Bolhrad

Bolhrad (Ukrainian: Болград Bolhrad; Bulgarian and Russian: Болград Bolgrad; Romanian: Bolgrad) sometimes known as Bolgrad is a small city in Odessa Oblast (province) of south-western Ukraine. It is the administrative center of Bolhrad Raion (district), and is located at around .

Bolhrad's population was estimated at around 17,400 in 2001.

History

Bolhrad was founded in 1821 by Bulgarian settlers under the direction of General Ivan Inzov who is "revered" by Bolhrad residents as the "Founder of Our City."^[1] Bolhrad formed part of Moldavia from 1856 to 1859, Romania from 1859 to 1878, 1918 to 1940, and from 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.

The Georgi Sava Rakovski Bolhrad High School founded in 1858 is the oldest Bulgarian high school.

Notable natives

• Dimitar Grekov (1847–1901), Bulgarian politician
• Danail Nikolaev (1852–1942), Bulgarian general
• Georgi Todorov (1858–1934), Bulgarian general
• Bogomil Beron (1866–1936), Bulgarian physician
• Ivan Vulpe (1876–1929), Bulgarian opera singer
• Volf Moskovich (b. 1936), linguist and Yiddish lexicographer
• Mykola Shmatko (b. 1943), is a contemporary Ukrainian sculptor, professor and painter (not a native, but lived in Bolhrad)
• Petro Poroshenko (b. 1965), Ukrainian businessman and politician

External links

• More about Bolgrad on the web-site of Bolgrad gymnasium
• Marble sculpture of Nicolai Shmatko

References