Roma Faces & Facades

Shutka is the biggest permanent Roma settlement in southeastern Europe. It is situated on the outskirts of Skopje the capital of Macedonia and even if it may officially be a part of the capital it functions as an independent entity, resounding and swaying to its own rhythm and beats. While the sheer poverty of this place certainly makes an impact on a first time visitor, it is not what one remembers the most after leaving Shutka or the principal factor upon which the long lasting impressions are based on. Rather then the readily evident lack of material goods, it is the friendliness and the generosity found in Shutka which stays with a visitor the longest. In fact, it is the deep sense of a tight knit community which makes Shutka so very special. Kids here play on the streets of their town like kids use to do all around Europe some 40 years ago, without a worry or a fear. Everybody knows each other on a first name bases here and the sense of community and the role it plays in the larger society is very significant.