The Roma, have lived a nomadic lifestyle for centuries, migrating across Europe from Asia. As they have kept their distinctive language and culture, many Roma communities have remained outside of the civic society within which they entered. As they remained ‘unknown’ by the host communities they entered, the Roma were often misrepresented as ‘evil’, ‘pagan’, ‘disruptive’ and ‘criminal’.

As matters transpired, the Soviet reforms proved very popular amongst the Roma populations across the USSR, which saw many thousands volunteer to serve in the Soviet Red Army, Red Airforce, Red Artillery, frontline medicine, reconnaissance and even the Red Cavalry.

This activity was motivated by the fact that Hitler having come to power in Germany in 1933, began an immediate policy of persecution of the ‘lower races’. Along with the Jews, the Roma were also persecuted. Since the mid-1930s, they were sterilized, later placed in Concentration Camps, and in the territories occupied by the fascists they simply destroyed.

When the German troops invaded the territory of the USSR, the Soviet Roma did not hesitate to consider whether they should take up arms. Settled Roma attached to military registration and enlistment offices, among others, went to the front.

According to various estimates, the Nazis Germans killed from 500 thousand to a million Roma, including 200 to 500 thousand Roma from the Soviet Union. The only monument in the world for the loss of the nomadic people is in Berlin.

Link: https://thesanghakommune.org/2018/07/29/the-brave-roma-gypsies-who-fought-in-the-soviet-red-armed-forces-1941-1945

In an organization of the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) in Warsaw on June 4, they were present at the invitation of the OSCE and ODIHIR, among others the President of the IRE Zoran Dimov, as well as the director of NRC Kumanovo, Asmet Elezovski.

Among other things, Zoran Dimov also had his successful presentation on the importance of the media in the political electoral processes and the role of the Roma in those processes

Otherwise the main goals of the workshop were:
To raise awareness of the limited Election participation of Roma in the Western Balkans; and to be a forum for the exchange of good practices in promoting the involvement of Roma in cooperation with responsible institutions in monitoring election recommendations in election observation reports, as well as the recommendations of the Third ODIHR

Statement: Implementation of the Action Plan for the Improvement on the situation of Roma and Sinti within the OSCE, Roma, Roma. "

The event is organized by the ODIHR through its support to the Western Balkan elections, funded by the European Union and the Austrian Development Agency.