Culture and faith beyond the borders

The Bulgarians of Banat are a singular community, currently scattered in three countries: the majority live in south-western Romania, while the others are in the Vojvodina region of Serbia and in the north-western area of Bulgaria. In fact, their name is linked to the historical region of Banat, now located between Romania and Serbia, at the time part of the House of Habsburg. The history. In 1688 Bulgarian Catholics organized the Cirpovzi revolt against the Turkish rulers, stifled by the Ottomans with extreme cruelty. The inhabitants were forced to abandon their homes, and guided by their bishops and priests found refuge in the territory of the then House of Habsburg. After an initial period of displacements, in 1738 they settled in the town of Stari Bescenov and in 1741 in Vinga (Romania). “They were granted several privileges by Empress Maria Theresa – said Svetlana Karadzova, mayor of Bardarski Geran and president of the Association of Banat Bulgarians in Bulgaria – this drove also other Catholics from Northern Bulgaria to settle down there.” The mayor went on: “In fact, most of the Catholics in Bulgaria descend from the sect of the Paulicians (similar to the Cathars, ed.’s note) converted by Franciscan friars.” Gradually, the expatriate community grew and expanded in other countries. After the liberation of the Bulgarian state in 1878 many Banat Bulgarians returned to their homeland. The role of the Catholic Church. “Since the beginning of their exodus and during the events directly involving the Banat Bulgarians, the Catholic clergy played a major role – Karadzova told SIR Europe -. The priests ensured that very continuation of faith, along with Bulgarian identity: teachers, organizers, preserved the relations with national authorities and helped people find a job…”. This bond continues still today, since in Bulgarians countries of Banat, Mass and catechism take place in their local language. “It’s an opportunity to preserve our traditions”, added the mayor of Bardarski Geran. The Banat Bulgarians today continue being a rather conservative community that hardly accepts external members, unless they accept being assimilated. The language. One of the most interesting aspects is the language and writing. The latter, conversely from Cyrillic Bulgarian, adopts a variant adapted to the Latin alphabet. “Banat Bulgarian – said Stoyko Stoykov, linguist – differs from literary Bulgarian in that the former dates back to the period when the community emigrated to Banat”. There are a wide range of books and publications in Banat Bulgarian, from the liturgical to the popular ones. Also the homes are characterised by the Mitteleuropean style, as well as the clothes and cuisine. Preserving traditions. Also in the globalized world the Bulgarians of Banat continue to meet and don’t forget their origins. “They travel a lot across Bulgaria, Romania and Serbia. We organize cultural events, historical anniversaries, carnivals, folkloristic festivals, as well as sport tournaments”, said Karadzova. In the mayor’s opinion “it is necessary to focus on the young generation, so they may transmit the Banat identity”. There are many difficulties especially in Bulgaria, where the economic situation of Banat countries is very difficult, while in Serbia identity has waned owing to mixed marriages. The main group of Banat Bulgarians in Romania are to be found in their hometown, Stari Bescenov. “In the parliament of Bucharest we also have a Banat Bulgarian MP, Nikolaj Mirkovic”, Karadzova pointed out. The Banat Bulgarians have a widely developed editorial production, with various books, genealogical research, memoirs. For the mayor of Bardarski Geran “the problem is that today we read increasingly less”, to overcome this distance the new technologies- with various sites, blogs and Facebook groups – have been developed. A particular case. The scholars highlighted the uniqueness of the community of Banat Bulgarians owing to the great love towards the homeland they had to abandon, a feeling that remained unchanged in time. “It’s impressive that the Banat preserved their identity and have not undergone the influence of the external environment”, Karadzova said. In her opinion, “this created a Catholic variant of Bulgarian culture incorporating the Western spirit”, “their wandering made them cosmopolite, they speak several languages, they are actively involved, with many initiatives, and they have a different view of the world”. And most of all, they continue preserving their bonds, that cross the borders of space and time.