re tes cu , ▁such ▁contributions ▁made ▁Sm och in ă ▁" the ▁most ▁significant ▁research er ▁of ▁folk ▁culture ▁in ▁that ▁area ." ▁ ▁His ▁main ▁activity ▁in ▁adv ancing ▁the ▁cause ▁of ▁Trans n ist ri ans ▁was ▁creating ▁the ▁Association ▁of ▁Trans n ist rian ▁Roman ians . ▁It ▁was ▁designed ▁to ▁give ▁further ▁support ▁to ▁the ▁Roman ian ▁refuge es ▁from ▁that ▁region , ▁who ▁were ▁estimated ▁at ▁ 2 0 , 0 0 0 . ▁Sm och in ă ▁himself ▁estimated ▁that ▁there ▁were ▁in ▁all ▁some ▁ 1 , 2 0 0 , 0 0 0 ▁Roman ians ▁living ▁in ▁the ▁Mold av ian ▁A SS R , ▁forming ▁ 8 0 % ▁of ▁the ▁native ▁population — this ▁remains ▁the ▁highest ▁such ▁estimate , ▁significantly ▁ahead ▁of ▁the ▁number ▁advanced ▁in ▁the ▁ 1 9 1 0 s ▁by ▁activ ist ▁Alex is ▁N our . ▁By ▁the ▁late ▁ 1 9 3 0 s , ▁Sm och in ă ▁was ▁contrib uting ▁to ▁I org a ' s ▁summer ▁school ▁program ▁in ▁V ă len ii ▁de ▁Mun te ▁town . ▁Phys ician ▁G . ▁Br ă tes cu , ▁who ▁attended ▁these ▁con ferences ▁as ▁an ▁ad oles cent , ▁notes ▁that ▁Sm och in ă ▁gave ▁" f right ening ▁accounts " ▁of ▁life ▁in ▁Trans n ist ria . ▁Br ă tes cu , ▁who ▁was ▁also ▁being ▁introduced ▁to ▁Roman ian ▁Commun ist ▁Party ▁propag anda , ▁also ▁re called ▁that