What does home mean for people with no single territory connecting them?

August 7, 2026

The article examines how two minority groups in post-Soviet territories—Roma in Ukraine and Tatars in Russia—are navigating complex questions of national identity and belonging outside traditional state frameworks. Since Russia's 2022 invasion, hundreds of Roma have volunteered to fight for Ukraine despite facing generations of discrimination and statelessness, with many lacking official documents or citizenship. Meanwhile, Tatars, Russia's second-largest ethnic group, maintain their cultural identity across dispersed communities rather than through a single territorial homeland, with Tatarstan serving primarily as a symbolic center rather than a unified nation-state.

Who is affected

Ukraine's Roma community (estimated 400,000 people, with approximately 30,000 lacking official identity documents)
Roma soldiers serving in the Ukrainian Armed Forces (estimated 500+ as of August 2024, including approximately 250 from Zakarpattia in 2022)
Specific individuals: Viktor Chovka (Roma journalist), Myroslav Horvat (Romani activist), Arsen Mednyk (Roma veteran from Bucha)
Roma refugees fleeing Ukraine to European countries (including Hungary, Moldova, Czech Republic, and Poland)
Tatars living in the Russian Federation (the second-largest ethnic group in Russia)
Tatars in the Republic of Tatarstan (where they comprise approximately half the population)
Tatar diaspora communities across post-Soviet spaces, Europe, Türkiye, and North America
Crimean Tatars (who experienced collective deportation in 1944)

What action is being taken

Hundreds of Roma soldiers are currently serving in the Ukrainian Armed Forces fighting against Russia
Myroslav Horvat is sharing photographs of Romani soldiers on his Facebook profile
Ukrainian flags are becoming increasingly visible in Roma settlements
Roma communities are using the Ukrainian language and Ukrainian songs more frequently
Human rights organizations are receiving and documenting reports of discrimination against Roma refugees at borders and in reception centers

Why it matters

This coverage matters because it challenges traditional definitions of nationhood and demonstrates how minority communities can develop loyalty and national identity outside conventional state structures. For Ukraine's Roma, their military service represents a profound shift from historical marginalization to active defense of a homeland that has systematically discriminated against them, highlighting the gap between their demonstrated patriotism and the ongoing prejudice they face both within Ukraine and as refugees in Europe. For Tatars, their dispersed existence illustrates how cultural identity can transcend territorial boundaries, offering an alternative model of nationhood based on language, traditions, and community connections rather than geographic sovereignty. These stories reveal the complexities of statelessness, belonging, and self-determination in post-Soviet spaces, where ethnic minorities must navigate questions of citizenship, discrimination, and political futures while maintaining their distinct cultural identities.

What's next

No explicit next steps stated in the article

Read full article from source: Global Voices