The Bessarabian Bulgarians ( bg, бесарабски българи, ''besarabski bǎlgari'', ro, bulgari basarabeni, uk, бесарабські болгари, ''bessarabski bolháry'') are a

Bulgarian Bulgarian may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to the country of Bulgaria * Bulgarians, a South Slavic ethnic group * Bulgarian language, a Slavic language * Bulgarian alphabet * A citizen of Bulgaria, see Demographics of Bulgaria * Bul ...

minority group of the historical region of

Bessarabia Bessarabia (; Gagauz: ''Besarabiya''; Romanian: ''Basarabia''; Ukrainian: ''Бессара́бія'') is a historical region in Eastern Europe, bounded by the Dniester river on the east and the Prut river on the west. About two thirds of Be ...

, inhabiting parts of present-day

Ukraine Ukraine ( uk, Україна, Ukraïna, ) is a country in Eastern Europe. It is the second-largest European country after Russia, which it borders to the east and northeast. Ukraine covers approximately . Prior to the ongoing Russian inv ...

(

Odesa Oblast Odesa Oblast ( uk, Оде́ська о́бласть, translit=Odeska oblast), also referred to as Odeshchyna ( uk, Оде́щина) is an oblast (province) of southwestern Ukraine, located along the northern coast of the Black Sea. Its administr ...

) and

Moldova Moldova ( , ; ), officially the Republic of Moldova ( ro, Republica Moldova), is a Landlocked country, landlocked country in Eastern Europe. It is bordered by Romania to the west and Ukraine to the north, east, and south. The List of states ...

Location and number

Modern Ukraine

, the number of Bessarabian Bulgarians is estimated at over 129,000 in

Budjak Budjak or Budzhak (Bulgarian and Ukrainian: Буджак; ro, Bugeac; Gagauz and Turkish: ''Bucak''), historically part of Bessarabia until 1812, is a historical region in Ukraine and Moldova. Lying along the Black Sea between the Danube ...

(in the

in the southern part of the country), and 75,000 elsewhere (mostly in other parts of Southern Ukraine), according to the

2001 Ukrainian Census The Ukrainian Census of 2001 is to date the only census of the population of independent Ukraine. It was conducted by the State Statistics Committee of Ukraine on 5 December 2001, twelve years after the last Soviet Union census in 1989.

, which counted a total of 204,600 Bulgarians in Ukraine. Bulgarians are a majority in

Bolhrad Bolhrad ( uk, Болгра́д, Bolhrad, ; bg, Болград, Bolgrad; ro, Bolgrad, Gagauz: ''Bolgrad''), is a small city in Odesa Oblast (province) of southwestern Ukraine, in the historical region of Budjak. It is the administrative center o ...

District (45,600 of its 75,000 inhabitants), but they also inhabit other districts of

Artsyz Artsyz (, ; bg, Арциз ''Artsiz''; ; or ''Arsız''; or ''Arzis'') is a city and the administrative center of Artsyz municipality, Bolhrad Raion in Odesa Oblast, Ukraine. Population: In 2001, population was 16,370. History The city was fo ...

– 20,200 of the 51,700,

Tarutyne Tarutyne ( uk, Тарутине; bg, Тарутино, ; ro, Tarutino, Ancecrac; ) is an urban-type settlement in southwestern Ukraine. It is the seat of Bolhrad Raion (raion, district) of Odesa Oblast and is in the historical region of Budjak i ...

– 17,000 of the 45,200,

Izmail Izmail (, , translit. ''Izmail,'' formerly Тучков ("Tuchkov"); ro, Ismail or ''Smil''; pl, Izmaił, bg, Исмаил) is a city and municipality on the Danube river in Odesa Oblast in south-western Ukraine. It serves as the administra ...

– 14,100 of the 54,700, and

Sarata Sarata (Ukrainian, Bulgarian, and ; ) is an urban-type settlement in Odesa Oblast (region) of south-western Ukraine. It is a part of the Bessarabian historic district of Budjak. Population: History Ottoman Period The Sarata river valley and o ...

