The Romanian community in Ukraine is a native ethnic group, which inherited and passes on to future generations a diverse and very rich intangible cultural heritage. Romanians from the Chernivtsi region live mainly in the current Chernivtsi district – the former districts Herța, Hliboca, Storojineț and Noua Suliță, but also in the administrative center. The area inhabited by Romanians includes historical areas such as Bucovina, Herța County and northern Bessarabia. The last census in 2001 recorded a number of 114,555 people or 12.5% of the population of the region who declared themselves of Romanian ethnicity, as well as 67,225 people who declared themselves Moldovans. In total, the Romanian-speaking community of the Chernivtsi region would represent 20% of the population.
Currently in the Chernivtsi region there are schools with teaching in Romanian in over 50 villages, there are 2 weekly published in Romanian “Monitorul bucovinean” and “Gazeta de Herța”, radio stations, news agencies, there is a Department of Romanian language at the “Iuri Fedkovici” National University of Chernivtsi. Also, on the territory of the region there are over 20 associations for Romanian culture, which aim to preserve the linguistic and ethnic identity of the Romanian community. The main association is the Society for Romanian Culture and Literature in Bucovina “Mihai Eminescu” from the Chernivtsi region, coordinated by Vasile Bâcu.
The intangible cultural heritage of the Romanian community in the Chernivtsi region is represented by traditions, customs, folklore quite preserved in rural areas, myths and legends that are passed down from generation to generation. The Romanian ethnics are mostly Orthodox, and the traditions of this community are closely linked to the Christian holidays.

Romanians in the Chernivtsi region have kept the traditions and holidays related to the feast of the Nativity. The list of Christmas customs includes the organization of folk hearths and houses, the rehearsal of the holy carols, the preparation of the folk costume, the ritual of slaughtering the pig, the organization of the Christmas meal, the reception of the carolers. Of course, the traditions do not stop here, they continue until after the transition to the new calendar year: the plow, the game of the horses, the bear and the goat.
On Christmas Eve, the tree is cut or bought, which is adjusted according to the height of the house. In the evening, the Christmas tree is decorated, this being an activity in which the whole family participates, to the rhythm of carols. Some use the well-known tree candies, while others have given up this habit. Regardless of preferences, one thing is certain: the tree is loaded with globes, tinsel and beautifully lit installations. Under the tree are placed the gifts, which open only the next day, with the family.
There are still villages in the Chernivtsi region where children dress in traditional costumes and go in groups to carol. They receive from the hosts apples, nuts, rolls, cakes or, most often, money. The Christmas carols from Bucovina are old, learned and transmitted orally from generation to generation. One of the most common Christmas carols, often sung by children, is this: “We went to sing carols / Lord, Lord, let us ascend! / When the boyars are not at home. / Lord, Lord, let us rise! // They went hunting / Lord, Lord, let’s go up! / To hunt deer. / Lord, Lord, let us rise! // Deer did not hunt / Lord, Lord, let us rise! / They hunted a bunny / Lord, Lord, let’s go up! / To make of his fur / Lord, Lord, let us ascend! / Beautiful garment to the Lord. / Lord, Lord, let us ascend! ”

With the approach of the New Year, the practice of plowing and ugly is practiced. The boys disguise themselves as characters such as the bear, the goat, the doctors, the police, the gypsies, etc. This troupe is led by a journeyman, a handsome and honest young man, worthy of the trust of the village.
Masks fall into two categories: beautiful and ugly. The first category embodies characters such as gendarmes, generals, ministers, iros, etc. Their costumes are made of military uniforms, over which various fringes, epaulettes and decorative stripes are applied. They perform dances and imitate the former Austrian or Russian military dignitaries. The ugly are represented by babes, old men, doctors, wizards, merchants, etc. They wear masks that characterize their features. These Christmas customs in Bukovina, Herta County and northern Bessarabia are still strictly observed in certain areas.

