Northern Maramureș (, ; ; ) is a geographic-historical region comprising roughly the eastern half of the Zakarpattia Oblast in southwestern Ukraine, near the border with Romania. Until 1920, it was part of the Maramureș subregion of Transylvania, at which time the former Máramaros County was divided into a northern part (incorporated into Czechoslovakia, the part which is now in Ukraine), and a southern part (incorporated into the Kingdom of Romania).
From 1920 till 1939, the region belonged to Czechoslovakia, then until 1944 to Hungary, and then until 1991 to the Soviet Union. Since 1991, Northern Maramureș has been part of Ukraine.
The Tisza River is part of the boundary separating Northern Maramureș from Romania.
The majority of the population are Ukrainians (Rusyns, Boykos and Hutsuls - indigenous groups), while a Romanian community, totaling 32,100 according to the 2001 Ukraine census, National composition of population; Zakarpattia region lives compactly, mostly in some eighteen localities, in Rakhiv and Tiachiv raions (districts), close to the Romanian border. For most of the 20th century, communications between Southern and Northern Maramureș were severed. After the collapse of Communist Regimes in Europe, and through cooperation between the Romanian and Ukrainian governments, the restoration of bridges across the Tisza has begun.
Geography and population
Geographic description Maramureș is an almost completely enclosed mountain valley with an area slightly smaller than that of the U.S. state of Connecticut. The only way to enter the region, besides crossing mountain slopes of 1,000 meters to 2,500 meters high, is to follow the river Tisza upstream. To a significant extent, the geography of Maramureș has determined its history and distinctive traditions.
Northern Maramureș includes all of the right bank of the Tisza within the historical region, and small mountain portions on the left bank. Rivers that flow through the region include the Tisza, Rika (Rica), and Tereblia. Lake Sinevir is also located there.
In present-day Zakarpattia Oblast of Ukraine
The territory of the Zakarpattia Region of Ukraine is 12,880 km2. It has 1,287,400 inhabitants (1999 data). Zakarpattia is divided into 13 districts and 5 cities.The former are further subdivided into 6 towns, 20 town-type villages, 297 incorporated villages and 282 unincorporated villages. Of these, Northern Maramureș roughly corresponds to 4 districts and one city. Together these have an area of approximately 6,900 km2 and 445,000 inhabitants:Approximately 100 towns and villages) the city of Khust (Ukrainian: Хуст, Romanian: Hust), with 35,500 inhabitants the Khust Raion (Ukrainian: Хуст; abbreviated below HU), with 94,800 inhabitants (different from the city) the Mizhhiria Raion (Ukrainian: Міжгір'я; abbreviated below MY), with 50,700 inhabitants the Tiachiv Raion, (Ukrainian: Тячів, Romanian: Teceu; abbreviated below TJ), with 172,700 inhabitants the Rakhiv Raion (Ukrainian: Рахів; Romanian: Rahău; abbreviated below RA), with 91,300 inhabitants
The most important cities and towns of Northern Maramureș are (the district and population are indicated): Bushtyno (Romanian: Bustea, Hungarian: Bustyaháza) TJ; 8,300 Dubove (Romanian: Dâmbu, Hungarian: Dombó) TJ; 10,400 Yasinia (Romanian: Frăsini, Hungarian: Kőrösmező) RA; 1,500 Kobyletska Poliana (Romanian: Poiana Cobilei, Hungarian: Gyertyánliget) RA; 3,300 Mizhhiria (Romanian: Boureni, Hungarian: Ökörmező) MY; 10,200 Rakhiv (Romanian: Rahău, Hungarian: Rahó) RA; 17,000 Solotvyno (Romanian: Slatina, Hungarian: Aknaszlatina) TJ; 9,900 Teresva (Romanian: Taras, Hungarian: Taracköz) TJ; 7,600 Tiachiv (Romanian: Teceu, Hungarian: Técső) TJ; 11,300 Ust-Chorna (Romanian: Gura Ciornei, Hungarian: Királymező) TJ; 1,500 Velykyi Bychkiv (Romanian: Bocicoiu Mare, Hungarian: Nagybocskó) RA; 9,400 Vyshkovo (Romanian: Vășcova, Hungarian: Visk) HU; 8,100 (see )
