Soroca

For the village in Glodeni District, see Iabloana.
Soroca
City

Soroca
Coordinates: 48°10′N 28°18′E / 48.167°N 28.300°E / 48.167; 28.300Coordinates: 48°10′N 28°18′E / 48.167°N 28.300°E / 48.167; 28.300
Country  Moldova
County Soroca
Government
 • Mayor Victor Său
Elevation 45 m (148 ft)
Population (2012)
 • Total 37,500
Postal code MD-3001
Area code(s) +373 230
Website Primăria Soroca

Soroca (Russian: Сороки Soroki, Ukrainian: Сороки Soroky, Polish: Soroki, Yiddish: סאָראָקע‎ Soroke) is a Moldovan city in Eastern Europe situated on the Dniester river about 160 km north of Chișinău. It is the administrative center of the Soroca District.

History

Soroca in the 1780s

The city has its origin in the medieval Genoese trade post of Olchionia, or Alchona. It is known for its well-preserved stronghold, established by the Moldavian prince Stephen the Great (Ştefan cel Mare in Romanian) in 1499.[1] The origins of the name Soroca are not fully known. Its location is only a few kilometers from the Moldova-Ukrainian border.

The original wooden fort, which defended a fjord over Dniester, was an important link in the chain of fortifications which comprised four forts (e.g. Bilhorod-Dnistrovskyi, then known as Akkerman, and Khotyn) on the Dniester, two forts on the Danube and three forts on the north border of medieval Moldova. Between 1543 and 1546 under the rule of Peter IV Rareș, the fort was rebuilt in stone as a perfect circle with five bastions situated at equal distances.

During the Great Turkish War, John III Sobieski's forces successfully defended the fort against the Ottomans. It was of vital military importance during the Pruth River Campaign of Peter the Great in 1711. The stronghold was sacked by the Russians in the Austro-Russian–Turkish War (1735–39). The Soroca Fort is an important attraction in Soroca, having preserved cultures and kept the old Soroca in the present day.

The locality was greatly extended in the 19th century, during a period of relative prosperity. Soroca became a regional center featuring large squares, modernized streets, hospitals, grammar schools and conventionalized churches. In the Soviet period, the city became an important industrial center for northern Moldova.[2]

Soroca was known for producing grapes, wheat, maize, and tobacco in 1919.[1]

Climate

The climate in Soroca is a warm-summer subtype (Köppen: Dfb) of the humid continental climate.

Climate data for Soroca
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Daily mean °C (°F) −4.7
(23.5)		 −3.2
(26.2)		 1.5
(34.7)		 9.2
(48.6)		 15.0
(59)		 18.1
(64.6)		 19.5
(67.1)		 18.9
(66)		 14.8
(58.6)		 9.0
(48.2)		 3.0
(37.4)		 −1.7
(28.9)		 8.28
(46.9)
Average precipitation mm (inches) 35
(1.38)		 36
(1.42)		 31
(1.22)		 49
(1.93)		 65
(2.56)		 93
(3.66)		 90
(3.54)		 58
(2.28)		 48
(1.89)		 31
(1.22)		 38
(1.5)		 39
(1.54)		 613
(24.14)
Source: Climate-Data.org[3]

Demographics

The population was estimated at 35,000 in 1919. It consisted mainly of Jews. Romanians, Germans and Russians also lived in the city.[1] The city once had a Jewish population of around 18,000 but they are only 100 today and 20 of them are considered Jewish according to the halakha.[4]

In 2012, Soroca had an estimated 37,500 inhabitants.

The city has a sizable Romani (Gypsy) minority and is popularly known as the "Romani capital of Moldova."[5]

Natives

Historical population
YearPop.±%
1897 15,351—    
1919 35,000+128.0%
1930 14,661−58.1%
1959 14,895+1.6%
1970 24,465+64.2%
1979 31,831+30.1%
1989 42,297+32.9%
2004 28,362−32.9%
2012 37,500+32.2%
Source: [6][7]

Media

Gallery

International relations

Twin towns – Sister cities

Soroca is twinned with:

See also

References

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Soroca.
Wikivoyage has a travel guide for Soroca.
This article is issued from Wikipedia - version of the Monday, March 07, 2016. The text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share Alike but additional terms may apply for the media files.