History and Traditions of the Orthodox Ukrainian Community in Maramureș

Abstract

Maramureș County, located in the north-western part of Romania, has always represented one of the oldest religious centres of the ancient province of Transylvania. The first part of the present essay will illustrate the most relevant moments in the history of the Christian community of Orthodox Ukrainian people, who lived within the historical region of Maramureș, and also the structure and the evolution of the local Ukrainian Church. The second part will present and demonstrate the key role played by the Orthodox faith and beliefs in establishing mutual relations of friendship and collaboration between the smaller Ukrainian community and the larger Romanian population, within the boundaries of Maramureș County. These relations of friendship and mutual understanding must endure in order to fight against the newly emerging Antichristian ideology that has shaken the moral and Christian foundations of our society. By sharing the same faith and the same religious beliefs, members of the Ukrainian community have managed to preserve their customs and traditions, their traditional dress codes, music and dance and kept alive their spiritual heritage.