Historical Roots of Jewish Surnames in Ukraine: Cultural Ties and Centuries-Old Coexistence — Opinion

Every autumn, the city of Uman in the Cherkasy region of Ukraine becomes a place of pilgrimage for thousands of Jews from all over the world who come to celebrate Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year.

This event symbolizes not only a religious tradition, but also a deep historical connection between the Jewish people and the Ukrainian land. Many Jews, inspired by this tradition, settled in Uman, creating an entire microdistrict and gradually assimilating into the Ukrainian cultural environment, which emphasizes the long history of coexistence between Jews and Ukrainians.

Israeli philologist and cultural scientist, professor Wolf Moskovich, told in detail about significant Ukrainian-Jewish cultural ties, which are reflected even in surnames, many of which are of Ukrainian origin. For example, the surnames Ivankiv And Vannikov come from the name of the village of Ivanki, located near Uman, and Zavadivker – from the village of Zavadivka. Surname Macedonian originates from the village of Makedoni, located near Kanev.

Of particular interest are surnames with a clear Ukrainian flavor, such as The Bully Tail, Coward Head, Storcheus And Psuybumaga. Although they resemble the style characteristic of the Zaporizhian Sich Cossacks, Professor Moskovich emphasizes that Jewish surnames began to form steadily only at the beginning of the 19th century, when the Sich had already ceased to exist. Nevertheless, this fact testifies to the complex interweaving of Ukrainian and Jewish cultures, which together formed unique social and cultural structures.

Historical ties between Jews and Ukrainians are also confirmed by numerous toponymic Jewish surnames that originate from the names of settlements in Ukraine and Belarus. These surnames were formed similarly to the surnames of the Ukrainian, Belarusian and Polish gentry. In some cases, they even coincide with the gentry surnames of these peoples. The list of such surnames includes Lebedinsky, Mirgorodsky, Zhitomir, Belotserkovsky, Rakitnyansky, Potocki, Odessa, Chernobyl, Zhvanetsky, Koretsky, Brodsky and others. These surnames not only indicate a geographical connection, but also reflect the long history of coexistence of Jews on the territory of Ukraine.

In the 20th century, especially during the Soviet period, Jews had the opportunity to change their surnames, which was sometimes done to adapt to the local culture or for political reasons. Thus, Yiddish surnames could be calqued into Ukrainian analogues, for example: Bilan (from Weissman), Fisherman (from Fisher), Chervonenko (from Rothman), Chernenko (from Shvartsman) Such adaptation demonstrates the desire of Jews to integrate into Ukrainian society while preserving their roots.

A particularly interesting example of the Ukrainization of Jewish surnames is Pinchuk And Polischukwhich probably originated from surnames Pinsky And PoleskiyThis process testifies to the mutual influence and adaptation of cultures that lived side by side for many centuries.

The coexistence of Jews and Ukrainians has a long and sometimes complex history. Both nations have experienced periods of conflict and cooperation, but their shared cultural heritage continues to play a significant role in modern times. Jews began settling en masse in Ukraine in the Middle Ages, when the country was part of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania and then the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth. Their contribution to the economic and cultural development of the regions was significant. Over time, Jewish communities in Ukraine became increasingly influential, and many Jews participated in the social and cultural life of the country.

This coexistence is especially relevant in our time, when the world is on the threshold of change, and preserving cultural ties and the memory of centuries-old cooperation between peoples is becoming even more important.