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Bilhorod-Dnistrovskyi ( uk, Бі́лгород-Дністро́вський, Bílhorod-Dnistróvskyy, ; ro, Cetatea Albă), historically known as Akkerman ( tr, Akkerman) or under different names, is a
city A city is a human settlement of notable size.Goodall, B. (1987) ''The Penguin Dictionary of Human Geography''. London: Penguin.Kuper, A. and Kuper, J., eds (1996) ''The Social Science Encyclopedia''. 2nd edition. London: Routledge. It can be def ...
,
municipality A municipality is usually a single administrative division having corporate status and powers of self-government or jurisdiction as granted by national and regional laws to which it is subordinate. The term ''municipality'' may also mean the ...
and port situated on the right bank of the Dniester Liman (on the
Dniester The Dniester, ; rus, Дне́стр, links=1, Dnéstr, ˈdⁿʲestr; ro, Nistru; grc, Τύρᾱς, Tyrās, ; la, Tyrās, la, Danaster, label=none, ) ( ,) is a transboundary river in Eastern Europe. It runs first through Ukraine and t ...
estuary An estuary is a partially enclosed coastal body of brackish water with one or more rivers or streams flowing into it, and with a free connection to the open sea. Estuaries form a transition zone between river environments and maritime environm ...
leading to the
Black Sea The Black Sea is a marginal mediterranean sea of the Atlantic Ocean lying between Europe and Asia, east of the Balkans, south of the East European Plain, west of the Caucasus, and north of Anatolia. It is bounded by Bulgaria, Georgia, Rom ...
) in Odesa Oblast of southwestern Ukraine, in the historical region of
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 Danu ...
. It also serves as the administrative center of Bilhorod-Dnistrovskyi Raion, one of seven districts of Odesa Oblast, and is the only locality which constitutes Bilhorod-Dnistrovskyi urban hromada, one of the hromadas of Ukraine. It is a location of a big freight seaport. Population:


Nomenclature

The city of Bilhorod-Dnistrovskyi is also referred to by alternative transliterations from Ukrainian as Bilhorod-Dnistrovsky or Bilhorod-Dnistrovskyy. ''Dnistrovsky'' was added to differentiate it from Bilhorod that was part of the
Sloboda Ukraine Sloboda Ukraine (literally: Borderland of free frontier guards; uk, Слобідська Україна, Slobidska Ukraina), or Slobozhanshchyna ( uk, Слобожанщина, Slobozhanshchyna, ), is a historical region, now located in Northeas ...
and carried a similar name. ;Previous names * Ophiusa (Οφιούσα),
Phoenicia Phoenicia () was an ancient thalassocratic civilization originating in the Levant region of the eastern Mediterranean, primarily located in modern Lebanon. The territory of the Phoenician city-states extended and shrank throughout their his ...
n colony (meaning "city of snakes" in Greek) * Tyras (Τύρας),
Ancient Greek Ancient Greek includes the forms of the Greek language used in ancient Greece and the ancient world from around 1500 BC to 300 BC. It is often roughly divided into the following periods: Mycenaean Greek (), Dark Ages (), the Archaic pe ...
colony (also the Greek name for the River
Dniester The Dniester, ; rus, Дне́стр, links=1, Dnéstr, ˈdⁿʲestr; ro, Nistru; grc, Τύρᾱς, Tyrās, ; la, Tyrās, la, Danaster, label=none, ) ( ,) is a transboundary river in Eastern Europe. It runs first through Ukraine and t ...
) * Asprokastron (, "White Castle"), Greek name in Antiquity and the Middle Ages. Name attested from 944 to 1484 AD. * Maurokastron (Μαυρόκαστρον, "Black Castle"), Greek name of a Roman/Byzantine fort in Late Antiquity on a site directly opposite Asprokastron, but usually taken together. * Album Castrum ("White Castle"),
Latin Latin (, or , ) is a classical language belonging to the Italic languages, Italic branch of the Indo-European languages. Latin was originally a dialect spoken in the lower Tiber area (then known as Latium) around present-day Rome, but through ...
name * Cetatea Albă ("White Citadel"),
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, traditiona ...
name * Moncastro, Italian corruption of Maurokastron used by Genoese traders and during Genoese rule (14th–15th centuries) * Turla, Turkic * Akkerman, Ottoman Turkish ("White Castle") and Russian name until 1944 * Aqkermen, Crimean Tatar name * Belgorod-Dnestrovskiy, Russian (Бе́лгород-Днестро́вский, "White city on the Dniester") The town became part of 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 Centr ...
in 1359. The fortress was enlarged and rebuilt in 1407 under
Alexander the Good Alexander the Good ( ro, Alexandru cel Bun or ''Alexandru I Mușat''; c. 1375 – 1 January 1432) was a Voivode (Lord) of Moldavia, reigning between 1400 and 1432, son of Roman I Mușat. He succeeded Iuga to the throne, and, as a ruler, ini ...
and in 1440 under Stephen II of Moldavia. It fell to Ottoman conquest on August 5, 1487. The city was known in
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, traditiona ...
as Cetatea Albă with other languages using the Turkish name, Akkerman, or variations of the Turkish name. Since 1944 the city has been known as "Bilhorod-Dnistrovskyi" (Білгород-Дністровський), while on the Soviet geography maps often translated into its Russian equivalent of "Belgorod-Dnestrovskiy" (Бе́лгород-Днестро́вский), literally "white city on the Dniester". The city is known by translations of "white city" or "castle" in a number of languages including Белгород Днестровски (''Belgorod-Dnestrovski'') in Bulgarian, ''Akerman'' (Акерман) in Gagauz, ''Białogród nad Dniestrem'' in Polish, ''Walachisch Weißenburg'' in Transylvanian German, ''Dnyeszterfehérvár'' in Hungarian and (''Ir Lavan'') in
Hebrew Hebrew (; ; ) is a Northwest Semitic language of the Afroasiatic language family. Historically, it is one of the spoken languages of the Israelites and their longest-surviving descendants, the Jews and Samaritans. It was largely preserved ...
. In Western European languages, including English, the city has typically been known by the official name of the time or a transliteration derived from it. The city's former name ''Akkerman'' is still extensively used as a nickname in informal speech and in local media.


