Ukrainians of Romania
Encyclopedia
The Ukrainians
are the third-largest ethnic minority
in Romania
. According to the 2002 Romanian census they number 61,091 people, making up 0.3% of the total population. Ukrainians claim that the number is actually 250,000-300,000. Ukrainians mainly live in northern Romania, in areas close to the Ukrainian border. More than half of all Romanian Ukrainians live in Maramureş County
(34,027), where they make up 6.67% of the population. Sizable populations of Ukrainians are also found in Suceava County
(8506 people), Timiş County
(7261), Caraş-Severin County
(3526), Arad County
(1741), Satu Mare County
(1556) and Tulcea County
(1279). Ukrainians make up a majority in seven communes
of Maramureş County (Bistra
, Bocicoiu Mare
, Poienile de sub Munte
, Remeţi
, Repedea
, Rona de Sus
and Ruscova
) and three in Suceava County (Bălcăuţi, Izvoarele Sucevei
and Ulma
), as well as in Ştiuca, Timiş
and Copăcele, Caraş-Severin
. Also according to the census, 79% of Ukrainians were Eastern Orthodox
, organized into the Ukrainian Orthodox Vicariate Sighetu Marmaţiei
; 10% Pentecostal
; 2.8% Greek-Catholic
, organized into the Ukrainian Greek-Catholic Vicariate Rădăuţi; 2.1% Seventh-day Adventist
; 1.2% Lipovan Orthodox
and 2.9% stated they belonged to "another religion".
A second group of Ukrainians in Romania live in the Dobruja
region of the Danube Delta
. These are descendents of Zaporozhian Cossacks who fled Russian rule in the 18th century. In 1830 they numbered 1,095 families . Over the years they were joined by other peasants fleeing serfdom in the Russian Empire. In 1992 their descendants numbered four thousand people according to official Romanian statistics, while the local community claims to number 20,000. Known as Rusnaks, they continue to pursue the traditional Cossack
lifestyle of hunting and fishing.
As an officially-recognised ethnic minority, Ukrainians have one seat
reserved in the Romanian Chamber of Deputies
. Ştefan Tcaciuc held the seat from 1990 until his 2005 death, when he was replaced by Ştefan Buciuta.
Ukrainians
Ukrainians are an East Slavic ethnic group native to Ukraine, which is the sixth-largest nation in Europe. The Constitution of Ukraine applies the term 'Ukrainians' to all its citizens...
are the third-largest ethnic minority
Minorities of Romania
Officially, 10.5% of Romania's population is represented by minorities . The principal minorities in Romania are Hungarians and Roma people, with a declining German population and smaller numbers of Poles in Bucovina...
in Romania
Romania
Romania is a country located at the crossroads of Central and Southeastern Europe, on the Lower Danube, within and outside the Carpathian arch, bordering on the Black Sea...
. According to the 2002 Romanian census they number 61,091 people, making up 0.3% of the total population. Ukrainians claim that the number is actually 250,000-300,000. Ukrainians mainly live in northern Romania, in areas close to the Ukrainian border. More than half of all Romanian Ukrainians live in Maramureş County
Maramures County
Maramureș is a county of Romania, in the Maramureș region. The county seat is Baia Mare.- History :* The 10th century frontier county of Borsova was founded by Stephen I of Hungary. Since then Máramaros served as the north-eastern border of the Hungarian Kingdom until 1920, the Trianon Peace...
(34,027), where they make up 6.67% of the population. Sizable populations of Ukrainians are also found in Suceava County
Suceava County
Suceava is a county of Romania, in the historical region of Moldavia and few villages in Transylvania, with the capital city at Suceava.- Demographics :...
(8506 people), Timiş County
Timis County
Timiș , , Banat Bulgarian: ) is a county of western Romania, in the historical region Banat, with the county seat at Timișoara. It is the largest county in Romania in terms of land area....
