For travel to the United States on a temporary basis For foreign citizens who want to live permanently in the United States The Visa Waiver Program (VWP) allows citizens of participating countries* to travel to the United States without a visa for stays of 90 days or less Outside of Romania: +40-21-270-6000 (press 8) U.S.-Romania Cooperation on Small Modular Reactors Learn more about quality higher-education opportunities in the U.S that you will not find anywhere else in the world The American Corner program promotes understanding and cooperation between the U.S Ambassador to Romania Kathleen Kavalec announced a $95,000 grant for the restoration of a 16th-century wooden church at the Maramures Museum in Sighetu Marmatiei Embassy’s continuing support for Romanian cultural heritage throughout the country through the Ambassador’s Fund for Cultural Preservation (AFCP) The grant will be used to repair and conserve the wooden church and to secure and maintain exhibits that promote the region’s multicultural heritage The wooden church has a rich history: it stands as a landmark of the peaceful coexistence between different ethnic communities in the Maramures area The church was donated to the community of Oncesti by the Ukrainian community from Criciova and has become a symbol of regional cooperation and multiculturalism against the backdrop of Russia’s war against Ukraine This is the second AFCP grant to the Maramures Museum A 2021 grant helped restore the Elie Wiesel Memorial House another important symbol of cultural and religious diversity highlighting the region’s rich Jewish heritage AFCP has donated more than $1.2 million USD to preserve Romanian national heritage throughout the country including $500,000 to restore a 14th century fortified church in Alma Vii village $84,000 to repair fortified churches in the villages of Movile and a nearly $130,000 grant to conserve the Former Hinech Neorim Orthodox Synagogue in Oradea one of the most important and historically valuable synagogues in Oradea At the October 3 opening ceremony of the AFCP project in Sighetu Marmatiei Ambassador Kathleen Kavalec was joined by Director of Maramures Museum Vasile Moldovan and Ukraine’s Ambassador to Romania Embassy remains committed to supporting and promoting the heritage of all Romanians I am pleased to announce the funding for this project through careful restoration of this beautiful church also celebrates diversity and bolsters our shared sense of community,” Ambassador Kavalec said the Ambassadors Fund for Cultural Preservation has funded projects around the country preserving Romania’s rich cultural heritage and highlighting the historical contributions of all its peoples For more information about the U.S. Embassy to Romania’s AFCP grants, please see https://ro.usembassy.gov/ambassadors-fund-for-cultural-preservation-afcp-projects-in-romania/ By | 3 October, 2024 | Topics: Press Releases | Tags: , We use cookies to make our website work better and improve your experience Stuart Franklin reports the stories of fleeing civilians at Ukraine’s borders with Romania and Moldova Stuart Franklin pursued by freezing northeasterly blizzards yet safe from Russia’s bloody expansionist war the first day of Spring is a day when family members present flowers to each other I had travelled the winding snow-lined Carpathian mountain roads from Cluj-Napoca to the border region of Sighetu Marmatiei each bound with a blue ribbon – the colours of the Ukrainian flag: a welcoming gesture among so many that I witnessed between here and the Black Sea coast the exhausted refugees smiled thankfully or wept whereupon the bold child simply hugged them Most of those crossing had said their farewells earlier: in a subway bomb shelter The vast majority were women and children who had left their menfolk behind to fight was allowed to travel due to his Kyrgyzstani nationality They had been apart for three weeks when I witnessed their emotional reunion Then there were those who refused to be separated Five members of the combined Zhytnyk and Davydenko families and their two cats spent four nights on Kyiv’s Demiirska subway station as impromptu neighbours Hundreds of refugees huddled in warmed tents pet food and blankets are supplied by an army of volunteers Border guards frequently portered luggage across the frontier a 9-year-old girl who had travelled from Solotvino with her family hugging a yellow flannel-covered teddy bear for several minutes while her younger brother Victor nonchalantly negotiated the contours of donated food bags with his toy truck Half a kilometre down the road from the border at Sighetu Marmatiei refugees were bustling onto the one train headed for