|
||||||
|
The Hague, 16 November 2006 Introduction In October and November of the current year two monitoring missions in the framework of the Joint Commission on National Minorities took place in Ukraine and Romania respectively. The following is a preliminary assessment of the two monitoring missions, including comments and suggestions As part of the EPP seminars in Belarus, Aliona Grossu gave a presentation in Mahiliou today on the need for states to ensure the effective participation of persons belonging to national minorities in public, social, cultural and economic life. Her presentation began by highlighting the fact that the ability for minorities to effectively participate in OSCE High Commissioner on National Minorities Astrid Thors addressed the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly Autumn Meeting in Geneva on 3 October 2014, and participated in the debate on Ukraine. Thors said the crisis in Ukraine was complex and had several causes, some of which are not issues that typically fall under the High Commissioner’s mandate. Among Chernivtsi and its inhabitants: who they were and who they should be A century ago, the hero of cartoonist Ben Kaczor, a foreign tourist with Baedekerian guidebook «Czernowitz» in his hands, saw Chernivtsi as a multicultural city, where Ukrainian, Germans, Jews, Poles, Romanians and people of other ethnic origin peacefully coexisted in the space of Читати далі Chernivtsi and its inhabitants: who they were and who they should be We shall start our excursion through Ukrainian Chernivtsi from a wooden Saint Nikolai Orthodox Church (1607) in Sahaydachnyj St #83, which is associated by Ukrainian historical tradition with hetman Bohdan Khmel’nyts’ky’s times. Modern history has put this Church in the centre of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church revival in Bukovyna. Nearby in the suburb Horecha the Читати далі V. Staryk. Ukrainian Chernivtsi The ruins of the Cecina castle is the most ancient historic monument of Chernivtsi, which is connected with Polish king Kazimierz III the Great by the historical tradition. Jan Dlugosz claimed in his «Annals» that this castle was constructed or re-constructed by king Kazimierz in the middle of the 14th century. Austrian power gave permission Читати далі V.Staryk. Polish Chernivtsi The first Jewish settlers resided in Chernivtsi from the middle of the 18th century. The above mentioned first census of town population (1774) registered 92 Jewish families among Chernivtsi inhabitants. Jewish settlers formed the majority of those city inhabitants, who had an exemption from the capitation tax (161 families); in total there lived 388 families Читати далі V.Staryk. Jewish Chernivtsi The first Armenian settlers have resided in Chernivtsi since pre-Austrian times. Even the first census of the town population, held in June 1774 by order of the Russian military governor count Vorontsov, listed 8 Armenian merchants among the total 227 tax-payers in Chernivtsi (Pavlo, Stefan, Grigori, Norciz, Stefan, Toma, Ovanes and Mane). An interesting commentary Читати далі V.Staryk. Armenian Chernivtsi The history of Russian community of Chernivtsi occupies the shortest time if compared with histories of other communities. The first Russian settlers appeared on the territory of Chernivtsi oblast only at the end of the 18th century, while in Chernivtsi city they settled even one century later. Nevertheless, close historical connection between Russia and Bukovyna/North Читати далі Russian Chernivtsi The ancestors of modern Romanians (who called themselves Moldavians until the middle of the 19th century) lived in Chernivtsi since ancient times and practised the Orthodox faith, designated here as «Volos’ka vira» (Vlakh faith). Because in pre-modern times confessional identity was in the first place for Chernivtsi citizens, all Orthodox residents of our city – Читати далі Romanian Chernivtsi |
|
||||
