ount a ▁Category : Pop ulated ▁places ▁in ▁Elis <0x0A> </s> ▁Nich ita ▁P . ▁Sm och in ă ▁( , ▁Russian ▁and ▁Mold ovan ▁C yr ill ic : ▁Ни ки та ▁С мо кин э , ▁Nik ita ▁Sm ok ine ; ▁also ▁known ▁as ▁M . ▁Flor in ; ▁March ▁ 1 4 , ▁ 1 8 9 4 ▁– ▁December ▁ 1 4 , ▁ 1 9 8 0 ) ▁was ▁a ▁Trans n ist rian - born ▁activ ist , ▁scholar ▁and ▁political ▁figure , ▁especially ▁noted ▁for ▁campaign ing ▁on ▁beh alf ▁of ▁eth nic ▁Roman ians ▁in ▁the ▁Soviet ▁Union . ▁He ▁was ▁first ▁active ▁in ▁the ▁Russian ▁Empire , ▁serving ▁with ▁distinction ▁in ▁World ▁War ▁I , ▁then ▁in ▁the ▁Ukrain ian ▁People ' s ▁Republic , ▁where ▁he ▁earned ▁his ▁reputation ▁as ▁a ▁champion ▁of ▁Trans n ist rian ▁Roman ian ▁interests . ▁An ▁anti - comm un ist , ▁he ▁narrow ly ▁escaped ▁the ▁B ols he vik s ▁and ▁crossed ▁into ▁Roman ia , ▁which ▁became ▁his ▁second ▁home . ▁A ▁prot ég é ▁of ▁historian ▁Nicola e ▁I org a , ▁Sm och in ă ▁earned ▁his ▁academic ▁credentials ▁and ▁also ▁made ▁himself ▁known ▁intern ation ally ▁as ▁an ▁expert ▁on ▁minor ity ▁rights . ▁Begin ning ▁in ▁the ▁ 1 9 2 0 s , ▁he ▁contributed ▁to ▁historical ▁research , ▁eth n ography ▁and ▁folk lor istics , ▁as ▁well ▁as ▁juris pr ud ence . ▁ ▁During ▁most