▁project , ▁found ing ▁the ▁Mold av ian ▁Circle , ▁which ▁dis sem in ated ▁propag anda ▁and ▁popular ized ▁Roman ian ▁histor i ography . ▁ ▁For ▁a ▁while , ▁Sm och in ă ▁Sr . ▁was ▁in ▁the ▁Crime a , ▁helping ▁Roman ian ▁historian ▁G he org he ▁I . ▁Br ăt ian u ▁to ▁recover ▁the ▁letters ▁addressed ▁by ▁his ▁ancest or , ▁I on ▁Br ăt ian u , ▁to ▁Nicholas ▁I ▁of ▁Russia . ▁He ▁maintained ▁contacts ▁with ▁local ▁Rus si ans ▁and ▁helped ▁anti - comm un ist ▁sur geon ▁P avel ▁Ch as ov nik ov ▁( C e as ov nic ov ) ▁in ▁receiving ▁Roman ian ▁citizens hip ▁rights . ▁In ▁his ▁native ▁area ▁of ▁Dub ă s ari , ▁the ▁scholar ▁played ▁host ▁to ▁Roman ian ▁students ▁coming ▁in ▁from ▁Buch ar est ▁and ▁from ▁Od essa ' s ▁Roman ian ▁Cultural ▁Institute . ▁ ▁Commun ist ▁repr ession ▁By ▁early ▁ 1 9 4 4 , ▁the ▁A xis ▁had ▁been ▁de alt ▁major ▁defe ats ▁on ▁the ▁Eastern ▁Front , ▁and ▁the ▁S ovi ets ▁began ▁their ▁men acing ▁D nie per – Car path ian ▁Off ensive . ▁The ▁change ▁of ▁fort unes ▁al ar med ▁B ess arab ian ▁and ▁Trans n ist rian ▁activ ists : ▁Sm och in ă , ▁H ali ppa ▁and ▁B old ur ▁joined ▁others ▁in ▁a ▁diplom atic ▁effort ▁to ▁conv ince ▁the ▁Western ▁Al lies ▁that ▁B ess arab ia