Under the wolf sun. Gypsy roots Signs of Gypsy blood

The Gypsies undoubtedly have the right to attract attention from a purely anthropological point of view, not to mention the ethnographic and historical features of their life and history. This is a race that retains its typical characteristics and its customs under the most varied conditions, ranging from Spain to India. In Moscow, the gypsies constitute one of the ethnographic features that have taken root since ancient times and arouse the attention of every serious or superficial outside traveler. Being in Moscow and not listening to the gypsies is impossible for any observer who wants to get acquainted with the peculiarities of Moscow. In addition, the Moscow Gypsies, due to everyday reasons in Moscow, introduced into the structure of their lives some characteristic features that may be important in the comparative study of the issue of Gypsies in general, which has recently become of much interest to archaeologists, due to the role that has come to be attributed to the Gypsies in relation to to the Bronze Age of Europe.

The anthropological department of the Society of Natural History Amateurs raised the question of studying the Moscow Gypsies several years ago, but a long lack of funds for the systematic development of anthropological questions hampered this study, like many other things in the department’s activities. However, thanks to I. I. Vilkins and V. N. Benzengr, some preliminary information was collected, very interesting. With the establishment of a special Committee for the Anthropological Exhibition, with its significantly developed scientists and material resources, the question of the Gypsies quickly moved forward, so that currently work on studying them is carried out consistently and systematically: a series of busts are made, a systematic series of portraits is taken, their dialect is studied and their anthropological features. The active assistance of V.K. Popandopulo, who has significant medical practice among Moscow foreigners, including Gypsies, greatly facilitated and advanced the systematic study of Gypsies. Difficulties have not been eliminated only in relation to obtaining gypsy skulls. The trips of our fellow members to the southern provinces of Russia and the presence of our correspondents and collaborators in the Bessarabia region also made it possible to hope for the replenishment of our collections with the material necessary for a satisfactory arrangement of textbooks on the study of the Gypsies. In accordance with the custom, beginning to be established in our Committee, of presenting preliminary reports as the question is being considered, both on what has already been done and on the indication of facts especially desirable from the point of view of an anthropological exhibition, I have the honor to present to the Committee in this report some preliminary materials that may, in my opinion, to facilitate the assistance to the Committee of those of our fellow members who would like to help it.

First of all, I will dwell on the data about the Moscow gypsies that I managed to obtain. Most interesting in this regard are the comments of Archpriest Rudnev (closely familiar with the life of the Moscow gypsies who were his parishioners), reported by I. I. Vilkins.

“Early, at least long before 1812,” says Mr. Rudnev, “new parishioners appeared in the parish of St. Great Martyr George, in the Georgians, as well as in the parishes of Vasile Caesarea, Ermolaevsky and part of Spiridonovsky, , probably formerly nomadic, who has not yet lost his character, his language, his habits. The gypsies were given some privileges, with burgomasters at their head, who carried out trials and reprisals among them, whom they themselves chose from among themselves. Now they are completely equal to the Russians. The gypsies are also located near the Kaluga and Serpukhov gates, close to this place to the field of their activity - the horse square, but there are many fewer of them here.

They have few houses of their own, about 5-6, and they have acquired them recently. All of them are Orthodox Christians and follow the decrees of the church no worse than the Russians. There are comparatively fewer drunks among them than among Russians, perhaps because among them there are no artisans and factory workers who are especially devoted to drunkenness; Thieves are also almost unheard of. The people are loud, but cowardly. There are very few literate people among them; They neither teach their children at home nor send them to school. About 27 years ago, when the Presnensky orphanage was opened, its trustee A.I. Vasilyeva asked me to bring Gypsy children there to teach literacy, the law of God and handicrafts. No matter how hard I tried, only one gypsy widow agreed to give her daughter to the shelter, but it didn’t work out for her either. Others stubbornly refused, despite promises of benefits for the poor among them. Intellectual and service interests are completely alien to the gypsies, and therefore they are mentally stupid. There are no artisans among them, all are small merchants and townspeople. Their main occupation is the horse trade, which has now fallen into decline, perhaps due to the reduction of stud farms; therefore, most of them are not so much reputable traders as small commission agents or factors in the horse trade; trusting them in this matter is dangerous; They don’t consider it a sin to deceive with a horse, even if they had to send the poor guy around the world. One of my parishioners on Maundy Thursday bought a horse from a gypsy, who assured the buyer of the goodness of the horse by the fact that he received communion that day: “just ask the priest,” he said, and the next night the horse turned out to have a severe defect. The gypsy took it back, but with a concession in price. This is business as usual for them.

Despite, however, all the disadvantages of their craft, the gypsies, due to mental underdevelopment, do not want to create any other path for themselves. On non-trading days, they mostly hang around their houses, near taverns, sit on steps and pedestals, sometimes train horses or look for buyers. In the evening, some of them sing songs and dance in groves, in restaurants and in houses, emptying the pockets of young, and often older, apparently respectable merchants and nobles. For this, they have unique singing choirs, which include both men and women with girls who can and cannot sing, for the sake of the ability to dance and deftly conduct business. However, this does not enrich them: they live what they receive, without worrying about the future. They drink and eat better than the Russians from the common people. That’s why there are very few wealthy people among them, and no rich people at all. They help their own poor; Their women almost never do needlework, except for something they absolutely cannot do without; They often go to the tavern to drink tea, although they also have tea at home. Young women and girls sing, dance, entice young and middle-aged rich people, receiving (some) support from them, and sometimes becoming their wives. Coming to old age, others indulge in divination, but this craft almost disappears; only field gypsies do it. Their women enjoy great freedom, and family life, although untidy, is almost better than that of Russians of a similar rank. They have marriages within their own circle; exceptions are rare. The groom does not take anything from the bride. This greatly contributes to their stability in their nationality. However, according to the gypsies, there are fewer of them now than there were before.”

In the Reading Library of 1837, Vol. XX, under the title “Gypsies in Russia,” there is a letter from one missionary of the Society for the Propagation of the Christian Faith, who traveled throughout Europe with the goal of converting the Gypsies. This is what he writes from Moscow on September 23, 1835. “One of the main reasons for my trip to Moscow was the desire to get to know more closely part of its population, which was especially interesting to me. The news collected about the gypsies there aroused strong curiosity in me, and soon after my arrival I began to look for an opportunity to satisfy it. Gypsies, or as they call themselves Romans, live in Moscow up to several thousand, soaked in various types of deception. People accustomed to revere this tribe as nomadic barbarians, incapable of accepting any education or understanding the conveniences of a quiet settled life, will be surprised when they learn that many of this wild tribe live in Moscow in lush and large mansions, travel in beautiful carriages and are not inferior to the Russians in any way. bodily beauty, nor in mental abilities. The main reason for this strange phenomenon in Moscow is the gypsies. From time immemorial, they have been distinguished by their musical ability and, finally, they have so perfected their natural talents with art that even in a country where the art of singing is generally at a higher level than in other countries of Europe and Asia, the gypsy choir is recognized as the best of its kind. In Russia, everyone knows that the famous Catalani was so surprised to hear the voice of one gypsy singer (Tanyusha) that she took off the precious shawl that her dad gave her from her shoulders, hugged the gypsy and convinced her to accept this sign of her admiration. Catalani said that she herself received this shawl as the first singer, but that now she has found the one who rightfully belongs to the gift of His Holiness. Gypsy women receive very high wages for their singing, and therefore can live luxuriously and support their husbands in luxury. Many of them are married to very decent people and are an adornment to their sex and the society into which they have entered. However, one should not think that all Moscow gypsies belong to the venerable category of gifted women; on the contrary, among them there are many low and depraved; Such people sing in drinking houses and at public festivals, and their husbands earn their living in business dealings and similar means. Their main location is Maryina Roshcha, located two miles from Moscow. I went there accompanied by a hired footman. As soon as I appeared, the gypsies poured out of their tents and taverns and surrounded me. I greeted them in the English gypsy language, standing in the carriage. Suddenly there was a cry of surprise and joy; Greetings rained down from all sides in the musical meter of the Roman language. From the first time they took me for one of their brethren, who, they said, were wandering around Turkey, China and other countries, and thought that I had come to them across the great Pawnee water to see them. In appearance they are completely similar to their fellow tribesmen in England. They are dark-skinned, mostly beautiful, have sparkling eyes filled with wild intelligence; their hair is pitch black and somewhat coarse. I asked them many questions, especially regarding their faith and the land from which they come. They told me that their Deity is called Devel, and that they are afraid of the black spirit, whose name is Bengel, that their ancestors came from the Roman land, but that they do not know where this land is located. They sang me many songs, Russian and Romanesque. Russian songs were mostly new theatrical arias, and their national songs bore obvious signs of high antiquity and did not resemble Russians either in versification or in general character; they seemed to belong neither to Europe nor to modern times. I often visited Maryina Roshcha and talked with the gypsies about their wicked life, about the coming and suffering of Jesus Christ. As I took leave of them, I said that they might hope soon to receive the word of salvation translated into their own language; They accepted this not without obvious joy. They listened to me with great attention and during my entire stay with them they did not find anything reprehensible for decency in their behavior and conversations.”