– 10,000 of the 49,900. There are also 8,600 Bulgarians in the city of

(85,100 total population). Outside Budjak,

Odesa Odesa (also spelled Odessa) is the third most populous city and municipality in Ukraine and a major seaport and transport hub located in the south-west of the country, on the northwestern shore of the Black Sea. The city is also the administrative ...

has many Bulgarians that have moved there in recent years. The city of

Bilhorod-Dnistrovsky Bilhorod-Dnistrovskyi ( uk, Бі́лгород-Дністро́вський, Bílhorod-Dnistróvskyy, ; ro, Cetatea Albă), historically known as Akkerman ( tr, Akkerman) or under different names, is a city, municipality and port situated on ...

is about 4% Bulgarian, making them the third-largest ethnicity there.

Modern Moldova

The results of the census held in October 2004, there are 65,072 Bessarabian Bulgarians (1.95% of the population) in

(excluding the region of Transnistria), concentrated mostly in the southern parts — chiefly in

Taraclia district Taraclia (, ) is a district () in the south of Moldova, with the administrative center at Taraclia. As of 1 January 2012, its population was 44,100, 65.6% of whom were ethnic Bulgarians. The district covers an area of and has the lowest popula ...

. In the census held in November 2004 in Transnistria, 3,164 (3.16%) Bulgarians have been counted in

Tighina Bender (, Moldovan Cyrillic: Бендер) or Bendery (russian: Бендеры, , uk, Бендери), also known as Tighina ( ro, Tighina), is a city within the internationally recognized borders of Moldova under ''de facto'' control of the un ...

and surroundings and further 10,515 (2.39%) on the Eastern bank of the river Dnestr. 29,447 Bulgarians live in the cities (and represent 2.26% of the urban dwellers), and 36,215 live in the countryside (1.74% of the rural inhabitants). 90.60% of ethnic Bulgarians were born in Moldova (the national average is 94.6%), 5,968 (9.09%) in other countries that were once in the Soviet Union (the national average is 5.16%), and 199 (0.30%) were born elsewhere. In Moldova (and likely Ukraine too, although statistics are not available here), the Bulgarians tend to use their native Bulgarian in rural areas, and Russian (instead of the majority language Romanian) in cities and towns. 53,178 or 80.99% of ethnic Bulgarians declared

Bulgarian language Bulgarian (, ; bg, label=none, български, bălgarski, ) is an Eastern South Slavic language spoken in Southeastern Europe, primarily in Bulgaria. It is the language of the Bulgarians. Along with the closely related Macedonian la ...

as native (69.23% in urban areas, and 90.55% in rural ones), 2,766 or 4.21% of them declared

Romanian language Romanian (obsolete spellings: Rumanian or Roumanian; autonym: ''limba română'' , or ''românește'', ) is the official and main language of Romania and the Moldova, Republic of Moldova. As a minority language it is spoken by stable communi ...

as native (4.91% in urban areas, and 3.64% in rural ones), 9,134 or 13.91% of them declared

Russian language Russian (russian: русский язык, russkij jazyk, link=no, ) is an East Slavic languages, East Slavic language mainly spoken in Russia. It is the First language, native language of the Russians, and belongs to the Indo-European langua ...

as native (25.08% in urban areas, and 4.83% in rural ones), and 584 or 0.89% of them declared another language as native (0.78% in urban areas, and 0.98% in rural ones). 35,808 or 54.53% of ethnic Bulgarians declared

as first language in daily use (36.81% in urban areas, and 68.95% in rural ones), 5,698 or 8.68% of them declared

Moldovan language Moldovan (Romanian alphabet, Latin alphabet: ''limba moldovenească''; Moldovan Cyrillic alphabet: лимба молдовеняскэ), also known historically as Moldavian, is one of the two local names of the Romanian language in Moldova. " ...

as first (7.93% in urban areas, and 9.29% in rural ones), 23,259 or 35.42% of them declared

as first (54.45% in urban areas, and 19.95% in rural ones), and 897 or 1.37% of them declared another first language (0.81% in urban areas, and 1.81% in rural ones). Bessarabian Bulgarians represent 28,293, or 65.56% of the population of the

. There are also Bulgarians in Chişinău (8,868, or 1.2%),

Găgăuzia Gagauzia or Gagauz-Yeri, or ; ro, Găgăuzia; russian: Гагаузия, Gagauziya officially the Autonomous Territorial Unit of Gagauzia; ro, Unitatea Teritorială Autonomă Găgăuzia, ''UTAG''; russian: Автономное территор ...

