Challenge, Advantage, Uniqueness: Bessarabia's Multiculturalism Discussed in Odesa

The discussion was an attempt to find out whether multicultural Bessarabia, part of the Odesa region, can become a model for the whole of Ukraine.

The discussion was organized by ICES - The Institute for Central European Strategy.

The speakers were Mariana Sadovska, a singer, composer, folklorist, and initiator of ethno-expeditions in Bessarabia, and Yaroslava Raznykova, Head of the Department of Culture, Nationalities, and Religions. Yaroslava Riznykova.

The panelists tried to answer a number of questions. Can we talk about the borderland not as a region but as a center of change? Why is it that the rethinking of Ukrainian statehood begins in Bessarabia - through language, culture, trust, and daily coexistence? They discussed Bessarabia as a litmus test for European integration, a challenge for the Ukrainian political nation, and an example of how diversity becomes a resource of strength rather than a threat.

"Bessarabia's multiculturalism differs from that of other regions. First of all, because very different cultures are much closer to each other here. For example, we were in the village of Karakurt where Albanian, Gagauz and Bulgarian cultures are together. I've never seen anything like that anywhere else in Ukraine," said Yaroslava Riznykova.

Among other things, the participants of the discussion tried to find out what it means to be Ukrainian in Bessarabia - not against, but together with local identities, how to confront the imperial heritage - not by destroying it, but by redefining it, and whether the state is actually present in the region.

Bessarabia, with its multiculturalism, constantly attracts various historians and bloggers to Odesa Oblast. For example, in April, journalist and author of the "The World Inside Out. Ukraine" project, Dmytro Komarov visited Odesa region for the second time during the 2025 season of his show.

Then "The World Inside Out. Ukraine visited Odesa region for the third time in a year, and visited three places at once. First, the show's team visited the village of Dobroslav, 40 kilometers from Odesa, where they talked to representatives of the "bearded" community. From Dobroslav, the show 's team traveled to Bolhrad district where they took part in a sacrificial rite in the village of Horodne, which locals call "Kurban" in Muslim. This rite is a sacrifice to God and has its own legend.

Кирило Бойко