Redefining Home: Roma and Tatars Navigate Identity Without a Single Territory
As stateless or dispersed minorities, Ukraine’s Roma fight for a country that marginalizes them, while Russia’s Tatars define homeland through culture rather than borders.
- Over 500 Roma from Ukraine's Zakarpattia region served in the military by August 2024.
- Approximately 30,000 of Ukraine's 400,000 Roma lack official identity documents.
- Roma refugees faced segregation and discrimination in European reception centers.
- Tatars are Russia's second-largest ethnic group but lack a single unified territory.
- Many Tatars prioritize cultural preservation over political sovereignty or separatism.
For ethnic groups without a unified state, the concept of "home" often transcends traditional geographic borders. This reality is starkly visible among two post-Soviet minorities: Ukraine’s Roma community and Russia’s Tatar population.
Roma Soldiers in Ukraine
Since Russia’s full-scale invasion began in February 2022, hundreds of Roma have joined the Armed Forces of Ukraine. Myroslav Horvat, a Romani activist, estimates that more than 500 Roma from the Zakarpattia region alone were serving by August 2024. For many, defending Ukraine is synonymous with protecting their families and future.
Despite this service, the community faces systemic barriers. Of an estimated 400,000 Roma in Ukraine, approximately 30,000 lack official identity documents, rendering them functionally stateless. Around 40 percent of Roma in Zakarpattia lack a basic secondary education, and many have never obtained Ukrainian passports.
Discrimination has followed refugees abroad. In European reception centers, Roma families were sometimes segregated from other Ukrainians. Reports indicate that some hosts in Moldova and Poland refused to accommodate them, while others faced poor living conditions or accusations of fraud. The hostility was so severe for some that they chose to return to war-torn Ukraine rather than remain in discriminatory environments.
Tatars: Culture Over Territory
For Tatars, Russia’s second-largest ethnic group, identity is similarly detached from a single physical location. While the Republic of Tatarstan serves as a cultural anchor, ethnic Tatars constitute only about half its population and live scattered across Russia, the post-Soviet space, and global diasporas.
This dispersion shapes their political outlook. Historical traumas, including the 1944 deportation of Crimean Tatars, have made many wary of separatism or sovereignty movements. Instead of redrawing political borders, most Tatars prioritize preserving their language, traditions, and community bonds. For them, homeland is carried through culture—family tables, music, and shared rituals—rather than defined by a map.
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