(8,013, or 5.1%),

Cahul district Cahul () is a district ( ro, raion) in the south of Moldova, with the administrative center at Cahul. As of January 2014 estimates, Cahul District had a population of 124,700. History The district has been inhabited since the Stone Age (50-45,00 ...

(5,816, or 4.9%),

Leova district Leova District is a district ( ro, raion) in the central part of Moldova, bordering Romania, with the administrative center at Leova. As of 1 January 2011, its population was 53,800. History Localities with the oldest documentary attestation of ...

(3,804, or 7.4%), and

Cantemir district Cantemir () is a district () in the south of Moldova, with the administrative center at Cantemir. As of January 1, 2011, its population was 62,800. History Localities with the earliest documentary attestation of the district are: Haragîș, ...

(3,736, or 6.2%). The share of ethnic Bulgarians in

Transnistria Transnistria, officially the Pridnestrovian Moldavian Republic (PMR), is an unrecognised breakaway state that is internationally recognised as a part of Moldova. Transnistria controls most of the narrow strip of land between the Dniester riv ...

is 10,515 (2.39%), of which 2,450 (1.55%) in

Tiraspol Tiraspol or Tirișpolea ( ro, Tiraspol, Moldovan Cyrillic: Тираспол, ; russian: Тира́споль, ; uk, Тирасполь, Tyraspol') is the capital of Transnistria (''de facto''), a breakaway state of Moldova, where it is the th ...

, and 7,323 (8.44%) in Slobozia sub-district (which contains the village of Parcani). There are also 3,001 (3.09%) Bulgarians in the city of

, and 342 in 3 suburbs. In total, there are 79,520 (2.02%) Bulgarians in Moldova, including Transnistria. Bessarabian Bulgarians represent a majority in one city of Moldova,

Taraclia Taraclia (, russian: Тараклия, bg, Тараклия) is a city located in the south of Moldova. It is the capital of Taraclia District, bordered by the autonomous region of Gagauzia, by the Cahul District and the Odessa Oblast of Ukrai ...

(10,732 Bulgarians, or 78%) and in 8 communes in the country: * Tvardiţa (Tvarditsa, Tvarditca), Taraclia district (5,396 of 5,882 inhabitants, 91.7%) *

Corten Weathering steel, often referred to by the genericised trademark COR-TEN steel and sometimes written without the hyphen as corten steel, is a group of steel alloys which were developed to eliminate the need for painting, and form a stable rus ...

, Taraclia district (3,036 of 3,407 inhabitants, 87.5%) *

Colibabovca Colibabovca is a village in Leova District, Moldova Moldova ( , ; ), officially the Republic of Moldova ( ro, Republica Moldova), is a Landlocked country, landlocked country in Eastern Europe. It is bordered by Romania to the west and Ukrai ...

, Leova district (934 of 1,142 inhabitants, 81.8%) *

Cairaclia Cairaclia is a village in Taraclia District, Moldova Moldova ( , ; ), officially the Republic of Moldova ( ro, Republica Moldova), is a landlocked country in Eastern Europe. It is bordered by Romania to the west and Ukraine to the north, ...

, Taraclia district (1,733 of 2,124 inhabitants, 81.6%) *

Stoianovca Stoianovca (Bulgarian: Стояновка) is a village in Cantemir District, Moldova.Valea Perjei, Taraclia district (3,792 of 4,986 inhabitants, 76%) *

Vozneseni Vozneseni is a commune in Leova District, Moldova Moldova ( , ; ), officially the Republic of Moldova ( ro, Republica Moldova), is a Landlocked country, landlocked country in Eastern Europe. It is bordered by Romania to the west and Ukraine ...

