Ukrainians of Romania: Ethnocultural History and Current State

Author

Rendiuk Teofil   
a Doctor of History, senior research fellow at the NASU M. Rylskyi IASFE Ukrainian Ethnological Centre Department

Ukrainians of Romania: Ethnocultural History and Current State

Abstract

Historical aspects connected with the appearance of the Ukrainians ancestors on the territory of modern Romania are analyzed. It is proved for certain, that the vast majority of Ukrainians in Romania are an autochthonous population with long-standing roots in the region. At the same time, it is demonstrated that the Ukrainians from Dobrogea and the Danube Delta are the descendants of the Zaporizhian Cossacks, living in Banat (West of Romania), the migrants from the territories of the modern Transcarpathian oblast of Ukraine.

It is noted that Ukrainians in Romania live compactly mainly in 4 historical districts: in Maramuresh region (the Northern part of the country bordering on the Transcarpathian and Ivano-Frankivsk regions of Ukraine – more than 31 thousand), in Southern Bukovyna (North-Eastern region, which borders on the Chernivtsi oblast – 5,7 thousand), Dobrogea (South-Eastern region, located across the Danube from the Odessa region – 1,3 thousand) and in Eastern Banat (in the Western region of Romania – 8,6 thousand). During the XX to the early XXIst centuries, due to various political, socioeconomic, or educational-cultural reasons – a relatively small diaspora in Bucharest has been formed: according to the census of Romania in 2011, it is 318 people. At the same time, it should be emphasized that the ethnic Ukrainians are prevalent in Romania in each of the 40 counties, as it is confirmed with the census data. Thus, in the county of Alba 39 ethnic Ukrainians are registered officially, Arad – 840, Arges – 29, Bakuu – 51, Bihor – 107, Bystrica- Neseud – 104, Botosani – 644, Brasov – 89, Braila – 21, Buzau – 11, Vaslui – 9, Vilch – 29, Vranch – 15, Galats – 82, Gorzh – 33, Dymbovits – 18, Giurgiu – 13, Dolzh – 26, Karash-Severin – 4 118, Kelerash – 16, Cluj – 129, Kovasna – 28, Konstantin – 257, Maramuresh – 36 685, Mehedinets – 28, Mureş – 41, Neamts – 42, Prakhova – 34, Satu Mare – 1 362, Selagh – 39, Sibiu – 55, Suceava – 949, Teleorman – 5, Timiş – 6 468, Tulcea – 3 847, Hargita – 29 and Hunedoara County – 239  people of Ukrainian origin.

An official position of the Romanian authorities concerning the division of the Ukrainian ethnic group into Ukrainians themselves, Rusyns and Hutsuls as separate nationalities as one that is not consistent with reality is shown and it is emphasized that the Romanian scientists themselves have denied it. The official recognition of Rusyns and Hutsuls by Bucharest as separate ethnic groups from Ukrainians is nothing more than an attempt to blurry the Ukrainian community of Romania artificially, aspiration for its organizational fragmentation and diminution of its significance, potential and relative importance in Romanian society. Such a preconceived position has become a peculiar reaction of Bucharest on Ukraine recognition of Romanians and Moldovans as separate ethnic groups. It has become apparent that through the introduction of such a policy, the official Bucharest takes measures to legitimize the split of the Ukrainian minority of Romania into various ethnic groups by way of legalization of the results of national censuses of the population, during which the Hutsuls and Rusyns have been introduced artificially into the nationality list.

The process of a swift reduction of a number of Ukrainians in Romania is presented as a negative phenomenon. It is a consequence of their consistent assimilation. The tasks of the Ukrainian side aimed at the preservation of their national identity are defined.

Keywords

Ukrainian community of Romania, autochthonous Ukrainians, historical and ethnographic regions of resettlement and residence, the problem of identity of the Rusyns and Hutsuls of Romania, the Union of Ukrainians of Romania, the Democratic Union of Ukrainians of Romania, the current state of securing of cultural and national rights of Ukrainians in Romania.

References

1. Aza, L., Popok, A., Shvachka, O. (1999) Ukrainians of Romania: Current State and Prospects of Ethno-Cultural Development. Kyiv: Sotsis; Rivne: Lista.
2. (1990) The Free Word. A Periodical of the Union of the Ukrainians in Romania, no. 10, May 16.
3. (2003) Democratic Union of the Ukrainians in Romania. Ordinary Aspects. Lumea Carpatică, no. 1(5).
4. Martsinovskyi,A. (2002) Is It Easy to Be a Ukrainian in Romania? Voice of Ukraine, no. 213, November 15.
5. Mintianskyi,I. (1990) Ukrainians in Romania. The Free Word. A Periodical of the Union of the Ukrainians in Romania, July 16.
6. Popyk, S. (1999) Ukrainians in Austria 1914–1918. Kyiv; Chernivtsi: Zoloti Lytavry.
7. Rendiuk,T. (2010) Hetman Ivan Mazepa – Known and Unknown… Kyiv: ADEF-Ukrayina.
8. (2006) The Ukrainian Herald. A Periodical of the Union of the Ukrainians in Romania, no. 13–15.
9. (2004) Ukrainians in Romania and Ensuring of Their Rights. Time, April29 – May 13.
10. Cantemir, D. (1975) Ancient Description and Current State of Moldova. Bucureşti.
11. Costin, M. (1958) Opere. Bucureşti.
12. (2004) Daily Event, February 3.
13. Rendiuk, T. (2009) Ukrainian Emigrants in Romania between the Wars. Magazin istoric, no. 4 (505).
14. Final Results of the 2011 Population Census: «Tab Populația stabilă după etnie – județe, municipii, orașe, comune» (Institutul Național de Statistică din România). Іulie 2013. Accesat în 20 iunie 2019.
15. (2002) Romania Business Journal, July 10–16.
16. Şeiciuc, A. (2001) The Ukrainian Problem in Southern Bukovyna; Our Point of View. Bucureşti: Mustang.
17. Şeiciuc, A. (2006) Ukrainians in Southern Bukovyna: «quo vadis?». Highlands, no. 1 (4).