Bucharest that day (March 2nd) they ran over the tracks dragging their belongings and their children in a scene reminiscent of World War Two It was a very different group of Ukrainians who took up residence in the town’s four-star Gardina Morii hotel he was waiting in a bulging yellow windbreaker for his wife and mother Any money he had left was carried in banknotes stuffed under his anorak and in his credit cards — enough at least for a few days in a hotel It was snowing when I finally reached the next border crossing at Siret had given me permission to photograph the bleak brutalist landscape of the border crossing families asked officials where they should go who was attempting to feed her stressed four-year-old cat Crossing the border to Moldova through the lowlands on the edge of Ukraine along the Dniester river basin treeless views of potato fields and black podzolic soil continued and many of the vehicles of Soviet vintage build Near the city of Otaci the border is formed by the Podul Prietenia (Friendship) bridge it connects Otaci to the Ukrainian city of Mohyliv-Podilskyi an enclave that has changed affiliations nine times since the end of the 16th century It is remembered as a site of Jewish persecution when it was occupied by the Germans and Romanians between 1941 and 1944 The city has witnessed the transit of many refugees who have passed the blue domes of its St Nicholas church Today’s Ukrainians were not the first to make this journey In an Evangelical church welcome centre in Otaci I listened to the guitar and solemn songs of Anatoli Sabelnikov (70) who had travelled with his wife and children from the bombed-out Ukrainian city of Kharkiv He told me that he would never be separated from his guitar: he played to children who surrounded him – reminiscent of Second World War prisoner-violinists In a local government hostel set up for refugees I met a family of three who had travelled by bus from Kyiv Pensioners Sergei and Svetlana Sidorov shared a small room of three single beds with Svetlana’s 90-year-old mother Nadia Unlike many who arrived at Ukraine’s borders they had nowhere to go and no plans to leave the safety of the hostel whose occupants were cooked for by a kindly group of carabinieri Their kitchen was a towable museum-piece: a Soviet-era wood-burning stove with a chimney I reached the frontier at Tudora and Palanca In both places I received help from the border police in crossing to the Ukrainian side There long queues of cars awaiting entry to Moldova I saw a trailing line of refugees on foot stretching into the distance Many were wrapped in blankets against the cold and had walked 10 kilometres from Mayaky on the other side of the Dniester river they were triaged into two queues: one for buses to Moldova’s capital Chisināu; another for Bucharest There was little opportunity to shelter from the cold mixed groups of refugees shivered in line or sat near the border fence The border police and officials had overseen the building of a large tented refugee camp set out between Palanca and Tudora but few opted to stay there despite hot air being pumped into each tent I met two families who bucked the trend: the Ciuprins (Maria Ciuprin was on the bed right) and the Bitcos (Elena Bitco was on the bed left) Ukraine and seemed uncertain where they would end up it was our turn to cross the border once again from Moldova back into Romania and to the Danube river crossing to Ukraine at Isaccea The Romanian fire service had taken on much of the responsibility for the well-being of the refugees who arrived by ferry in batches of about 400 standing beside the cars and buses at the dock Isaccea and on the boat at Poromna Pereprava had fled from towns and cities in the south Only three foot-passengers joined me in the heated cabin overlooking the squat town on the banks of the Danube One was Maryna Klymenko who gazed out of the window in tears She was returning to Kyiv to collect her beloved cat “Ukrainians love their pets,” replied another passenger to a question I posed about cats One was in tears when she handed a toddler back to its mother The return journey to Romania was faster: a passenger was suffering with hypothermia and the ever-active fire service wanted her in an ambulance and off to safety My final stop in Romania was in the historic city of Constanta named after the half-sister of the Roman emperor Constantine its roots deep in histories of conquest (Roman Ottoman) and exile: the Roman poet Ovid spent his last years there I had a view over a long stretch of shoreline like England’s Bournemouth with the addition of snow and tetrapods in place to protect the sandy beach several uniformed American soldiers were