An article on Roma in Lithuania in the context of the April 8th celebrations.
According to the 2021 census, 2,251 Roma lived in Lithuania. There are still many false prejudices about this ethnic group, which result mainly from ignorance and lack of education.
The restaurant “Gypsy Lounge & Grill” of the leader of the Roma community, singer Ištvans Kviks recently closed its doors. The place, full of culture, gathered a lot of people both on weekends and on weekdays. As the restaurant owner testified, it was a place that destroyed stereotypes about Roma people. He said that “Our task was to introduce Roma cuisine to the public, but unfortunately, the three-year project ended. Our main task was to recruit Roma people. We employed a lot of Roma, and without a higher education, they are now working on their own, creating their own lives.”
Another article on the Gypsy Fest festival in Vilnius. It includes an annual Roma march through the city
This Roma procession was promoted by, among others, Isztwan Kwik, musician and leader of the band Sare Roma – a multi-generational band whose over 70-year history was highlighted by Honorata Adamowicz in the article “Three generations of Sare Roma. The Kwiks and the band revitalize the community” published in November last year.
The Gypsy Fest Festival is in full swing in Vilnius Lithuania, with a procession through town on the Sunday.
Unfortunately, some of the stereotypes are presented there too.
The Gypsy Fest Festival will take place this coming weekend in Vilnius, Lithuania.
Roma in Lithuania are a community that still faces discrimination from ordinary people, but also from state institutions.
Roma we spoke to admit that they hear almost every day that a “Gypsy is a thief”, that they cannot be trusted, that they are liars and a cheats.
A Romni tells “Kurier Wileński” that “Roma’s life is very hard. Many of us would like to live like people of other nationalities: go to work, have friends not only among the Roma, not feel inferior. I’d love to get a job. I have looked for her many times, but as soon as I say that I am a gypsy, there are a thousand reasons to refuse me a job. I am over 50 years old and have never been to a doctor. Not because I don’t get sick, but because I don’t have insurance because I don’t work. A closed circle.”
Ištvan Kvik, the well-known Lithuanian singer and leader of the Romano ensemble “Sare Roma”, is mostly known for Roma songs. He is now venturing in the Lithuanian folklore. Looking at Lithuanian folk songs from a different perspective, he says that they can also be given a fierier Roma touch. He also says that anyhow, Roma music has always been influenced by local music.
Ištvan Kwik, a well-known Rom in Lithuania, the leader of the band “Sare Roma” and the owner of a Restaurant “Gypsy Lounge and Grill” in the capital has launched an exhibition in his restaurant highlighting the Roma origins of several well-known persons such as Charlie Chaplin. The aim of this exhibition is for as many people as possible to learn about the roots of the Roma nationality and its spread in the world. And the most important thing is to break stereotypes.
Kwik stated tat “Employers are still afraid to hire Roma because they are guided by various stereotypes that arise from fear or ignorance. It is also the case when Roma are looking for a house to rent, Roma children are still bullied in schools and are often ostracized by their peere”.
An article in the Polish press about the Lithuanian Roma group “Sare Roma”. The group is led by the Kwik family, Lithuanian Lovara and was founded 70 years ago by the grandfather of Isztwan Kwik.
Next weekend, September 4., Vilnius will be rocked by the most colourful music event – the Roma culture festival “Gypsy fest 2022”. The organizer of the event, a well-known Lithuanian Rom, head of the ensemble “Sare roma”, Ištvans Kvik says that this year’s festival, invites us to forget about the differences between nations and to remember respect for each other.
The “Gypsy Fest” Festival will take place on September 4th in the Lithuanian capital.
The Lithuanian Department of National Minorities has proposed the introduction of August 2nd as a national day of remembrance of the Roma Holocaust.
– Департамент нацменьшинств Литвы предлагает включить в памятные даты день геноцида ромов. In: RU.DELFI. 08.02.2019. https://ru.delfi.lt/news/live/departament-nacmenshinstv-litvy-predlagaet-vklyuchit-v-pamyatnye-daty-den-genocida-romov.d?id=80319277 [link-preview url=”https://ru.delfi.lt/news/live/departament-nacmenshinstv-litvy-predlagaet-vklyuchit-v-pamyatnye-daty-den-genocida-romov.d?id=80319277″]
As part of its review of the framework convention on the protection of national minorities, the Council of Europe advised Lithuania to improve its social inclusion of Roma. Not a surprise, on Roma all countries, including Switzerland need to improve.
– Council of Europe advises Lithuania to improve social inclusion of Roma. In: BNN News. 09.01.2019. https://bnn-news.com/council-of-europe-advises-lithuania-to-improve-social-inclusion-of-roma-195971 [link-preview url=”https://bnn-news.com/council-of-europe-advises-lithuania-to-improve-social-inclusion-of-roma-195971″]
An interview of Adam Bartosz, Activist, on why the Roma Holocaust is so little known in Poland. This was recorded in Lithuania on a commemoration of the Holocaust and the inauguration of a novel depicting the Holocaust through the eyes of a young Rom.
