Romani Musical Resistance During Russia's War in Ukraine

Abstract

Romani activism and political participation in Ukraine grew in earnest when the country declared independence from the Soviet Union in 1991. Western-funded Romani non-governmental organizations guided the early years of political engagement. This first generation of Romani politicians heralded from musical and artistic families, leading to a Romani activism firmly focused on cultural rights. Following Ukraine’s 2014 Euromaidan and Revolution of Dignity, the Romani political narrative shifted from focusing solely on cultural rights to encompassing Romani citizenship rights. Since 2014, many Romani politicians have been elected to local governments. Their leadership has been especially evident since Russian forces invaded Ukraine on February 24, 2022. This article provides an overview of Romani political responses to the war and shares how Roma in Ukraine have mobilized against Russian aggression. Specifically, this article draws on Romani-themed popular Ukrainian-language songs performed during the war. Such performances shared widely on social media have brought Ukrainian Roma into the center of Ukraine’s resistance narrative.