breakfasting during this moment of a coming war in Europe The reported attack comes just days before Russia's Victory Day parade and three-day "truce." MPs will be able to ask questions and learn more about the details of the agreement in meetings with Economy Minister Yulia Svyrydenko May 6-7 MP Serhii Sobolev told the news outlet Suspilne The ratification vote is scheduled for May 8 Attacks against the border villages of Bilopillia and Vorozhba damaged civilian infrastructure and triggered emergency evacuations the regional military administration reported "I look forward to working with President Erdogan on getting the ridiculous war between Russia and Ukraine ended — now!" U.S Putin's Victory Day truce "doesn't sound like much if you know where we started from," Trump told reporters at the White House on May 5 Far-right Euroskeptic candidate George Simion head of the Alliance for the Union of Romanians (AUR) Bucharest Mayor Nicusor Dan placed second with 20.99% of the vote and the candidate from the ruling coalition "It requires the continuation of contacts between Moscow and Washington which have been launched and are now ongoing," Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said set to operate within the Council of Europe will focus on Russia's political and military leaders up to 20 Russian soldiers were killed and their equipment destroyed The move represents an apparent violation of United Nations Security Council resolutions passed in the wake of North Korea's intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) tests "We are ready to deepen our contribution to the training of the Ukrainian military," Czech Prime Minister Petr Fiala said on May 5 by Kateryna Denisova, The Kyiv Independent news deskUkrainian refugees cross the Tysa River on a bridge connecting Ukraine (L) and Romania at the Sighetu Marmatiei border crossing in northwestern Romania on April 10 (Christophe Archambault/AFP via Getty Images)About 11,000 Ukrainian men have illegally crossed the border into Romania since the beginning of Russia's full-scale invasion Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE/RL) reported on May 9 citing data from the Romanian border police A total of 19 men aged between 18 and 60 died while trying to cross into the neighboring country the chief of the Romanian border police in the city of Sighetu Marmatiei Eleven of them reportedly drowned in the Tysa River and the rest died while trying to cross the Carpathian Mountains without proper equipment Since the beginning of Russia's full-scale invasion, there have been multiple reports of men attempting to illegally flee Ukraine by swimming the Tysa River, which flows along the border with Hungary, Romania, and Moldova Men of draft age are banned from leaving the country during martial law There have been 1,218 cases of illegal border crossings from Ukraine to Romania recorded between January and April 2024, with 2,373 Ukrainian citizens involved, according to Coman. Romanian rescuers have saved 108 Ukrainians in the Maramures region alone Ukrainian law enforcement agencies have uncovered, as of mid-March, nearly 400 criminal networks that help individuals evade military service by aiding them to flee abroad, according to State Border Guard Service spokesperson Andrii Demchenko Ukraine recently updated the legal framework of the military draft to ramp up mobilization in 2024. President Volodymyr Zelensky signed the new law on mobilization on April 16 introducing additional penalties for those dodging the draft Another law lowered the minimum age of compulsory military service from 27 to 25 making men eligible for the draft as soon as they turned 25 Source: footballghana.com « Prev Next » Comments (0) Listen to Article Mensah climbed off the bench to score the match winner Romania (AP) — Hundreds of people have marched in memory of the late Elie Wiesel in a northern Romanian town where thousands of Jews were deported to Nazi death camps Jews and some mainly young Hungarians who had traveled from neighboring Hungary took part in the Sunday evening procession in Sighetu Marmatiei a Holocaust survivor and Nobel prize winner The procession started at the Wiesel family home went past the site of the former synagogue and ended at the local railway station where Jews were deported to Nazi concentration camps Some people dressed in national costume while others held banners or wore shirts saying “Anti-Semitism led to Auschwitz.” A Jewish choir sung in front of the Holocaust memorial who is chairman of the Israeli Yesh Atid party said: “Anti-Semitism hasn’t disappeared “Recently it began to flourish again in Europe and in the U.S it exists on the far left and on the far