From the Romanian “Codru” to the Soviet Forest: Identity Transformations of the Bessarabian Forest Landscape
Cătălina Frangopol
în vol. Trasee și convergențe culturale și naționale în România Mare. Provincii, identități, destine, coord. Maria Tătar-Dan, Nicolae Enciu, Corina Teodor, Giordano Altarozzi, Cluj-Napoca, Editura Mega, 2026, ISBN: 978-630-372-121-7, pp. 283-290.
Abstract
From the Romanian “Codru” to the Soviet Forest: Identity Transformations of the Bessarabian Forest Landscape (19th–20th Centuries)
This article examines the identity transformations of the forest landscape in Bessarabia during the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, situating the forest at the intersection of environmental, political, and social change. Moving beyond a purely ecological or economic approach, the study conceptualizes the forest as a cultural landscape shaped by shifting power relations between communities and the state. Drawing on both qualitative analysis and quantitative data, the article traces the transition from the Romanian codru, embedded in local traditions, communal practices, and symbolic meanings to the Soviet forest, redefined through centralized planning and economic instrumentalization.
Keywords: Bessarabia; codru; forest; Soviet forestry; cultural landscape