Soroca
Soroca | |
|---|---|
Soroca Fort and Soroca | |
 Coat of arms | |
  Soroca | |
| Coordinates: 48°10′N 28°18′E / 48.167°N 28.300°E | |
| Country |  Moldova |
| County | Soroca |
| Established | 1499 |
| Government | |
| • Mayor | Lilia Pilipețchi (PSRM) |
| Area | |
• Total | 11.88 km2 (4.59 sq mi) |
| Elevation | 45 m (148 ft) |
| Population | |
• Total | 21,135 |
| • Density | 1,779/km2 (4,608/sq mi) |
| Time zone | UTC+2 (EET) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC+3 (EEST) |
| Postal code | MD-3001 |
| Area code | +373 230 |
| Website | Official website |
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Soroca is a city and municipality[2] in northern Moldova, situated on the Dniester River about 160 km (99 mi) north of Chișinău. It is the administrative center of the Soroca District.
History
[edit]
It is known for its well-preserved stronghold, established by the Moldavian prince Stephen the Great (Ștefan cel Mare in Romanian) in 1499.[3] The origins of the name Soroca are not fully known. Soroca (сорока) is the East Slavic word for magpie. Its location is only a few kilometers from the Moldova–Ukraine border.
The original wooden fort, which defended a ford over the 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 borders of medieval Moldavia. 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 to 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. During the Soviet period, the city became an important industrial center for northern Moldova.[4],"
Soroca was known for producing grapes, wheat, maize, and tobacco in 1919.[3]
The overwhelming majority of the town's sizeable Jewish populated was killed in the Holocaust during World War II, both before and after the deportation of the Jews to Transnistria.[5]
Climate
[edit]The climate in Soroca is a warm-summer subtype (Köppen: Dfb) of the humid continental climate.
| Climate data for Soroca (1991–2020, extremes 1946–2021) | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °C (°F) | 12.4 (54.3) |
19.9 (67.8) |
23.7 (74.7) |
31.0 (87.8) |
34.3 (93.7) |
37.2 (99.0) |
38.4 (101.1) |
39.7 (103.5) |
37.4 (99.3) |
30.1 (86.2) |
23.2 (73.8) |
17.5 (63.5) |
39.7 (103.5) |
| Mean daily maximum °C (°F) | 0.0 (32.0) |
2.1 (35.8) |
8.3 (46.9) |
16.3 (61.3) |
22.0 (71.6) |
25.6 (78.1) |
27.5 (81.5) |
27.4 (81.3) |
21.5 (70.7) |
14.5 (58.1) |
7.0 (44.6) |
1.4 (34.5) |
14.5 (58.1) |
| Daily mean °C (°F) | −2.9 (26.8) |
−1.4 (29.5) |
3.5 (38.3) |
10.4 (50.7) |
16.0 (60.8) |
19.6 (67.3) |
21.3 (70.3) |
20.8 (69.4) |
15.6 (60.1) |
9.5 (49.1) |
3.8 (38.8) |
−1.3 (29.7) |
9.6 (49.3) |
| Mean daily minimum °C (°F) | −5.3 (22.5) |
−4.3 (24.3) |
−0.5 (31.1) |
5.0 (41.0) |
10.2 (50.4) |
14.0 (57.2) |
15.5 (59.9) |
14.7 (58.5) |
10.2 (50.4) |
5.3 (41.5) |
1.1 (34.0) |
−3.7 (25.3) |
5.2 (41.4) |
| Record low °C (°F) | −34.9 (−30.8) |
−29.9 (−21.8) |
−22.4 (−8.3) |
−14.2 (6.4) |
−2.5 (27.5) |
3.4 (38.1) |
6.2 (43.2) |
3.3 (37.9) |
−6.3 (20.7) |
−12.7 (9.1) |
−21.4 (−6.5) |
−30.0 (−22.0) |
−34.9 (−30.8) |
| Average precipitation mm (inches) | 30 (1.2) |
28 (1.1) |
31 (1.2) |
39 (1.5) |
56 (2.2) |
67 (2.6) |
80 (3.1) |
50 (2.0) |
54 (2.1) |
38 (1.5) |
40 (1.6) |
28 (1.1) |
542 (21.3) |
| Average precipitation days (≥ 1.0 mm) | 6 | 6 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 7 | 8 | 6 | 6 | 5 | 6 | 6 | 76 |
| Average relative humidity (%) | 84 | 82 | 77 | 66 | 64 | 67 | 68 | 67 | 70 | 76 | 84 | 86 | 74 |
| Source 1: NOAA[6] | |||||||||||||
| Source 2: Serviciul Hidrometeorologic de Stat (extremes, relative humidity)[7] | |||||||||||||
Demographics
[edit]According to the 2024 census, 21,135 inhabitants lived in Soroca (making it the tenth largest city in Moldova), a decrease compared to the previous census in 2014, when 22,196 inhabitants were registered.[8][9]
| Year | Pop. | ±% |
|---|---|---|
| 1867 | 7,758 | — |
| 1882 | 9,225 | +18.9% |
| 1897 | 15,351 | +66.4% |
| 1930 | 15,001 | −2.3% |
| 1959 | 15,195 | +1.3% |
| 1970 | 21,924 | +44.3% |
| 1979 | 30,365 | +38.5% |
| 1989 | 42,297 | +39.3% |
| 2004 | 28,362 | −32.9% |
| 2014 | 22,196 | −21.7% |
| 2024 | 21,135 | −4.8% |
| Source: [12][13][14] | ||
- ^ There is an ongoing controversy regarding the ethnic identification of Moldovans and Romanians.