On January 13-14, by St. Basil the Great, in the old style, in the town of Crasna takes place for many years the Festival of winter customs “Malanca” from Crasna “- the most spectacular popular representation of Romanians in northern Bukovina.
Traditionally, the celebration starts on Sunday evening, around 18.00 and lasts all night. On January 14 (New Year in the old style), participants gather in the center of town, where the parade of melancholy takes place.
During the Soviet period, the celebration of Malanca was forbidden. But the tradition is stronger than prescriptions. The boys who donated blood got a day off from work and secretly used this day to go to Malanca. The Malancars were “hunted” by militiamen and popular avengers. The youths were detained for disturbing public order and sentenced to 15 days in prison.
Malanca from Crasna has several heroes – Baba and the Old Man, the King and Queen, the Bear and the Gypsy. Each hamlet has its own Malanca, which sings and dances at every house. He walks from evening to noon with good wishes for the whole year.

The celebration of the Resurrection jumps specific traditions, springing from the popular spirituality, in order to ritualize the moment in the most solemn and significant way. The customs of Easter begin on the Sunday before the Flowers, which heralds the approach of the great feast, and continue until the week after Easter, and some traditions extend even to the Ascension.
During Holy Week or Passion, it is believed that if someone dies, his soul is taken to Hell, for Heaven is closed. This week is kept by strict fasting. The Tuesday of the big week is also called Sacred Tuesday, held for headaches and so as not to dry the milk in cows.
The ashes with which the fire is made on Easter Wednesday, as in fact all this week, is believed to be good for layers.
On Holy Thursday, Passion Thursday or Black Thursday, it is believed that the dead come to their old homes and would remain until Holy Sunday. Do not wash clothes, keeping it as a holiday, and if you put the nest on the eggs, it will only take out roosters. Also on this day, the hawk is given alms, so as not to eat the chickens in summer. It is believed that whoever sleeps on Holy Thursday will be lazy all year round.
In the area of Bucovina, starting with Maundy Thursday, it does not return to Ispas (at Ascension). On this day, everyone in the house is asked to plant a tree, believing that they will catch better. In the evening, it is considered that it is not good to miss Denia the Great, when the women incense the dead in the cemetery. Whoever fasts from Holy Thursday until Easter is believed to know three days in advance when he will die.
Also on this day, the eggs are colored, painted red. It is believed that if someone dies in the village on Maundy Thursday, the eggs do not come out beautiful and well colored.
Good Friday is strictly observed, especially for burns. It does not ripen and does not look like anything. It is said on Holy Saturday that he who dies on this day is neither dead nor alive. Also, whoever falls on the road to the Church, at the Resurrection, will have big problems that year. Also on the night of the Resurrection it is believed that the gates of Heaven open, and what you ask, God will give you.
At dawn on Sunday, the Romanian Christians go out in the churchyard, sit in a circle, carrying lighted candles in their hands, waiting for the priest who must sanctify and bless the dishes in the Easter basket. In front of each householder such a basket is prepared, according to the order of the ancestors.
In the basket covered with a woven napkin with a traditional pattern are placed Easter, ham, cheese, red eggs, but also scrambled eggs, smoked fish, beetroot with horseradish, and cakes. After the consecration of this Easter basket, the Easter ritual continues in the family. The contents of the basket differ from village to village.
When they get home, all the family members, who have come from the Resurrection, wash themselves in a bowl of fresh water containing a red egg and a coin. The egg is laid so that all may be as red and healthy as the egg, and the money so that they may be as rich and pure as silver. It is then necessary to taste, first of all, the Easter anaphora that was brought in the basket sanctified by the priest, then he sits at the table tasting all the dishes.
Especially in ancient times, but even today, some householders come from the Resurrection with the fire extinguished and go around the house, to drive away the evil one. Clashing the eggs, it is said that whose will not spoil, he will live longer. It is also said that if you keep the red-painted egg, sanctified at Easter, for forty days without spoiling it, it is a sure sign that you are a lucky man.
Once upon a time, everyone on Easter Day had to ring the bells and personally ring the bell, a sign of the apostolate and the spread through it of the news of the Resurrection. The children’s walk after red eggs is a continuation and a transformation of the old tradition when the sons went to their parents, grandchildren to grandparents and grandchildren to godparents with Easter and eggs, clashing and sitting at the table with them, especially in the second and third. Easter day.
The clash of eggs, as a general tradition, lasts throughout the Holy Week until Ispas and Pentecost. During Holy Week, it is believed that the sky is open, and whoever dies is happy because he would go without judgment directly to Heaven, sitting at the right hand of the Lord.

