Gagauzia (Moldova)

Gagauz Eri

Last modified: 2001-11-16 by manuel giorgini
Keywords: gagauzia | moldova | europe | wolf | bessarabia |
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Today I received 'news' about the flag of Gagauzia, an autonomous part of Moldavia/Moldova. The flag was confirmed by law on 31 October 1995 by the National Assembly (Chalk Topluschu) of Gagauzia (Gagauz Eri).
Mark Sensen, 1996-08-06

• The Gagauzians
• 1992 flag
• Unofficial wolf's head flag
• Gagauzian "ethnic" flag

See also: Moldova

The Gagauzians

The Gagauzians, a Christian people, settled in this part of Europe after they fled Ottoman rule in what is now Bulgaria. They proclaimed their autonomy in August 1990, but moves to establish a separate administration were suppressed by Moldova. The wolf in the flag is symbolic of the mythical origin of the Turkic peoples from whom the Gagauzians are descended. Some written reports suggest that the wolf's head should be yellow on a white disc.
Stuart Notholt, 1995-05-28

The word Gagauz is in origin Gokoguz. The Turks of Turkey are descendants of a Turkic tribe called Oguz. The Gokoguz are another tribe of Turkic stock. The word "gok" means sky (i.e., sky blue, as used by the Crimean Tatars and Uygurs). The Gagauz language is very similar to Crimean Tatar and Turkish. The Gagauz are Christians, and have been settled in the areas even before the Ottomans came to that part of Bessarabia.
Seyit Karagozoglu, 1998-05-04

On 28 May 1995 voters went out to participate in the first election to the local autonomous legislature set up by the Moldovian parliament in December last year. They also voted for a governor of the autonomous area. As far as I remember Gagauz voters expressed their wish for such an arrangement in a referendum. Whether this will affect the status of the flag I do not know.
Jan Oskar Engene, 1995-05-29

The territory of Gagauzia (capital Comrat) stretches over approx. 3,000 km², and is made of four parts separated from each other by Rumanian-speaking areas. Autonomy of Gagauzia was granted by the Moldavian government in December 1994.
Gagauz are Orthodox Christians who speak Turkish, which they write in Cyrillic, and more often Russian. Their Legislative Assembly is called "Baskani", with competency in the regional affairs. The Gagauz national flag is hoisted beside the Moldavian flag on the roof of the Assembly building, whose pediment is still decorated with the arms of the SSR Moldavia in bronze (colour picture in Vexillacta).
M. Lupant saw in the National Gagauz Museum in Comrat a small black-and-white document showing a Gagauz flag with a symbol instead of the three stars, dated 1993. The flag was hanging on the wall of the room where the first Gagauz government met on 28 July 1993. The Museum also displays a Gagauz flag without stars, dated 1992.
Ivan Sache, 2001-07-27

1992 flag

Ivan Sache, 2001-07-27

Unofficial flag

Gagauzian "ethnic" flag

contributed by Stoyan Antonov

In 1994 I received from a Gagauzian friend a small table flag with the explanation that it identifies Gagauzians as ethnos in difference to the state flag of Gagauzia which represents all ethnic communities living in this entity.
Stoyan Antonov, 2001-07-26