Stefan Balamez – a Bulgarian who voted against the accession of Bessarabia to Romania
Abstract
The article examines the activities of the Bessarabian Bulgarians Stefan Balamez under different political regimes (tsarist, Romanian, Soviet), during 1918-1940. It was established that Stefan Balamez was born in a family of Danube immigrants, who came out of Golyam-Dervent village from Yambol Region. After settling in Bessarabia, S. Balamez’s ancestors were engaged in trading activities. After the February Revolution in Bessarabia was convened legislature Sfatul Ţării (“the Сountry’s Council”). As part of this body, S. Balamez represented the Union of State Officials. Here he was actively involved in the political struggle, and was remembered for his harsh statements and remarks. He was a member of the control, financial and budgetary commissions. In addition, from May 19 to November 27, 1918, Balamez served as vice-chairman of the constitutional commission. He was one of three deputies who openly voted against the accession of Bessarabia to Royal Romania (March 27, 1918) and supported anti-Romanian movement. However, after the Romanian government was established in the provinces, Balamez remained in Bessarabia. He was engaged in trade, being the chief accountant and assistant director of the Peasant Credit Ticket office of the landowners from Tighina (Bender County). He takes an active part in the trade union movement of Chisinau. He was a member of the County committee of the National Liberal Party, from which in 1935 became the first chairman of the Interim Commission of Labor Chambers of Chisinau, and then - the Council of the Chamber. Also Balamez was delegated to the Board of County Lapusna from this institution. After the accession of Bessarabia, the Soviet Union, June 13, 1941 Stephаn Balamez was arrested by the NKVD. Due to the outbreak of hostilities on the Eastern Front, he was evacuated to the executive labor camp Ivdel where sentenced to 10 years on the item “participation in the counter-revolutionary party”.
Downloads
References
Colesnic, I. 1998, Sfatul Ţării. Enciclopedie. Chişinău, Museum. 348 p.
Colesnic, I. 2002. Basarabia necunoscută [Unknown Bessarabia]. Chişinău, Museum. 302 p. (In Romanian)
Deyateli revolyutsionnogo dvizheniya v Rossii: Biobibliograficheskiy slovar: Ot predshestvennikov dekabristov do padeniya tsarizma [Figures of the revolutionary movement in Russia: Bio-bibliographic dictionary: From predecessors of the Decembrists to the fall of tsarism]. T. 2: Semidesyatye gody. Vyp. 1: A–Ye. Moskva, Vsesoyuznoe obshchestvo politicheskikh katorzhan i ssylno-poselentsev, 1929. 406 s. (In Russian)
Ghidirim, Gh. 2018. „Unirea” şi evenimentele anului 1918 din Republica Moldovenească în documentele Siguranţei şi Armatei Române [“Unification” and the events of 1918 from the Moldavian Republic in the documents of the Romanian Security and Army]. Chişinău, Universul. 236 p. (In Romanian)
Ilchev, St. 1969. Rechnik na lichnite i familnite imena u blgarite [Dictionary of personal and family names in Bulgarians]. Sofia, BAN. 626 s. (In Bulgarian)
Khadzhinikolova, Ye. 2003. Kishinevskata balgarska emigratsiya prez 70-e gg. na XIX v. [Bulgarian emigration from Chisinau in the 70’s. of the 19th century] Balgarskata emigratsiya prez Vzrazhdaneto [Bulgarian emigration during the Revival period]. Sliven, s. 190–194. (In Bulgarian).
Lashkov, L. 1878. Istoriko-statisticheskoe opisanie Kishinevskoy Georgievskoy tserkvi [Historicalstatistical description of St. George Church from Chisinau]. Kishinevskie eparkhialnye vedomosti [Chisinau diocesan sheets.]. Kishinev, № 19, s. 822–833. (In Russian).
Levit, I. 2000. God sudbonosnyy: ot provozglasheniya Moldavskoy respubliki do likvidatsii avtonomii Bessarabii (noyabr 1917 – noyabr 1918) [A fateful year: from the proclamation of the Republic of Moldova to the elimination of the autonomy of Bessarabia (november 1917 – november 1918)]. Kishinev, Tsentralnaya tipografiya. 499 c. (In Russian)
Monitorul Oficial al României [Official Gazette of Romania]. Partea I-a, Bucureşti, 16 ianuarie 1940, nr. 13, p. 153–160. (In Romanian)
Monitorul Oficial al României [Official Gazette of Romania]. Partea I-a, Bucureşti, 1 aprilie 1940, nr. 78, p. 1445–1540. (In Romanian)
Monitorul Oficial al României [Official Gazette of Romania]. Partea I-a, Bucureşti, 5 decembrie 1933, nr. 282, p. 7507–7530. (In Romanian)
Monitorul Oficial al României [Official Gazette of Romania]. Partea a II-a, Bucureşti, 5 aprilie 1939, nr. 81, p. 2981–3012. (In Romanian)
Monitorul Oficial al României [Official Gazette of Romania]. Partea a II-a, Bucureşti, 22 aprilie 1931, nr. 200, p. 5076–5128.
