▁of ▁World ▁War ▁II , ▁Sm och in ă ▁back ed ▁the ▁author itar ian ▁regime ▁of ▁I on ▁Anton es cu ▁and ▁paid ▁service ▁to ▁G he org he ▁Alex ian u ' s ▁Trans n ist ria ▁Governor ate . ▁His ▁scientific ▁work ▁included ▁a ▁recovery ▁of ▁pre - B ols he vik ▁or ▁anti - Russ ian ▁Roman ian ▁fol kl ore ▁in ▁Trans n ist ria ▁and ▁beyond . ▁Such ▁activities , ▁along ▁with ▁his ▁expos ure ▁of ▁Soviet ▁brut ality , ▁made ▁him ▁a ▁wanted ▁man ▁once ▁the ▁commun ist ▁regime ▁took ▁over ▁in ▁Roman ia . ▁He ▁was ▁eventually ▁captured , ▁sent ▁to ▁prison ▁and ▁dep riv ed ▁of ▁his ▁academic ▁hon ors . ▁Part ly ▁re inst ated ▁by ▁the ▁late ▁ 1 9 6 0 s , ▁he ▁spent ▁his ▁final ▁dec ades ▁encourag ing ▁the ▁second - gener ation ▁commun ist ▁authorities ▁to ▁take ▁a ▁fir mer ▁stand ▁against ▁controvers ial ▁Soviet ▁policies ▁such ▁as ▁" M old oven ism ". ▁ ▁Biography ▁ ▁Orig ins ▁and ▁early ▁life ▁Nich ita ▁Sm och in ă ▁was ▁born ▁on ▁the ▁conf ines ▁of ▁historical ▁Mold avia ▁and ▁B ess arab ia : ▁the ▁entire ▁Trans n ist rian ▁region ▁was ▁at ▁the ▁time ▁part ▁of ▁the ▁Russian ▁Kh erson ▁Governor ate . ▁As ▁he ▁himself ▁later ▁rec ount ed , ▁the ▁b ount iful ▁eastern ▁bank ▁of ▁the ▁D ni ester ▁was ▁home ▁to ▁a ▁th riv ing ▁Roman ian ▁community , ▁or , ▁as