Die Bulgaren in Bessarabien und Taurien. Geschichte, Sprache und Kultur im nördlichen Schwarzmeerraum

Abstract

The Bulgarians of Bessarabia and Tauria constitute a large yet little-known historical diaspora in what is today Ukraine and the Republic of Moldova. Drawing on international scholarship and their own field studies, the authors of this book reconstruct the migratory movements from the eighteenth century onward: from colonization within the Tsarist Empire and the state formations of the twentieth century (Greater Romania, the Soviet Union) to contemporary nationality and language policies. Alongside these historical developments, particular attention is given to language change and the region’s diverse literary production. After all, Alexander Pushkin had already turned a Bulgarian village in Bessarabia into a literary setting, and despite difficult circumstances, the Bulgarians of this region have made a significant contribution to Bulgarian literary history. This volume serves as a reference work for anyone engaged with East European history, Slavic studies, Bulgarian studies, as well as diaspora and memory studies—whether in academia, research, or teaching.