The Palace of the Parliament hosted, on 19–20 November, the anniversary event “35 Years Since the Establishment of the Union of Ukrainians in Romania”. Religious leaders of Ukrainians in Romania, MPs, and members of the Ukrainian community in the country took part.
The event opened with a solemn moment of prayer and commemoration for the victims of the war in Ukraine and for the founders of the Union of Ukrainians in Romania.
Patriarch Daniel’s delegate was Fr. Mihai Cobziuc, counsellor at the Minorities Relations Office of the Archdiocese of Suceava and Rădăuți. Together with Fr. Ioan Iaremciuc, parish priest of the Romanian Orthodox community in Copăcele, Caraș-Severin county, the ecclesiastical counsellor offered the inaugural prayers.
“Through this moment of common prayer, the event once again underlined the solidarity between confessions and the commitment of the Union of Ukrainians in Romania to peace, dialogue and mutual respect,” the representatives of the Union of Ukrainians in Romania (UUR) stated.
A framework for reflection and dialogue
The event included five thematic discussion panels that brought together representatives of academia, public administration, religious denominations, civil society, and the media from Romania and Ukraine.
Debates addressed the evolution of the Ukrainian community in Romania, the role of education and the mother tongue, trilateral cooperation between Romania, Ukraine, and the Republic of Moldova, good local governance and the fight against disinformation.
Discussions highlighted how the Ukrainian community has preserved its identity through culture, language, spirituality and civic engagement.
Other interventions stressed that national minorities represent an essential link between states, contributing to stability, dialogue and joint projects in areas such as education, infrastructure, culture and regional security.
The event offered a broad space for reflection and dialogue, reaffirming the UUR’s role as an active partner in public life, education, culture, and regional cooperation, both in Romania and in its relations with Ukraine and the Republic of Moldova.
Ukrainian Orthodox Vicariate marks 35 years
Roughly 80% of Ukrainians in Romania are Orthodox. The Romanian Orthodox Church created a special structure for them — the Ukrainian Orthodox Vicariate — enabling them to celebrate services in their mother tongue and strengthen their cultural identity.
On Friday, 28 November 2025, the series of events marking 35 years since the re-establishment of the Vicariate will conclude at the Ukrainian church “Exaltation of the Holy Cross” in Sighetu Marmației, Maramureș county, in the presence of Patriarchal Auxiliary Bishop Varlaam of Ploiești.
The bishop will celebrate the Divine Liturgy and attend the launch of the anniversary volume “The Ukrainian Orthodox Vicariate – 35 Years Since its Re-Establishment: History and Perspectives”.
Photo: Union of Ukrainians in Romania
