Abstract: 
In 1812, the Russian Empire expanded its territory by annexing the eastern part of the Principality of Moldova, encompassing the area known as Bessarabia, situated between the Prut and Dniester rivers. This annexation not only altered the Empire's borders but also significantly changed the socio-administrative framework of the newly acquired region. Establishing a new administration loyal to the Empire posed numerous challenges, particularly in a climate where the central administrative institutions were themselves undergoing significant transformation. The primary objective of this new regional administration, which was directly subordinate to the central authorities, was to oversee and secure the newly delineated border of the Empire.
To ensure the security of this border, a series of measures were implemented from the outset, particularly targeting social groups perceived as vulnerable to marginalization, whom the authorities identified as potential threats to the stability of the newly acquired territory. Among these groups, the so-called "Nomads G*psies," referred to as the "G*psies belonging to the crown," were of particular concern to the imperial administration. In 1813, a census was conducted to assess the population of these “G*psies belonging to the crown,” which was followed, in 1815, by the establishment of the "Bessarabian Border Office of the G*psies belonging to the crown" in Chișinău. This office was tasked with administering this population, viewed as both nomadic and marginalized.
This presentation draws on previously underutilized archival materials to focus primarily on the last decade of the Office's operations, from 1829 to 1839. During this period, the Tsarist authorities made considerable efforts to curtail the nomadic lifestyle of the "G*psies belonging to the crown" by relocating them onto State land. The central aim of this study is to understand and analyze the interactions between the officials of this regulatory body and the populations under their administration, as well as to examine how the Roma responded to and engaged with these authorities.

Tatiana Sîrbu is a historian and scientific collaborator at the Laboratory for Prospective Anthropology (LAAP) within the Institute for the Analysis of Change in Contemporary and Historical Societies (IACCHOS) at the University of Louvain. She earned her PhD in History, Art, and Archaeology from the Université Libre de Bruxelles. Her primary research interests are in Romani studies, particularly addressing the social and administrative history of the Tsarist Empire and the Soviet Union. 
Contact: tatiana.sirbu@uclouvain.be

Cristina Teodora Stoica earned her Ph.D. from Western University in 2024. During the previous summer, she was as a fellow at the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum (USHMM). In 2023, she participated in the Curt C. and Else Silberman Faculty Seminar, focusing on interdisciplinary approaches to teaching about Holocaust violence at the USHMM. 
Her dissertation explores the underlying factors contributing to antig*psyism in Romania, emphasizing how these issues manifested violently from the unification of Wallachia and Moldova in 1859 through the conclusion of the Second World War in 1945. 
Cristina's most recent peer-reviewed publication, titled “Objections to Deportations: Non-violent and Clandestine Protests to Roma Deportations to Transnistria,” offers a detailed analysis of Romani agency in resisting state-sponsored deportations to Transnistria. 
Contact: cstoica2@uwo.ca