The Bessarabian region is especially interesting in relation to the gypsies. Unfortunately, interesting articles about the gypsies of this region are published in local publications that are inaccessible to me, and therefore I will have to limit myself here only to indicating those facts cited by Captain Zashchuk in his “Bessarabian Region”, published in “Materials for Geography and Statistics of Russia” , 1862.

According to Köppen (1852), there are 18,738 gypsies of both sexes in the Bessarabia region. In 1858, there were 11,491 serfs alone, of whom 5,615 were settled and 5,876 were domestics. In the military class of the Novorossiysk Cossacks, the Gypsies were settled in the farmsteads of Cairo (506 men and 488 women) and Pharaonovka (729 men and 583 women). Young gypsies are very capable of Cossack service, but returning home on benefits, they turn into lazy and careless gypsies. The majority of Bessarabian gypsies, shown in reports under the name of settlers, are nomadic and stand at the lowest level of development, no different from wild peoples. They run away from agriculture with fearful aversion; wandering under the windows of settled householders, theft and petty deception are the only means of their existence. Only a small part of them are engaged in some crafts and, with the exception of those living in the city of Kishinev, the rest of the gypsies spend every penny they earn mainly on drunkenness. Gypsies in Bessarabia are of the Orthodox confession. In terms of lifestyle, they are divided into three classes: the first, the so-called Vatras from the word Vatra - hearth), lives in service or makes a living in music, for which the gypsies are very capable. The second - Lingurs (from the Moldavian word Lingur - spoon) live partly sedentary in dugouts, and mostly migrate to forest areas where they make wooden utensils. Third - Ursars (from ursa - bear) roam in their wagons, moving from village to village, engage in blacksmithing or horse breeding, and sometimes trade in deception and theft. Gypsies in Bessarabia are called Laeshi, which means evil, lazy and dishonest. Clothing among the gypsies is not a necessity: all adult men and women usually walk around in rags, and boys and girls under 14 years old, especially in the summer, are completely naked. In the Kishinevsky, Orhei and Iasi districts there are several villages in which settled free gypsies live. These gypsies were formerly in the department of a special administration, which existed under the name of the office of state gypsies. Then it was proposed to include them in the Danube Cossack army, but since even before this order they had acquired a household in the places of their current residence, it was ordered to leave them there, enlisting them in the general mass of Bessarabian gypsies. They live separately from the other settlers of Bessarabia, their way of life differs sharply from them and represent a rare example of the stable settlement of this wandering tribe in Russia.

The best and most populated (83 families) of the gypsy settlements is the estate of Mikleusheni, located 35 versts from Chisinau; it belonged to the monastery of St. Cyprian. This village is located on the left side of the road leading from Chisinau to the Prut River, on a mountain at the edge of the forest. From a distance it looks like several dung heaps, randomly scattered one next to the other, and only at a fairly close distance are traces of some kind of device visible. Dogs and goats roam around and dozens of curly-haired, half-naked children run around. As they approach the village, each stranger is noisily surrounded by dogs and children and escorted to the very huts, or burdei by the local name. The barking of dogs and the shrill cries of children force the gypsy residents to look out of their holes, and little by little the dark faces of gypsies of different sexes and ages appear through the opening of the burdei. Despite the decades that have passed since these gypsies founded their permanent homes and incessant relations with the Moldovans, they still adhere to their nomadic habits and do not lag behind the customs they inherited from former times and from the tribes with which they had more communication. So, for example, their middle-aged men and old people wear their hair on their heads in Little Russian chupruna, that is, they shave it around the head by two inches, and cut the rest on the crown evenly into a circle. Chins and cheeks are shaved, leaving long mustaches. Young people do not cut their hair, and it hangs down from their heads in random, tangled strands.

Married women, some of whom are remarkably beautiful with fiery black eyes, wear large draped or paper scarves of bright colors on their heads, tying them around their heads like a turban, and leaving one end at the back in the form of a tail, just as women of the common rank do. in the western provinces of Russia. The hair, more or less smoothed, coming out from under the bandage, lies along the forehead and temples to the lower extremity of the ears, and behind the ears is hidden under a scarf, or, entering the tail of the bandage, falls with it onto the back in an unbraided braid. The old women hideously wrap the same scarves, or towels in Moldovan style, around their entire heads under their necks, and thus form an oval frame around their faces, from under which strands of gray hair randomly burst out and spill in different directions along the forehead and cheeks. Girls braid their hair into two braids and tie them around their heads or let them down over their shoulders. The usual attire for women is a shirt, sewn in Moldavian style, without folds or a collar, with a high bodice and a small slit on the chest, never fastened, and instead of a skirt - a striped woolen apron, tightly covering the lower half of the body, in a word - a Little Russian reserve. These aprons are called katyrnets and are supported at the lower back by wide woolen belts, always red or green.

The gypsies build their burdei very simply: they dig a square hole, a yard deep, and one and a half or two fathoms long and wide, depending on the size of the family and its wealth. Along the edges of this pit, several logs two arshins long are driven into the ground. Near them, logs of such size are placed one on top of the other so that their ends lie on opposite corners of each side of the pit, and they are knocked down with standing logs with wooden nails. On the front side, a space is left, into which one can hardly walk sideways, for doors, usually consisting of two barely joined boards, tied with a whip to the outermost standing log, or from a piece of a woolen blanket. This log fence is covered with dirt and forms the walls of the burdei. Logs are placed on the walls, their diameters are crossed, they are covered with dead wood and covered with earth. Then the inside is smeared with gray clay, a fireplace is made on the left side, the smoke of which comes out through a tree hollowed out like a beehive, or through a round wickerwork of wood twigs. Now the burdei is ready. There are no windows in these huts, and the light in them passes through cracks left in the walls and ceiling. In winter, when the cracks are filled with earth for warmth, the burdei is illuminated only by the fire of the hearth. Some owners build exactly the same burdei for summer stays, but without fireplaces, while others simply pitch a tent near the winter burdei and spend the summer there. Inside the living space, the cramped space is unimaginable: here, in addition to household utensils, agricultural tools and various household rubbish, there is space for a goat with kids, a calf, and sometimes piglets. Near many burdei there are corrals for cattle: these are small expanses of land surrounded by dry brushwood scattered in a circle or quadrangle. Ask a settled gypsy why he doesn’t build more comfortable dwellings, like, for example, the Moldavian kasa. "For what? - he will answer you, waving his hand, - as long as there is bread, and something before bread, and kasa is an empty matter.”

