Bolhrad

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The coat of arms of Bolhrad
The coat of arms of Bolhrad

Bolhrad or Bolgrad (Ukrainian: Болґрад Bolhrad; Bulgarian and Russian: Болград Bolgrad; Romanian: Bolgrad) is a small city in the Odessa Oblast (province) of south-western Ukraine. It is the administrative center of the Bolhradsky Raion (district), and is located at around 45°40′N, 28°32′E.

The current estimated population is around 17,400 (as of 2001).

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[edit] History

Bolhrad was founded in 1821 by Bulgarian settlers and was part of Romania from 1856 to 1878, 1918 to 1940, and 1941 to 1944, before being included in the territory of the Ukrainian SSR and later independent Ukraine.

The surrounding Bolhradsky district is predominantly populated by ethnic Bulgarians (a majority of 61%). Bolhrad is also 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.

[edit] Notable natives

  • Danail Nikolaev (1852-1942), Bulgarian general
  • Dimitar Grekov (1847-1901), Bulgarian politician
  • Petro Poroshenko (b. 1965), Ukrainian businessman and politician
  • Volf Moskovich (b. 1936), linguist and Yiddish lexicographer

[edit] Links

[edit] References