Category Archives: News Eastern Europe

News Eastern Europe Poland

Clothing

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Clothing

An article about Roma cloting in the Polish press.

Classic ethnographic studies emphasize that clothing in Romani communities served a social and symbolic function.

Ethnographer Lech Mróz, author of, among others, The publication “Gypsies: Diversity and Intolerance” pointed out that dress was one of the most visible signs of cultural distinctiveness and an element in maintaining intergroup boundaries. However, it was not immutable – it evolved along with living conditions.

For women, traditional clothing – long, full skirts, covered shoulders, and expressive jewelry – was associated not only with aesthetics but also with social norms, including the rules of ritual purity (marime), present in some Romani groups.

There is no single “Roma costume”.

News Eastern Europe Poland

Viki Gabor

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Viki Gabor

Another flury of articles about Viki Gabor, a singer, who married just before Christmas. And now all sort of stereotypes about Roma weddings, traditions, and so on.

Painful.

Bulgaria News Eastern Europe

Bulgaria, Education, and Roma

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Bulgaria, Education, and Roma

An article on “educational” cases against minors filed with the prosecutor in Slivengrad, Bulgaria in 2025. 29 children, all boys were invoilved in the cases. What is positive is that the number of cases involving Roma has significantly decreased from 2024.

News Eastern Europe Slovenia

Slovenia: Settlement

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Slovenia: Settlement

A settlement in Slovenia is increasing in size, and apparently, there are more and more illegal constructions built on agricultuyral land.

Žabjak was first legalized in 1984, when around 250 Roma lived there. Today, there are reportedly around a thousand of them, with more than 300 of them registered with the municipality and the social work center.

“Despite the seal due to illegal construction, they continue to build on agricultural land. “After the illegal renovation of the building, a Roma family has now poured concrete on a new slab to expand the building, despite the ban. The owners are exclusively recipients of social assistance. Who will take action? On which side will the Human Rights Ombudsman be this time?” was the view of the residents of one of the villages around Šentjernej echoed in public earlier this week.

News Eastern Europe Slovakia

Roma, History, and Discrimination

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Roma, History, and Discrimination

Slovak Ombudsman Róbert Dobrovodský emphasizes that even 81 years after the tragedy in Dubnica nad Váhom, Roma are not protected from all forms of discrimination.

The fate of the Roma during the Holocaust was overlooked and tabooed for decades. That is why it is an obligation to talk about these tragedies openly and without relativization. In connection with the 81st anniversary of the murder of Roma in the detention camp in Dubnica nad Váhom, the public defender of rights Róbert Dobrovodský stated this on the social network.

Czech Republic News Eastern Europe

Roma and Czech Politics

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Roma and Czech Politics

Romani activist and founder of Ara Art association David Tišer announced at the beginning of this year that he will leave the Council of the Czech Republic because of the issues of the Romani minority. That fulfills the function of the advisory body of the state. Tišer made his decision based on the fact that he was reacting to the development of the political environment in the Czech Republic. “Okamura and Turek are not among the people I can trust, who will push the Roma issue forward,” he explains in an interview.

Croatia News Eastern Europe

Roma Centre

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Roma Centre

A Roma centre built in a smal municipality in Istria is raising eyebrows. It is large, luxurious, is reported to have cost 8 million euros, all in a municipality that officially only has 9 Roma residents.

Hungary News Eastern Europe

“Crime Hunters”

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“Crime Hunters”

A scary article about the Hungarian “Bűnvadászok” (Crime Hunters), a vigilante group linked to the extreme right party “Mi Hazánk” who regularly target Roma whiom they often call “parasites” in tehir social media chanels.

At least some legal proceedings have been stqarted against them …

News Eastern Europe Slovakia

Robert Botoš

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Robert Botoš

At the age of 54, Robert Botoš, known as Romana King Robert I, died on Sunday evening. Information about his death was published on the social network by former member of parliament and Košice city councilor Otto Brixi.

Botoš had recently been suffering from serious health problems. In early February, he underwent surgery at the East Slovak Institute of Heart and Vascular Diseases (VÚSCH). Although doctors subsequently released him for home treatment, his condition at home became more complicated.

There have been numerous articles about his death in the Slovak press.

Te avel o droma angla leste phuterdo e i phuv lokhi.

Hungary News Eastern Europe

Budapest: SS Uniforms and Nazis

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Budapest: SS Uniforms and Nazis

Nazis celebrated the124th of February in Budapest in full SS uniforms. It commemorates the failed attempt by 28’000 SS and Wehrmacht troops to break out of encircled Budapest in February 1945.

Czech Republic News Eastern Europe

Halgata

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Halgata

Long and sad Roma songs that sing about losses, poverty and injustices – the so-called halgáta. This musical tradition, which is passed down from generation to generation among the Roma, could gain official recognition. Dozens of people, including researchers and members of the Roma community, are trying to register halgáta on the national cultural heritage list.

Czech Republic News Eastern Europe

Ida Kelarova

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Ida Kelarova

At the end of last year, a new children’s choir was created in Ostrava, which arose from the efforts of singer and choirmaster Ida Kelarová to find new talents for her ensemble known as Čhavorenge (Romani for “Child”). The children who did not succeed in the audition wanted to continue singing together, and so, thanks to cooperation with local organizations Vzájemné soužití, Ostravská nota, Velká náruč and with Milan Bindatsch from the Ibsenova Elementary School, a new ensemble was born. Its creation brought with it an unexpected effect among the residents of excluded localities – a strong emancipatory and activating effect.

Bulgaria News Eastern Europe

First Diploma, then Love

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First Diploma, then Love

The Bulgarian association “Amalipe” launched a campaing as part of St. Valentimn’s day called “First Diploma in Hand, Then Love”.

The organisers say: “On this day, young people feel excitement and trepidation. Love is beautiful, but for many girls in Bulgaria it comes too early and often limits their freedom. Instead of having time to dream, study and build their future, they find themselves under the pressure of premature expectations – to be wives and mothers before they are ready.”

Bulgaria News Eastern Europe

Artist Workshop in Bulgaria

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Artist Workshop in Bulgaria

The Bulgarian artist Rada Tsankova, who has lived and worked in Paris for 30 years, arrives in Bulgaria to open two retrospective exhibitions – today, February 17 in Sofia at the new space “Monument” and on February 23 at the “Papillon” gallery in Varna.

As part of her tour of her natve country, she will hold several workshops. One of them with Roma on February 20th. The artist will hold a creative workshop with the Music Instead of the Street Association, which helps children of Roma origin or in difficult financial situations to have access to classical music. The association was founded by the world-famous Sliven violinist of Roma origin Georgi Kalaidzhiev. The focus of Tsankova and the children’s joint work is “How to Present Music Through Visual Art”.

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