right.” Wiesel and his family were deported in May 1944 to Auschwitz from the town His mother and younger sister died there while his two older sisters survived Stay secure and make sure you have the best reading experience possible by upgrading your browser Curious about how Snopes' writers verify information and craft their stories for public consumption? We've collected some posts that help explain how we do what we do. Happy reading and let us know what else you might be interested in knowing Sighetu Marmației is a small town in northern Romania set amidst rolling hills and farmland Along its northern boundary is the Tilsa River which serves as a natural border with the Ukrainian town of Solotvyno a small wooden bridge that connects the two nations is the site of a border checkpoint adorned with children’s toys It comes after a group of strollers was left at a train station in Poland for refugees fleeing Ukraine and offers a small welcoming gift offered to refugee children Photographs of the now-nicknamed “toy bridge” were shared to Twitter on March 17 which serves as the Centre for Strategic Communication under Ukraine's Ministry of Culture and Information Policy “Each child who comes from Ukraine can take a toy from there to enter the country with a nice thought,” wrote the agency The State Border Guard Service of Ukraine also shared pictures of the bridge writing in a translated post that the Romanian border guards were taking “care to entertain Ukrainian children fleeing the war.”  Additional photographs of the toy bridge show brightly colored stuffed animals and toys placed along its walkways in the middle of Eastern Europe’s winter The agency noted that the “historic bridge” now connects the two countries and serves as a checkpoint Toys have been left by Romanian border guards and volunteers, reported the English-reporting publication The New Voice of Ukraine Estimates suggest that almost one child per second is becoming a refugee of the war in Ukraine, according to the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) in a report published in mid-March The total number of people who have fled the country passed 3 million on March 15 about half of which are believed to be children “Every day, over the past 20 days, in Ukraine more than 70,000 children have become refugees. That’s every minute, 55 children fleeing the country,” said UNICEF spokesperson James Elder in a news release The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) suggests that more refugees can be expected as the situation continues an estimated 4 million people may flee Ukraine In light of the emergency and paramount humanitarian needs of refugees from Ukraine an inter-agency regional refugee response is being carried out in support of refugee-hosting countries’ efforts,” wrote UNHCR Figures published on March 16 show that nearly a half-million Ukrainian refugees have crossed into Romania’s borders which hosts the second largest influx after Poland (1.9 million) UNHCR https://www.google.com/maps/place/Punctul+de+Trecere+a+Frontierei+Sighetul+Marma%C8%9Biei/@47.9391738,23.8681897,15.43z/data=!4m13!1m7!3m6!1s0x4737bbab9a8fb321:0xd8dbb17f72b9d7f5!2sSighetu+Marma%C8%9Biei+435500,+Romania!3b1!8m2!3d47.927707!4d23.8976506!3m4!1s0x4737bb75bc343ae7:0xb6a5c500525756cc!8m2!3d47.9385943!4d23.8771346 “https://Twitter.Com/Dpsu_ua/Status/1504450233341820932.” Twitter https://twitter.com/dpsu_ua/status/1504450233341820932 “https://Twitter.Com/Newvoiceukraine/Status/1504452444801335298.” Twitter https://twitter.com/newvoiceukraine/status/1504452444801335298 “https://Twitter.Com/Stratcomcentre/Status/1504424157303427076.” Twitter https://twitter.com/stratcomcentre/status/1504424157303427076 https://romaniatourism.com/sighetu-marmatiei.html https://data2.unhcr.org/en/situations/ukraine “Ukraine War Creating a Child Refugee Almost Every Second: UNICEF.” UN News https://news.un.org/en/story/2022/03/1113942 Madison Dapcevich is a freelance contributor for Snopes This material may not be reproduced without permission Snopes and the Snopes.com logo are registered service marks of Snopes.com Site developed by     Copyright © Yedioth Internet Between Ukraine and Romania, at the new border crossing point of Bila Tserkva - Sighetu Marmatiei, a 261-meter bridge will be constructed over the Tisa River.This was announced by the Deputy Head of the Zakarpattia Regional Military Administration the governments of Ukraine and Romania have already signed the relevant agreement for its construction The 261-meter bridge over the Tisa River will be built between the settlements of Bila Tserkva (Zakarpattia region It will connect the two countries within the framework of the new