Conclusion

Abstract

The history of the Roma of Eastern Europe and Russia is a troubling story that centers around centuries of mistreatment towards this group. It is tempered only by the resiliency of the Rom themselves, and the few non-Roma who tried to ameliorate their plight. Since it is a little difficult to pinpoint when and how the Roma entered this part of Europe, it is equally hard to explain how a group that initially enjoyed a unique status as musicians and craftsmen came, in time, to be one of the most despised groups in Europe. Given the superstition and chaos of the late Middle Ages, the physical, linguistic, and cultural features that at one time made the Roma objects of interest as “Egyptians,” came later to haunt them. The unsettling and frightening Turkish conquest of the Balkans, and the ongoing fear of Turkish incursions elsewhere intensified fear of outsiders, particularly if they were dark-skinned and non-Christian. While continuing to rely on Roma nomadic craftsmen for many basic metalworking and equine needs, early modern Eastern Europe kept these outsiders at a distance through the creation of an array of stereotypical myths about the Roma that became an integral part of the social fabric of the region. These images helped keep alive Roma nomadism, which arose from the unwillingness of villagers and officials to let them do more than live temporarily on the outskirts of local settlements. The nomadic life style, in turn, severely restricted economic opportunities for the Rom, and kept them deeply impoverished. Though it is important to understand that economic and social