Papers by Viktor Shapoval
The first issue of the magazine Romany Zorya (The Romani Sunrise) attracts our attention for a nu... more The first issue of the magazine Romany Zorya (The Romani Sunrise) attracts our attention for a number of reasons. Its publication was scheduled for November 1927 and this date is shown in the magazine. Formally, the next issue appeared after about 2 years. Such a long break is not usual for periodicals; it may indicate some sort of difficulties. The article argues that the first issue had been most likely delayed hence the very important aim of its publication (to be timed to the 10th anniversary of the October revolution of 1917) has failed. In search of the reasons for this delay, the author found evidence of a later than formally shown publication date (this conclusion is possible because a person who played a leading role in creating, preparing for printing, and publishing the first issue of the magazine, Alexandr Germano, has given controversial information about the date of issue, as one can suppose, trying<br> to hide some sensitive facts) Alexandr Germano, who played a...
Last decades in Russia are signified with publication of many new jargon dictionaries. Their lexi... more Last decades in Russia are signified with publication of many new jargon dictionaries. Their lexical materials look fresh and partly unprecedented. Nevertheless their sources are very obscure. Romani words listed in these dictionaries are unique. As I have already demonstrated in the preceding papers, they were mostly taken immediately from an unrecognizable German dictionary. These plagiarized parcels, as L. Milyanenkov declared, create so called «international» jargon, unknown before and probably fantastic. In the mean time they are also included into Russian jargon, as can be seen in D. Baldaev’s dictionary. One can conclude that at least one decision is wrong. 1) An «international» word fezavo means ‘lame’. It is «German» misreading of a Romani word «vesavo ... lahm» (Wolf, 1956: p. 339), taken from: «Vesavo (Cripple, lame)» (Pott, 1845: vol. II, p. 85). I suppose it should be an alias of an Angloromani adjective (in North Hampshire) «Vasavo Bad» (vesava peras = Lame feet). A.F....
The Journal of Ethnology and Culturology, 2021
The article highlights the activities of the Section of Roma writers under the Bureau of National... more The article highlights the activities of the Section of Roma writers under the Bureau of National Commissions of the Union of Soviet Writers from the end of 1939 to June 1941 inclusive. This period is very significant for the restoration of the history of Soviet Romani literature for almost two years. From September 1939 to June 1941, Roma writers sought new productive contacts with the authorities in an attempt to revive Romani book publishing. The article presents new data based on previously unstudied archival documents and two letters from Roma writers. New facts about the book collection (almanac) of Romani stories translated into Russian and planned for publication in 1941 are presented and confirmed by archival documents, in particular, letters from the famous writer and poet Mikhail Timofeevich Bezlyudsky (1901–1970) and from the Crimean Roma Yu. B. Dzhaltyrov to Elizaveta Aleksandrovna Muravyova (1922–2007), whose contribution to the work of the Section is described on the ...
Romani Studies, 2021
Abstract:The history of Soviet Roma literature from the middle of 1938 to the beginning of the Se... more Abstract:The history of Soviet Roma literature from the middle of 1938 to the beginning of the Second World War cannot be explored through an analysis of published books, since no books were published in those years. Moreover, a very specific chronological dilemma arises. In Soviet historiography, the events of the Second World War, which began on 22 June 1941, are considered separately from the events of the war that took place beyond the territory of the USSR. This period is also significant for the history of Soviet Roma literature, since for a period lasting almost two years–from September 1939 to June 1941 (when the interwar period formally ended)–Roma writers enjoyed a time of relative peace, which they spent in an intense search for new opportunities, interactions with authorities, and attempts to revive Roma book publishing. This article presents a study and analysis of this period based on previously unexamined archival documents and letters from Roma writers. The analysis ...
Social Inclusion
As one of the projects of the Soviet cultural revolution, the Gypsy project was notable for its u... more As one of the projects of the Soviet cultural revolution, the Gypsy project was notable for its unusual success in creating a new literary language and active book publishing. Among its achievements are both original fiction, textbooks and manuals in various fields of knowledge and technics. For instance, the elementary school was almost fully provided with necessary books in Romani. It is noteworthy that Roma women played an active role in the creation of new literature and proved to be not only translators, but also authors of original works in several genres. As the most hardworking author, N. Pankovo, who was distinguished by incredible productivity, should be noted. This project was regularly supported by the state, which allowed the distribution of books at reasonable prices. This project was stopped in 1938, which overwhelmed the narrow group of writers and activists, though it did not lead to fatal personal repressions against them.
As one of the projects of the Soviet cultural revolution, the Gypsy project was notable for its u... more As one of the projects of the Soviet cultural revolution, the Gypsy project was notable for its unusual success in creating a new literary language and active book publishing. Among its achievements are both original fiction, textbooks and manuals in various fields of knowledge and technics. For instance, the elementary school was almost fully provided with necessary books in Romani. It is noteworthy that Roma women played an active role in the creation of new literature and proved to be not only translators, but also authors of original works in several genres. As the most hardworking author, N. Pankovo, who was distinguished by incredible productivity, should be noted. This project was regularly supported by the state, which allowed the distribution of books at reasonable prices. This project was stopped in 1938, which overwhelmed the narrow group of writers and activists, though it did not lead to fatal personal repressions against them.
Bes-tuzhev or Bes-stuzhev?
(One more time on the origin of well-known Russian surname)
The articl... more Bes-tuzhev or Bes-stuzhev?
(One more time on the origin of well-known Russian surname)
The article is devoted to the problem of the origin of the Russian surname Bestuzhev. The authors argue against the traditional etymological version, according to which the adjective besstuzhiy ‘shameless’ (and sometimes ‘insensitive to cold’) underlies the surname. Another version on which the surname is derived from bez + tug- (Proto-Slavic *tǫg-/tęg- ʻtight; to grieve; traction; graveʼ) is more preferable. For its proof the “inner onomastic” arguments are given, and also semantic and word-formative analysis of Russian literary and dialect lexis forming the word families *bezstud- and *beztǫg- are made.
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Papers by Viktor Shapoval
(One more time on the origin of well-known Russian surname)
The article is devoted to the problem of the origin of the Russian surname Bestuzhev. The authors argue against the traditional etymological version, according to which the adjective besstuzhiy ‘shameless’ (and sometimes ‘insensitive to cold’) underlies the surname. Another version on which the surname is derived from bez + tug- (Proto-Slavic *tǫg-/tęg- ʻtight; to grieve; traction; graveʼ) is more preferable. For its proof the “inner onomastic” arguments are given, and also semantic and word-formative analysis of Russian literary and dialect lexis forming the word families *bezstud- and *beztǫg- are made.
(One more time on the origin of well-known Russian surname)
The article is devoted to the problem of the origin of the Russian surname Bestuzhev. The authors argue against the traditional etymological version, according to which the adjective besstuzhiy ‘shameless’ (and sometimes ‘insensitive to cold’) underlies the surname. Another version on which the surname is derived from bez + tug- (Proto-Slavic *tǫg-/tęg- ʻtight; to grieve; traction; graveʼ) is more preferable. For its proof the “inner onomastic” arguments are given, and also semantic and word-formative analysis of Russian literary and dialect lexis forming the word families *bezstud- and *beztǫg- are made.