Soroca | |
|---|---|
.jpg) .jpg) .jpg) .jpg)  Soroca Fort and Soroca | |
 Coat of arms | |
  Soroca | |
| Coordinates:48°10′N28°18′E / 48.167°N 28.300°E /48.167; 28.300 | |
| Country |  Moldova |
| County | Soroca |
| Established | 1499 |
| Government | |
| • Mayor | Lilia Pilipețchi (PSRM) |
| Area | |
• Total | 11.88 km2 (4.59 sq mi) |
| Elevation | 45 m (148 ft) |
| Population | |
• Total | 21,135 |
| • Density | 1,779/km2 (4,608/sq mi) |
| Time zone | UTC+2 (EET) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC+3 (EEST) |
| Postal code | MD-3001 |
| Area code | +373 230 |
| Website | Official website |
Soroca is a city and municipality[2] in northernMoldova, situated on theDniester River about 160 km (99 mi) north ofChișinău. It is the administrative center of theSoroca District.
It is known forits well-preserved stronghold, established by theMoldavianprinceStephen the Great (Ștefan cel Mare inRomanian) in 1499.[3] The origins of the name Soroca are not fully known. Soroca (сорока) is theEast Slavic word formagpie. Its location is only a few kilometers from the Moldova–Ukraine border.
The original wooden fort, which defended a ford over the Dniester, was an important link in the chain of fortifications which comprised four forts (e.g.,Bilhorod-Dnistrovskyi, then known as Akkerman, andKhotyn) on the Dniester, two forts on theDanube, and three forts on the north borders of medievalMoldavia. Between 1543 and 1546, under the rule ofPeter IV Rareș, the fort was rebuilt in stone as a perfect circle with five bastions situated at equal distances.
During theGreat Turkish War,John III Sobieski's forces successfully defended the fort against the Ottomans. It was of vital military importance during thePruth River Campaign ofPeter the Great in 1711. The stronghold was sacked by the Russians in theAustro-Russian–Turkish War (1735–39). TheSoroca Fort is an important attraction in Soroca, having preserved cultures and kept the old Soroca to the present day.
The locality was greatly extended in the 19th century, during a period of relative prosperity. Soroca became a regional center featuring large squares, modernized streets, hospitals, grammar schools and conventionalized churches. During the Soviet period, the city became an important industrial center for northern Moldova.[4],"
Soroca was known for producinggrapes,wheat,maize, andtobacco in 1919.[3]
The overwhelming majority of the town's sizeableJewish populated was killed inthe Holocaust duringWorld War II, both before and after the deportation of the Jews toTransnistria.[5]
The climate in Soroca is a warm-summer subtype (Köppen:Dfb) of thehumid continental climate.
| Climate data for Soroca (1991–2020, extremes 1946–2021) | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °C (°F) | 12.4 (54.3) | 19.9 (67.8) | 23.7 (74.7) | 31.0 (87.8) | 34.3 (93.7) | 37.2 (99.0) | 38.4 (101.1) | 39.7 (103.5) | 37.4 (99.3) | 30.1 (86.2) | 23.2 (73.8) | 17.5 (63.5) | 39.7 (103.5) |
| Mean daily maximum °C (°F) | 0.0 (32.0) | 2.1 (35.8) | 8.3 (46.9) | 16.3 (61.3) | 22.0 (71.6) | 25.6 (78.1) | 27.5 (81.5) | 27.4 (81.3) | 21.5 (70.7) | 14.5 (58.1) | 7.0 (44.6) | 1.4 (34.5) | 14.5 (58.1) |
| Daily mean °C (°F) | −2.9 (26.8) | −1.4 (29.5) | 3.5 (38.3) | 10.4 (50.7) | 16.0 (60.8) | 19.6 (67.3) | 21.3 (70.3) | 20.8 (69.4) | 15.6 (60.1) | 9.5 (49.1) | 3.8 (38.8) | −1.3 (29.7) | 9.6 (49.3) |
| Mean daily minimum °C (°F) | −5.3 (22.5) | −4.3 (24.3) | −0.5 (31.1) | 5.0 (41.0) | 10.2 (50.4) | 14.0 (57.2) | 15.5 (59.9) | 14.7 (58.5) | 10.2 (50.4) | 5.3 (41.5) | 1.1 (34.0) | −3.7 (25.3) | 5.2 (41.4) |
| Record low °C (°F) | −34.9 (−30.8) | −29.9 (−21.8) | −22.4 (−8.3) | −14.2 (6.4) | −2.5 (27.5) | 3.4 (38.1) | 6.2 (43.2) | 3.3 (37.9) | −6.3 (20.7) | −12.7 (9.1) | −21.4 (−6.5) | −30.0 (−22.0) | −34.9 (−30.8) |
| Averageprecipitation mm (inches) | 30 (1.2) | 28 (1.1) | 31 (1.2) | 39 (1.5) | 56 (2.2) | 67 (2.6) | 80 (3.1) | 50 (2.0) | 54 (2.1) | 38 (1.5) | 40 (1.6) | 28 (1.1) | 542 (21.3) |
| Average precipitation days(≥ 1.0 mm) | 6 | 6 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 7 | 8 | 6 | 6 | 5 | 6 | 6 | 76 |
| Averagerelative humidity (%) | 84 | 82 | 77 | 66 | 64 | 67 | 68 | 67 | 70 | 76 | 84 | 86 | 74 |
| Source 1:NOAA[6] | |||||||||||||
| Source 2: Serviciul Hidrometeorologic de Stat (extremes, relative humidity)[7] | |||||||||||||
According to the2024 census, 21,135 inhabitants lived in Soroca (making it the tenth largest city in Moldova), a decrease compared to the previous census in 2014, when 22,196 inhabitants were registered.[8][9]
| Year | Pop. | ±% |
|---|---|---|
| 1867 | 7,758 | — |
| 1882 | 9,225 | +18.9% |
| 1897 | 15,351 | +66.4% |
| 1930 | 15,001 | −2.3% |
| 1959 | 15,195 | +1.3% |
| 1970 | 21,924 | +44.3% |
| 1979 | 30,365 | +38.5% |
| 1989 | 42,297 | +39.3% |
| 2004 | 28,362 | −32.9% |
| 2014 | 22,196 | −21.7% |
| 2024 | 21,135 | −4.8% |
| Source:[12][13][14] | ||
The population was estimated at 35,000 in 1919. It consisted mainly ofJews.Romanians,Germans, andRussians also lived in the city.[3] Before the Holocaust, Soroca had a Jewish population of around 18,000, but there are only around 40 Jews living there today.
The city has a sizableRomani minority and is popularly known as the "Romani capital of Moldova".[15]
The Mayor of Soroca is head of the executive branch of Soroca City Council.[16]
| List of mayors of Soroca | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Name | From | Until | Party | Pool |
| Mihail Popovschi[17] | 2003 | 2007 | PCRM | 2003 |
| Victor Său | 2007 | 2011 | PNL | 2007 |
| Elena Bodnarenco | 2011 | 2015 | PCRM | 2011 |
| Victor Său | 2015 | 2019 | PLDM | 2015 |
| Lilia Pilipețchi | 2019 | Present | PSRM | 2019 |
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Soroca istwinned with:
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1 InTransnistria.2 Controlled by the Transnistrian authorities.3 Also a municipality.4 The seat ofDubăsari District is the commune ofCocieri (not a city). | ||
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