border crossing point Construction work has already begun on the adjacent side and the bridge is expected to be completed by the end of 2024 After Romania's Communist leader Nicolae Ceausescu was overthrown in 1989 the world was exposed to the harrowing conditions in which many children lived in the country's orphanages Under a 25-year regime of brutal repression more than 100,000 children had been abandoned to squalid and overcrowded institutions The world watched in horror as footage emerged of naked children with shaved heads chained to cribs Romania's large number of orphans were the consequence of several factors And so taking inspiration from Stalinist theory that a large population would fuel economic growth Ceausescu implemented several "pro-natalist" policies childless couples were taxed and women and girls were checked for signs of pregnancy and miscarriage by the Securitate meant parents had more children than they could afford Tens of thousands of children were left in orphanages One of the most notorious institutions was the Camin Spital orphanage in the remote Transylvanian town of Sighetu Marmatiei it was home to more than 100 children with disabilities Its decaying dormitories and hallways are now eerily empty, a reminder of the children who suffered under Ceausescu's regime. Although the situation has improved, there are still nearly 9,000 children living in large orphanages in Romania please disable the ad blocking feature and reload the page This website uses cookies to collect information about your visit for purposes such as showing you personalized ads and content By clicking “Accept all,” you will allow the use of these cookies Users accessing this site from EEA countries and UK are unable to view this site without your consent By Yumiko Kurashige / Yomiuri Shimbun Correspondent Ukraine — A growing number of Ukrainian men are illegally crossing into neighboring countries to avoid the draft The main mission of the Romanian border police is to rescue Ukrainian men who swim across Romania does not treat illegal migrants as criminals and allows them to move on to other European countries Ukrainian houses could be seen beyond the Tisza River in Sighetu-Marmatiei An air raid warning siren was heard across the northern shore of the river the river is several meters deep due to snowmelt and rain Illegal entry into the country is thought to be easy here because strict measures such as erecting fences are not taken about 8,600 Ukrainian men have illegally entered Romania since the start of Russia’s aggression When thermography cameras detect the movement of human bodies border police units are informed and rush to the site a 24-year-old assistant inspector who has monitored the border since before the war said his mindset about the job had changed I want to rescue people who need help as soon as possible.” The Romanian government prioritizes the protection of Ukrainian nationals If they apply for temporary protection in Romania their illegal entry into the country is not treated as a criminal offense so the protected Ukrainians can transit to other European countries “Some of them feel relieved after arriving here safely saying they had to abandon their home country,” Marchis said Immediately after the start of Russia’s aggression many young Ukrainians volunteered to join the military tens of thousands of Ukrainian men who are subject to the military draft have fled overseas The average age of Ukrainian soldiers is now above 40 is preparing a bill to lower the minimum draft age from 27 to 25 A 47-year-old man who identified himself only as Vasilii said he had saved “40 to 50 illegal migrants.” Vasilii once lived near the border on the Ukrainian side and has dual Ukrainian-Romanian citizenship at a time when it was legal to cross national borders many acquaintances asked him how to illegally enter the country so they could evade conscription Many of the Ukrainians feared at that time that they might be sent back after crossing the border Vasilii collected information about the system of temporary protection and how they would be treated after crossing the border All the people who successfully crossed the border are now in other European countries A total of 1.3 million people have registered for an information-sharing channel on the Telegram message app that Vasilii participates in Information about successful border crossings and crackdowns inside Ukraine on people trying to flee have been frequently posted on the channel “Now everybody knows a lot about the subject.” there are also people who are choosing to fight as the Ukrainian military struggles to push back against the Russians who ran a nightclub in Liviv in