Brief History
Situated closely to the European Union on the river Prut, the city ofUngheniis a locality full of history. The first document dates from August 1462. An old document of Stephen the Great certifies “the village of Unghiul (…) below Fîlfoe on Jijia river“. That was the settlement of Bratu nobleman who was the son of the servant in the royal chancery ”
So, initially, the locality was called Unghiul (angle), probably because the riverPrutmade here a perfect angle. The current name – Ungheni – appears in documents just in 1645.
In the Middle Ages theSalt Road,Fishers Road, theGreat Tatar Trade Roadpassed nearby this area. Since then the locality became attractive.
As it was established at the crossroads of great ways of communication and, more important, between two great economic and cultural centers – Iasi and Chisinau – the destiny of the small village was sealed. Its future opportunities to develop were obvious.Ascultaţi
The beginning started in 1870, as a result of the administrative-territorial reform.
At that time Ungheni received the statute of center with 16 subordinated villages.
The most decisive role in its evolution belonged to the construction of the Chisinau – Ungheni –Iasi railway, that was built in 1871-1875.
In 1899 the navigation on River Prut was inaugurated as well. These changes caused a sudden growth of population. If in 1805 there were registered just 215 inhabitants, in 1897 their number reached up to 1827 and in 1907 – there were already 2300.
In 1944, at the same time with the establishment of the soviet regime, Ungheni having a fulminant development got the status of town and district centre.
According to the Census of 1989, the population number of the town reached up to 40 thousand inhabitants. The next Census of 2004 showed that the number of persons decreased by 8 thousand .
Currently, Ungheni is an important cultural and economic centre with a high qualified human potential.
Over the years the city passed through many historical events.
In 1877 Alexander II the tsar ofRussia, stopped in Ungheni where he inspected the Russian troops that were dislocated here and had to participate in the Russian-Turkish war of 1877-1878.
In the honor of this event, a church dedicated to “Saint Alexandru Nevski had been built” here. The architect of this holy sanctuary was Alexandru Bernardazzi, an outstanding personality of the last century, that left us as a heritage numerous edifices – real masterpieces of theRepublicofMoldova.
Geography
Ungheni is a city in the Republic of Moldova, situated in the west-center on the bank of the Prut river, opposite the village with the same name fromRomania, which in the past formed the same locality. The city extends on a length of9 kmalong the border withRomania, being situated at a height of62 metersabove the sea level.
The total area of the locality is 16.4 sq. km. The area is relatively small, because the city has no agricultural land.
The water fund is impressive. The locality is situated on the bank of the Prut River, the second largest river in Moldova. Two small rivers – Delia and Baileshti flow through the city into thePrut river. There are three more lakes with a total area of 125 hectares: Delia -104 ha, Chiackir -5 ha, Beresti -16 ha.Ascultaţi
The city of Ungheni is located at a distance of105 kilometersfrom Chisinau, the capital of Moldova,85 kilometersfrom Balti, the second largest city in Moldova,18 kilometersby railway from Iasi, an important industrial, cultural and academic center in Romania
Ungheni is an important railway junction and customs border point, known as “the western Gateway of Moldova. “In the recent years, it has become an important industrial and cultural center. In 2010, the city was declared “Youth Capital 2011.”
The city of Ungheni is a part and residence center of Ungheni district with a population of 33,000 inhabitants.
