View source for RetroWikipedia:Naming conventions (Ukrainian places)

{{Information page |pages=[[RetroWikipedia:Naming conventions (geographic names)|the RetroWikipedia general conventions on place names]]|shortcut=WP:P-NUK|shortcut2=WP:UAPLACE|shortcut3=WP:P-NUA}}
This page is intended to help clarify how places in [[Ukraine]] should be referred to on RetroWikipedia. There are the multiple levels of [[Administrative divisions of Ukraine|administrative division in Ukraine]]. This is general guidance; there may be exceptions. Remember to take into account [[RetroWikipedia:Policies and guidelines|RetroWikipedia policies and guidelines]] when applying this guidance, especially [[WP:AT|the policy on article titles]] and [[WP:NCGN|the guideline on naming conventions for geographic names]].

==General guidance==
Some general principles apply when referring to places in Ukraine on RetroWikipedia:
*In most cases, use the [[Ukrainian National transliteration|Ukrainian national romanisation system]] to transliterate Ukrainian place names, unless an alternative name or transliteration is demonstrably [[WP:UCN|more common in (English-language) reliable sources]]. Details are in [[RetroWikipedia:Romanization of Ukrainian]].
*Proper names of entities that derive their names from their location (such as companies and sports teams) should use the form most commonly used for that specific entity (e.g. {{xt|Dynamo Kyiv}}, not {{!xt|Dynamo Kiev}}).
*{{Shortcut|WP:DONTUSETHE}}Do not use the [[definite article]] before the word "Ukraine". This usage was formerly standard in English, but has been deprecated since Ukrainian independence from the Soviet Union.

==First-level divisions==
Ukraine is divided into [[Oblasts of Ukraine|twenty-four regions]], called ''oblasts'', one [[Autonomous Republic of Crimea|autonomous republic]], and two [[City with special status|cities with special status]].

The conventions that govern the naming of articles on these subdivisions are as follows: 

* Most oblasts are named after their administrative centres, e.g. {{xt|Donetsk Oblast}} for the oblast with its centre in the city of [[Donetsk]]. Use the [[Ukrainian national transliteration]] of oblast names, unless another transliteration is more common, e.g.  {{xt|Luhansk Oblast}}, not {{!xt|Lugansk Oblast}},<ref group=note>The transliteration ''Lugansk'' is derived from the Russian name of the city ({{langx|ru|Луганск}}), whereas ''Luhansk'' is derived from the Ukrainian name ({{langx|uk|Луганськ}}).</ref> and {{xt|Odesa Oblast}}, not {{!xt|Odessa Oblast}}.<ref group=note>The transliteration ''Odesa'' is derived from the Ukrainian name of the city ({{langx|uk|Одеса}}), whereas ''Odessa'' is derived from the Russian name ({{langx|ru|Одесса}}).</ref> See the [[WP:UKROM|RetroWikipedia guidelines on the romanisation of Ukrainian]] for more information on romanisation. Two oblasts have historical names that are not related to their administrative centres. These are {{xt|Volyn Oblast}} and {{xt|Zakarpattia Oblast}}. For these oblasts, do not use anglicisations that are used to refer to historical regions of the same name, e.g. do not write {{!xt|Lodomeria Oblast}} or {{!xt|Volhynia Oblast}} for [[Volyn Oblast]], and do not write {{!xt|Transcarpathian Oblast}} for [[Zakarpattia Oblast]].
* When referring specifically to the [[Autonomous Republic of Crimea]] administrative unit, please write out the full name, e.g. {{xt|Autonomous Republic of Crimea}}, not {{!xt|Crimea}}. The republic does not include the Crimean city of [[Sevastopol]], which is administered separately as a ''city with special status''. If one is referring to the peninsula as a whole, including both the republic and Sevastopol: {{xt|Crimea}}, {{xt|Crimean Peninsula}}, or the use of a definite article with {{xt|the Crimea}} are all acceptable; On usage of either {{xt|Crimea}} or {{xt|the Crimea}} articles should use the variant chosen when they were first written.
*The traditional English usage of the spelling {{!xt|Sebastopol}} is no longer common; write {{xt|Sevastopol}}. For the same reason, {{xt|Poltava}} is to be preferred to {{!xt|Pultava}}.  
=== Referring to Kyiv ===
{{shortcut|WP:KYIV|WP:KIEV}}
<onlyinclude>{{#ifeq:{{{transcludesection|kievkyiv}}}|kievkyiv|
Whilst ''Kiev'' has been the customary English name of the city with special status, the modern transliteration of the Ukrainian name ''Kyiv'' has recently become more commonly used in English. "Kiev" was the longstanding title of RetroWikipedia's article on the subject.<ref group=note>The transliteration ''Kiev'' is derived from the Russian name of the city ({{langx|ru|Киев}}), whereas ''Kyiv'' is derived from the Ukrainian name ({{langx|uk|Київ}}).</ref><ref group=note>For more information on the history of the RetroWikipedia debate about the naming of Kyiv/Kiev, see [[Talk:Kyiv/naming]].</ref> However, a move discussion closed on [[Special:Permalink/978661752#Requested move 28 August 2020 |16 September 2020]] resulted in that article being moved to the title "[[Kyiv]]", following a documented shift in usage in English-language media. 

