Bălți

Bălţi [ˈbəltsʲ] - in Romanian, Бельцы in Russian (1944 - 1989 in Cyrillic - Бэлць), also mentioned in latin alphabet as Beltsy (at the time of belonging to the Russian Empire and being part of the Soviet Union) or Balti - is one of the five Moldavian municipalities, the second largest city in terms of area and economic importance (after Chişinău), the third largest city in terms of populationan (after Chişinău and Tiraspol) in Moldova. Bălţi is the major industrial, cultural, commercial and transportation hub in the north of the country. It is often referred to as "the capital of the North". The city is situated 127 km north of the capital Chişinău, and is located on the river Răut, an affluent of Dniester (Nistru), among a hilly landscape that is covered with forest since Middle Ages, in the middle of the Bălţi steppe.

Geography and territory

Bălţi is situated on the tops and slopes of hills, and partially in a small valley. The land in the north of Moldova is very fertile, with chernozem dominating in quasi-totality. The agricultural potential represents one of the most important natural resource of the region. Some excavation of materials for the construction industry is also employed at several sites around Bălţi.

The creeks Răuţel, Copăceanca, and Flămândă cross the territory of the municipality, and fall into the river Răut. Also, several lakes are situated in Bălţi: (City Lake, Komsolskoe Lake, Kirpichnoe Lake, Strîmba Lake).

The all-time maximum of temperature registered in the city is 38°C, the all-time minimum -32°C. There are 350 to 450 mm of annual rainfall, mostly during summer and fall. Winds are generally from north-east or north-west at about 2-5 m/s. The city is situated in the 7th zone of seismicity, with a well-felt earthquake (generally without any serious structural damage to the city's buildings) striking on average every 35 years.

The municipality covers an area of 78.0 km², of which the city proper 41.42 km², the village Elizavetovca (an Eastern suburb) 9.81 km², and the village Sadovoe (a North-Western suburb) 26.77 km². Of these, an important portion (20.11 km²) is actually agricultural land.

Some city neighborhoods bear the names of the former 19th century suburbs (Romanian/Russian) respectively): Pământeni/Поментены, Slobozia/Слободзея, Molodovo/Молодово, Bălţul Nou/Новые Бельцы, Podul Chişinăului/Кишинёвский Мост; some are known by their Soviet-era names: 8th district, 9th district; or other names: Autogara/Автовокзал (which means the inter-city coach station), Dacia/Дачия or colloquially called BAM/БАМ (this completely new district was rapidly built during the Soviet times on the unpopulated before territory), as referred to Baikal Amur Mainline - which name is colloquially preferred to the official Dacia, as referred to the land of the Daci.

Etymology

The word Bălţi (in Romanian sing. "baltă") is translated literally "puddle pools". It is considered that the city had been named thus because it was founded on a hill dominating the wetland formed where the creek Răuţel falls into the river Răut.

Flag and coat of arms

The current coat of arms and flag of Bălţi, elaborated by Silviu Tabac from the Moldovan State Commission for Heraldics, have been adopted in April 2006 by the municipal council.

Coat of arms

A shield, with (alternating) six silverly strips (symbolizing water), and six blue strips (symbolizing earth) form the background. (The word bălţi means in English pools or puddles.) The central element of the shield is an archer in red clothes, in the military outfit (yellow) of Stephen III of Moldavia times (15th century). The archer represents the medieval military recruitment, formed by free peasants paying tax only to the country's ruler, and ready to serve at the first call, which were based in this region of Moldavia. On top of the shield there is a silverly crown in the shape of fortress wall, with seven towers. (The crown represents the fact that the locality is a city. Apart from Bălţi, only the capital Chişinău, and Tiraspol are allowed to have seven towers, while other cities must limit this number to three or five.) The shiled is supported by two silverly horses raised on two legs. (The white horse is the traditional symbol of the region, which was part of Iaşi County before 1812.) Under the shiled there is a ribbon with the Latin inscription CIDANT ARMA TOGAE, meaning arms yield to togas.

Flag

The city's flag is composed of two horizontal strips: a blue one on top, and a silverly one on bottom. The shield and archer elements from the coat of arms are also present in the center of the flag .

Other symbols

In the Middle Ages, the archer featured on the coats of arms of the region. In the 19th century, the city coat of arms was for most of the time a horse head. In the early 20th century, a shield representing an archer, standing on a hill, the sun, and three bullrush sticks (elements quite sufficient to identify the place where Bălţi is situated in the landscape of the north of Moldova) formed the coat of arms of the Bălţi county, while these and horse elements - the coat of arms of the city proper.

