POST-REVOLUTION ROMANIA, 1990: The Lippovan Russians' Community of Romania

The Lippovan Russians' Community of Romania (CRLR) was founded on January 14, 1990 under the name of the Community of Romania Lippovans, under Law No. 21/1924, and was subsequently recognized as a legal person under civil ruling No. 181 of February 12, 1990 of the Bucharest Sector 1 Court, informs the CRLR website, https://www.crlr.ro. After the 1989 Revolution, Romania's community of Lippovan Russians grasped the opportunity of a favorable legislative framework allowing it to organize into a non-political cultural formation, which happened on January 14, 1990, when an enthusiastic group of Lippovan Russian ethnics, including intellectuals such as Andrei Ivanov, Feodor Chirila, Echim Andrei, Feodor Petuhov, Petre Mocenco, Fedot Nicolae, Ion Popov, Macsim Ivanov and others, took the initiative of setting up the CRLR, the website mentions. At the first National Conference held on April 8, 1990, the delegates of the Lippovan Russians from all over the country unanimously adopted the new name of the Community - the Lippovan Russians' Community of Romania (CRLR). At present, the Lippovan Russians' Community of Romania operates in accordance with the provisions of the Government's Ordinance No. 26/2000 on associations and foundations, of Law No. 246/2005 for the approval of the Government's Ordinance No. 26/2000 and Art. 62 paragraph (2) of the Constitution of Romania. The CRLR headquarters are in Bucharest. The languages used within the CRLR are Russian and Romanian. The mission of the CRLR is to unite the efforts of its members for defending and exercising the right to the preservation, development and expression of the ethnic, linguistic, religious and cultural identity of the ethnic Lippovan Russians, as recognized and guaranteed by the international documents on the protection of fundamental human and national minorities' rights and freedoms, the Romanian Constitution and Romanian laws, according to https://www.crlr.ro/. Accepted as members of the Lippovan Russians' Community of Romania can be all the Romanian citizens who declare themselves Lippovan Russians, Russians or Lippovans, who know the Community's Program and Statutes and act for their transposition into reality, and provide moral and material support for the Community, according to their possibilities. The CRLR members are: the founding members, the active members, the supporting members and the honorary members. The CRLR basic organization is the local community, which consists of members with their permanent domicile in a particular locality. The minimum number of local community members is ten. Ethnics with the domicile in neighboring localities which lack the number of persons required for a local community can also join. The task of the local community is to deal with the problems regarding the economic, social, cultural and educational life of the Lippovan Russians who live in the area and to take the necessary measures to solve them. Problems that cannot be solved at local level are referred to the Executive Directorate of the Central Community for resolution. The leading, decision-making and control bodies of the Lippovan Russians' Community of Romania, according to the Government's Ordinance No. 26/2000, with the subsequent amendments and additions are: the Conference of Representatives; the CRLR General Assembly; the Steering Council; the Executive Directorate; other Community bodies (the Censor Commission, the Ethics and Discipline Commission). The Conference of Representatives is the CRLR supreme governing body, which meets every 4 years to elect the CRLR president, Steering Council, Censor Commission and the Ethics and Discipline Commission. The president of the Lippovan Russians' Community of Romania represents the CRLR in relation to the Romanian and foreign public institutions, as well as before any foreign natural and legal persons, and also steers, guides and takes responsibility for the entire activity of CRLR. The position of CRLR president is currently held by Silviu Feodor. The CRLR deputy represents the interests of ethnic Lippovan Russians in the Parliament of Romania. The current CRLR deputy is Andrian Ampleev (from September 12, 2018), who is a member of the parliamentary group of national minorities, according to http://www.cdep.ro/. Other CRLR structures are: the Association of Young Lippovan Russians of Romania (ATRLR), the Research Center on the History and Culture of the Lippovan Russians of Romania (CCICRLR), the Educational Center (CE). CRLR puts out its own information, science and culture publications. The editorial policy is established by the Steering Council. Over time, the Lippovan Russians' Community of Romania has been involved in organizing activities related to various holidays, events, traditions and customs, such as ''Maslenitsa (Shrovetide)'', the National Festival of the Lippovan Russians' song, dance, dress and customs, the Russian Poetry Festival national school contest.AGERPRES(Documentary research: Ruxandra Bratu; editor: Liviu Tatu; EN - author: Simona Klodnischi, editor: Maria Voican)