It is remarkable that in Moldova and the Bessarabia region there were gypsy serfs. After the annexation of Bessarabia to Russia, most of the gypsy serfs belonged to the family of princes Cantacuzin.

In addition to this story of Captain Zashchuk about the Bessarabian gypsies, one can cite Dr. Obedenare’s note about the Romanian gypsies, published in the Bulletin de la Societe d’Anthropologie de Paris of 1875.

There are about 230,000 Roma in Romania. Before they were slaves, now they are free. They are now inclined to the following trades: blacksmiths, farriers, cooks, gold diggers (aurari), bear showers (ursari); some make spoons from tin, others make things from wood, become day laborers, brick makers. They were given land in 1864, but few of them became farmers; for the most part they rent out their land. As day laborers, they engage in agriculture, but are unable to manage the farm themselves; they live in tents and roam, half-naked people, pigs, children and dogs all together. Donkeys and mules are bred. They are extremely lazy, constantly in debt for future work, and die as unpaid debtors. You can still deal with them if you please them with vodka, small gifts or fear of punishment, but if you deal with them as free people, then they, like blacks, will cheat. If they are hired, then they are fed by contractors, otherwise if they are given money for food, they will spend it in one day and then begin to starve and beg. Each camp has a leader (vataf in Gypsy, primar in Romanian). A gypsy, accustomed to slavery, cannot live without a master who must dominate him and guide him. Free stops working; To be able to work, he needs a stick and a boss. The chief, on behalf of the camp, concludes a condition and a sign of authority - a long whip with decoration. The more the boss's whip arouses fear, the longer his power. If the vataf is weak, the entire camp rebels against him and immediately rebels against his power, especially after a holiday accompanied by drinking and if the time is approaching a thunderstorm. The old is overthrown, the new is erected.

Gypsies are not devoid of intelligence and have the ability to do some crafts. They are never shepherds. In military service, some gypsies even became good sergeants. They even wanted to promote one to sub-lieutenant, but he accidentally choked on a cake, wanting to swallow several of them over and over again. In Romania there is a gypsy, the son of a nobleman's cook, who studied medicine and received a doctor's degree. However, he still has a gypsy accent, which consists of pronouncing all consonants accompanied by inhalation and syllables being stretched out excessively.

Gypsies living in villages and cities are less black and less thick-lipped than those from the forest. They make things out of wood. They are already somewhat mixed with the Caucasian race: at the time of their enslavement, this mixture was widespread.

Turkish gypsies are called Turtsiti and Spoitori. Some of the former slaves repair pots, work copper, pour candlesticks, they are called Caldarari. They either live in villages or are nomadic. But, besides them, there is another category of gypsies, turtsiti, Turkish gypsies or spoitory, who tin the dishes and sometimes correct them. They call themselves Calamgi. There are only up to 5 thousand of them and they appeared in Romania only at the beginning of this century. Quite a significant number of them are located in the Dobreni community, 25 kilometers from Bucharest. They have no real houses, but huts dug in the ground, called burdei, such as are still found near the Pontic marshes; These are troglodytes of a kind. Spoitoris live in their villages only in winter; in warmer months they roam and practice their craft. Wife, children, shells, luggage, provisions, tent - everything fits into a cart drawn by buffaloes. There are often 1-2 more buffaloes with their offspring tied to the cart behind. The gypsy pitches his tent at the outpost of the city and, with a knapsack on his back, goes to offer his services. Turciti do not process iron and do not steal. Women clean the dishes before tinning. They put sand in it; and on top a piece of borax; then they put their feet there, as if in a foot bath. Having firmly grasped some crossbar with their hands, they begin to rotate their body around a vertical axis, now to the right, now to the left, while bringing their legs closer together. The frictional force is increased by the entire body weight.

The Turciti language is Gypsy mixed with Turkish. They are considered to belong to the Muslim religion, but in essence they have none; they have no temples, no priests, no prayer books, no religious instruction. Since they do not know how to read or write, they do not need sacred books; however, although without religion, they are very moral. They borrow money on their word to buy tin before the time of migration and accurately repay the debt. Neatness and order reign among them, and Christian gypsies are thieves and deceivers. Previously, they circumcised one-year-old children, but now this custom is going out of fashion. There is reason to believe that their praeputium is longer than that of the Caucasian race, for Dr. Obedenare, of the 12 children he circumcised for various medical purposes, turned out to be half gypsies, and, moreover, only from the midst of one small settlement of 800 souls. Praeputium were curious in their length.

Turciti They only get closer to each other. Girls get married at 12–13 years old, boys at 17–18. After the wedding, the newlywed is taken around the village to the sound of music. She crouches rather than sits on a primitive cart consisting of an axle, two wheels, and a crossbar attached to the axle. Two men are dragging this cart, and the newlywed has in front of her head, in the form of a veil, a fresh epiploon lamb Although these gypsies are Muslims, they do not take several women at a time. Men shave the hair on their heads, leaving, like the Chinese, as much hair as is needed to make a braid. No one dares to touch the hair of a young girl, not even the father, because they are convinced that after this the girl will lose all her hair. Their music consists of piffero(in gypsy surla) and from the Moorish tambourine, on which they play only Turkish arias. To make dogs angry, they give young puppies a spoonful of human milk. The main food of gypsies in winter is milk and butter from buffaloes.

According to Köppen, the number of gypsies is distributed according to the provinces. In total, there are more of them in Bessarabia - 18,738 souls of both sexes. In the Tauride province there are 7726 of them; in Voronezh and Kherson - 2500 each. In the provinces: Kursk, Moscow and Kharkov - about 1200. In Kyiv - 880, Smolensk - 808, Poltava - 775; in the provinces of Vitebsk and Kaluga there are slightly more than 600. In Oryol, Ryazan and Samara - more than 500. In the land of the Don Army, Ekaterinoslav province, Mogilev, Podolsk, Chernigov and Yaroslavl - more than 400. In Vyatka, Nizhny Novgorod, Novgorod, Pskov, Saratov, Tula , St. Petersburg - more than 200. In Vilensk, Vladimir, Vologda, Volyn, Kazan, Kovno, Olonetsk, Simbirsk, Tambov and Tver - more than 100. In Orenburg and Grodno - more than 80, in Kurland - 60, Stavropol - 42, Livlyandsk - 6 .

According to the results of the one-day census of 1871, the number of Gypsies in Moscow was counted: men - 90, women - 127, children - 13.

The emergence of gypsies in Europe and research on the gypsy language. The question of the time of settlement of the Gypsies in Europe has repeatedly occupied anthropological societies in recent years and has been the subject of research by specialists. There were two opinions regarding the origin of the gypsies: some considered them to come from lower Egypt, others believed they came from India. This is what Lanyo says about the appearance of gypsies in France. Expelled from India by Timur (Tamerlane) around 1398, or perhaps around 1408 or 1409, they appeared in France in 1419. In 1427, on August 27, 100–120 Gypsies came to Paris and were placed in Saint-Denis . They are described as follows: all had pierced ears and in each ear a ring or two silver rings. The men were very black, their hair was curly, the women of them were the ugliest and the blackest.

Scattered in small groups from Persia to Spain, the gypsies apparently retained their language everywhere. They were expelled from France in 1560, 1666, etc., and they hid in the Pyrenees Mountains, where they are still best preserved. Gypsies are equally resistant to heat and cold and almost never get sick.

