Romanians in Ukraine

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Romanian Ukrainians

Map of the raions of Ukraine where Romanians are the main ethnic group in dark blue, where they are the second biggest in lighter blue, and where they are the third in even lighter blue.
Total population
150,989 (2001 census)[1] – 500,000 (Romanian estimates)
Regions with significant populations
Chernivtsi Oblast (12.5%) Zakarpattia Oblast (2.6%)
Languages
Predominantly Romanian (91.7%)
Religion
Predominantly Eastern Orthodox/Greek Catholic

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This article represents an overview on the history of Romanians in Ukraine, including those Romanians of Northern Bukovina, Zakarpattia, the Hertsa region, and Budjak in Odesa Oblast, but also those Romanophones in the territory between the Dniester River and the Southern Buh River, who traditionally have not inhabited any Romanian state (nor Transnistria), but have been an integral part of the history of modern Ukraine, and are considered natives to the area. There is an ongoing controversy whether self-identified Moldovans are part of the larger Romanian ethnic group or a separate ethnicity.

Because of the Soviet policies of artificial division of the Romanian speakers, and the continuation of those practices by the Ukrainian authorities, there is an undergoing identity controversy among the Romanophones of Ukraine. All of those living in the former territories of Bukovina consider themselves to be Romanians, but among those living in the lands of the historical Bessarabia, there is still division as a large part of them still consider themselves to be Moldovans, while many others identify as Romanians. This problem is considered to have worsened due to the poverty, the lack of proper education and the decades long disinformation of the inhabitants.