Moskovskaya gosudarstvennaya konservatoriya im. P. I. Chaykovskogo [Moscow State Conservatory. P. I. Tchaikovsky]. URL: http://www.mosconsv.ru/ru/students_h.aspx?start=47 (Date of the application 12.05.2019)
NARM. Natsionalnyy arkhiv Respubliki Moldova [National Archives of the Republic of Moldova], f. 78, op. 1, d. 166. (In Russian)
NARM. Natsionalnyy arkhiv Respubliki Moldova [National Archives of the Republic of Moldova], f. 134, op. 2, d. 651. (In Russian)
NARM. Natsionalnyy arkhiv Respubliki Moldova [National Archives of the Republic of Moldova], f. 208, op. 12, d. 81. (In Russian)
NARM. Natsionalnyy arkhiv Respubliki Moldova [National Archives of the Republic of Moldova], f. 211, op. 11, d. 96. (In Russian)
NARM. Natsionalnyy arkhiv Respubliki Moldova [National Archives of the Republic of Moldova], f. 211, op. 11, d. 134. (In Russian)
NARM. Natsionalnyy arkhiv Respubliki Moldova [National Archives of the Republic of Moldova], f. 211, op. 11, d. 139. (In Russian)
NARM. Natsionalnyy arkhiv Respubliki Moldova [National Archives of the Republic of Moldova], f. 211, op. 11, d. 142. (In Russian)
NARM. Natsionalnyy arkhiv Respubliki Moldova [National Archives of the Republic of Moldova], f. 727, op. 1, d. 12. . (In Russian)
NARM. Natsionalnyy arkhiv Respubliki Moldova [National Archives of the Republic of Moldova], f. 727, op. 2, d. 77. (In Russian)
NARM. Natsionalnyy arkhiv Respubliki Moldova [National Archives of the Republic of Moldova], f. 1785, op. 1, d. 198. (In Romanian)
NARM. Natsionalnyy arkhiv Respubliki Moldova [National Archives of the Republic of Moldova], f. 3401, op. 2, d. 2399. (In Russian)
Olginskomu rayonnomu sudu – 95 let [Olginsky District Court on 95 years]. URL: http://usd.prm. sudrf.ru/modules.php?name=press_dep&op=1&did=873 (Date of the application 12.05.2019).
RGVIА. Rossiyskiy Gosudarstvennyy Voenno-istoricheskiy arkhiv [Russian State Military Historical Archive], f. 16196, op. 1, d. 1189. (In Russian)
RGVIА. Rossiyskiy Gosudarstvennyy Voenno-istoricheskiy arkhiv, fond Kartoteka byuro ucheta poter v Pervoy mirovoy voyne (ofitserov i soldat) [Russian State Military Historical Archive, Fund Card Index bureau of casualties in the First World War (officers and soldiers)]. Yashchik № 7355-A, kartochka № 475. (In Russian)
Sfatul Ţării. Documente. Vol I. Procesele verbale ale şedinţelor în plen. Ediţie de Ion Ţurcanu. Chişinău, Ştiinţa, 2016. 824 p. (In Romanian)
Taşcă, M. 2010a. În numere adevărului istoric (Din amintirile lui Ion Pelivan despre Sfatul Ţării) [In the Name of Historical Truth (From Ion Pelivan’s Memories of Country Advice)]. Timpul [Time]. Chişinău, 19 noiembrie, p. 27. (In Romanian)
Taşcă, M. 2010b. Ştefan Balamez, deputatul care a votat împotriva Unirii Basarabiei cu România [Stefan Balamez, deputy who voted against the Union of Bessarabia with Romania]. Timpul [Time]. Chişinău, 5 noiembrue, p. 33. (In Romanian)
Zhelyazkov, I. 2003. Lichni vpechatleniya ot profesor Stefan Balamezov [Personal impressions from Professor Stefan Balamezov]. Blgarskata emigratsiya prez Vzrazhdaneto [Bulgarian emigration during the Revival period]. Sliven, s. 200–204. (In Bulgarian)