History

Main article: History of Bălţi

1421 The city is founded as a fair by Ringalia of Mazovia, the sister of Polish king Władysław II Jagiełło (of the Lithuanian dynasty), who was the wife of the Moldavian Prince Alexandru I cel Bun [Alexander the Good].

At the time the territory belonged to the Dorohoi ţinut (land/county), but later to the Iaşi county of the Principality of Moldova (Iaşi was the capital of the Principality from 1574 to 1859).

A crossroad, Bălţi soon became well-known as a horse fair.

1469 A Crimean Tatar invasion led by the khan Meñli I Giray burned the place to the ground, before being defeated in the Battle of Lipnic (about 100 km north).

Bălţi was rebuilt very slowly.

1711 The Moldavian prince Dimitrie Cantemir, also a well-known historiographer and scientist of the time, impressed by the defeat of the Swedish-Polish king Charles XII at the Battle of Poltava (600 km east in eastern Ukraine) by the young Russian tsar Peter the Great, invited the latter to Moldavia in a bold move to try to end Ottoman suzerainty and reclaim the independence of Moldova. During this failed military campaign the main headquarters of the Russian and parts of the Moldavian armies were established at Bălţi, due to its crossroads location.

Unfortunately, this intervention had several long-lasting negative consequences on the fate of Moldova. Understanding the danger to their dominance, the Turks no longer let the Moldavian boyars elect the prince, but instead sold the throne every 2-3 years to the best bid, generally coming from a rich Greek merchant from the Istanbul neighborhood of Phanar. (See also The Fanariot Époque)

From 1711 till 1822, the darkest chapter in the history of the Principalities of Moldavia, six major wars totaling a quarter of a century in length were fought between the full-equipped and greatly numbered armies of three empires: Ottoman, Russian and Habsburg. The local population (most of the battles would take place in the south of Moldavia but occasionally also throughout the rest of the territory) had to support alternatively the burdens of three invading armies, none of which were friendly to the locals, regarding them with suspicion, not always unmotivated. Instead of growing at a fast rate as it was a century earlier, the population decreased by 30% during this time.

1766 The prince Alexandru Ghica, one of a few local (and not Greek) princes of that time, has divided the Bălţi estate in two parts, awarding one to the Saint Spiridon monastery of Iaşi, and the other to the merchant brothers Alexandru, Constantin and Iordache Panaiti. The three boyar brother, over the next decades improve the locality small city.

1812 The Peace of Bucharest grants the whole eastern half of the Principality of Moldavia, a territory named since than Basarabia (or Bessarabia), and which coincides to a substantial extent to the territory of the modern Republic of Moldova, to the Russian Empire.

1812-1828 The Russians allow substantial economic and cultural freedom to Moldavians/Romanians, wanting to secure the new province (gubernia in Russian). After 1828 the policy gradually worses.

Bălţi benefits from the division of the Principality of Moldavia along the river Prut in 1812, because although the city of Iaşi remained on the right bank, the largest part of the Iaşi county was on the left bank, and Bălţi gradually became its natural center.

1818 The Russian tsar visits his newly acquired province, and during his passing through Bălţi he received news that he had a nephew, the future tsar,Alexander II of Russia, born. Overjoyed, he grants Bălţi official city status.

1825 The number of counties of Bessarabia is reduced from 12 to 8, but Iaşi county is preserved.

Early 19th century Bălţi has approx. 8,000 inhabitants.

1860s Education in Romanian is gradually banned, and the nobility is forced to use Russian, intermarry Russians, or leave to Romania However, the policy has a rather contrary effect, due to the absence of assimilation through education by the Russian authorities, Bessarabians strengthen cultural links with the rest of the Romanians.

1887 Iaşi county is renamed Bălţi county.

1889 The city becomes a railroad hub.

The ethnic composition of the city diversified with some colonists arriving from Austrian Galicia, Ukraine and (fewer) from Russia proper, being offered land or seeking freedom of religion.

A significant number of Jews (from Galicia, then in the Habsburg Empire) settled in Bălţi, and by the end of the century became first a plurality, then a majority. Russian officials were unhappy with the number of Jews arriving, but unlike in Chişinău, they have not organized pogroms in Bălţi.

The city has not been affected by World War I other than the recruitment and movement of troops.

