In 1914–1915, Frățiman had returned to Bessarabia and was employed by the Normal School in Soroca.Aizenshtadt, p. 20 His training allowed him to teach religion, French language, and world history; his brother Petru had similar interests and, in 1904, helped establish the Bessarabian Historical and Archeological Society.Prohin, pp. 454, 456 Highly educated for a Bessarabian of that era, Frățiman also obtained a diploma from the Imperial Institute of Archeology, being inducted as a full member in 1907.Sorokin, p. 172 His career was interrupted when he began campaigning for the Romanian Latin alphabetProhin, p. 454 and drew suspicion as a "Romanianphile".Gheorghe Negru, "Contracararea 'curentului românofil' din Basarabia în anii Primului Război Mondial. Cazul Daniel Ciugureanu", in Andrei Emilciuc (ed.), Primul Război Mondial și Basarabia (1914–1918). Culegere de studii și articole, p. 82. Chișinău: Academy of Sciences of Moldova, 2015. According to historian Paul Vataman, Frățiman was also punished for his personal stash of banned books, in various languages. In summer 1916, Russian officials had him detained at the penitentiary of Soroca, and subsequently deported to Central Asia, in Turgay Oblast;Aizenshtadt, p. 20 some authors suggest that he was also held in Siberia.Prohin, p. 454