The biggest villages in Northern Maramureș are: Bedevlia (Romanian: Bedeu, Hungarian: Bedőháza) Bilyn (Romanian: Bilin, Hungarian: Bilin) Bila Tserkva (Romanian: Biserica Albă, Hungarian: Tiszafejéregyház) Danylovo (Romanian: Danîlovo, Hungarian: Husztsófalva) Dilove (Romanian: Trebuşeni, Hungarian: Terebesfejérpatak) Nyzhnia Apsha (Romanian: Apşa de Jos, Hungarian: Alsóapsa) Dovhe (Romanian: Dolha, Hungarian: Dolha) Drahovo (Romanian: Drăgoieşti, Hungarian: Kövesliget) Dulovo (Romanian: Duleşti, Hungarian: Dulfalva) Hlybokyi Potik (Romanian: Strâmtura, Hungarian: Szorospatak) Horinchovo (Romanian: Hernicea, Hungarian: Herincse) Hrushovo (Romanian: Peri, Hungarian: Szentmihálykörtvélyes) Kalyny (Romanian: Călineştii de Jos, Hungarian: Alsókálinfalva) Kolochava (Romanian: Călacea de Jos, Hungarian: Alsókalocsa) Nimetska Mokra (Romanian: Mocra, Hungarian: Németmokra) Kushnytsia (Romanian: Cuşniţa, Hungarian: Kusnyicza) Nehrovets (Romanian: Negrovăţ, Hungarian: Felsőkalocsa) Neresnytsia (Romanian: Nereşniţa, Hungarian: Nyéresháza) Nyzhnii Bystryi (Romanian: Bistra de Jos, Hungarian: Alsóbisztra) Nyzhnie Selyshche (Romanian: Sălişte, Hungarian: Alsószelistye) Vilshany (Romanian: Vulşana, Hungarian: Égermező) Vilkhovatyi (Romanian: Plăiuţ, Hungarian: Kiscserjés) Pryslip (Romanian: Prislopu Mare, Hungarian: Pereszlő) Serednie Vodiane (Romanian: Apşa de Mijloc, Hungarian: Középapsa) Tereblia (Romanian: Talabor, Hungarian: Talaborfalu) Topchyno (Romanian: Topcina, Hungarian: Topcsinó) Uglia (Romanian: Uglea, Hungarian: Uglya) Verkhnie Vodiane (Romanian: Apşa de Sus, Hungarian: Felsőapsa) Vonihove (Romanian: Voineşti, Hungarian: Vajnág) Zolotarovo (Romanian: Domneşti, Hungarian: Ötvösfalva)
In historical Maramureș
Northern Maramureș is historically and geographically close to southern Maramureș, and together form the historical region of Maramureș (Romanian: Maramureș, Hungarian: Máramaros). Between 1870 and 1918, Máramaros (north and south) was a county in the Transleitanian part of Austria-Hungary. It was divided into 10 rural districts (Hungarian: járás, Romanian: plase) and 1 urban district (Hungarian: rendezett tanácsú város, Romanian: plasă urbană): Northern Maramureș Southern Maramureș Sziget / Sighet /- (rural district)Dolha / Dolha / Dovhe (capital: Dolha / Dolha / Dovhe)Izavölgy / Iza / - (capital: Dragomérfalva / Dragomireşti / -)Huszt / Hust / Khust (capital: Huszt / Hust / Khust)Sugatag / Şugatag / - (capital: Aknasugatag / Ocna Şugatag / -)Ökörmező / Boureni / Mizhhir'ya (capital: Ökörmező / Boureni / Mizhhir'ya)Visó / Vişeu / -(capital: Felsővisó / Vişeu de Sus / -)Taracviz / Taras / Teresva (capital: Taracköz / Taras / Teresva)Sziget / Sighet /- (urban district; capital: Máramarossziget / Sighetu Marmaţiei / -)Técső / Teceu / Tiachiv (capital: Técső / Teceu / Tiachiv)Tiszavölgy / Tisa / Tissa (capital: Rahó / Rahău / Rakhiv)
Note: All names are written in the following order: Hungarian / Romanian / Ukrainian.
Dolha, Huszt, Ökörmező, Taracviz, Técső, and Tiszavölgy districts each had a Ukrainian majority (with Tiszavölgy having a specifically Hutsul majority). The rural Sziget district, along with Izavölgy, Sugatag, and Visó districts each had a Romanian majority, while the urban Sziget district was mixed Hungarian/Romanian. There was a significant Ukrainian minority in Visó, and significant Romanian minorities in Huszt, Taracviz, Técső, and Tiszavölgy districts. Visó also contained a significant German minority ("Zipser") around the city of Felsővisó (Romanian: Vișeu de Sus; German: Oberwischau).