western Ukraine on the platform of a train station late on the evening of Jan Anastasiya had shaved off Oleh’s long hair He had been assigned to an air force unit and was going to participate in military training but had assisted the military since the start of the Russian aggression He opened his club to evacuees and used it as a base for volunteers who produced petrol bombs He also organized events to raise funds for the military and personally transported goods and drones to the frontlines of fierce battles a single event could collect about 160,000 hryvnia (about ¥630,000) But people’s interest waned as the war dragged on and the range of activities that Laba could do has been limited He suffered from a feeling of helplessness thinking that he could not contribute to his home country at all “What is needed most is for me to go to the battlefield.” Our weekly ePaper presents the most noteworthy recent topics in an exciting © 2025 The Japan News - by The Yomiuri Shimbun Privacy Policy • © 2002-2011 WGBH Educational Foundation another prominent Jew from Sighet was Amos Manor the Israeli intelligence and security service and who was one of the operatives in the capture of Adolf Eichmann in Argentina in 1960 the town contained close to 13,000 Jews from Sighet itself and the neighbouring areas the ghetto was liquidated and its inhabitants deported to Auschwitz the president of the Romanian Jewish community says that of the 850,000 Jews in Romania before the war there are no more than 7,000 in the whole country today including survivors and a considerable number of Jews from other parts of Romania but now the town has just 120 Jewish families most of the remainder having left for Israel the US and other places where they had relatives Thank you for helping to make Jewish News the leading source of news and opinion for the UK Jewish community Today we're asking for your invaluable help to continue putting our community first in everything we do For as little as £5 a month you can help sustain the vital work we do in celebrating and standing up for Jewish life in Britain Jewish News holds our community together and keeps us connected it’s where people turn to feel part of something bigger It also proudly shows the rest of Britain the vibrancy and rich culture of modern Jewish life You can make a quick and easy one-off or monthly contribution of £5 £20 or any other sum you’re comfortable with 100% of your donation will help us continue celebrating our community Being a community platform means so much more than producing a newspaper and website One of our proudest roles is media partnering with our invaluable charities to amplify the outstanding work they do to help us all There’s no shortage of oys in the world but Jewish News takes every opportunity to celebrate the joys too 40 Under 40 and other compelling countdowns that make the community kvell with pride In the first collaboration between media outlets from different faiths Jewish News worked with British Muslim TV and Church Times to produce a list of young activists leading the way on interfaith understanding Royal Mail issued a stamp honouring Holocaust hero Sir Nicholas Winton after a Jewish News campaign attracted more than 100,000 backers Jewish Newsalso produces special editions of the paper highlighting pressing issues including mental health and Holocaust remembrance Jewish News provides high-quality content free online and offline removing any financial barriers to connecting people The Jewish News team regularly appears on TV radio and on the pages of the national press to comment on stories about the Jewish community Easy access to the paper on the streets of London also means Jewish News provides an invaluable window into the community for the country at large We hope you agree all this is worth preserving Ghanaian forward Emmanuel Mensah was twice on the scoresheet for CSM Sighetu Marmatiei in their league game against Satu Mare on Friday afternoon Mensah opened the scoring for his side after just three minutes played in their home game their celebrations were cut short by Emanuel Negru who drew the away side levelled The 19-year-old restored the lead 15 minutes later His second sent his side into the break in the lead and well on course to grab all three points in their chase for top-flight football next season Satu Mare got on level terms 10 minutes after the recess through the penalty spot Ervin Zsiga netted from the 18-yard box to make it 2-2 with both sides holding each other off to the end of the game His brace on Friday now means Mensah has now scored 11 goals for the club in the Romanian Liga II © 2013 - [current_year]  | SportsWorldGhana | All rights reserved