September-November 1917 At the dissolution of the Russian Empire, Bessarabia elects a National Council (Sfatul Ţării), which proclaims the Moldavian Democratic Republic.

April 1918 Sfatul Ţării votes union of Bessarabia with Romania

In the first part of the 20th century the economy expanded, and the city started to diversify. Many buildings in the town/city date from the inter-war period.

1920s The seat of the Bishopric is moved from Hotin to Bălţi, and the Bishopric Palace is built (finished 1933).

1920s The Saint Constantine and Elena Cathedral is built throughout (finished in 1932, officially inaugurated 1933)

1940 The city reaches close to 40,000 inhabitants.

June 28, 1940 In accordance with the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact, the Soviet Union demands Romania to cede Bessarabia and, shortly thereafter, the Red Army enters the region. Surprisingly to the locals, the Romanian authorities, in great limbo due to recent international developments (conquest of France by Germany four days before the Soviet ultimatum), decides to temporarily avoid an armed conflict. The army and administration are withdrawn within 48 hours, as required by the USSR, giving up all defensive installations in the area that were built for the sole eventuality of a Soviet aggression.

June 13, 1941 Thousands of former teachers, doctors, office workers, and even better-to-do peasants from northern Moldova, thought to be hostile and dangerous to the Soviet regime, are gathered to be deported in cattle cars to Siberia. Bălţi, as the most important railroad link in the north of Moldova, serves as a gathering point.

June 22 - July 26, 1941 Romanian Army participates in the Axis offensive against the Red Army dislocated in Bessarabia, initially being ordered to push only to the river Dnister, Romania's eastern border in 1940.

Military action in 1941. For the first 10 days, 3rd and 4th Romanian Armies developed bridgeheads, as their main advance was planned to start on July 2. According to the will of its new ally, Nazi Germany, Romania has allotted an 80 km long segment between its two armies to the 11th German Army, half of the effectives of which, including its artillery, were Romanian units transferred for one month under the German command. This portion of the front line included Bălţi. The German motorized columns and the 1st Romanian Armored Division started their move from several bridgeheads on the river Prut, 50 to 70 km from the city, on the evening of July 2, and by July 5 already controlled large portions of northern Moldavia (Bessarabia).

The city was supposed to be conquered by the 14th Romanian Division from the 30th German Corps, supported by the 170th German Division from the 54th German Corps. Soviet units managed to temporarily stop them on July 4 on the eastern outskirts of the town. 2nd and 3rd Battalions of the 13th Romanian Dorobanţi regiment Ştefan cel Mare of the 14th Division maneuvered to the south and took the village of Biliceni and surrounding areas, at which time 14th Division, was transferred from the 30th to the 54th German Corps.

Some of the Soviet forces fighting in the area included the 74th Soviet Infantry Division, and the 2nd Soviet Mechanized Corps, consisting of the 21st Motorized Infantry, the 11th and 16th Tank Divisions. These Soviet units operated in an area 20 km around Balti, but it is not clear which subunits took direct part in actions for the city.

The main military actions took part on July 7 - July 9 near the villages south of the city: 8th Dorobanţi Regiment and the 32nd Infantry Regiment Mircea, both from the 5th Romanian Infantry Division, clashed with Soviet cavalry. Feeling much easier on the ground than the German and Soviet units, they managed to overcome several Soviet strongholds near Zgîrdeşti, Mîndreşti, and the Gliceni Forest. Then, supported by four artillery battalions, the 32nd Regiment attacked Mîndreşti frontally with one battalion and with the second maneuvered to the south, threatening the rear of the Soviet forces, which retreated leaving behind a lot of their heavy weapons.

On July 8, the 22nd Regiment of the 13th Romanian Division also joined the battle for Bălţi, fighting at Singureni and Ţărinei Hill. The latter, together with the 39th Romanian Infantry Regiment from the 14th Romanian Division, reached the river Răut at 10:00 on July 9, and managed to establish a bridgehead north of Răut near Elisabeta, already on the north-eastern outskirt of the city. This threatened to encircle the Red Army units in the city, which then hastily withdrew during July 9.

1944 Fearing the repeat of the 1941 deportation, thousands of people, including most of intellectuals, flee to Romanian in front of the Soviet troops.

February 27, 1944 Soviet troops, driving Romanian and German forces westwards, enter the city. West of Bălţi they first reach and boldly cross the border of the USSR of 22 June 1941.