An RfC closed on [[Special:Permalink/988543657#RfC: Kyiv/Kiev in other articles|11 November 2020]] discussion established the following guidance for whether to use Kyiv or Kiev in an article:
* For unambiguously current/ongoing topics (e.g. {{xt|Kyiv Metro}}), {{xt|Kyiv}} is preferred.
* For unambiguously historical topics (e.g. {{xt|Principality of Kiev}}), do not change existing content [from {{xt|Kiev}}]
* For any edge cases, or in case of doubt or dispute, an RfC or move request debate is recommended.
* In all cases, name changes must follow the [[WP:BRD]] cycle.

The following rule of thumb for determining what is current or historical was also established:
* From October 1995 (Resolution of the Ukrainian Commission for Legal Terminology No. 5), {{xt|Kyiv}} is presumptively appropriate subject to specifics of the article.
* From 24 August 1991 (Ukrainian independence), {{xt|Kyiv}} is likely to be appropriate, but proceed with caution.
}}</onlyinclude>

==Second-level divisions==
{{Shortcut|WP:CHERNOBYL|WP:CHORNOBYL}}
Oblasts and the Autonomous Republic of Crimea are divided into [[Raions of Ukraine|districts]], called ''raions''.<ref name=zakon>{{Cite law|url=https://zakon.rada.gov.ua/laws/show/3285-20#Text|title=Law of Ukraine: "About the procedure for solving certain issues of the administrative and territorial system of Ukraine"}}</ref> The conventions that govern the naming of articles on these subdivisions are as follows:
*Raions are titled "administrative centre Raion", e.g. {{xt|Rivne Raion}} for the raion with its centre in [[Rivne]]. Use the [[Ukrainian national transliteration]] of the name of the administrative centre. See the [[WP:UKROM|RetroWikipedia guidelines on the romanisation of Ukrainian]] for more information on romanisation. Do not translate raion names, e.g. do not write {{!xt|Intercession Raion}} for [[Pokrovsk Raion]]. Do not maintain the Ukrainian adjectival suffix, e.g. write {{xt|Zolochiv Raion}} for the raion with its centre in [[Zolochiv, Lviv Oblast|Zolochiv]], not {{!xt|Zolochivskyi Raion}}.<ref group=note>The only exception is ''Dnistrovskyi Raion'', the name of which is not based on its administrative centre nor any other settlement in it.</ref> The word ''raion'' ({{langx|uk|район}}) should not be translated when referring to the second-level division, e.g. {{xt|Zolochiv Raion}}, not {{!xt|Zolochiv District}}.
*The names of cities should be transliterated into Latin letters with the [[Ukrainian National transliteration|Ukrainian national system]], e.g. write {{xt|Donetsk}}, not {{!xt|Donets'k}} ([[BGN/PCGN romanization of Ukrainian|BGN/PCGN]]). Generally, do not use transliterations derived from Russian names for places in Ukraine, e.g. write {{xt|Lviv}}, not {{!xt|Lvov}}. Notable exceptions where common English usage does not conform to the Ukrainian national transliteration are the names of the cities of {{xt|Chernobyl}}, {{xt|Pripyat}},<ref group=note>The transliterations ''Chernobyl'' and ''Pripyat'' are derived from the Russian names of the cities ({{langx|ru|Чернобыль, Припять}}), whereas ''Chornobyl'' and ''Prypiat'' are derived from the Ukrainian names ({{langx|uk|Чорнобиль, Прип'ять}}).