History

In the 6th century BC, Milesian colonists founded a settlement named Tyras on the future location of Bilhorod-Dnistrovskyi, which later came under
Roman Roman or Romans most often refers to: * Rome, the capital city of Italy * Ancient Rome, Roman civilization from 8th century BC to 5th century AD *Roman people, the people of ancient Rome *''Epistle to the Romans'', shortened to ''Romans'', a lett ...
and
Byzantine The Byzantine Empire, also referred to as the Eastern Roman Empire or Byzantium, was the continuation of the Roman Empire primarily in its eastern provinces during Late Antiquity and the Middle Ages, when its capital city was Constantinopl ...
rule. In
Late Antiquity Late antiquity is the time of transition from classical antiquity to the Middle Ages, generally spanning the 3rd–7th century in Europe and adjacent areas bordering the Mediterranean Basin. The popularization of this periodization in English h ...
, the Byzantines built a fortress and named it ''Asprokastron'' ("White Castle" - a meaning kept in several languages), but it passed out of their control in the 7th-15th centuries under control of Bulgaria, the cities called Belgorod(white city), as it was the border of the Bulgarian empire. The '' Voskresensk Chronicle'' lists Bilhorod "at the mouth of the Dniester, above the sea" among the towns controlled by Kyivan Rus'. In the 13th century the site was controlled by the
Cumans The Cumans (or Kumans), also known as Polovtsians or Polovtsy (plural only, from the Russian exonym ), were a Turkic nomadic people comprising the western branch of the Cuman–Kipchak confederation. After the Mongol invasion (1237), many so ...
, and became a center of Genoese commercial activity from on. Briefly held by the Second Bulgarian Empire in the early 14th century, by the middle of the century it was a
Genoese colony The colonies of the Republic of Genoa were a series of economic and trade posts in the Mediterranean and Black Seas. Some of them had been established directly under the patronage of the republican authorities to support the economy of the loca ...
. Sfântul Ioan cel Nou (''Saint John the New''), the
patron saint A patron saint, patroness saint, patron hallow or heavenly protector is a saint who in Catholicism, Anglicanism, or Eastern Orthodoxy is regarded as the heavenly advocate of a nation, place, craft, activity, class, clan, family, or perso ...
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 Centr ...
, was martyred in the city in 1330 during a
Tatar The Tatars ()Tatar
in the Collins English Dictionary
is an umbrella term for different
incursion. In 1391, Cetatea Albă was the last city on the right bank of the Dnister to be incorporated into the newly established Principality of Moldavia, and for the next century was its second major city, the major port and an important fortress. In 1420, the citadel was attacked for the first time by the Ottomans, but defended successfully by Moldavian
Prince A prince is a male ruler (ranked below a king, grand prince, and grand duke) or a male member of a monarch's or former monarch's family. ''Prince'' is also a title of nobility (often highest), often hereditary, in some European states. ...
Alexander the Kind. In the 15th century, the port saw much commercial traffic as well as being frequently used for passenger traffic between central Europe and
Constantinople la, Constantinopolis ota, قسطنطينيه , alternate_name = Byzantion (earlier Greek name), Nova Roma ("New Rome"), Miklagard/Miklagarth (Old Norse), Tsargrad ( Slavic), Qustantiniya (Arabic), Basileuousa ("Queen of Cities"), Megalopolis (" ...