(7261), Caraş-Severin County
Caras-Severin County
Caraș-Severin is a county of Romania, in the historical region of Banat and few villages in Transylvania, with the county seat at Reșița.-Demographics:The county is part of the Danube-Kris-Mureș-Tisza euroregion....
(3526), Arad County
Arad County
Arad is an administrative division of Romania roughly translated into county in the western part of the country on the border with Hungary, mostly in the region of Crişana and few villages in Banat. The administrative center of the county lies in the city of Arad...
(1741), Satu Mare County
Satu Mare County
Satu Mare County is a county of Romania. The capital city is Satu Mare. Besides Romanians , Satu Mare features a significant ethnic minority of Hungarians .-Demographics:...
(1556) and Tulcea County
Tulcea County
Tulcea is a county of Romania, in the historical region Dobruja, with the capital city at Tulcea.-Demographics:In 2002, Tulcea County had a population of 256,492...
(1279). Ukrainians make up a majority in seven communes
Communes of Romania
A commune is the lowest level of administrative subdivision in Romania. There are 2686 communes in Romania. The commune is the rural subdivision of a county .There is no clear restriction on the population of a commune, even though when a commune...
of Maramureş County (Bistra
Bistra, Maramures
Bistra is a commune in Maramureş County, Romania. The Ukrainian border is located to the north of the commune.-Valea Vişeului:Valea Vişeului is a village in Bistra commune....
, Bocicoiu Mare
Bocicoiu Mare
Bocicoiu Mare is a commune in Maramureş County, Romania. It lies 9 kilometres east of Sighetu Marmaţiei; across the Tisza River from Velykyy Bychkiv, Ukraine.-Villages:...
, Poienile de sub Munte
Poienile de sub Munte
Poienile de sub Munte is a commune in Maramureş County, northern Romania. It is one of the oldest places in Maramureş, being mentioned for the first time in 1353. It is the biggest commune in the county and is composed of a single village, Poienile de sub Munte....
, Remeţi
Remeti
Remeţi is a commune in Maramureş County, Romania. It is composed of three villages: Piatra, Remeţi and Teceu Mic.-References:...
, Repedea
Repedea
Repedea is a commune in Maramureş County, Romania. It is composed of a single village, Repedea.At the 2002 census, 97.7% of inhabitants were Ukrainians, 1.8% Romanians and 0.3% Roma. 63.6% were Ukrainian Orthodox, 31.3% Pentecostal, 3.3% Seventh-day Adventist and 0.9% Reformed....
, Rona de Sus
Rona de Sus
Rona de Sus is a commune in Maramureş County, Romania. It is composed of two villages: Coştiui and Rona de Sus....
and Ruscova
Ruscova
Ruscova is a commune in Maramureş County, Romania. It is composed of a single village, Ruscova....
) and three in Suceava County (Bălcăuţi, Izvoarele Sucevei
Izvoarele Sucevei
Izvoarele Sucevei is a commune located in Suceava County, Romania. It is composed of three villages: Bobeica, Brodina and Izvoarele Sucevei....
and Ulma
Ulma, Suceava
Ulma is a commune located in Suceava County, Romania. It is composed of five villages: Costileva, Lupcina, Măgura, Nisipitu and Ulma.At the 2002 census, 58.7% of inhabitants were Ukrainians and 41.3% Romanians. 99% were Eastern Orthodox....
), as well as in Ştiuca, Timiş
Stiuca
Ştiuca is a commune in Timiş County, Romania. It is composed of four villages: Dragomireşti, Oloşag, Ştiuca and Zgribeşti.At the 2002 census, 63.7% of inhabitants were Ukrainians, 34.8% Romanians and 1% Germans. 46.9% were Romanian Orthodox, 26% Lipovan Orthodox, 23.1% Pentecostal, 1.3% Baptist...
and Copăcele, Caraş-Severin
Copacele
Copăcele is a commune in Caraş-Severin County, western Romania with a population of 1,357 people. It is composed of four villages: Copăcele, Ohaba-Mâtnic, Ruginosu and Zorile villages.-References:...