</ref> {{xt|Feodosia}} and {{xt|Yevpatoria}}.<ref group=note>''Feodosia'' and ''Yevpatoria'' are the common spellings in the English language, unlike the Russian transliterations ''Feodosiya'' and ''Yevpatoriya'' ({{langx|ru|Феодосия, Евпатория}}) or the Ukrainian transliterations ''Feodosiia'' and ''Yevpatoriia'' ({{langx|uk|Феодосія, Євпаторія}}).</ref> Do not use the standard Ukrainian transliterations, which are {{!xt|Chornobyl}}, {{!xt|Prypiat}}, {{!xt|Feodosiia}} and {{!xt|Yevpatoriia}} respectively, as this is not in common use.

==Third-level divisions==
Raions are divided into [[hromada|municipalities]], called ''hromadas''.<ref name=zakon /> In 2015-2020, many hromadas were merged. The names of pre-2015 hromadas and post–2020 hromadas should be transliterated into Latin letters with the [[Ukrainian National transliteration|Ukrainian national system]]. Do not use transliterations derived from Russian names for hromadas, e.g. write {{xt|Dmytrivka}}, not {{!xt|Dmitrovka}}.
*For hromadas with their administrative seat in a city, use "Administrative Centre urban hromada", e.g. {{xt|Ternopil urban hromada}}, not {{!xt|Ternopil city hromada}}.
*For hromadas with their administrative seat in a [[Populated places in Ukraine#Rural settlements|rural settlement]] that was an [[Urban-type settlements in Ukraine|urban-type settlement]] before 2024, write "Administrative Centre settlement hromada", e.g. {{xt|Skhidnytsia settlement hromada}}, not {{!xt|Skhidnytsia town hromada}}.
*For hromadas with their administrative seat in a village or a pre-2024 [[Populated places in Ukraine#Rural settlements|rural settlement]], use "Administrative Seat rural hromada",  e.g. {{xt|Velyki Hai rural hromada}}, not {{!xt|Velyki Hai village hromada}}

==Urban districts==
Some cities can also be divided into [[Urban districts of Ukraine|districts]], termed "urban districts" or "urban raions". The conventions that govern the naming of articles on them are as follows:
*The names of urban districts vary, and are often named after an important feature in a given area. Articles about urban districts should therefore be transliterated with the [[Ukrainian national transliteration|Ukrainian national system]], and should retain the Ukrainian adjectival suffix, e.g. write {{xt|Zavodskyi District}}, not {{!xt|Zavod District}}. Do not translate urban district names, e.g. do not write {{!xt|Factory District}} for {{xt|Zavodskyi District}}. The word ''raion'' ({{langx|uk|район}}) should be translated when referring to urban districts, e.g. {{xt|Zavodskyi District}}, not {{!xt|Zavodskyi Raion}}.

