The Gendarmerie Mobile Group “Alexandru cel Bun” announces that it will provide public order and security measures in an integrated system together with the Iași County Police Inspectorate, the Iași Emergency Situations Inspectorate and the Iași County Gendarmerie Inspection during the traditional New Year. events recently took place in the city of Ruginoasa, in the county of Iasi.

According to a press release from the mobile gendarmerie group of Bacau, the law enforcement authorities do not want to prohibit the observance of traditions and customs specific to this region, but they want to prevent violent clashes, according to Agerpres.

“Given the history of demonstrations in Ruginois to prevent clashes between members of the masked groups commonly known as “Deleni” and “Văleni”, law enforcement agencies will act in a comprehensive preventive system to limit the possibility of meeting these masked groups and comply with the current legislation regarding the organization and holding public gatherings regarding the carrying and use of blunt objects during public demonstrations. We want to remind you once again that we do not want to prohibit the traditions and customs specific to the area, the presence of law enforcement agencies in the commune of Rouginoise for this manifestation, which is of a preventive nature in order to protect the physical integrity of all people present in the public space,” it says in a press release sent by the mobile group of the Gendarmerie of Bacau.

The same source advises local residents to respect the tradition of their ancestors, as well as the instructions of law enforcement agencies, so that after the “battle” there are no victims among the “Valeni” and “Delena”.

“So that this festive day in your community is not overshadowed by unpleasant situations, we recommend that you be responsible and respect the instructions of the gendarmes, policemen and firefighters who are present in the areas of your stay. For your own safety, distance yourself from people whose actions may put you in danger. If you have become a victim or a witness of anti-social acts, feel free to contact the law enforcement agencies that are on the territory for support, directly or by calling the National Unified Emergency Service 112. It is important to note that we do not tolerate any deviations from legal norms, any which failure detection will be punished according to law. In the end, our appeal is only one: show civilized behavior and make responsible choices,” the quoted source said.

“Thousand-year-old tradition” of the battle between “Delen” and “Valen”

These measures are taken because on the morning of the last day of the year, when night meets day, according to a thousand-year-old tradition, in the center of the commune of Ruginoas, a battle took place between the “deleni” and “valenins”.

The elders of the village say that this battle, or Malanka, as it is also called, represents not only the confrontation between the youth from the Mountain and the youth from the Valley of the village, but also the confrontation of the evil of the old year. and well-being that each member of the community expects in the new year.

The training of the masked Delenians and Valenians begins a few days before the end of the year, as members of each camp gather to determine their own battle strategies.

“On the morning of the last day of the year, Valea cu Dealul is fighting,” say local residents.

That is, even before daylight, young men from Dila and Vala gather, dress and put on terrible handmade masks, arm themselves with sticks and argue about their supremacy in the village, fighting under the gaze of spectators.

According to tradition, after the battle, the winners celebrate by hitting the ground with sticks, chasing after the defeated, changing their ugly masks to beautiful komanas and escorting them in the middle of the village with “bears”, “goats”, “deer”, “peacocks”, “gypsies”, ” brides” or “irons”.

There were years when the traditional custom turned into real bloody battles. Concealed under the masks of animal skins, passed down from generation to generation, some youths aggressively beat their opponents, but it happened that among the beaten were people who watched the battle from the sidelines.

In 2011, several combatants were hospitalized with broken heads, legs, arms, or deep wounds, a 17-year-old boy was paralyzed, and another died. After these serious incidents, the “battle of Rouginoaz” takes place under the strict supervision of the law enforcement forces of several structures of the MAI, thus turning into more of a symbolic struggle.