, Leova district (985 of 1,396 inhabitants, 70.5%) *

Parcani Parcani may refer to: * Parcani, Prozor, a village in Bosnia and Herzegovina * Parcani, Şoldăneşti, a commune in Moldova * Parcani, Soroca, a commune in Moldova *Parcani, Transnistria, a commune in Moldova *Parcani, a village in Răciula Commune ...

, Transnistria territorial unit, cca. 60%, exact data unknown

History

The first Bulgarians settled in southern Bessarabia at the end of the 18th and beginning of the 19th centuries, at the time of feudal sedition in the

Ottoman Empire The Ottoman Empire, * ; is an archaic version. The definite article forms and were synonymous * and el, Оθωμανική Αυτοκρατορία, Othōmanikē Avtokratoria, label=none * info page on book at Martin Luther University) ...

, and after the

Russo-Turkish Wars The Russo-Turkish wars (or Ottoman–Russian wars) were a series of twelve wars fought between the Russian Empire and the Ottoman Empire between the 16th and 20th centuries. It was one of the longest series of military conflicts in European histor ...

of the period. Particularly strong waves of emigration emerged after the Russo-Turkish Wars of 1806–1812 and 1828-1829. The settlers came primarily from what is now eastern

Bulgaria Bulgaria (; bg, България, Bǎlgariya), officially the Republic of Bulgaria,, ) is a country in Southeast Europe. It is situated on the eastern flank of the Balkans, and is bordered by Romania to the north, Serbia and North Macedon ...

, but many were also descendants from the western areas of the Bulgarian homelands (as far west as modern-day Albania) but had moved east in and before the 18th century. Alongside the Bulgarians who immigrated to Bessarabia were also a handful of

Albanians The Albanians (; sq, Shqiptarët ) are an ethnic group and nation native to the Balkan Peninsula who share a common Albanian ancestry, culture, history and language. They primarily live in Albania, Kosovo, North Macedonia, Montenegro, Se ...

who also had settled in eastern Bulgaria some time before. When Russian Armies were reaching and crossing

Danube The Danube ( ; ) is a river that was once a long-standing frontier of the Roman Empire and today connects 10 European countries, running through their territories or being a border. Originating in Germany, the Danube flows southeast for , pa ...

during the Russian-Ottoman Wars, some local Bulgarians supported them. These people were compromised in the eyes of the Ottomans and therefore had a better chance moving to the Russian Empire. The Russian Propaganda also worked to convince Bulgarians to settle in areas recently conquered by them, from which Tatars were removed. Bulgarians settled not only in Bessarabia, but also in the Kherson region.Ion Nistor, ''Istoria Basarabiei'', Cernăuţi, 1923, reprinted Chişinău, Cartea Moldovenească, 1991, p. 200-201 For the first time, Bulgarian and Gagauzian refugees in Bessarabia are mentioned in 1769. The 1817 census found Bulgarians in 12 Bessarabian villages in the valleys of the

Ialpug The Ialpug ( ro, Râul Ialpug, uk, Ялпуг) is a river that crosses Moldova and the Odessa Oblast of Ukraine. It rises in the vicinity of the village Tomai, Leova District), flows in the south direction in parallel with the Prut, Cimișlia Di ...

and Lunga Rivers (Creeks): 482 Bulgarian and Gagauzian families and 38 Romanian families in these 12 villages. The leader of the Bulgarians and Gagauzians was a man referred to as Copceac. Seven of the 12 villages were Gagauzian (

Baurci Baurci ( gag, Baurçu) is a commune and village in Moldova, located in the autonomous territorial unit Gagauzia, west of the city of Ceadâr-Lunga. This is the third largest village in Gagauzia, after Congaz and Copceac. At the 2004 census, th ...

Beșalma Beșalma ( gag, Beşalma) is a commune and village in the Gagauz Autonomous Territorial Unit of the Republic of Moldova A republic () is a "state in which power rests with the people or their representatives; specifically a state without a ...

