Review of the monograph: Kvilinkova E.N. Gagauz people in Moldova and Belarus: facets of identity and a strategy of self-preservation (Minsk, 2023. 383 p.)

Abstract

The review provides a detailed and thorough analysis of the work of Doctor of Historical Sciences, Associate Professor, Elizaveta Nikolaevna Kvilinkova, dedicated to the Gagauz of Belarus and Moldova. The monograph was written on the basis of various sources and, primarily, the materials from field ethnographic studies conducted using the participant observation method among representatives of the Gagauz community. It is emphasized that the author used a new scientific approach, which made it possible to obtain original results. Elizaveta Kvilnikova studied the Gagauz using methods and approaches typical for such scientific disciplines as ethnology, ethnosociology and ethnopolitical science. She notes that among the Turkic peoples, the Gagauz have long held a unique place. The basis of their ethno-cultural code is Orthodoxy and Turkic background. According to E.N. Kvilinkova, the difficult position of Gagauzia in choosing its cultural and civilizational landmarks lies in the fact that the Balkan identity does not fit into the modern “strategy” of self-preservation of the Gagauz people and is in conflict with their dominant Turkic identity at this stage, with the eastern / Turkish vector of the foreign policy development strategy.