Soroca

Soroca
Soroca Fort and Soroca
Coat of arms of Soroca
Soroca is located in Moldova
Soroca
Soroca
Coordinates: 48°10′N 28°18′E / 48.167°N 28.300°E / 48.167; 28.300
Country Moldova
CountySoroca
Government
 • MayorLilia Pilipețchi (PSRM)
Area
 • Total11.88 km2 (4.59 sq mi)
Elevation45 m (148 ft)
Population
 • Total22,196
 • Density1,900/km2 (4,800/sq mi)
Time zoneUTC+2 (EET)
 • Summer (DST)UTC+3 (EEST)
Postal code
MD-3001
Area code+373 230
WebsiteOfficial website

Soroca is a city and municipality in Moldova, situated on the Dniester River about 160 km (99 mi) north of Chișinău. It is the administrative center of the Soroca District.

History

Zemstva of Soroca, 18th-19th century

It is known for its well-preserved stronghold, established by the Moldavian prince Stephen the Great (Ștefan cel Mare in Romanian) in 1499. The origins of the name Soroca are not fully known. Soroca (Russian: сорока) means Magpie in Russian. Its location is only a few kilometers from the Moldova–Ukrainian 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.

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

Demographics

According to the 2014 census, the population of Soroca amounted to 22,196 inhabitants (making it the eight largest city in Moldova), a decrease compared to the previous census in 2004, when 28,362 inhabitants were registered. Of these, 10,575 were men and 11,621 were women.

Ethnic composition of Soroca (2014)

 Moldovans* (77.90%)
 Romanians (6.08%)
 Ukrainians (6.64%)
 Russians (5.43%)
 Romani (3.21%)
 Others (0.73%)
Linguistic composition of Soroca (2014)
 Moldovan* (60.65%)
 Romanian (21.03%)
 Russian (12.64%)
 Romani (3.07%)
 Ukrainian (2.34%)
 Other (0.26%)

Footnotes:

* There is an ongoing controversy regarding the ethnic identification of Moldovans and Romanians.

* Moldovan language is one of the two local names for the Romanian language in Moldova. In 2013, the Constitutional Court of Moldova interpreted that Article 13 of the constitution is superseded by the Declaration of Independence, thus giving official status to the name Romanian.

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

The city has a sizable Romani minority and is popularly known as the "Romani capital of Moldova".

Historical population
YearPop.±%
1897 15,351—    
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%
Source:

Mayor

The Mayor of Soroca is head of the executive branch of Soroca City Council.

List of mayors of Soroca
Name From Until Party Pool
Mihail Popovschi 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

Climate

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

Climate data for Soroca (1991–2020)
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
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)
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
Source: NOAA

Media

Natives

Gallery

International relations

Twin towns – Sister cities

Soroca is twinned with:

See also


This page was last updated at 2024-01-07 17:32 UTC. Update now. View original page.

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