A Romanian ethnic custom, which has been partially preserved in northern Bukovina, is claca. It is an event through which the villagers help each other with household chores. In the past, the habit had an economic substratum, but also socialization. According to the custom, the clackers, as the people who come to help with the household chores or those of the field, are called, come dressed in folk clothes, as their grandparents used to do. In the Chernivtsi region, claca was also preserved during the pouring of the foundation of a house or when gathering hay for animals. Snacks, the food to reward the effort, are handled by women, who come with baskets full of traditional goodies. Age is not a limit when it comes to participating in the club. Claca, an old Bucovina custom, which is carried out through collective work, helping each other among community members has deep historical roots. In the past, they were organized to help a person with either household chores or field work. Also, clacks were a way of socializing, to exchange impressions about different situations. Often, after the claque, the households brought a few musicians from the village and dances were organized. In the past, young people met for the first time in the past, then forging family ties.

A special place in the spectrum of traditions of the Romanians from northern Bukovina is occupied by the village’s patron saint. The patron saint of the locality is a celebration with an old tradition, which is celebrated with great pomp every year. The patron saint of the village is celebrated in most localities of the Chernivtsi region, once a year, keeping the specific traditions and customs. Friends, relatives, neighbors from other villages come to the feast as a result of good relations established between the villages. In the days before the feast, the housewives “receive” the house, whitewash it, clean it, prepare food reserves for the local feast, which will follow on the feast day. The patron saint goes to the Holy Liturgy. The patron saint as a cultural phenomenon is part of the tradition of hospitality, although it has Orthodox origins. The patron saint of the village takes place on the anniversary of the consecration of the local church. Based on the documents of the time, this holiday has been noticed as a constant feature of Romanians during the last centuries. On this day, the lads organize the village choir or the game, harboring famous fiddlers. All the inhabitants of the village, the guests of the locality come to the choir, they meet here, communicate, are invited to the feast, etc.

We meet a multitude of wedding customs, traditions and superstitions in the case of Romanians in northern Bukovina – some having an authentic character, others – being loans from other peoples. A wedding in Romania involves a lot of pomp and joy, and wedding traditions and customs have been and will be indispensable. According to tradition, the godparents are the ones who buy the candles and they also pay for the religious service at the Church. On the other hand, the groom is responsible for buying flower bouquets for the bride. On the wedding day, the groom, followed by the knights of honor and his procession, go to the godparents’ house to pick them up, leaving together for the bride.
The bride’s cooking is the most emotional moment of the whole ceremony. Cooking is usually done by the godmother and the bridesmaids.
After the bride’s cooking, the bride and groom are caught in a chorus in the weeds of the house. Stealing the bride is perhaps the most awaited and humorous moment of the wedding evening. This is due to the tasks that the groom must perform when he redeems the bride.
Removing the bride’s veil falls under the duties of the godmother, who will replace the veil with a scarf, scarf or headscarf, which means the transition of the bride from the girl to the married woman. The veil will be caught in the hair of an unmarried girl, most often the one who caught the bouquet.
In the Chernivtsi region, the custom of “Primary Way” has also been preserved, when some of the bride and groom are invited to come to a big meal the day after the wedding. In Herța County, the Romanians kept the habit of masking the parents of young people and godparents. They are masked, dressed in comic clothes by the guests, but only on the second wedding day. Also, the tradition of “worshiping” the cake of the godparents and the bride has been preserved. These customs are accompanied by specific shouts, long Romanian dances, representing a ceremony of gratitude from the guests for the wedding invitation.

The mystery of baptism is one of the most important moments in the life of Romanian ethnics. According to tradition, the day after the baby is baptized, the godmother must go home to the baby to bathe him in a bathtub with water, money, silver, fluff and much more – all put to bring health to the baby’s life. and luck. The godmother must prepare clothes for the baby. The baptismal candle must be lit throughout the event, and the water left in the tub must be thrown to the root of a tree. In addition to all these things, the godmother must have prepared a sprig of basil with which to enchant the little one, in the eyes, ears, mouth, hands, chest, feet and head. In the bathtub often put money, car keys, flowers, mirror, pen and other things, representing different professions of the future, desired abilities or fortunes. Immediately after the boy, a woman sits on the overturned tub. It is said that those who will be placed on it will enjoy beautiful and healthy children.
This event is a family one, it has nothing to do with other church practices, being a moment when the whole family gathers to bring good wishes to the little one and the parents. According to church traditions, the boy after baptism is a pagan custom. Even so, it has become a real tradition, which is planned like a book, starting from the objects that are placed in the tub, to the tasks that the godmother has during this event. In addition, men in the family do not necessarily have to be present in the room, being considered more of an event for women.

