Balkanethnoexp. Part IX. Romania. The Roma

Map

June 24–28, 2012

A visit to Romania would be incomplete without getting to know the Roma people, or gypsies.

It turns out that not all gypsies have raven-black hair and dark complexions. Some are blonde, some redheaded with freckles.

The Roma live as nomads throughout the world, but in Romania they have a home. Or rather, a palace.

A Roma man’s goal in life is to save up enough money to build himself a palace. The palace must be multistoried, ostentatious, with columns, an intricate roof, expensive interior finishes, abundant rooms, a wrought iron fence.

And just as nice as the neighbors’. A gypsy village looks like an exhibition of architectural excess, with buildings resembling some of Moscow’s famous railway stations.

Let’s pay a visit to the home of a family of four.

The living room.

Yes, this is the living room. The frillier, the gaudier, the more florid and ludicrous, the better.

The master bedroom.

The guest bedroom, with a tapestry on the wall.

The kitchen.

These palaces are all built with money obtained by begging around the world.

The local store.

One of the villagers has procured some brewski.

A horse goes by.

Out on the stoop.

Another stoop. Let’s invite ourselves in.

The mistress of the house takes good care of her palace—she removes her shoes before going inside.

The hallway.

A den for guests with karaoke and a small bar.

The most interesting part of all this is that the Roma don’t actually live in these palaces. They’ll occupy a room or two, maybe celebrate a wedding on one of the floors. Gypsies don’t feel at home in houses. Instead, they pitch a tent in the yard—it’s much more familiar and comfortable.

Let’s visit another village.

The inhabitants of this one are wealthier.

Every rooftop is three-tiered, and when it rains, the water cascades like champagne down a pyramid of glasses. The style resembles the creation of a schizophrenic with a lot of time and tin foil on his hands.