Soroca is a city and municipality in northern Moldova, situated on the Dniester River about north of Chișinău. It is the administrative center of the Soroca District.

History

thumb|left|Zemstva of Soroca, 18th-19th century

It is known for its well-preserved stronghold, established by the Moldavian prince Stephen the Great (Ștefan cel Mare in Romanian) in 1499.,"

Soroca was known for producing grapes, wheat, maize, and tobacco in 1919.

The overwhelming majority of the town's sizeable Jewish populated was killed in the Holocaust during World War II, both before and after the deportation of the Jews to Transnistria.

Climate

The climate in Soroca is a warm-summer subtype (Köppen: Dfb) of the humid continental climate.

Demographics

According to the 2024 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.

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The population was estimated at 35,000 in 1919. It consisted mainly of Jews. Romanians, Germans, and Russians also lived in the city.

Mayor

The Mayor of Soroca is head of the executive branch of Soroca City Council.

{| class="wikitable"

! colspan=5| List of mayors of Soroca

|-

!Name

!From

!Until

!Party

!Pool

|-

|Mihail Popovschi

|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

|}

Media

  • Observatorul de Nord, a newspaper from Soroca, founded in 1998
  • Vocea Basarabiei, 67,69 and 103.1

Natives

  • Samuel Bronfman (1889–1971), a Jewish-Canadian entrepreneur, former owner of Seagram
  • Alexandru Cimbriciuc
  • Arkady Gendler (1921–2017), Jewish-Ukrainian Yiddish Singer
  • Sofia Imber, a Venezuelan journalist, founder of the Contemporary Art Museum of Caracas
  • Isaac Kitrosser, French Jewish photojournalist
  • James J. Matles, United States labor union leader
  • Anna Mincovschi, mother of Robert Hossein
  • Kira Muratova, a Soviet and Ukrainian film director, screenwriter and actress
  • David Seltzer (1904–1994), New York Yiddish language Jewish writer, journalist and poet
  • Marina Shafir, a Moldovan mixed martial arts and professional wrestler currently works for All Elite Wrestling.
  • Nicolae Șoltuz, a member of Sfatul Țării
  • Robert Steinberg, a Jewish-Canadian mathematician
  • Leonte Tismăneanu, a Romanian communist activist
  • Eugen Ţapu (1983–2009), a protester in the post-election riots in Chișinău who died while in police custody
  • Gheorghe Ursu (1926–1985), a Romanian construction engineer and dissident
  • Mark Tkaciuk, historian, politician
  • The family of Karl Maramorosch

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Image:Luminarea 2016.jpg|Candle of Gratitude can be seen at night from Otaci and Camenca.

File:Сорокская крепость Cetatea Soroca Soroca Fortress (42928896330).jpg|Soroca Fort

File:Сороки, этнографический музей Muzeul de istorie si etnografie din Soroca Soroca Ethnografic Museum (42870845280).jpg|Museum

Image:Manastirea Rughi Soroca 39L.JPG|Rudi Monastery

File:Stamp of Moldova md022std.jpg|Mihai Eminescu

File:Сорокский уезд № 10 (1898 г.).jpg|Soroca 1898 local stamp

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International relations

Twin towns – Sister cities

Soroca is twinned with:

  • Bryansk, Russia
  • Flămânzi, Romania
  • Suceava, Romania

See also

  • History of the Jews in Bessarabia
  • Romani people in Romania
  • Armenians in Moldova

References

Further reading

  • Soroki/Soroca (pp.&nbsp;376–380) at Miriam Weiner's Routes to Roots Foundation