Documentary Film Screening: AS VASILEVUN, RUMEI! The story of Azov Greeks

How do you keep a disappearing language, ancient traditions, and craftsmanship alive under Soviet repression, globalization and war?. . . . . . . . Join us for an exclusive screening of As Vasilevun, Rumei! The story of Azov Greeks documentary, the first and only film in the endangered Rumei language. Shot in the summer of 2021, just months before Russia's full-scale invasion, this documentary offers a rare glimpse into the lives of the Azov Greeks, an ethnic Greek community in eastern Ukraine fighting to preserve their identity against the tides of history.. . . . Through intimate personal stories, the film explores the struggles and resilience of the Azov Greeks, whose ancestors were forcibly relocated from Crimea by the Russian Empire in the 18th century. Despite Soviet repression and modern challenges, they have preserved their unique dialects and traditions, now threatened by war and displacement. . . . . Filmed in villages around Mariupol, now devastated and occupied by Russian forces, this documentary is a powerful tribute to a people on the brink of losing their homeland, language, and culture. Don't miss this moving and urgent story of survival.. . . . Tatiana Liubchenko, visiting scholar in the Seeger Center for Hellenic Studies at Princeton University, will introduce the film screening. As a representative of the Greek diaspora of Ukraine, Tatiana had been participating in the organization of numerous international events for more than 25 years. In 2023, she was awarded the Wesleyan University Allbritton Center Faculty Grant to work on the project, The Legacy of the Mariupol Greeks: Preserving the Culture of Ukraine's Ethnic Minority under the Threat of Extinction. The project aims to safeguard the heritage of the Mariupol Greeks and was distinguished by The Innovation Grant of Modern Greek Society Association in 2024.. . . . Free and open to all members of the University community. . . . . Length: 47 minutes. . . . Language: Rumei (native language of Azov Greeks) with English subtitles by Tatiana Liubchenko. . . . Director: Andrii Maksiuta. . Producers: Anton Savidi, Vadym Skalskyi, Andrii Maksiuta. . Director of Photography: Tymofii Orel. . . . Produced by: NSTU Suspilne. . . . Please stay for a post-screening discussion.. . . . Who are the Azov Greeks?. . . . The Greeks of the Azov region (also known as the Mariupol Greeks) are an ethnic Greek community that has lived in southeastern Ukraine for centuries. Their ancestors were forcibly relocated from the Crimean Peninsula to the Mariupol area by the Russian Empire in the late 18th century, after Catherine the Great annexed Crimea from the Ottoman Empire. Despite centuries of assimilation and repression, especially under the Soviet Union, which suppressed their language and culture, the Azov Greeks have maintained their distinct identity, traditions, and unique dialects: Rumei (a Greek dialect) and Urum (a Turkic-origin language). Before Russia's full-scale invasion in 2022, around 100,000 ethnic Greeks lived in Ukraine, with Mariupol serving as the cultural and historical heart of the Azov Greek community. However, Russia's siege and destruction of Mariupol, along with the occupation of surrounding villages, have posed an existential threat to their survival. Many have been displaced, and the preservation of their language and traditions is now more urgent than ever. --- Event Details: https://my.princeton.edu/rsvp?id=1958744