Romanis that are changing the Ukrainian society

Each one of them believes that he or she can change themselves and the world around them as they try to get themselves ‘plugged into’ the Ukrainian society—be it with human rights activity, modelling, mass media, or politics. Today, we are going to tell the story of Ukrainian Romanis, each of whom is in their own place, doing what they can and what is important, destroying socially imposed markers and proving that Romanis are just the same as anyone else.

Illia Herasymov 

A model, works on TV, engaged in mass media and smm, a civil activist. A representative of the younger generation of the Romani community of Ukraine. This boy is one of those secular Romanis who honour their traditions and skilfully combine them with the modern lifestyle. He hails from two communities of Ukrainian Romanis: the Servs on his father’s line and the Ruska Roma on his mother’s line. Illia was born in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan but grew up in Svitlovodsk near Kirovohrad (now Kropyvnytskyi), Ukraine. Today, Illia lives in Kyiv and studies at the National Academy of Managerial Human Resources of Culture and Arts Institutions. His profession is event technologies management. In addition to that, Illia is actively involved in modelling and also works for the 1+1 TV Channel.  For him, the important thing is to be a multifaceted personality and to be able to find himself in various areas and fields of activity—particularly in those where there is a lot of creative activity. 

As Illia says himself, “Each of the realms of my activity is an important component of the development of my personality. Each one is a realm in which it is interesting to develop my identity, as I try to impact global issues exactly through the creative component of my work.” He explains his motivation for working as a model and as a TV personality in the following manner: “I am always interested in new characters, new faces in the realm of fashion and TV. Highlighting social issues may raise interest in my personality as a representative of other Romanis.” 

For Illia, freedom and patriotism are, first and foremost, a way of life whereby he is not tied to a certain location or a group of people. The right to think freely, to be able to freely express his position and belonging to one’s identity. 

Anzhelika Bielova 

One of the most prominent Romani activists in Zaporizhzhia city and in Ukraine in general, Anzhelika is the President of Holos Romni, an Association of Romani Women and a regional co-ordinator of the Ukrainian Female Congress in Zaporizhzhia Province. Anzhelika’s primary area of activity has long been the struggle for the right of Romani women.

Anzhelika’s mother is a Romani; her father is Ukrainian, so Anzhelika combines the two identities. The Identity of Romni, however, and its roots are on the female (mother’s) line. Anzhelika Bielova belongs to a Romani subgroup called Servs. By and large, the Servs are considered to be Ukrainian Romanis, as their ancestors have been living in Ukrainian lands for centuries. Servs, like Ukrainians, are Christian Orthodox, and have similar traditions in terms of religion and everyday customs and traditions.  

From the beginning of Russian full-scale invasion, the Romani human rights advocate Anzhelika Bielova has been helping Ukrainian and Romani internally displaced citizens in a variety of areas. Anzhelika works in six different provinces of Ukraine (four of these are frontline territories), engaged in three major areas: provision of humanitarian aid to the Romani community, economic recovery of Romani women and internally displaced female citizens, and providing education to Romani children. In addition to that, the girl has been actively involved in human rights advocacy for Romani women and the Romani community overall, on both national and international levels.

Volodymyr Kondur 

A Ukrainian politician of Romani origin. Section Chief for the Rights of Ethnic Minorities, Indigenous Peoples, and Religious Convictions at the Department for Monitoring of Equal Rights and Freedoms, Rights of National Minorities, Political and Religious Views. An attorney at law and President of the Romani Human Rights Advocacy Centre.

The human rights advocacy centre was created at Kondur’s initiative and has been active since 2014. Its activity is focused on providing pro bono legal counsel to vulnerable segments of population in a variety of areas: providing education to Romani children, providing access to education, development of activism among Romani youth, conducting training courses and managing various learning platforms. The Romani Human Rights Advocacy Centre mostly operates in the Romani communities of Odessa Province where it helps Roma people resolve issues on the path towards social integration. 

Mykola Burlutskyi 

A human rights advocate and a Romani activist from Kharkiv and the CEO of Chachimo NGO, Mykola used to be Advisor for Romani Matters at Kharkiv Provincial State Administration. Now, he is a coach and a civil society influencer. Mykola also translated the Bible into the Romani language and works as a Christian pastor. During the full-scale invasion, Mykola—together with his human rights advocacy organisation—decided to evacuate the Romani community of Kharkiv and move to Transcarpathia. Here, in Uzhhorod, he continues providing help to local Romanis as well as to those who have been forced to abandon their homes in Kharkiv Province due to Russian aggression.

Today, Mykola Burlutskyi is actively involved in Transcarpathia’s Romani community and does not abandon his idea: to do what the heart tells you to do. Working for the benefit of a specific community, people, city, region, and the entire country. Mykola tells us that, in the times of war, it is important to stay in your country and to help your fellow citizens, as much as you can. To make our society successful and more open towards ethnic communities.

Zemfira (Zolia) Kondur

A civil activist and a human rights advocate, Zolia has been working in the area of human rights advocacy for Romani men and women in Ukraine for many years now. She is Vice President of Chirikli Romani Women’s Foundation. For over twenty years now, Zemfira Kondur has been involved in the problematics of the condition of Romani in Ukraine—Romani women in particular. She is into human rights advocacy and public activity, contributing to the status of Romani women in the Ukrainian society and outside of it. Zolia represents Ukrainian Romanis in the European Parliament, UN, OSCE, and the Council of Europe.

Ukrainian human rights advocate for Romani communities identifies herself as a Ukrainian of Romani background. Zolia Kondur’s parents were born in the same encampment which was wandering through Germany and Romania. Many years later, the Romani community became sedentary and settled down in the city of Kiliia, Odessa Province, next to the Moldovan and Romanian border—which is the place from where her parents originate. Zemfira’s father was a human rights advocate and a mediator between the Romani community and Ukrainian society. So began the human rights advocacy activity of the Kondur family. Initially, Zolia helped her father in his activity. She then proceeded with her studies and actively engaged in human rights advocacy in the realm of human rights, conducting her own human rights advocacy. But the main thing is to believe that you can follow by example.

Photo from: Facebook pages of personalities and open sources