Vărăncău Воронко́во (Russian) Воронко́во (Ukrainian) | |
|---|---|
  Vărăncău | |
| Coordinates:47°42′21″N29°7′9″E / 47.70583°N 29.11917°E /47.70583; 29.11917 | |
| Country (de jure) |  Moldova |
| Country (de facto) |  Transnistria[a] |
| District | Rîbnița District |
| Elevation | 184 m (604 ft) |
| Population (2004) | |
• Total | 2,942 |
| Time zone | UTC+2 (EET) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC+3 (EEST) |
Vărăncău (Ukrainian:Воронково,Russian:Воронко́во,Voronkovo,Polish:Woronków[1][2]) is acommune in theRîbnița District ofTransnistria,Moldova, composed of three villages: Buschi (Буськи), Gherșunovca (Гершунівка) and Vărăncău.[3] It is located 15 kilometres (9.3 miles) southeast ofRîbnița.
Woronków, as it was known in Polish, was a private village of theLubomirski family,[1] administratively located in the Bracław County in theBracław Voivodeship in theLesser Poland Province of theKingdom of Poland.[2] Following theSecond Partition of Poland, in 1793, it was annexed byRussia. In 1800 the Church of the Assumption of Blessed Virgin Mary was built.[1] In the late 19th century, it had a population of 2,073.[1]
The village Vărăncău is the site of the Church of the Blessed Virgin's Assumption, aChristian Orthodox church, construction of which was completed in 1800.[1] Since then, the church has been open and functioning, standing much as it did when it first opened its doors.It is the only church in Transnistria which was never closed during theSoviet times when all other churches had to close, holding therefore a special significance for the religious community in Transnistria.
In 1924, it became part of theMoldavian Autonomous Oblast, which was soon converted into theMoldavian Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic, and theMoldavian Soviet Socialist Republic in 1940 duringWorld War II. From 1941 to 1944, it was administered byRomania as part of theTransnistria Governorate.
Vărăncău also had a now abandonedmilitaryaerodrome of the formerSoviet Union. The 2,500-metre (2,700-yard) long runway has today been turned intofarmland.[4] The aerodrome was repeatedlystruck bydrones flying over the village on 6 May 2022.[5] This was part ofa series of attacks that happened in Transnistria as the2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine was developing. These incidents may have been afalse flag operation byRussia or Transnistria itself.[6]
According to the 2004 census, the population of the village was 2,942 inhabitants, of which 899 (30.55%) were Moldovans (Romanians), 1,745 (59.31%) Ukrainians and 223 (7.57%) Russians.[7]
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