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Bolhrad

Coordinates: 45°40′2″N 28°36′46″E / 45.66722°N 28.61278°E / 45.66722; 28.61278
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Bolhrad
Болград
City
Transfiguration Cathedral
Transfiguration Cathedral
Flag of Bolhrad
Flag
Coat of arms of Bolhrad
Coat of arms
Bolhrad is located in Ukraine
Bolhrad
Bolhrad
Bolhrad is located in Odesa Oblast
Bolhrad
Bolhrad
Coordinates: 45°40′2″N 28°36′46″E / 45.66722°N 28.61278°E / 45.66722; 28.61278
Country Ukraine
OblastOdesa Oblast
RaionBolhrad Raion
HromadaBolhrad urban hromada
Founded1821
Area
 • Total
94 km2 (36 sq mi)
Elevation
75 m (246 ft)
Population
 (2022)
 • Total
14,818
 • Density160/km2 (410/sq mi)
Time zoneUTC+2 (EET)
 • Summer (DST)UTC+3 (EEST)
Postcode district(s)
68700—706
Area code+380-4846
Map

Bolhrad (Ukrainian: Болград, romanized: Bolhrad, pronounced [boɫˈɦrɑd]; Bulgarian: Болград, romanized: Bolgrad; Romanian: Bolgrad, Gagauz: Bolgrad) is a small city in Odesa Oblast (province) of southwestern Ukraine, in the historical region of Budjak. It is the administrative center of Bolhrad Raion (district) and hosts the administration of Bolhrad urban hromada, one of the hromadas of Ukraine.[1] Population: 14,818 (2022 estimate).[2]

History

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Historical affiliations

 Russian Empire (Bessarabia Governorate) 1812–1856
Moldavia Principality of Moldavia 1856–1859
Romania Romania 1859–1878
 Moldavian Democratic Republic 1917–1918
 Kingdom of Romania 1918–1940
 Soviet Union (Ukrainian SSR) 1940–1941
 Kingdom of Romania 1941–1944
 Soviet Union (Ukrainian SSR) 1944–1991
 Ukraine 1991–present

Bolhrad was founded in 1821 by Bulgarian settlers in Eastern Moldavia, under the direction of General Ivan Inzov who is "revered" by Bolhrad residents as the "Founder of Our City."[3] Bolhrad became part of Moldavia from 1856 to 1859, Romania from 1859 to 1878, then becoming part of the Moldavian Democratic Republic, from 1917 to 1918.

Home to a significant Romanian ethnic community at that time, the citizens of Bolgrad played an important role in supporting the unification of Greater Romania. Through cultural institutions and political activism—especially during the events of 1917–1918—Romanians from Bolgrad strongly advocated for the union of Bessarabia with Romania, contributing meaningfully to the formation of Greater Romania. [4] From 1918 to 1940, Bolgrad was part of the Kingdom of Romania, being considered an important cultural center in the region, before occupied by the USSR, during the Occupation of Bessarabia by the Soviet Union, then being incorporated in the territory of the Ukrainian SSR, and later, after the dissolution of the sovied union, being part of independent Ukraine.

  • Images of Romanian Bolgrad
  • Transfiguration Cathedral
    Transfiguration Cathedral
  • Bolhrad High School
    Bolhrad High School

Demographics

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Historical population
YearPop.±%
189712,300—    
193014,280+16.1%
194110,713−25.0%
2001 17,353+62.0%
2011 (est.) 15,479−10.8%
Source: [5]

The surrounding Bolhradsky district is predominantly populated by ethnic Bulgarians (a majority of 61%). Bolhrad itself is inhabited by a large number of Bessarabian Bulgarians and is considered by locals to be the unofficial capital of the Bessarabian historic district of Budjak.[citation needed]

In 1897, the ethnic make-up, by mother tongue, was 68.9% Bulgarian, 11.3% Romanian/Moldavian, 7,1% Jewish, 5.0% Russian, 5,1% Ukrainian, 1.0% Turkish, and 0.8% Polish.[5]