What Adam Bartosz forgets to say is that speaking of bad things can bring the Evil back, and hence, many Polska Roma simply never spoke about it, not even to their families.
– Bartosz: Postrzegamy Romów przez pryzmat dwóch stereotypów. In: ZW. 31.01.2018. http://zw.lt/kultura-historia/bartosz-postrzegamy-romow-pryzmat-dwoch-stereotypow/
– Historia zagłady Romów oczami dziecka – nie tylko dla dzieci. In: ZW. 29.01.2018. http://zw.lt/wilno-wilenszczyzna/historia-zaglady-romow-oczami-dziecka-nie-tylko-dla-dzieci/ [link-preview url=”http://zw.lt/kultura-historia/bartosz-postrzegamy-romow-pryzmat-dwoch-stereotypow/ “]
It is with great sadness that we have to announce that Lev Tcherenkov (Cherenkov), a friend, a scholar, with whom we worked for the last 24 years recently passed away. Born on October 12th, 1936 originally from Lithuania, he passed away after a long illness on April 16th, 2016 in Moscow. He is survived by his wife and his son.
Bušulime sam amen ke amaro amal Lev Čerenkov mulas ande Moskva ando Aprilo. Te avel o drom angla leste puterdo! Sar gilabenas phure Lotfitke Rroma:
Lev worked all his life with and for Rroma. Himself a Rrom (Litovsko) he was one of the best specialists on Rromanes and published numerous articles and a few books. Besides all dialects of Rromanes, he also spoke most European languages and a few beyond. He initially studied at Moscow University and he lastly works as a senior researcher in the Russian Institute for the preservation of the cultural and natural heritage in Moscow, and was the institute’s specialist for Rroma and their culture. He was member of the board of the Rroma Foundation from 1992 until 2005, and continued to work for the Foundation until his death. He also had long lasting cooperation with Romano Centro in Austria and with Moses Heinschink especially, as well as with the Institute of Language Science of the University of Graz, especially with Prof. Dieter Halwachs.He was a pioneer in using the language, Rromanes, as a source of history and as a tool to trace the migration of the Rroma from India to Europe. His historical linguistic theories were vindicated by more recent means in several genetic studies telling the same story: Rroma have been in Europe for over a thousand years, are all from the very same migration, and have remained remarkably united in spite of having spread all over the continent.
We sincerely grieve the loss of a friend, a scholar, and a wonderful man.
The city council of Vilnius, in Lithuania, approved measures and a program aimed at the integration of Rroma in the city.
Several organisations have expressed regrets that Rroma are being ignored in the official Lithuanian history.
US Holocaust educators from Florida visited Lithuania to share and develop strategies on some of the controversial aspects (i.e. local participation) of the Holocaust; to better understand what happened in Lithuania; to learn international law; to understand prejudices and to fight against them. On prejudice, they will also discuss the one against Rroma. Let’s see!
The highly controversial author Tilo Sarrazin, who sparked a debate about immigration and the safeguarding of German values with his 2010 book Deutschland schafft sich ab, rallies in a recent statement against the alleged taboo of the so-called Rroma problem. Sarrazin, as well as other conservative exponents, assume that Rroma do in fact pose a problem for the German social welfare system and the German society. He therewith strengthens the statements of xenophobic reductionists, who imply that Rroma lack the will to integrate and culturally tend to criminality. Sarrazin says: “Basically, the immigration from Bulgaria and Romania presents no other problems than the one from Lithuania and Poland. But there is a special topic and that is: Roma. But that is not clearly named and is one of the biggest taboos. […] Whether you say “Gypsies”, “Sinti and Roma”, “economic refugees” or “poverty tourists”, you have to tackle the problem at the source, which lead to widespread reservations, and not hide the problems through different names” (Focus 2014). Sarrazin therefore propagates the absurd idea that Rroma are harder to integrate than other ethnic groups, which is completely preposterous. The propagating of a Rroma problem spreads false notions of cultural alterity and incompatibility. The Rroma are just as willing to integrate as members of other ethnic groups. That the already well-integrated Sinti are completely negated in this debate is astonishing (compare Neues aus Braunschweig und Wolfsburg 2014, Ad-Hoc-News 2014).
A contrary position is taken by Vosskühler (2014). She questions the distinction between economically useful and un-useful immigrants with facts that are supported by statistics: „Romanians and Bulgarians are more commonly associated with social benefits than other EU foreigners“ – not true. „Romanians and Bulgarians abuse social welfare in a big way“ – not true. „All Romanians and Bulgarians who come to Germany are poverty immigrants.“ – Also not true.” What is needed are entrepreneurs, who are willing to integrate low-skilled migrants. The free movement of persons is not up for debate.
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