In the Chernivtsi region there is Codrii Cosminului, where Stephen the Great, on October 26, 1497, faced and destroyed the army of Polish feudal lords led by John Albert, the Polish king. Then, facing the suzerainty claims of Poland, Stephen the Great won one of his most glorious victories.
In connection with this resounding victory of Ştefan Vodă, in the place where the battle took place, there is a legend related to an oak tree that is said to have witnessed the event. After the victory, Stefan, old, sick and tired, would have rested in his shadow. The oak still exists today and is so thick that it takes three people to cover it.
Another version of the legend says that in this battle the Moldavians cut down trees from Codrii Cosminului, which they felled among the enemy knights in order to divide the Polish army into small groups and not to leave room for their horses to advance. Instead of using their spears and swords to slaughter an army of peasants, many of whom had no links, the Polish knights found themselves surrounded by felled trees.
After the Battle of Codrii Cosminului, Ştefan cel Mare ordered that the 10,000 Polish prisoners be stabbed and put to have and look like acorns on the place where Dumbrava Roşie is today. A new oak forest sprang up here. It is said that of the oaks sown by the Poles, only one remains to this day, called by the locals the Oak of Stephen the Great.
The oak of Stephen the Great from Codrii Cosminului is a place of sacred remembrance and great victory of the soldiers of the brave Voivode. Here, every year, on the second day of Easter, the Romanians from Chernivtsi, together with their priests, come and do Christian service, sprinkling aghiazma with the cross of remembrance and the secular oak. Dressed in folk costume, with tricolor flags, Romanians gather and sing or recite songs and poems whose main theme is Vodă Ştefan.

One of the most important cultural festivals of the Romanian community in the Chernivtsi region is the “Martisor Festival”, organized by the Society for Romanian Culture and Literature in Bucovina “Mihai Eminescu” in the Chernivtsi region, which has reached almost 30 editions. Dozens of cultural events dedicated to Martisor Day take place during March in northern Bukovina. The children make martisoare together with their parents, grandparents, teachers and wear them on their chests, in some areas, until the day of the Flowers, when they hang them from a flowering tree.
Legend has it that once the Sun descended on a village, at the choir, taking the form of a boy. A kite stalked him and kidnapped him from the crowd, locking him in a dungeon. The world was sad. The birds stopped singing, the springs stopped flowing, and the children stopped laughing. No one dared to face the kite, but one day a strong young man decided to leave to save the sun. Many of the earthlings led him and gave him their best to help him defeat the kite and free the Sun. His journey lasted three seasons: summer, autumn and winter. He found the dragon’s castle and they started fighting. They faced each other for days until the kite was shot down. Weakened and wounded, the young man releases the Sun. He ascends to heaven rejoicing and rejoicing the world. Nature revived, people rejoiced, but the brave did not get to see spring. The warm blood from his wounds flowed into the snow. As it melted, white flowers, snowdrops, heralds of spring rose. Even the last drop of the boy’s blood flowed in the immaculate snow.
Since then, the young people have been weaving two tassels: one white and one red. They offer them to the girls they love or to those close to them. Red means love for all that is beautiful, reminiscent of the color of the strong man’s blood. White symbolizes the health and purity of the snowdrop, the first flower of spring.
The setting of the martisoare is usually done before sunrise. It is given, nowadays, mainly to children, girls and women, to protect their tenderness and sensitivity. After several days of wearing the martisoara, it is removed and tied to a fruit tree, to bear much fruit in that year.