. Also according to the census, 79% of Ukrainians were Eastern Orthodox
Eastern Orthodox Church
The Orthodox Church, officially called the Orthodox Catholic Church and commonly referred to as the Eastern Orthodox Church, is the second largest Christian denomination in the world, with an estimated 300 million adherents mainly in the countries of Belarus, Bulgaria, Cyprus, Georgia, Greece,...
, organized into the Ukrainian Orthodox Vicariate Sighetu Marmaţiei
Ukrainian Orthodox Vicariate Sighetu Marmaţiei
The Ukrainian Orthodox Vicariate Sighetu Marmaţiei is a vicariate of the Romanian Orthodox Church serving Eastern Orthodox believers from Romania's Ukrainian community....
; 10% Pentecostal
Pentecostal Union of Romania
The Pentecostal Union of Romania is Romania's fourth-largest religious body and one of its eighteen officially recognised religious denominations. At the 2002 census, 330,486 Romanians declared themselves to be Pentecostals; ethnically, they were 85.2% Romanians, 10.6% Roma, 1.9% Ukrainians, 1.8%...
; 2.8% Greek-Catholic
Romanian Church United with Rome, Greek-Catholic
The Romanian Church United with Rome, Greek-Catholic is an Eastern Catholic Church which is in full union with the Roman Catholic Church. It is ranked as a Major Archiepiscopal Church and uses the Byzantine liturgical rite in the Romanian language....
, organized into the Ukrainian Greek-Catholic Vicariate Rădăuţi; 2.1% Seventh-day Adventist
Romanian Union Conference of Seventh-day Adventists
The Romanian Union Conference of Seventh-day Adventists is Romania's eighth-largest religious body. At the 2002 census, 97,041 Romanians declared themselves to be Seventh-Day Adventists; they have over 500 church buildings...
; 1.2% Lipovan Orthodox
Lipovan Orthodox Old-Rite Church
The Lipovan Orthodox Old-Rite Church is the Romanian based jurisdiction of the Belokrinitskaya Hierarchy ....
and 2.9% stated they belonged to "another religion".
A second group of Ukrainians in Romania live in the Dobruja
Dobruja
Dobruja is a historical region shared by Bulgaria and Romania, located between the lower Danube river and the Black Sea, including the Danube Delta, Romanian coast and the northernmost part of the Bulgarian coast...
region of the Danube Delta
Danube Delta
The Danube Delta is the second largest river delta in Europe, after the Volga Delta, and is the best preserved on the continent. The greater part of the Danube Delta lies in Romania , while its northern part, on the left bank of the Chilia arm, is situated in Ukraine . The approximate surface is...
. These are descendents of Zaporozhian Cossacks who fled Russian rule in the 18th century. In 1830 they numbered 1,095 families . Over the years they were joined by other peasants fleeing serfdom in the Russian Empire. In 1992 their descendants numbered four thousand people according to official Romanian statistics, while the local community claims to number 20,000. Known as Rusnaks, they continue to pursue the traditional Cossack
Cossack
Cossacks are a group of predominantly East Slavic people who originally were members of democratic, semi-military communities in what is today Ukraine and Southern Russia inhabiting sparsely populated areas and islands in the lower Dnieper and Don basins and who played an important role in the...
lifestyle of hunting and fishing.
As an officially-recognised ethnic minority, Ukrainians have one seat
Romanian ethnic minorities parties
The Romanian Constitution , under the contitions imposed by the Electoral Law, reserves a seat in the Chamber of Deputies for the party and cultural association of each ethnic minority in Romania...
reserved in the Romanian Chamber of Deputies
Chamber of Deputies of Romania
The Chamber of Deputies is the lower house in Romania's bicameral parliament. It has 315 seats, to which deputies are elected by direct popular vote on a proportional representation basis to serve four-year terms...
. Ştefan Tcaciuc held the seat from 1990 until his 2005 death, when he was replaced by Ştefan Buciuta.