Smaranda Șchiopu

Smaranda Șchiopu is a Romanian journalist and anthropologist, based in London. In 2023 she obtained an MA‌ from the National School of Political Science and Public Administration in Bucharest with a thesis on the cross-border life in the Ruse-Giurgiu area. She spent her early years in Sofia and remains attached to Bulgarian language and culture, including through her articles for Scena9, The Bridge of Friendship and other media.

Do rivers make states? flowing-progress-1200x675

Do rivers make states?

Smaranda Șchiopu 29 January, 2026

Book review

“You arrive as nobody”: Kapka Kassabova’s Ode to the Balkans ohrid-1200x675

“You arrive as nobody”: Kapka Kassabova’s Ode to the Balkans

Smaranda Șchiopu 26 April, 2025

A Romanian read of Kassabova’s quartet - Border, To the Lake, Elixir and Anima

Infrastructure and cross-border meetings in Giurgiu – Ruse. View from the bridge Podul-Dunărea-vedere-din-portul-Giurgiu1-1200x675

Infrastructure and cross-border meetings in Giurgiu – Ruse. View from the bridge

Smaranda Șchiopu 16 September, 2024

Danube space anthropologist Smaranda Șchiopu reflects on her discoveries in the Giurgiu-Ruse cross-border area

Cem, the pre-romantic underdog cem-2-1200x675

Cem, the pre-romantic underdog

Smaranda Șchiopu 19 May, 2024

Stuck between Ottoman fury and Western greed, the allegedly favourite son of the sultan Mehmed the Conqueror...

Animest The Romanian festival of cinema for the young people
Blogul lui Codru Vrabie (Codru Vrabie's blog) A blog by a leading Romanian expert on good governance – Un blog al unui expert român de renume în domeniul bunei guvernări – Блог на водещ румънски експерт по добро управление
Bodil Dimitar Sabev’s blog on economy, ecology and society – Blogul lui Dimitar Săbev despre economie, ecologie și societate – Блогът на Димитър Събев за икономика, екология и общество
Bulgarikon A Romanian shares his discoveries about Bulgaria… Un român împărtășește descoperirile sale despre Bulgaria… Румънец споделя откритията си за България
Centrul de Studii asupra Orientului Mijlociu și Mediteranei (Univeristatea Babeș-Bolyai) – The Center for Middle Eastern and Mediterrainean Studies (UBB) The leading Romanian academic center on Middle Eastern Studies
Cross-border Talks (site) A Poland-based site, which is reflecting on international politics and social issues, with an emphasis on regional, EU and Third World matters…
Cross-border Talks (Substack) Cross-border Talks’s Substack newsletter. Buletinul informativ Substack al Cross-border Talks. Нюзлетърът на Cross-border Talks в Substack
Cross-border Talks (YouTube) Cross-border Talks’ YouTube channel
Decât o Revistă (DoR) Romanian storytelling magazine (non-fiction) – Revista românească de storytelling (non-fiction) – Румънското списание, което разказва истории
Градското списание (Urban Magazine) Списание за градските хора и за градската култура – O revistă despre oamenii din oraș și despre cultura cetățenească
Център за изкуство и култура "БЛОК 14 " (Center for Art and Culture "BLOCK 14") Културният център на младите в Русе – Centrul Cultural al Tineretului din Ruse- The Cultural Center of the Young People in Ruse
International Society Elias Canetti The host of the Austrian library in Ruse, Bulgaria
Marginalia The Bulgarian site for a human rights-based world
Oamenii Dreptății (People of Justice) The civil society show in Romania – Spectacolul societății civile în România – Шоуто на гражданското общество в Румъния
Performantica TEDxBrașov – TEDxБрашов
Peripheral Vision Din perirferia în căutarea lumii – un blog despre teoria socială, problemele socialе şi idei, editat de un cetăţean scotian în România – От периферията в търсене на света – социална теория
Post/h/um – Jurnal de studii postumaniste (Journal for Post-humanist Studies) A Romanian progressive journal
Pro Democrația A leading liberal society in Romania – O societate liberală de frunte în România – Водещо либерално общество в Румъния
Radio Bulgaria (English) News about Bulgaria in English language
Radio Bulgaria în limba română Știri despre Bulgaria în limba română
Radio România Actualități (Radio Romania News) News about Romania and the world in Romanian language – Știri despre România și lumea în limba română – Новини за Румъния и света на румънски език
Ruse Summer Free Tour Turul grătuit al oraşului Ruse – Безплатният тур на Русе
The Persian Bridge of Friendship
The Persian Bridge of Friendship's Substack The Persian Bridge of Friendship’s Substack newsletter – Buletinul Podului Persan al Prieteniei – Нюзлетърът на Персийския мост на приятелството в Substack

Smaranda Șchiopu

The Danube as a Platform for Cooperation

Do rivers make states?

“You arrive as nobody”: Kapka Kassabova’s Ode to the Balkans

Infrastructure and cross-border meetings in Giurgiu – Ruse. View from the bridge

Cem, the pre-romantic underdog

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