Greeks in the social and cultural space of Bessarabia: perceptions of French-speaking colonists of Shabo (1841-1925)

Abstract

The poorly studied material of Bessarabian settlers' French-speaking works, which
reflect a significant scientific, cultural and linguistic layer, fills an important gap in the
historiography of this region. These works have not yet been carefully studied from the point
of view of the perception and interpretation of the historical past of Bessarabia.
The purpose of this article is to determine the historical and cultural characteristics
of the interpretation of the place and role of Greeks in intercultural dialogue and interaction
with representatives of other ethnic groups in the Bessarabian region in French-speaking
works of colonists of Shabo published during the years 1841-1925.
The first references to the Greeks and the traces of their stay on the Bessarabian land
in the French books of settlers of Shabo appear in «Essay on the natural history of
Bessarabia» by Charles Tardent, Swiss settler of the first generation.
The influence of Greek culture on the Bessarabian world is clearly and in detail
demonstrated and interpreted in the remarkable work «The ancient and modern Bessarabia.
Historical, geographical and statistical work» of another Swiss intellectual François-Louis
Bugnion.
André Anselme in his book «The Swiss Colony Chabag (Bessarabia): historical
overview 1822-1922» describes ancient Greek artifacts discovered in Shabo. Commenting
the story of «this fertile land», the French author updates the ideas of his predecessors, the
aforementioned Swiss settlers and includes in his reasoning an interpretation of the
symbolism of the found artifacts.
An analysis of the above texts proves that the Bessarabian settlers' French-speaking
works reflect their important contribution to Bessarabia's «quest for identity». These works,
organically mixing agricultural, cultural, ethnographic and historical elements, have, to
varying degrees, evoked the Greek presence in Bessarabia and its influence on the sociocultural development of this region through different historical periods.