Kozloduy Козлодуй | |
|---|---|
Town | |
 | |
 Coat of arms | |
 Location of Kozloduy in Bulgaria | |
| Coordinates:43°47′0″N23°44′0″E / 43.78333°N 23.73333°E /43.78333; 23.73333 | |
| Country |  Bulgaria |
| Province (Oblast) | Vratsa |
| Municipality | Kozloduy Municipality |
| Government | |
| • Mayor | Marinela Nikolova |
| Area | |
• Total | 105.307 km2 (40.659 sq mi) |
| Elevation | 33 m (108 ft) |
| Population (2021)[1] | |
• Total | 11,331 |
| • Density | 107.60/km2 (278.68/sq mi) |
| Time zone | UTC+2 (EET) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC+3 (EEST) |
| Postal Code | 3320 |
Kozloduy (Bulgarian:Козлодуйpronounced[kozɫoˈduj]) is a town in northwestBulgaria, located inVratsa Province, on theDanube River. The city was liberated fromOttoman rule on 23 November 1877 by the Romanian Army under the command of theImperial Russian Army. Kozloduy is best known for theKozloduy Nuclear Power Plant, Bulgaria's only (as of January 2018)nuclear power plant, which is located nearby, as well as the second largest Bulgarian Danubian island,Kozloduy Island. The city is also known for the shipRadetzky, the boat in which the poet and revolutionaryHristo Botev and with 200 others crossed the Danube River in a final attempt to gather an army and liberate Bulgaria from theOttoman Empire.
The earliest data show that Kozloduy was populated in the 16th century BC from the burial mounds where traces of aThracian dwelling centre that existed in the first millennium BC remain.[citation needed]
Later theRomanfort ofRegianum (at Magura piatra) was built here on theDanubian Limes frontier system along theDanube.[2] Other forts nearby were Camistrum and Augusta.
In this region are three historic trenches which were later called Lomski, Ostrovski and Kozloduiski where a military garrison ofKhan Asparukh was placed.
In the 18th century the settlement was marked asKotozluk (Our Parts) andKozludere (from Turkish, "Ace Creek", or "First Shore") and laterKozloduy ("Ace Hold", or "Prime Landing").
On 17 May 1876Hristo Botev's detachment landed at Kozloduy on the Radetski steamer.On 23 November 1877 the 8th cavalry regiment under Commander Alexandru Perets liberated Kozloduy from the Ottomans. This cavalry was part of the Romanian Forces under the command of the Russian Imperial Army.Construction of Kozloduy actually started with the construction of the first Nuclear Electric Power Station, which was started on 6 April 1970.[citation needed]
The town is situated on theDanube river, which is the European Transport Corridor No.7. It is 80 km from the province centerVratsa and 200 km from the capitalSofia.
The municipality is one of the richest in Vratsa province (after Vratsa Municipality) and has astandard of living above the average for Bulgaria. The town is one of the best places in Bulgaria for entrepreneurship and starting business, as many qualified personnel from other parts of Bulgaria come to Kozloduy due to the Nuclear Power Plant.[citation needed] Kozloduy has a strategic location near transport corridors N.7, N.5, N.8 and N.9. Two large companies, one each in the construction and electronics sectors, are based in the town.[citation needed]
Kozloduy is twinned with:[3]
Bechet, Romania
Bosilegrad, SerbiaCalafat, Romania
Whitehaven, England, United KingdomDespite a steady population decline, Kozloduy is currently the second most populous city in theVratsa Province (Vratsa is the first) with some 11,331 residents. Bulgarians make up the largest ethnic group, followed by residents of Turkish, Roma, Russian and Romanian background. Kozloduy has also attracted foreign visitors, as many nuclear power-related seminars are held in the town.
Kozloduy Cove inRobert Island,South Shetland Islands is named after Kozloduy.
Capital:Kozloduy | ||
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