Orhei
Encyclopedia
Orhei is a city and the administrative centre of Orhei District in Moldova
with a population of 25,680. Orhei is approximately 50 kilometers north of the capital, Chişinău
.
and Russian
. There is one school that is taught in Russian.
, a large administrative region, but the country was divided further in Raion, or districts
.
The St. Dumitru Church
built by Vasile Lupu
is located in this town. Orhei gets its name from Orheiul Vechi, an active monastery near the village of Ivancea
.
The name "Orhei" is, according to one theory, derived from the Hungarian
word Őrhely, meaning "lookout post", dating from the 13th century, when Hungarian forces built a series of defences in the area.
Orhei was home to many Jews prior to World War II
, and has a large Jewish cemetery http://wikimapia.org/13507417/Jewish-cemetery. There is only one active synagogue left in the community. The main churches are Russian Orthodox. Also in the area are Baptist, Roman Catholic, a Seventh-day Adventist Church
, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, The Salvation Army
and Jehovah's Witnesses
.
with:
Bicaz
, Romania
Piatra Neamţ
, Romania
Moldova
Moldova , officially the Republic of Moldova is a landlocked state in Eastern Europe, located between Romania to the West and Ukraine to the North, East and South. It declared itself an independent state with the same boundaries as the preceding Moldavian Soviet Socialist Republic in 1991, as part...
with a population of 25,680. Orhei is approximately 50 kilometers north of the capital, Chişinău
Chisinau
Chișinău is the capital and largest municipality of Moldova. It is also its main industrial and commercial centre and is located in the middle of the country, on the river Bîc...
.
Demographics
Most people speak RomanianRomanian language
Romanian Romanian Romanian (or Daco-Romanian; obsolete spellings Rumanian, Roumanian; self-designation: română, limba română ("the Romanian language") or românește (lit. "in Romanian") is a Romance language spoken by around 24 to 28 million people, primarily in Romania and Moldova...
and Russian
Russian language
Russian is a Slavic language used primarily in Russia, Belarus, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan. It is an unofficial but widely spoken language in Ukraine, Moldova, Latvia, Turkmenistan and Estonia and, to a lesser extent, the other countries that were once constituent republics...
. There is one school that is taught in Russian.
History
Prior to 2003, Orhei was the capital of Orhei CountyOrhei County
Orhei was a county of Moldova from 1998 to 2003. Its population in 2003 was 300,400. Its capital was Orhei.-External links:* , Statoids.com...
, a large administrative region, but the country was divided further in Raion, or districts
Counties of Moldova
Between 1998 and February 2003, Moldova was divided into 12 territorial units, including 1 municipality, 1 autonomous territorial unit, 1 territorial unit, and 9 counties :...
.
The St. Dumitru Church
St. Dumitru Church (Orhei)
- External links :*...
built by Vasile Lupu
Vasile Lupu
Vasile Lupu was a Moldavian Voivode between 1634 and 1653. Vasile Coci surnamed "the wolf" who ruled as Prince of Moldavia had secured the Moldavian throne in 1634 after a series of complicated intrigues and managed to hold it for twenty years. Vasile was of Albanian origin and Greek education...
is located in this town. Orhei gets its name from Orheiul Vechi, an active monastery near the village of Ivancea
Ivancea
Ivancea is a commune in Orhei district, Moldova. It is composed of three villages: Ivancea, Brăneşti and Furceni....
.
The name "Orhei" is, according to one theory, derived from the Hungarian
Hungarian language
Hungarian is a Uralic language, part of the Ugric group. With some 14 million speakers, it is one of the most widely spoken non-Indo-European languages in Europe....
word Őrhely, meaning "lookout post", dating from the 13th century, when Hungarian forces built a series of defences in the area.
Orhei was home to many Jews prior to World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, and has a large Jewish cemetery http://wikimapia.org/13507417/Jewish-cemetery. There is only one active synagogue left in the community. The main churches are Russian Orthodox. Also in the area are Baptist, Roman Catholic, a Seventh-day Adventist Church
Seventh-day Adventist Church
The Seventh-day Adventist Church is a Protestant Christian denomination distinguished by its observance of Saturday, the original seventh day of the Judeo-Christian week, as the Sabbath, and by its emphasis on the imminent second coming of Jesus Christ...
, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, The Salvation Army
The Salvation Army
The Salvation Army is a Protestant Christian church known for its thrift stores and charity work. It is an international movement that currently works in over a hundred countries....
and Jehovah's Witnesses
Jehovah's Witnesses
Jehovah's Witnesses is a millenarian restorationist Christian denomination with nontrinitarian beliefs distinct from mainstream Christianity. The religion reports worldwide membership of over 7 million adherents involved in evangelism, convention attendance of over 12 million, and annual...
.
Twin towns - Sister cities
Orhei is twinnedTown twinning
Twin towns and sister cities are two of many terms used to describe the cooperative agreements between towns, cities, and even counties in geographically and politically distinct areas to promote cultural and commercial ties.- Terminology :...
with:
Bicaz
Bicaz
Bicaz is a town in Neamţ County, Romania situated in the eastern Carpathian Mountains near the confluence of the Bicaz and Bistriţa Rivers and near Lake Bicaz, an artificial lake formed by the Bicaz Dam on the Bistriţa. Bicaz used to be a border town until 1918...
, Romania
Romania
Romania is a country located at the crossroads of Central and Southeastern Europe, on the Lower Danube, within and outside the Carpathian arch, bordering on the Black Sea...
Piatra Neamţ
Piatra Neamt
Piatra Neamț , , ; is the capital city of Neamţ County, in the historical region of Moldavia, eastern Romania. Because of its privileged location in the Eastern Carpathian mountains, it is considered one of the most picturesque cities in Romania...
, Romania
Romania
Romania is a country located at the crossroads of Central and Southeastern Europe, on the Lower Danube, within and outside the Carpathian arch, bordering on the Black Sea...
Notable people
- RussiaRussiaRussia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
n poet and member of French ResistanceFrench ResistanceThe French Resistance is the name used to denote the collection of French resistance movements that fought against the Nazi German occupation of France and against the collaborationist Vichy régime during World War II...
David KnoutDavid KnoutDovid Knout , born in Orhei, Moldova is a Russian Jewish poet, who, with his wife Régine-Ariane and others, established a secret organization called La Main Forte which became the Armee Juive , a World War II resistance movement...
(Fiksman; 1900–1955) was born in Orhei. - Mihail MaculeţchiMihail Maculeţchi- Bibliography :*Gheorghe E. Cojocaru, Sfatul ţării: itinerar, Civitas, Chişinău, 1998, ISBN 9975-936-20-2*Mihai Taşcă, Sfatul Ţării şi actualele autorităţi locale, "Timpul de dimineaţă", no. 114 , June 27, 2008 - External links :* * *...
, Romanian politician - Romanian painter Natalia Vîrlan was born in this town.
- Paul GomaPaul GomaPaul Goma is a Romanian writer, also known for his activities as a dissident and leading opponent of the communist regime before 1989. Forced into exile by the communist authorities, he became a political refugee and currently resides in France as a stateless person...
, a Romanian writer was born in Mana, near Orhei. - Rodica MahuRodica MahuRodica Mahu is a journalist from the Republic of Moldova. She is the editor in chief of Jurnal de Chişinău.On 10 April 2009, Rodica Mahu was kidnapped while sending information for the publications' website through the phone from behind the Government building; she was interrogated by the police...
- Ilie CătărăuIlie CătărăuIlie Cătărău was a Bessarabian-born political adventurer, soldier and spy, who spent parts of his life in Romania. Leading a secretive life, he is widely held to have been the main perpetrator of two bomb attacks, which sought to exacerbate tensions between Romania and Austria-Hungary in...
, born near Orhei - Jacobo FijmanJacobo FijmanJacobo Fijman was an Argentine poet born in Orhei, Bessarabia, now in Moldova. He moved to Argentina with his parents in 1902.Raised in humble circumstances, Fijman was a highly intelligent child interested in art, music, and literature; he later made a modest living as a French teacher and...
was born in Orhei.