. Among the travellers who passed through the town was John VIII Palaiologos. Following the Fall of Constantinople to the Ottomans in 1453, Sultan Mehmed II brought in colonists from Asprokastron to repopulate the city. In 1484, along with Kiliia, it was the last of the Black Sea ports to be conquered by the Ottomans. The Moldavian prince Stephen the Great was unable to aid in its defence, being under threat of a Polish invasion. The citadel surrendered when the Ottomans claimed to have reached an agreement with Prince Stephen, and promised safe passage to the inhabitants and their belongings; however, most of the city-dwellers were slaughtered. Later, attempts by Stephen the Great to restore his rule over the area were unsuccessful. Cetatea Albă was subsequently a base from which the Ottomans were able to attack Moldavia proper. In 1485,
Tatars The Tatars ()Tatar
in the Collins English Dictionary
is an umbrella term for different Turki ...
setting out from this city founded Pazardzhik in Bulgaria. It was established as the fortress of ''Akkerman'', part of the Ottoman defensive system against Poland-Lithuania and, later, 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 ...
. Major battles between the Ottomans and the Russians were fought near Akkerman in 1770 and 1789. Russia conquered the town in 1770, 1774, and 1806, but returned it after the conclusion of hostilities. It was not incorporated into Russia until 1812, along with the rest of Bessarabia. On 25 September 1826, Russia and the Ottomans signed here the '' Akkerman Convention'' which imposed that the hospodars of Moldavia and Wallachia be elected by their respective Divans for seven-year terms, with the approval of both Powers. During the Russian Revolution, Akkerman was alternatively under the control of the Ukrainian People's Republic and troops loyal to the government of Soviet Russia. Furthermore, the city and the surrounding district were also claimed by the
Moldovan Democratic Republic The Moldavian Democratic Republic (MDR; ro, Republica Democratică Moldovenească, ), also known as the Moldavian Republic, was a state proclaimed on by the ''Sfatul Țării'' (National Council) of Bessarabia, elected in October–Novembe ...
, which however had no means to enforce such claims on the ground. The city was occupied by the
Romanian Army The Romanian Land Forces ( ro, Forțele Terestre Române) is the army of Romania, and the main component of the Romanian Armed Forces. In recent years, full professionalisation and a major equipment overhaul have transformed the nature of the Lan ...
on 9 March 1918, after heavy fighting with local troops led by the
Bolsheviks The Bolsheviks (russian: Большевики́, from большинство́ ''bol'shinstvó'', 'majority'),; derived from ''bol'shinstvó'' (большинство́), "majority", literally meaning "one of the majority". also known in English ...
. Formal integration followed later that month, when an assembly of the Moldovan Democratic Republic proclaimed the whole of Bessarabia united with Romania. In the interwar period, projects aimed to expand the city and the port were reviewed. Romania ceded the city to the Soviet Union on 28 June 1940 following the 1940 Soviet Ultimatum, but regained it on 28 July 1941 during the invasion of the USSR by the Axis forces in the course of the
Second World War World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposi ...
and had it within its boundaries until 22 August 1944 when the
Red Army The Workers' and Peasants' Red Army (Russian language, Russian: Рабо́че-крестья́нская Кра́сная армия),) often shortened to the Red Army, was the army and air force of the Russian Soviet Federative Socialist R ...
reoccupied the city. The Soviets partitioned Bessarabia, and its southern flanks (including Bilhorod) became part of the
Ukrainian SSR The Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic ( uk, Украї́нська Радя́нська Соціалісти́чна Респу́бліка, ; russian: Украи́нская Сове́тская Социалисти́ческая Респ ...
, and after 1991, nowadays Ukraine. Until 18 July 2020, Bilhorod-Dnistrovskyi was incorporated as a city of oblast significance and the center of Bilhorod-Dnistrovskyi Municipality. The municipality was abolished in July 2020 as part of the administrative reform of Ukraine, which reduced the number of raions of Odesa Oblast to seven. The area of Bilhorod-Dnistrovskyi Municipality was merged into Bilhorod-Dnistrovskyi Raion.


