svitlana
Statsko came here when she was nine-years-old. “It’s nice to live among the
Albanians here, they are very reasonable and hardworking people,” she said. She
added that Gagauz are a more closed community.

Svitlana Stasko walks near her house, which is one of the oldest Albanian dwellings in Zhovtneve village.

On the
green meadow at the Gagauz side of the village Piotr Radugov is watching over a
big herd of sheep, a dozen goats and one bull. He says all his cattle belongs
to residents of just one street who live there. “The Albanians’ herd is on the
other side,” he said pointing at the sheep across of the river. Almost every
family in Zhovtneve keeps livestock.

Radugov is
an ethnic Bulgarian, who came to Zhovtneve from a Bulgarian village nearby. He
said that the ongoing tensions between Ukraine and Russia wouldn’t normally
bother them much as this region is far away from both Crimea and east of
Ukraine, but two people from here have been recruited to the army.

“We worry
of course. Two guys from here have already been recruited to serve in the army
at Bilgorod-Dnistrovsky,” he said.

The worries
will be set aside, however, for a big holiday called Kurban, celebrated by this
community on May 6. Although they converted to Christianity hundreds of years
ago, Albanians, Bulgarians and Gagauz also celebrate some pre-Christian
traditions and sacrificing lambs every spring.

“People set
tables out in the street and all the neighbors eat together the sacrificed
lambs and celebrate this big holiday until the next morning,” Kirpik says.
“This is one more thing that unites all of us here.”

Kyiv Post staff writer Oksana Grystenko can be
reached at [email protected]. Kyiv Post photojournalist Anastasia Vlasova
contributed reporting to the story. She can be reached at [email protected]
 

Editor’s Note: This article has been produced with support from the project www.mymedia.org.ua, financially supported by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Denmark, and implemented by a joint venture between NIRAS and BBC Media Action.The content in this article may not necessarily reflect the views of the Danish government, NIRAS and BBC Action Media