Raion - Definition and Overview

See rayon for the textile made of processed cellulose.

A raion, or rayon (район in Russian and Ukrainian), is a subnational entity of Belarus, Moldova, the Russian Federation, Ukraine, or the former Soviet Union.

A raion is an entity two steps below the national level. It can be a subordinate part:

of a voblast (in Belarus)
of an oblast’, krai, autonomous republic or district, or big city (in Russia)
of a small Soviet republic (SSR), oblast’, krai, republic, or big city of a large SSR republic (in the now-defunct Soviet Union)
of an oblast’, a big city, or the Autonomous Republic of Crimea (in Ukraine)

Raion can be best translated as "district".

See also