Jewish history

In Jewish sources, the city is referred as Weissenburg and Ir Lavan (both meaning "white city"). Karaite Jews lived there since the 16th century, some even claim the existence of Khazar
Jews Jews ( he, יְהוּדִים, , ) or Jewish people are an ethnoreligious group and nation originating from the Israelites Israelite origins and kingdom: "The first act in the long drama of Jewish history is the age of the Israelites""The ...
in the town as early as the 10th century. In 1897, 5,613 Jews lived in the city (19.9% of the total population). The town Jewish community was influenced mainly from the Jewish community of nearby
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 administrati ...
. During a pogrom in 1905, eight Jews living in the city were killed. During
World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the World War II by country, vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great power ...
, most of the Jews living in the city fled to nearby Odesa, where they were later killed. The 800 Jews who were left in the city were shot to death in the nearby Leman river. Around 500 of the prewar town Jews survived the war, and around half of them returned to the city.


Demographics

As of 1920, the population was estimated at 35,000. 8,000 were
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, traditiona ...
, 8,000 were
Jewish Jews ( he, יְהוּדִים, , ) or Jewish people are an ethnoreligious group and nation originating from the Israelites Israelite origins and kingdom: "The first act in the long drama of Jewish history is the age of the Israelites""The ...
, and 5,000 were
German German(s) may refer to: * Germany (of or related to) **Germania (historical use) * Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language ** For citizens of Germany, see also German nationality law **Ge ...
. Additional populations included Turks,
Greeks The Greeks or Hellenes (; el, Έλληνες, ''Éllines'' ) are an ethnic group and nation indigenous to the Eastern Mediterranean and the Black Sea regions, namely Greece, Cyprus, Albania, Italy, Turkey, Egypt, and, to a lesser extent, ot ...
,
Bulgarians Bulgarians ( bg, българи, Bǎlgari, ) are a nation and South Slavic ethnic group native to Bulgaria and the rest of Southeast Europe. Etymology Bulgarians derive their ethnonym from the Bulgars. Their name is not completely underst ...
and
Russians , native_name_lang = ru , image = , caption = , population = , popplace = 118 million Russians in the Russian Federation (2002 '' Winkler Prins'' estimate) , region1 = , pop1 ...
. According to the 2001 Ukrainian census, the majority of the city's population are
Ukrainians Ukrainians ( uk, Українці, Ukraintsi, ) are an East Slavic ethnic group native to Ukraine. They are the seventh-largest nation in Europe. The native language of the Ukrainians is Ukrainian. The majority of Ukrainians are Eastern Ort ...
(63%). Other important communities include
Russians , native_name_lang = ru , image = , caption = , population = , popplace = 118 million Russians in the Russian Federation (2002 '' Winkler Prins'' estimate) , region1 = , pop1 ...
(28%),
Bulgarians Bulgarians ( bg, българи, Bǎlgari, ) are a nation and South Slavic ethnic group native to Bulgaria and the rest of Southeast Europe. Etymology Bulgarians derive their ethnonym from the Bulgars. Their name is not completely underst ...
(3.7%) and Moldovans (1.9%). The language situation is notably different, with Russian-speakers representing a majority (54%), followed by speakers of
Ukrainian Ukrainian may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to Ukraine * Something relating to Ukrainians, an East Slavic people from Eastern Europe * Something relating to demographics of Ukraine in terms of demography and population of Ukraine * So ...
(42%), Bulgarian (1.6%) 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, traditiona ...
(1.3%).


