Reni (Ukrainian: Рені, pronounced [reˈn⁽ʲ⁾i]; Romanian: Reni) is a small city in Izmail Raion, Odesa Oblast, southern Ukraine. It hosts the administration of Reni urban hromada, one of the hromadas of Ukraine. Reni is located in the Bessarabian historic district of Budjak and on the left bank of the Danube. The settlement was founded around 1548, acquiring city status in 1821. Population: 17,736 (2022 estimate).

There are six schools, one filial branch of the Oles Honchar Dnipro National University, and three Ukrainian Orthodox church buildings. Reni is also home to the Light of the World Church.

History

Until July 18, 2020, Reni was the administrative center of Reni Raion. The raion was abolished in July 2020 as part of the administrative reform of Ukraine, which reduced the number of raions of Odesa Oblast to seven. The area of Reni Raion was merged into Izmail Raion.

2023 Reni port attack

On the night between July 23 and 24, 2023, during the Russian invasion of Ukraine and the nationwide missile attacks, the port of Reni was attacked by Russia, being struck by multiple suicide drones. The port of Reni is an internal port of Ukraine, laying on the Danube river which forms Ukraine's border with Romania, the port itself lying half a kilometer away from the Romanian bank of the Danube.

Multiple Romanian sailors in the waters around the port caught the bombings on camera, and a Romanian ship was damaged during the assault. Similar attacks targeted the nearby ports of Izmail and Kiliia, all laying on the Danube. The government of the neighbouring country allowed numerous ships to immediately cross the border.

Demographics

Historical population

Year	Pop.	±%
1897	6,941	—
2022	17,736	+155.5%
Source:

According to the 2001 Ukrainian census, the surrounding Reni Raion includes some 38,000 people (including those in the town), 49% of them ethnic Moldovans, 18% Ukrainians, 15% Russians, 8.5% Bulgarians and 8% Gagauz. The city of Reni had 20,761 inhabitants in 2001, including 6,694 ethnic Ukrainians (32.24%), 6,126 self-identified Moldovans (Romanians) (29.5%), 5,589 ethnic Russians (26.92%), 1,012 Bulgarians (4.87%), 736 Gagauz (1.81%) and 22 self-identified Romanians (0.11%). In 2001, the raion of Reni, in its boundaries at that time, including the city of Reni, had 40,680 inhabitants in 2001, including 19,938 Moldovans (49.01%), 7,196 ethnic Ukrainians (17.69%), 6,136 Russians (15.08%), 3,439 Bulgarians (8.45%), 736 Gagauz (1.81%) and 36 Romanians (0.09%). In 2001, the city of Reni was 70.54% Russian-speaking, 13.37% Romanian-speaking, 12.5% Ukrainian-speaking, 1.52% Gagauz-speaking, and 1.35% Bulgarian-speaking.

In 1897, the ethnic make-up, by mother tongue, was 37.6% Moldavian/Romanian, 19.8% Ukrainian, 17.1% Russian, 10.5% Jewish, 9.4% Bulgarian, 2.0% Greek, 1.5% Turkish, 1.1% Polish.

Gallery

• 
  Freedom Square
• 
  Grave of the soldiers
• 
  Regional History Museum
• 
  Ascension of the Lord Cathedral
• 
  Traditional houses in Reni
• 
  Reni Commercial Seaport
• 
  Sts. Constantine and Helena Church

Notable people

• Maksym Braharu (born 2002), Ukrainian footballer
• Alexander Deutsch (1899–1986), Soviet astronomer
• Pavel Ciobanu (born 1955), Moldovan soccer player