SUMMARY:

In this article Viktor Taki analyses the Russian imperial policy in Bessarabia in the first half of the 19th century. According to the author, historical memory and interpretations of the past were crucial in determining the staus of Bessarabia. Although practical policies and administrative concerns might have been decisive in shaping the eventual decision on the abolition of the special autonomous status of Bessarabia wihin the Russia empire, it was the alleged lack of “authentic” historical memory of Bessarabia as cultural and political region that contributed to the annihilation of Bessarabia’s autonomy. Nevertheless, in the long run Bessarabia’s role as part of the Russian empire helped shape perceptions of the region as a separate and distinct region.