Raion

For the song by the band Jinn, see Raion (song). For the synthetic fiber, see rayon.

A raion (also rayon) is a type of administrative unit of several post-Soviet countries (such as part of an oblast). The term, which is from French "rayon" (meaning "honeycomb, department"), describes both a type of a subnational entity and a division of a city, and is commonly translated in English as "district".

The term "raion" also can be used simply as a second degree of administrative division without anything to do with ethnicity or nationality. A raion is a standardized administrative entity across most of the Soviet Union and is usually a subdivision two steps below the national level. However, in smaller countries, it could be the primary level of administrative division (Administrative divisions of Armenia, Administrative divisions of Azerbaijan). After the fall of the Soviet Union, some of its former republics dropped raion from their use (Armenia).

Etymology

The word "raion" (or "rayon") is often used in translated form: Russian and Ukrainian: райо́н, Azerbaijani: rayon; Belarusian: раён; Georgian: რაიონი, raioni; Latvian: rajons; Lithuanian: rajonas; Romanian: raion.

List of countries with raion subdivisions

Existing

• Russian Federation, inherited from the Russian SFSR
• Ukraine, inherited from the Ukrainian SSR
• Azerbaijan, inherited from the Azerbaijan SSR
• Belarus, inherited from the Belorussian SSR
• Georgia, inherited from the Georgian SSR

Former

• National republics of the Soviet Union
• Armenia, inherited from the Armenian SSR until 1995

History

Raions in the Soviet Union

In the Soviet Union, raions were administrative divisions created in the 1920s to reduce the number of territorial divisions inherited from the Russian Empire and to simplify their bureaucracies. The process of conversion to the system of raions was called raionirovanie ("regionalization"). It was started in 1923 in the Urals, North Caucasus, and Siberia as a part of the Soviet administrative reform and continued through 1929, by which time the majority of the country's territory was divided into raions instead of the old volosts and uyezds.

The concept of raionirovanie was met with resistance in some republics, especially in Ukraine, where local leaders objected to the concept of raions as being too centralized in nature and ignoring the local customs. This point of view was backed by the Soviet Commissariat of Nationalities. Nevertheless, eventually all of the territory of the Soviet Union was regionalized.

Soviet raions had self-governance in the form of an elected district council (raysovet) and were headed by the local head of administration, who was either elected or appointed.

After the dissolution of the Soviet Union, raions as administrative units continued to be used in Azerbaijan, Belarus, Georgia, Latvia, Moldova, Russia, and Ukraine.

Raions in the People's Republic of Romania

Main article: Administrative divisions of the People's Republic of Romania

Latvia

• Districts of Latvia until July 1, 2009.

Georgia

• Districts of Georgia, before 2006, Georgian: რაიონი raioni.

Modern raions

Azerbaijan

See: Districts of Azerbaijan

Belarus

In Belarus, raions are administrative units subordinated to voblasts. See also: Category:Districts of Belarus.

Bulgaria

In Bulgaria, raions are subdivisions of three biggest cities: Sofia, Plovdiv and Varna. Sofia is subdivided to 24 raions (Sofia districts), Plovdiv - 6, Varna - 5 raions.

Moldova

• Administrative divisions of Moldova

Transnistria

• Raions of Transnistria

Russian Federation

Administrative raions

Further information: Category:Districts of Russia by federal subject

In modern Russia, division into administrative raions largely remained unchanged after the dissolution of the Soviet Union. The term "raion" is used to refer to an administrative division of a federal subject or to a district of a big city. In two federal subjects, however, the terminology was changed to reflect national specifics:

• Sakha (Yakutia) Republic: ulus (улус)
• Tyva Republic: kozhuun (кожуун)

Municipal raion

A municipal raion (municipal district, муниципа́льный райо́н) is a type of municipal formation which comprises a group of urban and/or rural settlements, as well as inter-settlement territories, sharing a common territory. The concept of the municipal districts was introduced during the 2004 municipal reform.

Municipal districts are commonly formed within the boundaries of existing administrative districts, although in practice there are some exceptions to this rule—Neryungrinsky Municipal District in the Sakha Republic, for example, is formed around the town of Neryungri, which neither has a status of nor is a part of any administrative district.

Ukraine

Main articles: Raions of Ukraine and Raions of cities in Ukraine

In Ukraine, there are a total of 450 raions which are the administrative divisions of oblasts (provinces) and the Autonomous Republic of Crimea. Major cities of regional significance as well as the two national cities with special status (Kiev and Sevastopol) are also subdivided into raions (constituting a total of 111 nationwide).

References

• 6 мая 2001 г. «Конституция Республики Тыва», в ред. Конституционного закона №1419 ВХ-2 от 10 июля 2009 г «О внесении изменений в статью 113 Конституции Республики Тыва». Вступил в силу со дня официального опубликования. Опубликован: "Тувинская правда", 15 мая 2001 г. (May 6, 2001 Constitution of the Tyva Republic, as amended by the Constitutional Law #1419 VKh-2 of July 10, 2009 On Amending Article 113 of the Constitution of the Tyva Republic. Effective as of the official publication date.).