- ^ In March 2023, the Parliament of Moldova passed a law updating all legislative texts and the constitution to refer to the national language as Romanian, effectively rendering the term "Moldovan" obsolete.[10][11]
The population was estimated at 35,000 in 1919. It consisted mainly of Jews. Romanians, Germans, and Russians also lived in the city.[3] Before the Holocaust, Soroca had a Jewish population of around 18,000, but there are only around 40 Jews living there today.
The city has a sizable Romani minority and is popularly known as the "Romani capital of Moldova".[15]
Mayor
[edit]The Mayor of Soroca is head of the executive branch of Soroca City Council.[16]
| List of mayors of Soroca | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Name | From | Until | Party | Pool |
| Mihail Popovschi[17] | 2003 | 2007 | PCRM | 2003 |
| Victor Său | 2007 | 2011 | PNL | 2007 |
| Elena Bodnarenco | 2011 | 2015 | PCRM | 2011 |
| Victor Său | 2015 | 2019 | PLDM | 2015 |
| Lilia Pilipețchi | 2019 | Present | PSRM | 2019 |
Media
[edit]- Observatorul de Nord, a newspaper from Soroca, founded in 1998[18][19]
- Vocea Basarabiei, 67,69 and 103.1
Natives
[edit]- Samuel Bronfman (1889–1971), a Jewish-Canadian entrepreneur, former owner of Seagram
- Alexandru Cimbriciuc
- Arkady Gendler (1921–2017), Jewish-Ukrainian Yiddish Singer
- Sofia Imber, a Venezuelan journalist, founder of the Contemporary Art Museum of Caracas
- Isaac Kitrosser, French Jewish photojournalist
- Anna Mincovschi, mother of Robert Hossein
- Kira Muratova, a Soviet and Ukrainian film director, screenwriter and actress
- David Seltzer (1904–1994), New York Yiddish language Jewish writer, journalist and poet
- Marina Shafir, a Moldovan mixed martial arts and professional wrestler currently works for All Elite Wrestling.
- Nicolae Șoltuz, a member of Sfatul Țării
- Robert Steinberg, a Jewish-Canadian mathematician
- Leonte Tismăneanu, a Romanian communist activist
- Eugen Ţapu (1983–2009), a protester in the post-election riots in Chișinău who died while in police custody
- Gheorghe Ursu (1926–1985), a Romanian construction engineer and dissident
- Mark Tkaciuk, historian, politician
Gallery
[edit]-
-
-
Museum -
-
-
Soroca 1898 local stamp
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International relations
[edit]Twin towns – Sister cities
[edit]Soroca is twinned with:
See also
[edit]References
[edit]- ^ Results of Population and Housing Census in the Republic of Moldova in 2014: "Characteristics - Population (population by communes, religion, citizenship)" (XLS). National Bureau of Statistics of the Republic of Moldova. 2017. Retrieved 1 May 2017.
- ^ LEGE Nr. 248 din 03.11.2016 pentru modificarea și completarea Legii nr. 764-XV din 27 decembrie 2001 privind organizarea administrativ-teritorială a Republicii Moldova (in Romanian)
- ^ a b c Kaba, John (1919). Politico-economic Review of Basarabia. United States: American Relief Administration. pp. 13–14.
- ^ Tourist towns of Moldova Archived 22 July 2011 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ Wolf Moskovich, "Soroca", in The YIVO Encyclopedia of Jews in Eastern Europe", at https://encyclopedia.yivo.org/article/942.
- ^ "Soroca Climate Normals 1991–2020". World Meteorological Organization Climatological Standard Normals (1991–2020). National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Archived from the original on 21 August 2023. Retrieved 21 August 2023.
- ^ "GHID CLIMATIC al Republicii Moldova" (PDF) (in Romanian). Serviciul Hidrometeorologic de Stat. Archived from the original (PDF) on 18 April 2025. Retrieved 18 April 2025.
- ^ "Rezultatele finale ale Recensământului Populației și Locuințelor 2024: Caracteristici etnoculturale ale populației". National Bureau of Statistics of the Republic of Moldova. (in Romanian)
- ^ "2014 Moldova Census of Population and Housing". National Bureau of Statistics of the Republic of Moldova. (in Romanian, Russian, and English)
- ^ "Chisinau Recognizes Romanian As Official Language". Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty. 5 December 2013. Archived from the original on 23 September 2016. Retrieved 11 March 2014.
- ^ "Moldovan parliament approves law on Romanian language". Reuters. 16 March 2023. Retrieved 11 July 2024.
- ^ Słownik geograficzny Królestwa Polskiego i innych krajów słowiańskich, Tom XI (in Polish). Warszawa. 1890. p. 83.
{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link) - ^ "Demoscope Weekly - Annex. Statistical indicators reference". demoscope.ru.
- ^ "Cities of Moldova". pop-stat.mashke.org.
- ^ Steve Kokker, Cathryn Kemp (2004) "Romania and Moldova" (a travel guide), ISBN 1-74104-149-X p.322
- ^ "Loading". primsoroca.md.
- ^ "Ce se întâmplă la Soroca?".
- ^ Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, „Nici tu ploaie ca lumea, nici tu limpezirea apelor în domeniul politicii”
- ^ Reporter european Archived 22 July 2011 at the Wayback Machine
Further reading
[edit]- Soroki/Soroca (pp. 376–380) at Miriam Weiner's Routes to Roots Foundation
External links
[edit]
| Municipalities |  | |
|---|---|---|
| Capitals of autonomous units | ||
| District seats4 | ||
| Other towns | ||
1 In Transnistria. 2 Controlled by the Transnistrian authorities. 3 Also a municipality. 4 The seat of Dubăsari District is the commune of Cocieri (not a city). | ||
| Districts | |
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| Autonomous territorial units | |
| Municipalities | |
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| International | |
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| National | |
| Other | |