Ceadîr-Lunga Ceadîr-Lunga (, also spelled ''Ceadâr-Lunga''; Gagauz: ''Çadır-Lunga'') is a city and municipality Dezghingea Dezghingea ( gag, Dezgincä) is a commune and village in the Gagauz Autonomous Territorial Unit of the Republic of Moldova A republic () is a " state in which power rests with the people or their representatives; specifically a state with ...

, Gaidar, and Tomai), and 5 were Bulgarian. After arriving in Bessarabia, Bulgarians and Gagauzians founded their own towns, such as

(1819) and

Comrat Comrat ( ro, Comrat, ; gag, Komrat, Russian and bg, Комрат, Komrat) is a city and municipality in Moldova and the capital of the autonomous region of Gagauzia. It is located in the south of the country, on the Ialpug River. In 2014, Comr ...

, and around 64 (according to some sources) or 43 (according to other sourcesIon Nistor) villages. In 1856, after the

Treaty of Paris Treaty of Paris may refer to one of many treaties signed in Paris, France: Treaties 1200s and 1300s * Treaty of Paris (1229), which ended the Albigensian Crusade * Treaty of Paris (1259), between Henry III of England and Louis IX of France * Trea ...

, three counties of southern Bessarabia,

Cahul Cahul (; also known by other alternative names) is a city and municipality in southern Moldova. The city is the administrative center of Cahul District; it also administers one village, Cotihana. As of 2014 census, the city has had a populatio ...

Bolgrad Bolhrad ( uk, Болгра́д, Bolhrad, ; bg, Болград, Bolgrad; ro, Bolgrad, Gagauz: ''Bolgrad''), is a small city in Odesa Oblast (province) of southwestern Ukraine, in the historical region of Budjak. It is the administrative center o ...

and

Ismail Ishmael ''Ismaḗl''; Classical/Qur'anic Arabic: إِسْمَٰعِيْل; Modern Standard Arabic: إِسْمَاعِيْل ''ʾIsmāʿīl''; la, Ismael was the first son of Abraham, the common patriarch of the Abrahamic religions; and is cons ...

, reverted to the

Principality of Moldavia Moldavia ( ro, Moldova, or , literally "The Country of Moldavia"; in Romanian Cyrillic: or ; chu, Землѧ Молдавскаѧ; el, Ἡγεμονία τῆς Μολδαβίας) is a historical region and former principality in Central ...

(the

United Principalities The United Principalities of Moldavia and Wallachia ( ro, Principatele Unite ale Moldovei și Țării Românești), commonly called United Principalities, was the personal union of the Principality of Moldavia and the Principality of Wallachia, f ...

after 1859). These included the cities of

and Chilia. Gaguzian settlements centred on

, however, remained in the

Russian Empire The Russian Empire was an empire and the final period of the Russian monarchy from 1721 to 1917, ruling across large parts of Eurasia. It succeeded the Tsardom of Russia following the Treaty of Nystad, which ended the Great Northern War. ...

. A Bulgarian high school (gymnasium), the

Bolhrad High School The Georgi Sava Rakovski Bolhrad High School ( uk, Болградська гімназія імені Г.С. Раковського, ''Bolhrads′ka himnaziya im. H.S. Rakovs′koho''); bg, Болградска гимназия „Георги С ...

, was founded in Bolgrad (Bolhrad) on June 28, 1858 by the Moldavian authorities of

Alexandru Ioan Cuza Alexandru Ioan Cuza (, or Alexandru Ioan I, also anglicised as Alexander John Cuza; 20 March 1820 – 15 May 1873) was the first ''domnitor'' (Ruler) of the Romanian Principalities through his double election as prince of Moldavia on 5 Januar ...

, which had a positive effect on the development of Bulgarian education and culture, and is in fact the first modern Bulgarian gymnasium. In 1861, 20,000 Bulgarians from the Romanian part of Bessarabia moved to

Russia Russia (, , ), or the Russian Federation, is a List of transcontinental countries, transcontinental country spanning Eastern Europe and North Asia, Northern Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, largest country in the ...

