THE NATIONAL IDENTITY OF THE NOBILITY FROM BESSARABIA UNDER THE TSARIST DOMINATION REGIME

Cristina GHERASIM Universitatea de Stat din Moldova

Abstract

The nobility from Bessarabia got actively involved in the tsarist administrative system in order to benefit by the rights and privileges of this specific social category, but it also reserved its national identity. This fact is confirmed by the archival data, writings, notes and comments of the domestic and foreign contemporaries. The manifestation of national identity was realized by: keeping the old title; the use of signatures in Moldavian paleography; endless conflicts with the representatives of imperial administration and tsarist army; negative attitude towards the allogeneous employment in various social and political fields; the fight for the domestic legislation, the language, Romanian customs and traditions; communication in the Romanian language; listening to the fiddler music etc. So, the nobility had an important role in the process of promotion of national identity and consciousness; the villagers preserved the Romanian ethos but the nobility rose up personalities: who boosted the unity with the motherland Romania, who proved Latin and Romanian character in Bessarabia, that the truly language is the Romanian and the history is common with the one of Principality of Moldavia before the annexation. Keywords: Bessarabia, nobility, regime of domination, mentality, identity, alterity.