On the border of the Canton of Bitch lives a tribe of Huidns or Zigeuners, also designated by the names Hungar, Hongres, Honcks, since they are considered by some to be a colony of Hungarians. Signs that distinguish these gypsies: a voluminous head, a low forehead, a wide face; the nose is compressed at the base, hook-nosed, short; the hair is black and abundant; eyebrows and eyelashes are very dark in color; the skin is brown, the body is proportional, although thin; small legs and arms. Gypsies in Europe go by the names: Bohemiens, Egyptiens, Gypsies, Gitanos, Tsiguanos, Zigari. They call themselves Romanichol, Romaneich, Roumnachal, (nomads of the valleys) Sintes, (from the shores of Sind or Indus).

Batallar makes the following observations about the Gypsy language: Grellman, comparing Hindustani with Gypsy, found a connection between them. But Hindustani is a mixed and recent language. According to legend, its foundation was laid in Dehli in 1002, but the general use of this language, composed of Hindi and Persian (and subsequently also Arabic), began at the end of the 15th century. and the beginning of the XVI. Hindustani is divided into three dialects: 1) Urdu or Hindoustani proper, 2) modern Hindi, also called nayari and 3) davini, used in the south or Deccan. Therefore, the use of Hindustani for any conclusions regarding the Gypsies is unsuccessful, as Kraus and Zippel have already shown, who studied the Gypsies and their language in Prussian Livonia and Ermland; these scientists come to the result that the Gypsy language is much more original, more homogeneous, more correct and richer in inflections than Hindustani. They have already noticed that the comparison of the Gypsy language with Sanskrit is much more serious, and it was also stated, firstly, that Hindustani is more likely to come from Gypsy or from the languages ​​​​of India that stand in connection with it, than vice versa; secondly, that the gypsies separated from the common trunk before Hindustani was formed; thirdly, that only a deep study of the languages ​​of India, especially the languages ​​of its north-west, can shed light on the migration of the Gypsies and the era in which it took place.

Pott says: the language of the Gypsies comes from the vernaculars of northwestern India and, despite its corruption, stands in connection with Sanskrit (and not Hindustani), which is a dialect related to the Gypsies. According to Ascoli, Sindhi and the Avgan language are most similar to the Gypsy language: are the Gypsies not the Sindhiens, who lived for a long time between the Avgans. Miklošić published three memoirs (1872–1873) and explored the era of migrations; pointed out the affinity of the Gypsies with Hindustani in language. But even earlier, in 1763, an incident pointed out the similarity between the language of the Gypsies and the Malabarians studying in Leiden. In all likelihood, although these were the sons of Brahmins, they did not speak Sanskrit, but the Dakni language. Backmeister, librarian of the Academy of Sciences in St. Petersburg, compiled a dictionary in 2 volumes, 1782–1789, and gave 286 words in two hundred languages ​​of Europe and Asia. The gypsy words in this dictionary were collected by Pallas from a gypsy woman who lived in Halle, and back in 1777 he pointed out the similarity with Hindustani, which was confirmed by Backmeister.

Batallar develops his views on the origin and kinship of the Gypsies with other tribes, points out the identity of the Gypsies and some of the Djatt colonies, resettled from India to Western Asia by the Arab conquerors of the 7th–9th centuries, and several thousand brought from Syria to the territory of the Byzantine Empire in 855 by themselves Byzantines. Batallar claims that he had already indicated this similarity in 1849. He says, firstly, that even now this idea is only plausible, but not reliable, despite some new evidence, and secondly, that this identification can only be partial and applicable to a very small part of the Gypsy tribe: a) it is incredible that only at least 500,000 Gypsies now living in the South-West. Europe, descended from several thousand Djatt, resettled in 855; b) it is impossible that the Djatt, breeders of buffaloes and other crafts unusual for the gypsies, produced a race distinguished by three main occupations: metalworking, music and fortune-telling, and in metalworking using with great dexterity primitive methods dating back to ancient times. In addition, with the Goeje hypothesis it is completely impossible to explain the name of the Gypsies, just as it is impossible to explain the arrival of the Gypsies only later, in historical times. Indeed, elements of djatt can be admitted among the Syrian gypsies, but only among them. Batallar believes that gypsies have lived in Asia Minor, the Caucasus and the Mediterranean eastern islands since time immemorial. Batallar finds them there under the name Sigins since the time of Herodotus, and since the time of Homer under the name Sinti, a name which the gypsies themselves still give to themselves, and which they preserve with the greatest mystery. Nazhe also proved this back in 1803. But neither one nor the other could prove this with ethnographic and historical data. This opinion has until now been accepted with distrust by scientists, especially since the Gypsies were studied only by linguists, who even preached the idea that “the history of the entire race of Gypsies in their dialect,” and who, since 1778, adhered to Grellman’s views on the recent migration of Gypsies to Europe .

Batallar sees confirmation and foundation of his views in the common name “Tsiganes” in all European countries (Russia, Germany, Italy and Portugal). Herodotus (V, 9), who spoke about the “Siginni”, settled in a large desert territory that reached the country of the Veneti on the Adriatic, says: “The Ligurians living near Massalia call the merchants “Siginni”, but the Cypriots call spears or darts that way.” If a name other than Sigins, but also meaning spear or javelin or something similar, we find even now applied to gypsies in countries where the Greek language is used, then wouldn’t this be material evidence of the identity of the ancient Sigins with gypsies, as well as an explanation the words of the gypsies, says Batallar?

Gypsy skulls. Regarding the study of the Gypsies in craniological terms, we have a study by Copernitsky, awarded the prize of the Paris Anthropological Society. But before him, Blumenbach gave a description of the gypsy skull. Weisbach also described gypsy skulls, about which we also find indications in Welker’s work. Craniological research of the skulls of gypsies from various localities is important in the sense that it provides answers to very significant questions, such as: Do the Danube and Egyptian gypsies, Moscow and Spanish gypsies represent one type or several? Did they descend from the same relatives or not?

According to Copernicus, male gypsy skulls have an average volume, orthocephalic or subdolichocephalic. Clearly expressed dolichocephaly and brachycephaly are rare. The vertical norm has an oval outline. The profile of the skull presents a forehead that is in most cases low and never high. The frontal bone makes up a significant proportion of the lateral outline and is therefore of considerable length. The face is long and more or less prognathic in its lower part. The nasal bones are usually long. The upper jaw is more or less prognathic in its alveolar part. The teeth are usually strong, healthy and more or less indirect. The lower jaw is of medium size, and its horizontal branch is usually long and often indirect. The angle of the jaw is usually significant, and in exceptional cases it can be straight. The chin is prominent and pointed. The frontal part is more or less spherical in its curvature. The brow ridges are well defined. The face is usually more or less elongated and narrow. The outline of the face is sometimes triangular, sometimes quadrangular. The eye sockets are very wide and high, quadrangular and not particularly distant from one another. The base of the nose is somewhat deepened; the bridge of the nose is never flattened. The occipital outline is elongated in the vertical direction. The muscle attachment lines and mastoid processes are well developed. The occipital foramen is elongated.

The average volume of the skulls is 1.385. The latitudinal index is 78. The altitudinal index is 75. The skull is generally narrow at the forehead, but little by little it widens towards the temples, and its greatest width is located above the auditory opening and somewhat behind it. From here it slowly tapers posteriorly and forms a fairly developed occiput. The base of the skull is quite significant (103 mm).

Women's skulls show greater variations than men's. Their skull volume is smaller, wider, the base of the skull is shorter, the face is less elongated and the eye sockets are relatively more voluminous.