As of the 2001 Ukrainian census, Bulgarians still constitute the largest ethnic group in the city, accounting for almost half of the population. The second largest group are Ukrainians, closely followed by Russians. The town also has a significant Moldovan/Romanian and Gagauz population.[6][7]

Ethnic groups in Bolhrad
percent
Bulgarians
 
 45.50%
Ukrainians
 
 22.58%
Russians
 
 22.51%
Gagauz
 
 3.34%
Moldovans
 
 2.48%
Belarusians
 
 0.72%
Armenians
 
 0.50%
Poles
 
 0.10%
Jews
 
 0.07%
Georgians
 
 0.06%
Romanians
 
 0.06%

According to the 2001 census, there was no language spoken by the majority of the population, which was composed of speakers of Russian (48.7%), Bulgarian (32.65%), Ukrainian (13.92%), Gagauz (2%) and Romanian (1.15%).[8] Most ethnic Ukrainians, Bulgarians and Gagauz were native speakers of the languages of their respective groups, but most ethnic Moldovans were Russian-speakers in 2001.[9]

Economy

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As of 1920, Bolhrad has had a coal industry.[10]

Education

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Bolhrad High School

The Georgi Sava Rakovski Bolhrad High School founded in 1858 is the oldest high school of the Bulgarian National Revival.[11][12]

Notable people

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Natives

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Residents

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References

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Wikimedia Commons has media related to Bolhrad.
  1. ^ "Болградская городская громада" (in Russian). Портал об'єднаних громад України.
  2. ^ Чисельність наявного населення України на 1 січня 2022 [Number of Present Population of Ukraine, as of January 1, 2022] (PDF) (in Ukrainian and English). Kyiv: State Statistics Service of Ukraine. Archived (PDF) from the original on 4 July 2022.
  3. ^ Куемжи, Мария, Болградский Историко-Этнографический Музей (Bolhrad, Odes'ka Oblast, Ukraine; Фонд им. И.Н. Инзова, 2007)
  4. ^ Jelavich, Barbara (1992). "Romania in the First World War: The Pre-War Crisis, 1912-1914". The International History Review. 14 (3): 441–451. ISSN 0707-5332.
  5. ^ a b Первая Всеобщая перепись населения Российской империи, 1897 г. (in Russian). Vol. III. 1905. pp. 70–73.
  6. ^ See the 2001 census results by language by city at https://datatowel.in.ua/pop-composition/ethnic-cities
  7. ^ The Ukrainian census of 2001, ethnicity/nationality data by localities, at http://pop-stat.mashke.org/ukraine-ethnic2001.htm
  8. ^ See the 2001 census results by language by locality at https://socialdata.org.ua/projects/mova-2001/
  9. ^ See the 2001 census results by language by locality at https://socialdata.org.ua/projects/mova-2001/
  10. ^ Kaba, John (1919). Politico-economic Review of Basarabia. United States: American Relief Administration. p. 27.
  11. ^ Манолова, Надя; Красимира Табакова (2008). "150 години Болградска гимназия" (in Bulgarian). Държавна агенция за българите в чужбина. Archived from the original on April 11, 2009. Retrieved 2009-10-19.
  12. ^ "Болградска гимназия „Свети свети Кирил и Методий"". Българска енциклопедия А-Я (in Bulgarian). БАН, Труд, Сирма. 2002. ISBN 954-8104-08-3. OCLC 163361648.
  13. ^ Metaxa, Maia (25 September 2006). "Cetăţenia română şi trecerea frontierei după aderarea României la UE" [Romanian citizenship and border crossing after Romania's EU accession] (in Romanian). BBC. Retrieved 11 December 2024.
  14. ^ "Românul care a fost premier și președinte are o bătrânețe lipsită de griji. Pensia, de toată frumusețea". 10 November 2020.
  15. ^ "Nicolae Văcăroiu - Curriculum Vitae".
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