Bohdan Barbyl

There are 14,000 of what we call Gypsies in Transcarpathian oblast today. Yet, they prefer to call themselves and expect others to address them as Roma. Incidentally, their number in the region has risen by 2000 since the 1989 census. The present-day Rom actively defends his rights and interests...

Ukraine’s Carpathians still observe two very old major holidays — seeing shepherds off to mountain pastures and seeing them and their herds in after the end of the grazing season. On such days, Transcarpathian highland villages welcome the shepherds as the most respected toilers, with trembitas (...