In view of the supposed connection of the gypsies by origin with the Hindus, Copernitsky compared the gypsy skulls with the skulls of the Hindus located in the Paris craniological collections. The result of this comparison can be formulated in the following points: 1) both Hindu and Gypsy skulls are distinguished by their small volume and small capacity. 2) Both skulls present a remarkable narrowing in the frontal and temporal parts. 3) The inclination of the frontal bone in the skulls of both tribes is greater than in most skulls of other races. 4) The relative position of the greatest width of the skull is the same in almost both tribes. 5) The position of the occipital foramen is also the same. 6) The face of the Hindu is somewhat less prognathic (by 3°) than that of the Gypsies, but the facial angle of the Gypsies brings them closer to most of the orthognathic races of Europe. 7) The Hindu skull is dolichocephalic, while the Gypsy is orthocephalic, representing only a slight tendency towards dolichocephaly. 8) Most Hindu skulls are asymmetrical, which is not noticeable among gypsies. 9) The height of Hindu skulls is greater than their width, while the gypsy skull has an average height index of 0.75, and a maximum of 0.71–0.79, therefore, it does not differ at all in height development. 10) The parietal arch is longer in Hindus, and the base of the skull is shorter. 11) The relative position of the auditory openings is more posterior in Hindus than in Gypsies.

What is especially desirable for studying Moscow Gypsies. Having completed a brief outline of the issues that give particular interest to the study of Gypsies, it remains for us to say a few words about what researchers should pay special attention to in relation to the Moscow Gypsies.

1. In the first place, in our opinion, the question of crosses between Gypsies and Russians should be raised as being of particular interest. It is known that marriages between Russians and Gypsies are not uncommon, but do the opposite exist, that is, Gypsy men marrying Russian women? What characteristics do children from such marriages present? Is gypsy laziness towards learning noticeable in them and what are their mental abilities? What is the physical type of such children? Is it possible for an anthropological collection to obtain portraits of father, mother and children at different ages from such mixed families? How was the influence of a Russian father and a Gypsy mother especially expressed in the children? For physicians who have close access to such families, such observations will not present any particular difficulty.

2. What modifications in physiological and anatomical features occurred from the sedentary lifestyle of the Moscow gypsies in comparison with their nomadic fellow tribesmen? Are they as tolerant of cold and heat, and do they get sick as little as the latter? Have their regulations speeded up? Do they have a special length of praeputium? Haven't their facial features become more regular, more tender?

3. Are there any superstitions or secret rituals left that are reminiscent of their former nomadic life? When comparing the language of the Moscow Gypsies with the dialects of other areas that have been extensively studied, what differences are noticed? Which words are mostly lost and which are reintroduced from other languages, especially Russian?

4. Information about the life of Moscow gypsies is extremely superficial and insufficient. It would be desirable to have a more detailed description of it.

5. The official number of Gypsies in Moscow is apparently less than the actual number; Is it possible to collect more accurate data?

It goes without saying that measurements of the living, collections of skulls, and similar general anthropological requirements are of significant importance when collecting materials for our exhibition in relation to the Gypsies.

Each people of the world has its own characteristics, which are absolutely normal and ordinary for them, but if a person of another nationality falls into their midst, he may be very surprised by the habits and traditions of the inhabitants of this country, because they will not coincide with his own ideas about life. We invite you to find out 11 national habits and characteristics of the Gypsies that may seem surprising and a little strange to Russian people.

They start families very early

For gypsies, a 14-year-old girl is already a potential bride. At weddings and other celebrations where you can dance, all girls over 14 years old will dance until the very end of the celebration, because they know that the fathers of their sons are currently watching and evaluating them. An unmarried gypsy 19 years old is already an old maid.

They ransom brides with jars of gold

On the wedding day, the bride is redeemed in kilograms or “in jars” of gold. The bride's father or brothers, if there is no father, set the price themselves, for example two three-liter jars filled with gold rings, chains, etc.

They show the wedding guests the “honor of the bride”

On the wedding day, gypsies have one exciting moment for everyone, when the older women of the family take the bride into the bedroom and check whether she is a virgin or not. Actually, deflowering takes place right there, behind closed doors - without any participation of the groom. Afterwards, the guests are shown a snow-white sheet or shirt with a blood stain on a beautiful large tray.

A wedding between gypsies from different countries is impossible

For example, there is unlikely to be a wedding between Kotlyars and Russian gypsies, since this is tantamount to a wedding with a non-gypsy. The gypsies of one state see the gypsies of another state as a special people and never maintain contact. Russian Roma are mostly Orthodox, Crimean and Palestinian are Muslim, Croatian are Catholic.

They often adopt children

A gypsy family must have at least one son. If an heir is not born, then they no longer take risks and take a boy from the orphanage. Moreover, the child can be anyone: Bashkir, Russian, red-haired, freckled, fair-haired, blue-eyed. This is partly the reason for the myth that gypsies kidnap children.

They are reluctant to send their children to school

A child is most often sent to school so that he learns to read, write and count, since from the age of six to eight children are accustomed to adulthood - they begin to help their parents in trade. Therefore, if a gypsy child after the third grade still goes to school for lessons, and does not help his parents in the market, it means that he is wasting his time instead of learning the family business.

For them, a woman cannot stand higher than a man

If a gypsy has a two-story house, no woman can climb to the second floor if a man is on the first. This law is still observed today.

Their women wear two skirts and an apron every day

Women still wear two skirts and an apron. Below the waist, a woman is considered to be “dirty” and “unclean.” The touch of her skirt can “desecrate” not only any object, but also a person. Therefore, the underskirt is considered unclean, since it touches the woman, and the second one is also considered unclean, since the lower one is still a little dirty. Only the apron is considered clean. You can touch it, lean dishes against it, wipe your hands on it.

They have an internal court

In the event of a dispute, respected gypsies gather to listen to the parties' arguments for and against. For gypsies, this is an important moment in the settlement of relations, and it is not subject to publicity. Punishments can be very different. One of the most serious ones was “they gave me 24”. The guilty gypsy is forced to leave the community and is given 24 hours to do so.

They swear in the coffin

Among the gypsies, the oath ritual is very important to prove that they are right. The most common oath is on an icon. The rarest and in the most intractable situations is the oath in the coffin (among the Kotlyars). If a gypsy wants to prove that he is not guilty, then a special coffin is made for him, in which he must lie down and take an oath. It says that if he is lying at the moment, then he will soon lie in this coffin.

Their children are saving money for their parents' funerals

Gypsy funerals are traditionally rich. Sometimes children spend several years saving money for the funeral of their parents, who are still alive and well at that time. If death came suddenly, then after the burial the relatives will collect money for a decent tombstone. A stone monument with a full-length portrait of the deceased is considered especially “chic”.

