Etnografia Polska 61 z. 1-2 (2017)

Budjak is a multi-ethnic region in South-West Ukraine close to the borders with Moldova and Romania. Its peripheral and borderline location as well as its history and the ethnic structure are the reasons why the policy of Ukrainization, imposed by the new state, meets here with hostility. After Ukraine had gained independence, the ethnic groups in the region took advantage of the national minority status and have strengthened their ties with their countries of origin. At the same time, the mobility, including international mobility, of Budjak inhabitants has increased, partially due to the economic situation. The article focuses on three mutually connected issues: re-definition of ethnic boundaries, for example by securing and taking advantage of a national minority status; state border crossing of people; and state border infiltration of national ideologies. Nowadays, these are the main factors shaping the reality of Ukrainian Budjak, as a borderland.

24 cm