The six districts in the left-hand column were apportioned to Czechoslovakia in 1920. In 1938, Hungary regained their southern portion by the terms of the First Vienna Award and then seized the rest in March 1939. In 1944 they went to the Soviet Union. Since 1991 they have been part of Ukraine. The four districts in the right-hand column were given to Romania, where they have remained ever since, except for 1940–1944, when they were again in Hungary by the terms of the Second Vienna Award. The rural Sziget (Sighet) district, despite being ethnically homogeneously Romanian, was divided: the part north of the Tisza river followed the same fate as the Ukrainian districts, while the part south of the Tisza, the same as the Romanian ones. More than half of the Romanian minority in the present Zakarpattia Oblast resides in what before 1920 was the rural Sziget district.
The total area of Maramureș county was 10,354.9 km2, of which 6,974 km2 became the northern part and 3,381 km2 became the southern part. The approximately 160 localities were divided as follows: slightly less than 100 joined the north, and slightly more than 60 joined the south. in 1920, the south had a population of approximately 155,000. A majority of the inhabitants were Romanian, with Jewish, Hungarian, Ukrainian and German minorities. The north at the same time had a population of about 220,000, including some 20,000 Romanians.
According to the 1910 Austrian census, Máramaros County had a population which by language was: Ruthenian, 159,489 Romanian, 84,510 German, 59,552 Hungarian, 52,964.
A substantial part of the German and Hungarian-speaking population were in fact Jews.
In Carpathian Ruthenia
Carpathian Ruthenia, i.e., the region inhabited by Rusyns (Ruthenians) in Austria-Hungary, spread over some two-thirds of the historic counties of Ung, Bereg, and Ugocsa (the remaining one third are respectively Slovak, Hungarian, and Romanian), and from the 16th century also gradually over a part (up to half) of Maramureș county. Therefore, in texts dealing with the period after 1600, Northern Maramureș is sometimes included in historic Carpathian Ruthenia, historic Ruszinszko, or Pidkarpadska Rus', as opposed to earlier texts, when it is not.Rusyns, who inhabited these regions from the 8th century, must not be confused historically and especially culturally with the Lemko, Boiko, and Hutsul peoples, who in the 16th century moved to the mountain-crest regions of Carpathian Ruthenia from Galicia, although they are confused in the Austria-Hungary censuses (and are identical linguistically). All these ethnic groups converged during the 19th century to form a new ethnicity, Ukrainians, although Rusyn emigrants (to the USA, the Americas, Yugoslavia, etc.) from before the establishment of the Ukrainian ethnicity generally retained the name Rusyns, or sometimes even Boiko, Lemko, and Hutsul.)
Demographic data
Census yearTotal population of Pidkarpadska Rus' / ZakarpattiaTotal population of the 4 raions and KhustUkrainiansRomanians (official numbersRomanians have constantly argued that considerable portions of their ethnicity after 1939 are being recorded as Moldovans.)1880408,97116,7131921604,745220,000140,00020,0001930734,3151959920,17018,34619701,056,00023,45419791,155,00027,15519891,245,00029,4852001 1,255,00032,100
Romanian localities in Northern Maramureș
In Northern Maramureș, there are anywhere between ca. 32,000 (according to official Ukrainian sources), ca. 40,000 (according to most Romanian sources), to over 50,000Zakarpattia Oblast, Zakarpattya, Transcarpathian Oblast Romanians living today in a compact area of about 300 km2, in 17 villages and one town, separated from Romania only by the river Tisza. This compactly Romanian-inhabited region, which itself separates the Hutsul areas (most of the Rakhiv raion/district) in the east from the rest of Zakarpattia, corresponds exactly to the north-Tisza part of the former rural district of Sighet in Máramaros County before 1920 (see map). These 18 localities, with their quasi-total Romanian population, are (population data from the 2001 Ukrainian census):
in Teceu (Tiachiv) district (raion) the town of Ocna Slatina (Ukrainian: Solotvyno, Hungarian: Aknaszlatina), a new village first mentioned ca. 1360 (the old one was burned down by the Tatars in 1241); 9,700 inhabitants and 2,200 households