, where they were given land in

Taurida Governorate The Taurida Governorate (russian: Тавріическая губернія, modern spelling , ; crh, script=Latn, Tavrida guberniyası, ) or the Government of Taurida, was a historical governorate of the Russian Empire. It included the Crime ...

to replace the

Nogais The Nogais ( Nogai: Ногай, , Ногайлар, ) are a Turkic ethnic group who live in the North Caucasus region. Most are found in Northern Dagestan and Stavropol Krai, as well as in Karachay-Cherkessia and Astrakhan Oblast; some als ...

who had left what was formerly territory of the

Crimean Khanate The Crimean Khanate ( crh, , or ), officially the Great Horde and Desht-i Kipchak () and in old European historiography and geography known as Little Tartary ( la, Tartaria Minor), was a Crimean Tatars, Crimean Tatar state existing from 1441 to ...

. Those settlers founded another Bulgarian community—the Tauridan Bulgarians. After the whole region of southern Bessarabia was re-incorporated again by the Russia Empire in 1878, the process of

Russification Russification (russian: русификация, rusifikatsiya), or Russianization, is a form of cultural assimilation in which non-Russians, whether involuntarily or voluntarily, give up their culture and language in favor of the Russian cultur ...

grew stronger, as many Bulgarian intellectuals returned to newly established

Principality of Bulgaria The Principality of Bulgaria ( bg, Княжество България, Knyazhestvo Balgariya) was a vassal state under the suzerainty of the Ottoman Empire. It was established by the Treaty of Berlin in 1878. After the Russo-Turkish War ende ...

to help set up the Bulgarian state. The Bulgarian minority was deprived of the rights earned during the Romanian control. The whole of Bessarabia

united United may refer to: Places * United, Pennsylvania, an unincorporated community * United, West Virginia, an unincorporated community Arts and entertainment Films * ''United'' (2003 film), a Norwegian film * ''United'' (2011 film), a BBC Two fi ...

with Romania in April 1918, after the

Russian Revolution The Russian Revolution was a period of Political revolution (Trotskyism), political and social revolution that took place in the former Russian Empire which began during the First World War. This period saw Russia abolish its monarchy and ad ...

and the collapse of the Russian Empire. In contrast with the previous period of Romanian control, most cultural and educational rights of the Bulgarian minority were not returned, as many Bulgarians underwent

Romanianization Romanianization is the series of policies aimed toward ethnic assimilation implemented by the Romanian authorities during the 20th and 21st century. The most noteworthy policies were those aimed at the Hungarian minority in Romania, Jews and as ...

policies. During the

Tatarbunary Uprising The Tatarbunary Uprising ( ro, Răscoala de la Tatarbunar) was a Bolshevik-inspired and Soviet-backed peasant revolt that took place on 15–18 September 1924, in and around the town of Tatarbunary (''Tatar-Bunar'' or ''Tatarbunar'') in Budjak ...

of 1924, when Soviets unsuccessfully tried to overthrow the Romanian administration in southern

, many Bulgarians (alongside local Moldovans (Romanians), and

Bessarabian Germans The Bessarabia Germans (german: Bessarabiendeutsche, ro, Germani basarabeni, uk, Бессарабські німці) were an ethnic group who lived in Bessarabia (today part of the Republic of Moldova and south-western Ukraine) between 1814 ...

) sided with Romanian authorities, as pointed out by

Gheorghe Tătărescu : ''For the artist, see Gheorghe Tattarescu.'' Gheorghe I. Tătărescu (also known as ''Guță Tătărescu'', with a slightly antiquated pet form of his given name; 2 November 1886 – 28 March 1957) was a Romanian politician who served twice as P ...

in the report given on behalf of the Ministry of the Interior to the Romanian Parliament in 1925. The

Molotov–Ribbentrop Pact , long_name = Treaty of Non-Aggression between Germany and the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , image = Bundesarchiv Bild 183-H27337, Moskau, Stalin und Ribbentrop im Kreml.jpg , image_width = 200 , caption = Stalin and Ribbentrop shaking ...

of 1939 led to a Soviet ultimatum in June 1940, the

invasion An invasion is a military offensive in which large numbers of combatants of one geopolitical entity aggressively enter territory owned by another such entity, generally with the objective of either: conquering; liberating or re-establishing con ...