Climate

Bilhorod-Dnistrovskyi has a
humid continental climate A humid continental climate is a climatic region defined by Russo-German climatologist Wladimir Köppen in 1900, typified by four distinct seasons and large seasonal temperature differences, with warm to hot (and often humid) summers and freez ...
( Köppen: ''Dfb'' bordering on ''Dfa''.).


People from Bilhorod-Dnistrovskyi

*
Nicolas Astrinidis Nicolas Astrinidis (Greek: Νίκος Αστρινίδης; 6 May 1921, in Cetatea Albă– 10 December 2010, in Thessaloniki) was a Romanian-born Greek composer, pianist, conductor, and educator. After receiving diplomas in piano performance and ...
(1921-2010), composer who settled in Greece * Elena Cernei (1924–2000), Romanian opera singer * Tamara Tchinarova (1919-2017), ballet dancer * Vasyl Lomachenko (born 1988), Ukrainian professional boxer *
Jacques Roitfeld Jacques Roitfeld (19 January 1889 – 1999) was a Russian-born French film producer.Goble p.254 He is the father of Carine Roitfeld and Georges Roitfeld and the grandfather of Vladimir Restoin Roitfeld and Julia Restoin Roitfeld Selected film ...
(1889–1999), French film producer * Porfiriy Stamatov (1840–1925), Minister of Justice of Bulgaria (1881) * Nicolae Văcăroiu (born 1943), former
Prime Minister of Romania The prime minister of Romania ( ro, Prim-ministrul României), officially the prime minister of the Government of Romania ( ro, Prim-ministrul Guvernului României, link=no), is the head of the Government of Romania. Initially, the office was s ...
*
Osip Yermansky Osip Arkadyevich Yermansky (Russian: О́сип Арка́дьевич Ерма́нский; 28 July 1867 – 1941), born Yosif Arkadyevich Kogan (Russian: Иосиф Аркадьевич Коган), and known by the pseudonyms M. Borisov, A. ...
(1867-1941), Menshevik economist


Gallery

File:Акерманська фортеця. Генуезький замок (цитадель) 03.jpg, The inner part of fortress Akkerman. File:Белгород-Днестровский 3256.jpg, The excavations in front of Akkerman. File:BilhorodDnistrovskyy Akkerman3.JPG, The fortress Akkerman from the sea. File:Belgorod ua.jpg, The walls of Fortress Akkerman. File:Аккерманська фортеця - комплекс.jpg, Aerial photo of the Akkerman fortress. File:Будівля земської управи 065.JPG, High school building in Bilhorod-Dnistrovs'kyj File:Аккерман P1440123 Синагога.jpg, Synagogue File:Білгород-Дністровський P1440087 Особняк Феміліді.jpg, Local museum File:Особняк Ярошевича.JPG, Jaroszewicz Manor File:2021 Білгород-Дністровський, Свято-Вознесенська церква.jpg, Ascension Cathedral File:Грецька церква, Білгород-Дністровський (7).JPG, St. John Church File:Білгород-Дністровський .Церква Миколаївська.Профіль.JPG, St. Nicholas Church File:Церква Успіння Пречистої Богородиці.jpg, Armenian Dormition Church (14th century) File:Temple and shopping center.JPG, Temple of Salvation and a shopping center at Bilhorod-Dnistrovskyi


See also

* Bilhorod-Dnistrovsky Seaport * Bilhorod-Dnistrovskyi fortress * Svitlana Bilyayeva - archaeologist who has worked extensively on the fortress


References


External links

*
Asprocastron, silver coin from 15th century: Principality of Moldavia period
{{Authority control Cities in Odesa Oblast Port cities and towns in Ukraine Port cities of the Black Sea Populated places on the Dniester River in Ukraine Capitals of the counties of Bessarabia Territories of the Republic of Genoa Akkermansky Uyezd Cetatea Albă County Ținutul Nistru Holocaust locations in Ukraine Bilhorod-Dnistrovskyi Raion Hromadas of Odesa Oblast