Fortunately, the Romanian ethnics have preserved a series of elements of authentic folklore. However, some aspects of this intangible cultural heritage have been modernized or lost their connection with historical origins. Despite this fact, in the Chernivtsi region there are dozens of cultural centers where folk events take place. Ethnofolk groups such as “Izvoraș” from Ropcea, “Mugurel” from Pătrăuții de Jos, in the north of Bessarabia – the ensemble “Țărăncuța” from Marșinți, in Ţinutul Herța – the orchestra “Valea Prutului” from Horbova, the folk group many others. Apart from the elements of folklore encountered on the Romanian territory, in northern Bucovina there are quite widespread songs of mourning, longing, appeared in the context of deportations, war and crimes committed by the communist regime.
On the Siret valley, in the village of Ropcea in northern Bucovina, already in the 40th year, the ethnofolkloric ensemble “Izvoraș” has a beautiful artistic activity. The artistic leader of this ethnofolkloric ensemble is Victoria Costinean, Emeritus Worker of Culture in Ukraine, a beloved performer of Romanian folk music from the northern Bucovina area, who coordinates the activity of the ensemble since its founding. The “Izvoraș” ensemble is based on authentic pieces and costumes, on local talent and artistry.
“First of all, we strive to represent the authentic folklore and costume from Bucovina, from the villages in the Siret valley. We have an authentic Bucovina repertoire, with traditional songs: doines, songs of joy, songs of alienation. There are songs that are part of my repertoire and the repertoire of the ensemble. We rely mainly on songs collected in northern Bukovina. What does an authentic song mean? We sing it as we heard it, in his coat, in his folk shirt. We often find a song with different songs, ie the same verse and several variants of the song. We also have processed songs. Many of the songs we find have no melody, no beginning or end. For this reason, we have to process some songs to save them “, said Victoria Costinean.
The “Izvoraș” ethnofolkloric ensemble from Ropcea was founded in 1982 and became a model collective in the Chernivtsi region. Victoria Costinean aimed to gather children in love with folk music, folklore, national costume. The process of collecting old songs from the area followed. In addition to the ethnofolkloric ensemble “Izvoraș”, Victoria Costinean created a museum next to the local school, which keeps alive the history of Ropcea village and of the Romanians from Bucovina from this corner of the world.

Each locality in northern Bukovina has given birth to more or less important personalities. The village of Bahrinești is proud of the Mandicevschi family dynasty, known in Bucovina, but also in the world through the contribution of its representatives to the preservation and promotion of the Romanian language, culture, but also of the ancestral faith. The song “Sing the cuckoo beats him, to resonate in Bucovina” is known today throughout Romania, but fewer know that the author of this song is Constantin Mandicevschi from Bahrinești, Chernivtsi region.
Inside the school in Bahrinești, Mihai and Vladimir Acatrini (father and son) inaugurated a museum dedicated to the Mandicevschi family, where they exhibited a large part of the documents and works found so far. At the entrance to the museum, the song “Cântă cucu-n Bucovina” is heard – a famous song, which according to some historians, was composed in Bahrinești, near the Ukrainian-Romanian border.
Mihai and Vladimir Acatrini claim that few people know that the great Romanian scholar from Bucovina, Constantin Mandicevschi, is the author of the lyrics of the famous song “Cântă cucu-n Bucovina”, written in 1904 on the melody of a Bucovina song adapted to the request of politicians and culture Spiru Haret and Nicolae Iorga. The song was performed for years by the popular rhapsodist Vasile Mucea, who discovered it in the village of Corceşti, Storojineţ district, in the north of Bucovina, in 1943, but it was first recorded by Grigore Leşe only in 1996.
It is more than a doina, it is a page of Romanian destiny that evokes an episode in the history of the people, at the beginning of the 20th century.
Mandicevschi’s original verses were translated to the melody of a Bucovina mourning song, this Romanian scholar being one of the organizers of the festivities commemorating the 400th anniversary of the death of Stephen the Great in Putna in 1904.
The song caught on and was taken over by the Romanians from the villages in the area as a popular song. Every popular rhapsodist who sang it added lyrics, changed it. Its origin was already lost, when it was picked up by Vasile Mucea, a popular musician who performed it brilliantly. Excerpt from the Variant of the song “Sing cuckoo in Bucovina”, proposed by Vasile Mucea: „Sing the cuckoo guilt beat him / Bucovina resounds / Sing the cuckoo guilt beat him / Bucovina Resounds // Sing the cuckoo in a tree / To resound in Chernivtsi / Bucovina, plain of flowers / Where are yours youngs ? // Bucovina, plain of flowers / Where are your sons? / They were taken to another country / But they will return in spring // They were taken to another country / But they will return in spring / They were taken to another country / But they return in spring…. ”

The societies for Romanian culture in the Chernivtsi region hold a series of events that have become traditional. We mention, first of all, the “White Flowers” festival, dedicated to the winter holidays (end of December), “Our Romanian Language” (August 31) – an event dedicated to the Romanian Language Day as a mother tongue, the “Martisor” festival. There are also folk festivals (“In the garden with many flowers”, “Doina of spring”), literary competitions (“Ilie Motrescu”, “Grigore Bostan”, “Porni Luceafărul…”) and others.
A special place in the more recent cultural traditions of the Romanian ethnic groups is occupied by the “Mihai Eminescu” Days. On January 15 (the birthday of the Romanian national poet, who lived for a time in Chernivtsi) and on June 15 (the day Eminescu died) cultural events take place, flower arrangements at the writer’s monument, debates, round tables, concerts, launches of book.

