Looking for Safroniuk Family in Ukraine

[vincesafroniuk]

Hello, i am looking for any relative that i might have in ukraine, my grandfather, William (Bill) Safroniuk came to Canada in the early 1900s, i dont know what part of ukraine he was from but i do know that he had brothers and possibly sisters that stayed behind. At least one of his brothers came to Canada later on but they were unable to find each other. There is a possibility that the spelling of the name may have been changed over time, it may have been spelled Safroniuk Sofroniuk Safraniuk Safronuik or something simular. thank you

[Hannia]

It is very likely that Grandfather's given name was originally Vasil/Vasyl, later anglicized to William.

The IUK suffix ending on surname would indicate that Grandfather was very likely from Vohlyn Region.
From late 18th century to 1921 the Vohlynskaya Gubernia/region belonged to Russia. From 1921 to 1939
it became the Wohlynskie Wojiwodstwo/region under Reconstituted Poland's domain. Post WW2 the region
became a part of SSR Ukraine, under Soviet domain. Today the region is divided into Vohlyn, Rivne, Zhytomir
and Khmelnyska oblasts/regions of Independent Ukraine.

Ascertaining exact place of origin is critical to your search.

Have you examined the LI-RA-MA Collection @ the Nat'l Canadian Archives?
This collection of documents was created between 1898 and 1922 by the consular offices of the Russian Empire
in Canada. It is a series on passports and identity papers, comprised of files on Jewish, Ukrainian and Finnish immigrants.

Website Search Results - Library and Archives Canada

[vincesafroniuk]

all of your information will be very helpful, i have had no luck so far finding any info on my grandfather and when he arrived in Canada, i will keep on searching using a Ukrainian name, that make alot of sence. that you so much, vince

[Hannia]

Sofraniuk = Софранюк OR Сyфранюк

The only correct spelling of your surname is in its original language, using its
original alphabet, in this case Cyrillic. All variant spellings of the transliteration
(SOUNDS LIKE) are just that, the sound of the name using English letters.
______________________________________________________________________

Some interim reading material:

Quick history and geography of Volhynia

Volhynia is in the northwest corner of Ukraine. There was a government district with that name for more
than a century, and the region is still generally known as Volhynia even though the old government district
is now split between five modern oblasts.

Major cities in Volhynia include Zhitomir, Korosten, Novograd-Volynsk, Rowno, Lutzk and Kowel.

Volhynia has a long history. It was on a historic east-west route linking Kiev with the west through Brest,
in today's Belarus, as well as a north-south route between Scandinavia and Constantinople, now Istanbul, Turkey.

In 1569, Poland and Lithuania, which had been working together since 1385, were brought together under one
government. Volhynia region was incorporated into the Polish kingdom. The administrative system in the area
remained unchanged for the next two centuries.

In 1793, with the second partition of Poland, Volhynia was incorporated into Russia. Ukraine was divided along
the Dniper River, which runs through Kiev. Zhitomir became the centre of the western side of Ukraine, and courts
and other government institutions were moved there

In 1797 the Volhynian gubernia was established, with its centre in Zhitomir. The government had 17 districts:
Novograd-Volynsk, Labunsk, Volodymersk, Kovel, Zaslavsk, Ostrog, Rovno, Dombrovyts, Ovruch, Zhitomir,
Chudniv, Lutsk, Dubno, Kremenetsk, Yampilsk, Bazalivsk and Starokanstantinovka. Radomyshl, northwest of
the city of Zhitomir and part of today's Zhitomir oblast, was transferred to the Kiev gubernia.

There were minor internal changes to the Volhynia gubernia over the years. The Chudniv district was liquidated
and its territory transferred to Zhitomir and Novograd-Volynskiy districts. In 1846 Berdichev with adjoining
territories was separated from Zhitomir district and became a center of new district.

By the time of the Russian revolution Volhynia was one of 10 gubernias on Ukrainian ethnic territory, with eight
more in ethnically mixed areas.

According to the Riga peace treaty betwen Poland and Russia, signed on March 18, 1921, some of Volhynia's
western districts were turned over to Poland. The districts included Kovel, Lutsk, Dubno, Rovno, Ostrog, as well
as most of Kremenetsk and two regions in the Novograd-Volynsk district, Korez and Kysorytsk (today, Rokitno).

Germans -- and Czechs, and French -- started moving to Volhynia around the time of the second partition.
A large-scale migration of Germans into the area took place in the 1860s, after the emancipation of the serfs.

The northern part of Volhynia is known for its forests and its marshes. The most common tree here is pine, but
oak may be found on richer soils, along with birch, alder, and linden. At one time almost the entire belt was covered
with forest, but the spread of agriculture over the past 150 years means that less than 33 per cent of the forests
remain.

Volhynia includes part of the Polesie, one of the largest European swampy areas. The Polesie also includes parts of
Belarus, Russia and Poland.The swamp area of the Polesie -- which translates as "woodland" -- is known as the Pripiat
Marsh, named after the major river that runs through it. The main highway between Korosten and Rokitnoe passes
through the southern part of the marsh, with water-soaked soil clearly visible from the road.

Volhynia was heavily affected by radioactive fallout from the 1986 nuclear plant accident at Chernobyl. Huge areas in
the northeastern region were so badly polluted that agriculture has been prohibited. This region is also considered
unsuitable for living, so several villages have been abandoned.

Temperatures in Volhynia vary widely -- between -35 in winter and 38 Celsius in summer. It gets about 600 millimetres
of precipitation in an average year.

Today, Volhynia is home to about four million people. Its economy is primarily based on forestry and lumber milling,
agriculture and food processing, granite mining, metalworking, and the manufacture of machinery and musical
instruments.