Why is "î" used for transliterating slav names like: Soljenițîn, Elțîn, etc.; instead of keeping with the rule to use "â" inside the word?
I'd understand if it was a Romanian name already spelled like that like, Sîrbu, although even those mostly with â, actually, Sârbu.
But since these names are foreign, and don't already have a spelling, why not Soljenițân, Elțân?
Why would î be closer to ы?
Don’t take my word for it but I think it’s because the “â” rule came after those names were translated (that is in 1991 or around that time). So if the name is older than that or was translated before that time, usually the old spelling is kept. That’s only for family names.
This is not only for â/î but for other spelling decisions like for example “x” used to be spelled like “cs” so we still use the old spelling for Vasile Alecsandri.