Despite the fact that the vast majority of gypsies live in Europe, their roots are from the north of Hindustan, this is indicated by scientific data, as well as the self-names of the main gypsy groups. Most often, Gypsies call themselves "Roma" or "Roma", for example, the famous Moscow Gypsy theater is called "Romen". These names go back to the Indo-Aryan "d'om" with the first cerebral sound (somewhere between the sounds "r", "d" and "l") and indicate relatives of the gypsies who now live in India and are called "doms" or " domby". Western European gypsies call themselves "Sinti", which can be associated with the ancestral homeland of the gypsies - the Sindh region in the territory of modern Pakistan. The Gypsies of Spain and Portugal traditionally called themselves "kale", i.e. “black” (cf. the name of the Indian goddess Kali - “black”).
According to linguistic and genetic studies, the ancestors of the Roma left India in a group of about 1 thousand people. The exact time of the exodus is unknown, but not earlier than the 6th century AD. After spending several centuries in Persia, the ancestors of the Gypsies reached Byzantium, where they began to be called Atzingans, i.e. untouchable. From the Byzantine name came the Russian name “gypsies”, the Bulgarian “tsigani”, etc. Gypsies entered Europe through the Balkans in the 12th century. It is in the Balkan countries that the percentage of the Roma population today is the highest. For example, in Bulgaria the Roma make up 4.9% of the population, in Romania - 3.3%, in Macedonia - 2.85%.
Gypsies are one of the Aryan (by language) peoples, therefore they were mercilessly exterminated by the Nazis, who declared them to be spoiled Aryans, replacing the purity of the Aryan race. During the Second World War, up to 200 thousand Roma were killed, about 30 thousand of them in the occupied territory of the USSR.
There are now up to 12 million Roma in the world. According to the 2010 census, about 220 thousand Roma live in Russia. The presence of Gypsies in Russia was first recorded in written sources at the beginning of the 18th century. You should not mix Russian gypsies (Ruska Roma) and Central Asian gypsies called “Lyuli”. Lyuli are Muslims, while Roma are Christians, their languages ​​and origins are also different, and Lyuli are called Gypsies only because of the similarity with the traditional way of life of European Gypsies. Russian gypsies do not consider Lyuli as relatives; they are contemptuously called “lyulyaiki.”

Next are the most beautiful, in my opinion, gypsies. Most of them are Russian gypsies; there is also a Hungarian gypsy and a representative of Spanish-Portuguese gypsies in the ranking. Rita Hayworth is not included in the ranking because... she, contrary to erroneous belief, does not have gypsy roots.

16th place. Almaza Plakhotnaya(born May 21, 1982) - dancer, artist of the Romen Theater. Her mother Ekaterina and younger sister Adeline are also artists of the Romen Theater. VK page - https://vk.com/id8816801

15th place. Rada Rai(real name - Elena Gribkova; born April 8, 1979, Magadan) - Russian singer, performer of Russian chanson. Father is a gypsy, mother is Russian. Official website - http://www.radarai.ru/

14th place. Raya (Raisa) Udovikova(after marriage - Bielenberg) - Norwegian singer and actress. Born in 1934 in a gypsy camp near Kursk. In 1966, she married a Norwegian journalist and moved abroad. Since 1967, he has lived in Norway (Oslo), works at the National Drama Theater, performing leading roles in Norwegian, and tours in many countries in Europe, America and Asia, performing songs in Russian, Gypsy and Norwegian.

13th place.

(born October 27, 1963) - film actress. For a long time she was an actress of the Romen Theater, whose artistic director is her father Nikolai Slichenko. Also working at the Romen Theater is her mother, Nikolai Slichenko’s wife, Tamila Agamirova. 12th place.- singer, dancer, artist of the Moscow musical and dramatic gypsy theater "Romen". Born July 28, 1984. On stage since I was two years old. She received mastery lessons from an outstanding choreographer, her mother, Ganga Batalova.

11th place. Soledad Miranda/ Soledad Miranda (July 9, 1943, Seville, Spain - August 18, 1970) - Spanish actress, dancer and singer. Her parents are Portuguese gypsies.

10th place. Diana Savelyeva(born May 16, 1979, Lvov) - Russian actress and singer, performer of the role of Esmeralda in the musical "Notre Dame de Paris", the role of Hyde in the musical "Monte Cristo", the role of a gypsy in the musical "Count Orlov". Website - http://saveljeva-diana.narod.ru/ VKontakte page - https://vk.com/id82172048

9th place. Lyudmila Senchina(born December 13, 1950, village of Kudryavtsy, Nikolaev region, Ukraine) - Soviet and Russian singer and actress, People's Artist of Russia.

From an interview with Lyudmila Senchina:

- They say that you are a purebred gypsy? Judging by your appearance, you can't tell...

- My father, grandfather and paternal grandmother are Moldavian gypsies. My dad was born in a gypsy camp. And my mother is Ukrainian.

- Have you inherited anything gypsy?

- Some kind of crazy energy, entrepreneurial spirit, ingenuity, endurance, slight recklessness. I believe that I inherited the most valuable character traits. When a black streak comes, I wave it away so recklessly and think: then the road will be something else - brighter and better. I think I took this from my gypsy relatives.

From another interview:

“Dad is one half Gypsy, and the other half Moldavian, the surname Senchin is Moldavian, it has no masculine or feminine gender.”

8th place. Adeline Plakhotnaya(born May 29, 1988) - dancer, model, artist of the Romen Theater. Her mother Ekaterina and older sister Almaza are also artists of the Romen Theater. VK page - https://vk.com/id16515633

7th place. Lilya (Leoncia) Erdenko- singer, successor to the world-famous Moscow gypsy dynasty, daughter of the famous singer Nikolai Erdenko. Berlin radio station Multikulti named Leoncia "Queen of Russian Gypsy Music." Official website - http://www.leonsia.ru/ VKontakte page - https://vk.com/id43823160

6th place. Lyalya Moldavskaya- dancer, actress, member of the gypsy ensembles "Russka Roma" and "Svenko".

5th place. Nelly Maltseva- dancer. She became the heroine of two issues about dancing in the gypsy electronic magazine "Svenko".

4th place. Rada Matvienko(born September 24, 1991) - Kazakh singer and actress. Performs songs in almost a dozen languages, including Gypsy. VK page - https://vk.com/id51427709

3rd place. Patrina Sharkozy- dancer, actress, singer, performer of the Romen Theater, member of the Svenko ensemble. She played the main role of the gypsy girl Zemfira in the film "Sinful Apostles of Love." Patrina is from a family of Hungarian gypsies, her father is the famous singer Janos Sarkozy. Patrina's VKontakte page - https://vk.com/patrinasharkozi

Patrina Charkozy dressed as an English gypsy

2nd place. Ekaterina Zhemchuzhnaya(born March 28, 1944, Tula) - artist of the Romen Theater, People's Artist of Russia. Maiden name - Alexandrovich. She acted in films as gypsies, for example she played Zoritsa in the Soviet TV series “Eternal Call”. Ekaterina Zhemchuzhnaya is the mother of actress Lyalya Zhemchuzhnaya.

We all know that true beauty is the light in the heart, but today appearance is much more relevant. The very concept of beauty in the 21st century has been devalued due to the abundance of beauty salons, the availability of various plastic procedures and Photoshop. You don’t have to be born a beauty, you can become one.

However, some peoples still value true natural beauty. We are also talking about gypsies. The most beautiful gypsy will compare favorably with modern beauties from the catwalks, at least with her sincerity, natural grace, bright, clear eyes and tenderness.

Gypsies are a free people

There are several hypotheses about where the free gypsy people came from. In each country they are called differently: the British call them people from the Egyptian civilization, the French call them Bohemians, the Finns and Estonians call them “blacks.” There are many representatives of this nation living all over the world. Their vibrant, diverse, rich culture is associated with this.

The most important thing for Roma is continuity and commitment to their traditions, which are fully expressed in belonging to their people. In case of terrible crimes, the gypsy is expelled from the clan, and this is truly the most cruel punishment for each of them. And, conversely, if a gypsy calls another person who does not belong to his people a gypsy, then this is considered the highest compliment.

Gypsies love children very much, considering them a reward and the highest value. It is their tradition to pick up homeless children and adopt children in need of a home. This is where the myths come from that they steal children. For gypsies there is a cult of family and a cult of mother. They greatly respect family values, choosing a life partner once and for all, thereby standing out favorably in the “civilized” world.