Soviet The Soviet Union,. officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR),. was a List of former transcontinental countries#Since 1700, transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 to 1991. A flagship communist state, ...

forces into Bessarabia, and its inclusion into the Soviet Union. Although being an officially accepted minority under Soviet rule, the Bessarabian Bulgarians lost some features of their cultural identity in the period. A movement of national revival originated in the 1980s, with Bulgarian newspapers being published, cultural and educational associations being established, and

being introduced into the local schools especially after the

dissolution of the Soviet Union The dissolution of the Soviet Union, also negatively connoted as rus, Разва́л Сове́тского Сою́за, r=Razvál Sovétskogo Soyúza, ''Ruining of the Soviet Union''. was the process of internal disintegration within the Sov ...

: first only as an optional, but later as a compulsory subject. The

Association of Bulgarians in Ukraine Association may refer to: *Club (organization), an association of two or more people united by a common interest or goal *Trade association, an organization founded and funded by businesses that operate in a specific industry *Voluntary associatio ...

was founded in 1993, and

Taraclia State University The Gregory Tsamblak State University ( ro, Universitatea de Stat „Grigore Țamblac” din Taraclia; bg, Тараклийски държавен университет) is a public university located in Taraclia, Moldova. History The Univers ...

, co-funded by the Bulgarian state, was established in the largely Bulgarian-populated Moldovan town of

in 2004. The languages of education at the university are Bulgarian and

Romanian Romanian may refer to: *anything of, from, or related to the country and nation of Romania **Romanians, an ethnic group **Romanian language, a Romance language ***Romanian dialects, variants of the Romanian language **Romanian cuisine, traditional ...

Notable Bessarabian Bulgarians

* Nikolay Mirchev, pastor o
Missionary Slavic Church in Sacramento
*

Georgiy Mirchev Georgy (; russian: Георгий, Georgiy; bg, Георги, Georgi) is a Slavic masculine given name, derived from the Greek name Georgios. It corresponds to the English name George. The name Georgi is the most used masculine name in Bulgaria and ...

, pastor o
Church of Vasilevka
* Georgi Todorov, military figure, general *

Dimitar Agura Dimitar Agura. Dimitar Dimitrov Agura ( bg, Димитър Димитров Агура; 26 October 1849 – 11 October 1911) was a Bulgarian historian, one of the first professors of history at Sofia University and a rector of the university. Agur ...

, historian *

Petar Draganov Pyotr Danilovich Draganov (russian: Пётр Данилович Драганов; bg, Петър Драганов; mk, Петар Драганов; – February 7, 1928) was a Russian philologist and slavist. Biography Draganov was born in Ko ...

, philologist *

Dimitar Grekov Dimitar Panayotov Grekov () (14 September 1847 – 7 May 1901) was a leading Bulgarian liberal politician who also served as Prime Minister. A native of Bolgrad in Bessarabia (now Bolhrad, Ukraine), Grekov was educated at a French legal ...

, politician and public figure,

Prime Minister of Bulgaria The prime minister of Bulgaria ( bg, Министър-председател, Ministar-predsedatel) is the head of government of Bulgaria. They are the leader of a political coalition in the Bulgarian parliament – known as the National Assemb ...

* Ivan Kolev, general *

Kirill Kovaldzhi Kirill Vladimirovich Kovaldzhi (russian: Кирилл Владимирович Ковальджи; March 14, 1930 – April 10, 2017) was a Russian poet, novelist, literary critic and translator. Biography He was born on March 14, 1930, in the Bes ...