The “Fruit Day” celebration has been taking place in Voloca for several years in September. Held in the middle of autumn, when the villager sees the fruits of his work, it aroused the interest of all: from small to large. For example, the students at the school compete in which class prepares the most attractive autumn wreath from the fruits of the field and orchards. All the students of the Voloca Middle School with the support of their parents and the pedagogical team usually participate in the organization of the exhibitions, with the gifts of autumn. There is also a fair where food, sweets and soft drinks are sold. The celebration usually begins with the blessing of the parish priest.
The village of Voloca on Derelui is known for its hospitable people, for its beautiful flowered costumes and for its many talents. La Voloca cannot be a celebration without the evolution of amateur artists. The popular talents of Volocene offer the possibility to assert themselves on stage to the small amateur artists from Hrușăuți and Valea Cosminului, villages that are part of the same commune.

An important interethnic event in Chernivtsi is the theatrical ethnofolkloric festival “From Christmas to Jordan”. A great discovery of this festival from the past years was “Căiuții” from Culiceni, who were among the winners of this contest. The festival takes place at the Regional Museum of Popular Architecture and Living in Chernivtsi and gathers every year a varied audience, but also ethnofolkloric groups from all corners of the Chernivtsi region. The festival aims to preserve the popular traditions of northern Bukovina, but also of other areas, which constitute the current Chernivtsi region. “Căiuții” from Culiceni is a group that keeps the tradition of “căiuții” during the New Year holidays, along with many other groups of this kind in the region.
Horses are found in most villages in Bucovina and impress with their splendor and elegance. The game of horses has a special value for the villagers, being one of the most beautiful games. The young people who form the cavalry groups are very good dancers, manifesting through play the dynamism and vital force of youth. The dance of the horses inspires the courage and bravery, the bravery of those who left to defend their country’s borders. Those who wear the horse costume are equipped with horse heads, made of wood and dressed in white cloth and other ornamental elements (mirrors, tinsel, ribbons). The horse’s head is fixed in a wooden support, usually a hollow dug in the middle covered by a white cloth skirt, over which decorative elements are applied. The horses are grouped in groups led by a captain. The game of these young people, who perform the dance of the horses, takes place face to face, in line and in a circle, under the command of the captain, as if reminding us of a chivalrous attack.

An important element of the immaterial culture of the Romanians from Chernivtsi is represented by the legends and stories about the studies and activity of Mihai Eminescu in Chernivtsi. Some facts are reconstructed from memories and archives, others are legends and assumptions, forming together an attractive cultural picture. One cannot talk about the national poet of the Romanians, Mihai Eminescu, without mentioning Chernivtsi. Here his father, Gheorghe Eminovici, brought him to study books, here he had Aron Pumnul as his teacher and spiritual parent. It was at the death of Aron Pumnul that the poetic star of Eminescu was lit.
Aron Pumnul was for the student Eminescu, more than a teacher. In fact, it is said that the scholar loved Eminescu so much that after the death of his only son, Ioan, he would have wanted to adopt him. From 1865 the future poet was hosted by his mentor, having the duty to take care of his library, which he is supposed to have known before. Aron Pumnul’s house was kept in Chernivtsi, it is to be renovated, representing an important tourist attraction for people thirsty for culture.
At the death of his mentor, Eminescu is deeply impressed and writes the poem “At the Fist’s Tomb” with tears in his eyes. It was his first poem. Here he is not a beginner, poetry betrays a technical virtuosity that requires a long exercise. In fact, literary criticism shows that the poems “If I Had…” and “From Abroad” published later, had been written before this poem. The poem appeared in the pamphlet “Tears of high school students from Chernivtsi at the grave of their beloved teacher Aron Pumnul” in 1866.