The most beautiful gypsy - what should she be like?

The concept of beauty for gypsies is very different from modern Western European ideals. Since the area below the waist among gypsies is considered to be “bad” (dirty, unclean), all this should be covered down to the toes. For this reason, women wear long, floor-length skirts, usually full and bright (such is the gypsy soul). Their fashion is simple: whatever they found cheaper, they made an outfit out of it. Nevertheless, gypsies have always attracted attention with their beauty. Just remember the famous Esmeralda: thin, fragile, tender, with huge black eyes and lush hair, she attracted the gaze of all the inhabitants of the “court of miracles”.

The criteria for gypsy beauty can be gleaned not only from the fiction of contemporaries, but also from songs, tales, ballads, and fairy tales. Thus, the most beautiful gypsy will have a characteristic face: it is beautiful, cheerful, gentle, bright with huge clear “diamond” eyes. Hair should be long and lush, thick. The body is flexible, slender, beautifully writhing in dance.

Modern world beauty standards

Today's beauty is distinguished by the fact that it is not given from birth, but is acquired in the world of “beauty blogging” and It doesn’t matter at all what a girl’s natural advantages are, what matters is what she managed to achieve with the help of makeup, beauty salons, Photoshop, and sometimes surgical improvements. Today, grooming and a sense of ideal taste are much more important than beautiful eyes and slender legs. And yet, some criteria of beauty are still alive.

A healthy, delicate complexion with moderate blush and light is in fashion. Thick, lush natural eyebrows have become the main beauty cult of our century. You can even grow your eyebrows: the procedure is not cheap and, frankly speaking, not pleasant. Feminine figures have returned to fashion, anorexia is no longer beautiful (and was it ever?).

How to choose the most beautiful gypsy?

The free people themselves would be offended and bewildered by such a question, but since the modern world is constantly striving for ratings and charts, it is worth taking a closer look at this question. Of course, there are thousands of beautiful gypsies in the world, young and older. But in this case it is possible to evaluate beauty only on the basis of famous representatives of the free people. Choosing a photo of the most beautiful gypsy is not an easy task.

There are a million beautiful photographs of gypsies on the Internet. There are also many representatives of free people in the world of cinema and television. Let's take a closer look at some of them.

Rita Hayworth

Oddly enough, one of the most beautiful gypsies in the world can be called. The famous actress, model and dancer has gypsy roots, since Rita’s father is a flamenco dancer from Seville, Spain. The pristine beauty and gypsy grace inherited from her father turned Rita not only into an outstanding dancer, but also subsequently into a Hollywood diva and actress. The whole world fell in love with the star for her luxurious curls, huge black eyes and gentle

Rita played in more than 60 films, most of them being the main roles of the star. She was never nominated for an Oscar, but became a real people's favorite and a true symbol of the cinema of her time. The image of Rita is often mentioned in films and literature.

True beauty comes from the heart, and Rita Hayworth is proof of this. She is not only the most beautiful gypsy in the world, but also a bright decoration in the history of cinema.

Soledad Miranda

Spanish women are known all over the world for their beauty, brightness and sexuality. Tender Soledad Rendon Bueno is the most beautiful gypsy in Spain. The name translates as "loneliness". It is with Portuguese and Gypsy roots. The national blood began to flow early in the young beauty, and the girl began her career as a flamenco dancer at the age of eight. Then the girl tried herself in music and cinema, where she was also very successful.

However, the violent spirit of the free people did its job: Soledad married a racer. A few years later, the actress died tragically in a car accident. She was 27 years old. Such a tragic death had an impact not only on the girl’s family, but also on Spanish cinema of that time: everyone mourned the star.

Despite the fact that the actress took part in only a dozen films, she became a legend and symbol for her followers. The girl is truly incredibly beautiful, and this is how she remains in everyone’s memory: forever young and beautiful!

Diana Savelyeva

Diana Savelyeva can rightfully be called the most beautiful gypsy in Russia. Diana is a Russian actress and singer, winner of many honorary awards. The actress is known to the average person for her leading role as Esmeralda in the musical Notre Dame de Paris, where she shone not only with her beauty, but also with her incredible talent, the voice of a pipe and the grace of a gypsy. It is not surprising that a little later the actress was invited to the musical “Monte Cristo” to play the role of Hyde, where she continued to amaze the viewer with her talent and beauty.

The beauty studied her art not only in a bright gypsy family, but also in the capital's GITIS. Today, the popular actress tours around the world, writes romances and music herself, appears in music videos and continues to improve in the field of art.

"And in the end I will tell…"

And who are they, representatives of the Muslim religion - the most beautiful gypsies? Ogly is the self-name of gypsies who profess Islam. Here you can name Rada Matvienko, an actress and singer from Kazakhstan. She often performs songs in her national language.

True beauty cannot be measured or touched; it cannot be felt or appreciated. It always comes from within. Gypsies to this day, preserving and carrying through generations the traditions of their ancestors, are rightfully considered one of the brightest and most beautiful peoples in the world. Thus, Lyalya Zhemchuzhnaya (Romen Theater) is a recognized beauty of Russian cinema. Her sparkling eyes, graceful curves, gentle dances, alluring hair and philosophical sad songs fascinate everyone.

You can have different attitudes towards the Gypsy people, but it is impossible not to respect their age-old traditions and natural beauty!

According to family legend, gypsy blood flows in my veins. It’s difficult to establish the truth now, unless you get tested for the presence of the gypsy gene... what if not? It's a shame, for some reason the family legend seems extremely romantic to me... Of course, I imagine my ancestors as free wanderers, colorful wagons, beautiful women in bright clothes, colorful men - straight out of a picture from a Kusturica film. Of course, I’m not Kusturica and my TV skills are far from perfect, but I still treated myself to filming the Bryansk gypsies. We worked with two clan-families: the first were wealthy gypsies, the elite, one might even say, sacredly honoring traditions. The second are poor gypsies, dirty, degenerate, drunk and lazy... The plot is provincial, but colorful. This is 2009.

I apologize to the opponents of copy-paste, but I really wanted to keep these facts as a keepsake))))