==Disambiguation==
{{see also|RetroWikipedia:Disambiguation}}
In many cases, multiple settlements or divisions within Ukraine will have the same name.<br> 
In order to disambiguate one settlement with a name from another with the same name, follow these conventions:
*If there is more than one settlement or district with a certain name in Ukraine, disambiguate by oblast, e.g. write {{xt|Chornomorske, Odesa Oblast}}.
*If there is more than one settlement with a certain name in an oblast, disambiguate by raion, e.g. write {{xt|Lukianivka, Brovary Raion}}. 
*If there is more than one settlement with a certain name in an oblast, and there is also a settlement of that name in another oblast, disambiguate with both raion and oblast, e.g. write {{xt|Kalynivka, Fastiv Raion, Kyiv Oblast}}. 
*If there is only one settlement of a certain name in Ukraine, but there is a place of the same name outside of Ukraine, disambiguate by country, e.g. write {{xt|Bar, Ukraine}}.
*If there is more than one urban district with a certain name in Ukraine, disambiguate by city, e.g. write {{xt|Zavodskyi District,  Zaporizhzhia}}.
Even if a name can refer to more than one settlement, it is important to consider whether one of these settlements may be the [[RetroWikipedia:Primary topic disambiguation|primary topic]]. For example, the RetroWikipedia article on the Russian town of [[Donetsk, Russia|Donetsk]] is titled {{xt|Donetsk, Russia}}, but the article on the much larger and more significant city of [[Donetsk]] in Ukraine is titled simply {{xt|Donetsk}}. These are only general guidelines. For more specific information on RetroWikipedia's policy on disambiguation, please go to [[RetroWikipedia:Disambiguation|this page]].

==Resources==
*[[RetroWikipedia:Article titles|RetroWikipedia article titles policy]]
*[[RetroWikipedia:Manual of Style|Manual of Style]]
*[[wikt:Appendix:Ukrainian alphabet#Romanization|Wiktionary guide to Ukrainian romanisation]]

=== Sources ===
[[WP:Naming conventions (geographic names)#Widely accepted name]] recommends using neutral and reliable sources to help determine the widely accepted name (per [[WP:COMMONNAME]]). Of the examples listed there, these are specifically applicable to Ukrainian place names:

* ''[[Encyclopedia Britannica]]'', especially the article "[https://www.britannica.com/place/Ukraine Ukraine]"
* [[Geographic Names Information System]][https://geonames.nga.mil/geonames/GNSHome/index.html]
* [[National Geographic Society]]'s up-to-date maps[https://www.nationalgeographic.com]
<!-- currently not working
* Ukraine's National Register of Geographic Names[https://land.gov.ua/derzhavnyi-reiestr-heohrafichnykh-nazv/]
-->
* The CIA ''[[World Factbook]]''[https://www.cia.gov/the-world-factbook/countries/ukraine/][https://www.cia.gov/the-world-factbook/countries/ukraine/map]
* English-language news media:
** ''[[The New York Times]]''[https://www.nytimes.com/search]
** ''[[The Washington Post]]''[https://www.washingtonpost.com/search/]
** ''[[The Times of London]]''[https://www.thetimes.co.uk/search]
** [[Reuters]][https://www.reuters.com/search]
** [[Associated Press]][https://apnews.com/]
** [[Google News]][https://news.google.com/]
* News style guides:
** ''[[The Guardian]]'' and ''[[The Observer]]'' style guide[https://www.theguardian.com/guardian-observer-style-guide-u]
** [[Australian Broadcasting Corporation]] style guide[https://about.abc.net.au/abc-editorial/the-abc-style-guide/#U]
* [[Library of Congress Subject Headings]][https://id.loc.gov/authorities/subjects.html]
* Web searches of reliable sources, but see [[WP:Search engine test]]
** [[Google Scholar]][https://scholar.google.com/]
** [[Google Book Search]][https://books.google.com/advanced_book_search]
** [[Google Ngram Viewer]][https://books.google.com/ngrams]

== References ==
{{reflist}}

==Notes==
{{reflist|group=note}}

[[Category:WikiProject Ukraine]]