(on father's side), Russian poet and translator *

Iurie Leancă Iurie Leancă (; born 20 October 1963) is a Moldovan politician who was the Prime Minister of Moldova from 2013 until 2015. He was Minister of Foreign Affairs and European Integration from 2009 to 2013 as part of the First and Second Filat Cabinet ...

(on mother's side), diplomat, Moldovan politician,

Prime Minister of Moldova The Prime Minister of Moldova ( ro, Prim-ministrul Republicii Moldova) is Moldova's head of government. The Prime Minister is formally appointed by the President of Moldova and exercises executive power along with the cabinet, subject to parliam ...

Aleksandar Malinov Aleksandar Pavlov Malinov ( bg, Александър Павлов Малинов) (3 May 1867 – 20 March 1938) was a leading Bulgarian politician who served as Prime Minister on three occasions. He was born in Pandakli, Bessarabia (prese ...

, politician and public figure, three times Prime Minister of Bulgaria *

Ruslan Maynov Ruslan Maynov ( bg, Руслан Мъйнов; born 15 November 1976) is a Bulgarian actor and singer of Bessarabian Bulgarian origin. Biography Maynov was born in Izmail in the region of Bessarabia, Ukrainian SSR (now Ukraine) to a Bulgari ...

, actor and musician *

Danail Nikolaev Danail Tsonev Nikolaev ( bg, Данаил Цонев Николаев; 30 December 1852 – 29 August 1942) was a Bulgarian officer and Minister of War on the eve of the Balkan wars. He was the first person to attain the highest rank in the Bu ...

, military figure, known as "The Patriarch of the Bulgarian army" * Olimpi Panov, military figure *

Ivan Shishman Ivan Shishman ( bg, Иван Шишман) ruled as emperor (tsar) of Bulgaria in Tarnovo from 1371 to 3 June 1395. The authority of Ivan Shishman was limited to the central parts of the Bulgarian Empire. In the wake of the death of Ivan Alexan ...

, painter *

Vasile Tarlev Vasile Tarlev (born October 6, 1963) is a Moldovan politician. Background and earlier life He studied engineering and became a member of assorted economic councils. After 2001 Moldovan parliamentary election, He was appointed Prime Minister on A ...

, economist, Moldovan politician, Prime Minister of Moldova *

Aleksandar Teodorov-Balan Aleksandar Stoyanov Teodorov-Balan ( bg, Александър Стоянов Теодоров-Балан; 27 October 1859 – 12 February 1959) was a Bulgarian linguist, historian and bibliographer. Balan was born in the village of Kubey in th ...

, linguist, first rector of

Sofia University Sofia University, "St. Kliment Ohridski" at the University of Sofia, ( bg, Софийски университет „Св. Климент Охридски“, ''Sofijski universitet „Sv. Kliment Ohridski“'') is the oldest higher education i ...

Arkadiy Tsopa Arkadiy (russian: Аркадий) may refer to: *Arkadiy Abramovich (born 1993), heir to Roman Abramovich, Russian billionaire and owner of Chelsea F.C. Biography * Arkadiy Akopyan (born 1984), Russian professional footballer, currently playing for ...

, freestyle wrestler *

Nikolay Paslar Nikolay Ivanovich Paslar ( bg, Николай Иванович Паслар; born June 12, 1980, in Taraclia, Moldavian SSR) is an amateur Bulgarian freestyle wrestler, who competed in the men's middleweight category. Considered as one of Bulgari ...

freestyle wrestler Freestyle wrestling is a style of wrestling originated from Great Britain and the United States. Along with Greco-Roman, it is one of the two styles of wrestling contested in the Olympic Games. American high school and men's college wrestling i ...

* Yona Tukuser, painter *

Anastasiya Kisse Anastasiya Kisse ( bg, Анастасия Антоновна Кисе; uk, Анастасія Антонівна Кіссе; born ) is a Bulgarian and Ukrainian individual rhythmic gymnast. She represented her nation at international competition ...

, rhythmic gymnast

Location and number

Modern Ukraine

Modern Moldova

History

Notable Bessarabian Bulgarians

References

Further reading