1. “Gypsies” is a collective term, the same as “Slavs”, “Caucasians”, “Scandinavians” or “Latin Americans”. Several dozen nationalities belong to the gypsies.
2. The Roma have a national anthem, a flag and an artistic culture, including literature.
3. Gypsies are conventionally divided into Eastern and Western.
4. Gypsies as a nation were formed in Persia (eastern branch) and the Roman Empire (aka Romea, aka Byzantium; western branch). In general, when talking about gypsies, they usually mean Western gypsies (Roma and Kale groups).
5. Since the Roma gypsies are Caucasians and arose as a nation in a European country, they are Europeans, and not “mysterious eastern people,” as journalists like to write. Of course, like the Russians and Spaniards, they still have some heritage of Eastern mentality.
6. “Eastern” gypsies began to be called gypsies only in the 19th and 20th centuries, when Europeans visiting Asia drew attention to their external resemblance to gypsies, as well as some common crafts and traditions. “Eastern” Gypsies have a culture that is sharply different from the “common Gypsies” (that is, the culture of the noticeably more numerous and culturally developed “Western” Gypsies), although both have a common cultural heritage of Indian ancestors. “Eastern” and “Western” gypsies practically do not communicate.
7. The overwhelming majority of Romani languages ​​are descendants of Sanskrit. Ethnically, the Gypsies are descendants of the Aryans, with a Dravidian admixture (the Dravidians are the indigenous population of India, conquered by the Aryans, one of the oldest literate cultures, at the time of the conquest they were more developed than the culture of the nomadic Aryans).
8. Contrary to the statements of some people who are far from ethnography and history, there was never any “expulsion of the Gypsies” from India and the Roman Empire. In India there were no gypsies at all, there were Hindus. According to recent genetic and linguistic studies, the ancestors of the Gypsies, a group of Hindus of the "house" caste of approximately 1,000 people, left India sometime in the 6th century. It is assumed that this group of musicians and jewelers was presented by the Indian ruler to the Persian, as was the custom of that time. Already in Persia, the size of the group grew greatly, and a social division appeared within it (mainly by profession); part of the ancestors in the 9th-10th centuries began to gradually move west and finally reached Byzantium and Palestine (two different branches). Some remained in Persia and from there spread to the east. Some of these gypsies eventually reached the homeland of their distant ancestors - India.
9. The gypsies left Byzantium during the period of its conquest by Muslims, in the hope of receiving help from fellow Christians (people and times were naive). The exodus from the Roman Empire lasted for decades. Some of the gypsies, however, remained in their homeland for various reasons. Their descendants eventually converted to Islam. 10. There is a hypothesis that the gypsies received the nickname “Egyptians” back in Byzantium, for their dark complexion and for the fact that the most noticeable part of the gypsies, like the visiting Egyptians, was engaged in circus art. Another nickname was associated with circus art and fortune telling, from which the word “gypsies” came: “atsingane”. Initially, this was the name given to certain sectarians seeking secret knowledge. But over time, apparently, the word has become a household word, ironic for anyone involved in esotericism, magic tricks, fortune telling and divination. The gypsies even then called themselves “Roma” and gave themselves the nickname “kale”, that is, dark-skinned, dark-skinned
11. It is believed that it was the gypsies who widely spread belly dancing in Muslim countries. However, there is no evidence or refutation of this.
12. Traditional areas of activity for gypsies are the arts, trade, horse breeding and crafts (from the prosaic making of bricks and basket weaving to the romantic art of jewelry and embroidery).
13. Soon after coming to Europe, the Gypsies became one of the victims of great socio-economic crises and were subjected to severe persecution. This has led to severe marginalization and criminalization of Roma. What saved the Gypsies from complete extermination was the generally neutral or friendly attitude of the majority of the common people, who did not want to implement bloody laws against the Gypsies.
14. They say that the famous Papus learned fortune telling from the gypsies.
15. The Inquisition was never interested in gypsies.
16. Medicine knows no cases of leprosy among the Roma. The most common blood types among Roma are III and I. The percentage of III and IV blood is very high compared to other European peoples. 17. In the Middle Ages, Gypsies, like Jews, were accused of cannibalism.
18. In the 18th and 19th centuries, with increasing tolerance towards them in European society, the crime rate of the Roma decreased sharply and greatly. In the 19th century, a very rapid process of integration of Roma into society began in Europe.
19. Gypsies came to Russia more than 300 years ago. Like other now established peoples (for example, Kalmyks), they received imperial permission to live in Russia and engage in traditional crafts (trade, horse breeding, fortune telling, singing and dancing). After some time, these gypsies began to call themselves Russian Roma, which is still the largest gypsy nationality in Russia. By 1917, the Russian Roma were the most integrated and educated Gypsies in Russia.
20. At different times, Kelderars (Kotlyars), Lovaris, Servas, Ursaris, Vlachs and other gypsies also immigrated to Russia.
21. Almost all names of Roma nationalities are either the names of key professions or reflect the name of the country they consider their homeland. This says a lot about Roma priorities.
22. The famous gypsy national costume was invented in the 19th century. The Kalderars were the first to wear it. The Russian Roma national costume was invented by artists to create a more exotic stage image. Historically, Gypsies have always tended to wear clothing typical of their country of residence.
23. Gypsies are famous pacifists. However, at various times they served with the armies and in the armies of Germany, Prussia, Sweden and Russia. In 1812, Russian Roma voluntarily donated large sums of money for the maintenance of the Russian army. Young Roma boys fought as part of the Russian troops. At the same time, what’s funny is that quite a few French gypsies fought in Napoleon’s army. There is even a description of a meeting between two gypsies from different sides during the battle between the Spaniards and the French. During the Second World War, Gypsies participated in hostilities as part of both regular armies (USSR, France; privates, tank crews, military engineers, pilots, orderlies, artillerymen, etc.) and partisan groups, mixed and purely Gypsy (USSR , France, Eastern Europe). The guerrilla actions of the Roma against the Nazis are sometimes called “Aryans against Aryans.”
24. As a result of the systematic targeted extermination of Gypsies by the Nazis, about 150,000 Gypsies died in Europe (for comparison, in the USSR there were from 60,000, according to the census, to 120,000, according to assumptions) Gypsies. "Gypsy Holocaust" is called Kali Thrash (there are also variants Samudaripen and Paraimos).
25. Among the outstanding gypsies there are scientists, writers, poets, composers, musicians, singers, dancers, actors, directors, boxers (including champions), football players, historians, politicians, priests, missionaries, artists and sculptors. Some are better known, for example, Marishka Veres, Ion Voicu, Janos Bihari, Cem Mace, Mateo Maximov, Yul Brynner, Tony Gatlif, Bob Hoskins, Nikolay Slichenko, Django Reinhardt, Bireli Lagren, others less, but can also boast of significant contributions to gypsy culture.
26. If you see the phrase “nomadic people” without quotation marks in an article about Russian gypsies, you don’t have to read it. The author will not write anything truly reliable if he does not even know the fact that only 1% of Russian Gypsies are nomadic.
27. According to the Ministry of Internal Affairs, despite the fact that in the media when it comes to mentioning in criminal articles, gypsy frauds are in first place, in statistics they are in last place. Ethnographers believe that the situation with gypsy fraud and drug trafficking is similar in Russia.
28. During the time of Stalin, the Roma were subjected to targeted repression.
29. The term “gypsy baron” has been used by gypsies only for the last couple of decades, and not by everyone. This is borrowed from the media and romantic literature. The term is used specifically to communicate with non-gypsies.
30. There are several notable gypsy theaters in the world: in Russia, Ukraine, Slovakia, Germany, as well as smaller theaters and studios in these and other countries.
31. One of the most interesting gypsy concepts is the concept of “filth”. It is associated with the lower body of a married or just an adult woman. All she has to do is walk over something and the place becomes “desecrated.” Clothing worn by a woman below the waist and shoes are automatically considered “defiled.” Therefore, the women's national costume of many gypsies around the world includes a large apron. And for the same reason, in order not to be desecrated, gypsies prefer to live in small, one-story houses.
32. Short hair among gypsies is a symbol of dishonor. The hair of the exiled and isolated was cut. Until now, gypsies avoid very short haircuts.
33. Gypsies understand many simple phrases spoken in Hindi. That's why gypsies love some Indian films so much.
34. Gypsies have “undesirable” professions that are usually hidden so as not to “fall out” of Gypsy society. These are, for example, factory work, street cleaning and journalism.
35. Like every nation, gypsies have their own national dishes. Since ancient times, gypsies lived in or near the forest, so they ate animals caught in hunts - hares, wild boars and others. A special national dish of the Gypsies is hedgehog, fried or stewed.
36. Carriers of gypsy genes are called Romano rat. Romanians are given the right, if they wish, to become gypsies. Romano Rath is the guitarist of the Rolling Stones group Ronnie Wood, Sergei Kuryokhin, Yuri Lyubimov, Charlie Chaplin and Anna Netrebko.
37. The word “lave” in Russian slang is borrowed from the Gypsy language, where it has the form “lowe” (Gypsies do not “akat”) and the meaning “money”.
38. An earring in one ear of a gypsy means that he is the only son in the family.