Bila Krynytsya
Encyclopedia
Bila Krynytsya is a village
in the Chernivtsi Oblast
(province
) of western Ukraine
. It is located in the Hlybotsky Raion (district
), on the Ukrainian-Romania
n border, in the historic region of Bukovina
. The international border runs just a few hundred metres south of the village. It means "White Well" in Ukrainian.
The recent estimated population is 169 (as of 2006) and is made up almost entirely of Lipovans
.
The First Hierarch of the Belokrinitskaya Hierarchy
of the Orthodox Old-Rite Church nominally had the seat of his ecclesiastical See in Bila Krynytsya until 1940 (due to the Soviet occupation of Northern Bukovina), when it moved to Brăila
from two reasons: first, the fear of persecution by the Communists and secondly: it was the only Lipovan village in Northern Bukovina, all the other subordonated vicariates are located in Southern Bukovina, Western Moldavia, Eastern Wallachia and Dobruja. Those territories remained in Romania.
In 1941, it was the site of the Fântâna Albă massacre.
Village
A village is a clustered human settlement or community, larger than a hamlet with the population ranging from a few hundred to a few thousand , Though often located in rural areas, the term urban village is also applied to certain urban neighbourhoods, such as the West Village in Manhattan, New...
in the Chernivtsi Oblast
Chernivtsi Oblast
Chernivtsi Oblast is an oblast in western Ukraine, bordering on Romania and Moldova. It has a large variety of landforms: the Carpathian Mountains and picturesque hills at the foot of the mountains gradually change to a broad partly forested plain situated between the Dniester and Prut rivers....
(province
Oblast
Oblast is a type of administrative division in Slavic countries, including some countries of the former Soviet Union. The word "oblast" is a loanword in English, but it is nevertheless often translated as "area", "zone", "province", or "region"...
) of western Ukraine
Ukraine
Ukraine is a country in Eastern Europe. It has an area of 603,628 km², making it the second largest contiguous country on the European continent, after Russia...
. It is located in the Hlybotsky Raion (district
Raion
A raion is a type of administrative unit of several post-Soviet countries. The term, which is from French rayon 'honeycomb, department,' describes both a type of a subnational entity and a division of a city, and is commonly translated in English as "district"...
), on the Ukrainian-Romania
Romania
Romania is a country located at the crossroads of Central and Southeastern Europe, on the Lower Danube, within and outside the Carpathian arch, bordering on the Black Sea...
n border, in the historic region of Bukovina
Bukovina
Bukovina is a historical region on the northern slopes of the northeastern Carpathian Mountains and the adjoining plains.-Name:The name Bukovina came into official use in 1775 with the region's annexation from the Principality of Moldavia to the possessions of the Habsburg Monarchy, which became...
. The international border runs just a few hundred metres south of the village. It means "White Well" in Ukrainian.
The recent estimated population is 169 (as of 2006) and is made up almost entirely of Lipovans
Lipovans
Lipovans or Lippovans are the Old Believers, mostly of Russian ethnic origin, who settled in the Moldavian Principality, in Dobruja and Eastern Muntenia...
.
History
Bila Krynytsya was founded in 1784 AD.The First Hierarch of the Belokrinitskaya Hierarchy
Belokrinitskaya Hierarchy
Belokrinitskaya Hierarchy is the first full and stable church hierarchy created by the Old Believers.The hierarchy was created in 1846 by acceptance of the Greek Metropolitan Ambrose...
of the Orthodox Old-Rite Church nominally had the seat of his ecclesiastical See in Bila Krynytsya until 1940 (due to the Soviet occupation of Northern Bukovina), when it moved to Brăila
Braila
Brăila is a city in Muntenia, eastern Romania, a port on the Danube and the capital of Brăila County, in the close vicinity of Galaţi.According to the 2002 Romanian census there were 216,292 people living within the city of Brăila, making it the 10th most populous city in Romania.-History:A...
from two reasons: first, the fear of persecution by the Communists and secondly: it was the only Lipovan village in Northern Bukovina, all the other subordonated vicariates are located in Southern Bukovina, Western Moldavia, Eastern Wallachia and Dobruja. Those territories remained in Romania.
In 1941, it was the site of the Fântâna Albă massacre.
Further reading
- Short text on Bila Krynytsya published as hidden europe e-news, No. 2006/20 (August 2006)