Raion


A raion is a type of administrative unit of several post-Soviet states. The term is from the French "rayon", which is both a type of a subnational entity and a division of a city, and is commonly translated in English as "district".
A raion is a standardized administrative entity across most of the former Soviet Union and is usually a subdivision two steps below the national level. However, in smaller USSR republics, it could be the primary level of administrative division. After the fall of the Soviet Union, some of the republics kept the raion while others dropped it.
In Bulgaria, it refers to an internal administrative subdivision of a city not related to the administrative division of the country as a whole, or, in the case of Sofia municipality a subdivision of that municipality.

Etymology

The word "raion" is often used in translated form: rayon; раён, rajon; район; რაიონი, raioni; rajons; rajonas; rejon; raion; райо́н and райо́н.
The source of the word in French,, comes from pre-medieval Frankish *hrāta 'honeycomb' and is not related with the English or its source, Latin.

List of countries with raion subdivisions

Fourteen countries have or had entities that were named "raion" or the local version of it.
CountryFromUntilLocal nameCommentDetails
Abkhazia araion inherited from the Abkhaz ASSRDistricts of Abkhazia
Armenia1995inherited from the Armenian SSRDistricts of Armenia
Austria~ 1918Rayon, RajonUsed only by the k.k. Gendarmerie to designate police districts.
Azerbaijanrayon, pl. rayonlar;inherited from the Azerbaijan SSRDistricts of Azerbaijan
Belarusраён, rajoninherited from the Belorussian SSRDistricts of Belarus
Bulgariaraions are subdivisions of three biggest cities: Sofia, Plovdiv and Varna. Sofia is subdivided to 24 raions, Plovdiv - 6, Varna - 5 raions
China行政分区restricted to the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region as influenced by the USSR. The districts of Ürümqi City and Karamay City are called رايون in Uyghur.
Crimea 2014-03-162014-03-16inherited from Ukraine. The Republic is now split into the federal subjects of Russia named Republic of Crimea and Sevastopol
Estonia1990rajoon, pl. rajoonidinherited from the Estonian SSR. In 1990 transformed into counties Counties of Estonia
Georgia2006რაიონი raioniinherited from the Georgian SSR ; 2006 as first-level entities reorganized into municipalities. A raioni remains a territorial subdivision of Georgia's capital, Tbilisi.Districts of Georgia
Kazakhstanрайо́нinherited from the Kazakh SSRDistricts of Kazakhstan
Latvia2009-07-01rajons; pl. rajoniinherited from the Latvian SSRDistricts of Latvia
Lithuania1994rajonasinherited from the Lithuanian SSR. In 1994 transformed into district municipalities Districts of Lithuania
MoldovaMoldovan: raionintroduced in administrative reform in 2003Districts of Moldova
Romania1968-02-16raionone of the Administrative divisions of the People's Republic of RomaniaDistricts of the People's Republic of Romania
Russian Federationрайо́нinherited from the Russian SFSRDistricts of Russia
South Ossetia-Alania inherited from the South Ossetian AODistricts of South Ossetia
Soviet Union1991-12-26 At various levels below the constituent republics.
Transnistria inherited from the Moldavian SSRDistricts of Transnistria
Ukraineinherited from the Ukrainian SSR, there are a about 500 raions which are the administrative divisions of oblasts and the Autonomous Republic of Crimea. Major cities of regional significance as well as the two national cities with special status are also subdivided into raions.Districts of Ukraine

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. 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 and were headed by the local head of administration, who was either elected or appointed.

Raions outside the Soviet Union

Following the model of the Soviet Union raions have been introduced in Bulgaria, Romania. In China the term is used in Uyghur in the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region.
In Romania they have been later replaced.

Raions after the dissolution of the Soviet Union

After the dissolution of the Soviet Union, raions as administrative units continue to be used in Azerbaijan, Belarus, Georgia, Latvia, Moldova, Russia, and Ukraine.
They are also used in breakaway regions: Abkhazia, South Ossetia, Transnistria.
SetQuantityComment
Districts of Abkhazia7first-level
Districts of Azerbaijan59first-level, 18 other entities at that level exist
Districts of Belarus118second-level below oblasts and Minsk City
Districts of Moldova32first-level, 5 other entities at that level exist
Districts of South Ossetia4first-level, 1 other entity at that level exists
Districts of Russia1731second-level below federal subjects
Districts of Transnistria5first-level
Districts of Ukraine136 and 118 city raionssecond-level, numbers as of 2020, including Sevastopol and Crimea

In Georgia they exist as districts in Tbilisi.

Modern raions

Abkhazia

Abkhazia is divided into seven districts.

Azerbaijan

Belarus

In Belarus, raions are administrative units subordinated to oblasts. 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, Plovdiv - 6, Varna - 5 raions.

Moldova

Transnistria

Russia

Ukraine

In Ukraine, there are a total of 136 raions which are the administrative divisions of oblasts and the Autonomous Republic of Crimea. Major cities of regional significance as well as the two national cities with special status are also subdivided into raions.