This year, the Ukrainian Orthodox Vicariate of the Romanian Patriarchate celebrates 35 years since its reestablishment. This historic milestone will be marked with various events throughout the year.
Essay Contest for Ukrainian Children
The first event, a contest for children and youth from the Ukrainian community in Romania, will begin in February and run for three months in multiple stages.
Ukrainian children are invited to participate in an essay contest themed “History Through the Eyes of Grandparents.”
“History Through the Eyes of Grandparents”
“In Ukrainian communities in Maramureș and Banat, local testimonies about the perception of recent history are not being collected. This cultural-educational initiative will help young people connect with their roots and their own history,” explained Father Marius N. Lauruc, Counselor to the Ukrainian Orthodox Vicariate, in an interview with Basilica.ro.
A pilot project was previously held at the “Taras Shevchenko” Ukrainian High School in Sighetu Marmației, where children were encouraged to set aside their phones, engage with the elderly, and learn interesting details about their community’s history.
This year, the contest will be held at the vicariate level, involving students from Ukrainian communities across the country. The initiative will culminate in the publication of a volume featuring the essays written by the children.
Local History Symposium
In June, the Ukrainian Orthodox Vicariate will organize an international symposium in Sighetu Marmației dedicated to post-1990 history, the year when the institution was reestablished.
“Local historians and descendants of the vicars from the communist era—when the vicariate was dissolved in 1952—will participate,” noted Father Lauruc.
“The symposium will also present a history of the Ukrainian deaneries and the historic church of the Ukrainian community in Câmpulung la Tisa, which celebrates 225 years since its construction this year.”
Other Projects
Another initiative, supported by the Secretariat of State for Religious Affairs, involves publishing the Ukrainian version of the album “The Ukrainian Orthodox Vicariate – 30 Years Since Reestablishment,” previously released in Romanian and English by Paideia Publishing House.
About the Ukrainian Orthodox Vicariate
Approximately 80% of Ukrainians in Romania are Orthodox. For them, the Romanian Patriarchate established a vicariate where priests from the community conduct religious services in Ukrainian.
Led by Rev. Vicar Nicolae Lauruc, parish priest of Sighetu Marmației, the vicariate serves the most prominent Ukrainian community in Romania, comprising over 30,000 believers.
The institution serves faithful from the country’s northern and western regions, including Maramureș, Crișana, Transylvania, and Banat.