City Of Soroca

Soroca is a Moldovan city situated on the Dniester river about 160 km north of Chiinu.
It is the administrative center of the Soroca District with an area of 1,043 km2 (403 sq mi)
and Elevation 347 m (1,138 ft).

History
The city has its origin in the medieval Genoese trade post of Olchionia, or Alchona. It is
known for its well preserved stronghold, established by the Moldavian prince Stephen the Great
(tefan cel Mare) in 1499. The origins of the name Soroca is not fully known. Its location is
only a few kilometers to the Moldova-Ukrainian border. The original wooden fort, which
defended a fjord over Dniester, was an important link in the chain of fortifications which
comprised four forts (e.g. Bilhorod - Dnistrovskyi, then known as Akkerman, and Khotyn) on
the Dniester, two forts on the Danube and three forts on the north border of medieval Moldova.
Between 1543 and 1546 under the rule of Peter IV Rare, the fort was rebuilt in stone as a
perfect circle with five bastions situated at equal distances.
During the Great Turkish War, John III Sobieski's forces successfully defended the fort
against the Ottomans. It was of vital military importance during the Pruth River Campaign of
Peter the Great in 1711. The stronghold was sacked by the Russians in the Austro-Russian Turkish War (173539). The Soroca Fort is an important attraction in Soroca, having preserved
cultures and kept the old Soroca in 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.
In the Soviet period, the city became an important industrial center for northern Moldova.
Soroca was known for producing grapes, wheat, maize, and tobacco in 1919.
The population was estimated at 35,000 in 1919. It consisted mainly of Jews. Romanians,
Germans and Russians also lived in the city. The city once had a Jewish population of around
18,000 but they are only 100 today and 20 of them are considered Jewish according to the
halakha. In 2012, Soroca had an estimated 37,500 inhabitants. The city has a sizable Romani
(Gypsy) minority and is popularly known as the "Romani capital of Moldova.

The Candle of Gratitude

built on the rocks aboveMonument
the river Nistru on the borders of Soroca and is one

This monument
of the most important creations in the Moldavian modern history. This extraordinary work of
art is dedicated to all Moldavian cultural monuments that were destroyed.

The Candle of Gratitude

raises from the depth of our
past and represents a homage
to all the anonymous heroes
that have kept safe the
culture, the language and the
history of Moldova out of a
wide colorful human
civilization.

This national monument is 29.5 meters in length and it is located right at the entrance to the city
which catches the eye of people passing by or visiting the city.

Soroca Fortress
In the medieval period the fortress of Soroca was part of a huge Moldovan defensive system,
which comprised four fortresses on the Nistru river, two on the Danube and another three in the
northern part of the country. With this Stone belt of fortresses the countrys borders were well
protected. Sorocas fortress is also famous for being the place where the Moldovan army, and
the Russian army met and consolidated their forces during the Prut campaign against the
Turkish hordes in 1711.

The fortress is the only medieval monument in Moldova, which has been preserved entirely as it
was designed by its builders and it is a most visit for every tourists coming into Moldova. Above
the entrance gate one can visit the small military church.

Soroca Museum of History and Ethnography

The museum was founded in 1959 and it is rated as one of the richest and most interesting
historical museums in Moldova. The museum collections contain approximately 30,000
artifacts, the most interesting objects found during archaeological excavations in the city of
Soroca, and Varvareuca Trifauti.
The museum exposition is located
in a few small rooms. In essence, it
is more like a local history
museum. Numerous exhibits tell
the history of the city since its
inception. Here you can also learn
how Soroca Fortress was built, how
it looked originally and what
changes have been made
throughout its existence.
In the museum you can find
information about the population,
which at various times inhabited
the city and its surroundings.

The Gypsy Hill

Soroa is well known as the capital of Moldavian Gypsy (Roma). Famous for the most
numerous Gypsy community in Moldova, It influenced the architecture of the city. The Gypsy
houses impress by their variety, diversity of colors, contrasts and luxury. About 20 hundreds of
Gypsy live in Soroca and very often the Gypsy palaces pass ahead of local middle class
inhabitants houses according to the level of accomplishment. Excursions around the Gypsy hill
will be a very pleasant way of experiencing the gypsy tradition.

Soroca travel is best done during the warmer months of May through early October. This is
because a lot of the attractions, including the museum mentioned above, do not keep any sort of
regular hours in the winter weather. This can often cause some confusion, so it is best to make a
visit during the traditional summer season.
The climate in Soroca is temperate-continental. Winter is usually mild and short with an
average temperature of -5 to 6 degrees Celsius. Summer is long and warm with an average
temperature of 20 to 21 degrees Celsius. The average annual rainfall is 485 mm. Soroca has a
suitable climate for farming cereals, sugar beet, tobacco and also for horticulture. The main
geographical feature of Soroca is the Nistru Plateau. The terrain is hilly with deep valleys, dales
and ravines. Other features include a gently rolling plain to the north west and the Raut and
Nistru rivers. The highest points in Soroca are Vadeni Hill at 347m and the Visoca Hill at 330m.