March to August 1944 The frontline stabilizes along a west-east curve passing 40 km south of the city. After gathering enormous quantities of troops (approx. 3.4 million) and artillery (approx. 370 units per km of frontline) the Red Army penetrates the German-Romanian defenses (approx. 600,000 troops) in the Iaşi-Chişinău operation, partly surrounding them.

August-September 1944 Active age Moldavians in the recuptured territories are enrolled en masse in the Soviet army, and are not disbanded until 1946.

1945-1947 Soviet authorities practice a quasi-total confiscation of peasants' harvest and food "for the needs of the State", while many fields remain unworked.

1946-1947 Moldova suffers two years of famine, the only known famine in the recorded history of Moldova, taking a toll of 298,500 lives.

1949 Another mass Soviet deportation

1949-1950 Mass collectivization of farmed land is implemented.

1951 Another mass Soviet deportation

The war and the events that followed have left a deep impact on the city. Many buildings were leveled or damaged by bombardments and military action. A part of the population was killed, deported, sent to labor camps, ghettos, starved to death, or simply fled and did not return. The losses affected all the ethnic groups, while from social groups the inter-war intelligentsia has all by disappeared.

Late 1950s through 1980s Bălţi, as well as in Chişinău and other cities of Moldova, see a Soviet-sponsored immigarion of non-Moldavians from throughout the Soviet Union, a very heterogenous mass composed of:

• competent specialists, well-qualified engineers, doctors,
• ordinary workers trying to leave the poorest regions of the Soviet Union, generally without any professional qualifications,
• many Soviet World War II veterans,
• Soviet and Communist Party apparatchiks,
• a few outright criminals.

Although the city could then claim several dozen nationalities, only one language was accepted in public places - Russian. The majority of the newcomers never felt a home connection with the city, rather considering USSR as a whole as their home, in contrast with the Russian and Ukrainian minorities before 1940. From 1940 to 1989 the population of the city increases 4-fold, with the addition of the newcomers from all over USSR, and of the local Moldovans/Romanians moving from countryside to the city. By 1989 a tie was established between the numbers of the two communities, although one of them was entirely deprived of using its language in public life, even for shopping. The Jews of the city, primarily speakers of (generally) Yiddish and some of Romanian before 1940, quickly switched to Russian, so that by 1980s only the elderly was speaking Yiddish. However the degree of knowing the Moldavian/Romanian language before 1989 was higher among Jews, even those born after 1940, than among Russians.

1980s The vast majority of Jews move to Israel.

1988-1989 Bălţi is known as the "quiet city" of Moldova. Only four public demonstrations take place in the city during this period, none gathering more than 15,000. The main reform-oriented part of the population was formed by the students and faculty of the local university, which regularly gathered indoors, sometimes numbering several thousands.

Since 1989 All local elections are won by the old Soviet apparatus candidates, the Russian minority being stronger politically not least because of its higher turnout rate. However the policies of the local authorities have evolved from one individual to the next, so that although extreme left by today's standards, some of them would have been considered quite liberal in Soviet times.

Currently, the municipal activity is done in Russian and Romanian, in disregard with the 1989 national language law, which states that Romanian/Moldavian is the only official language of the country.

The city actively supports Ukrainian language and culture, as cca 25,000 inhabitants can speak at least some degree of that language.

1994-2004 Emigration and low natality rate lead to 23% decrease in populationof the city, including 45% decrease among Russian-speaking, 30% Ukarinian-speaking, 15% Romanian-speaking. Many inhabitants of the city travel for seasonal work, and less often emigrated, to Italy, Portugal, Greece, Spain, Ireland, Germany, France, Romania, Russia, USA, Israel. Many ethnic Russians and ethnic Ukrainians, prompted by the poor economic situation, have repatriated to Russia, resp. Ukraine.

Administration

Bălţi is one of 5 Moldavian municipalities which are not subordinated to any other territorial units. Bălţi has the status of municipality since 1994, containing the city itself, and the villages of Elizavetovca and Sadovoe.

The Mayor Office is headed by the Mayor and administers the local affairs, while the Municipal Council serves as a consultative body with some powers of general policy determination and is composed of 35 counsellors elected every four years. As a result of the last elections held in 2007, the Party of Communists of the Republic of Moldova (PCRM) holds 21 mandate, 11 mandates are held by representatives of ther parties, 3 mandates are held by independent municipal counsellors. There aretwo fractions in the Municipal Council: PCRM fraction (21 counsellors) and "Meleag" fraction (3 independent counsellors and 4 representatives of different parties).

The Mayor of the municipality is elected for four years. Vasile Panciuc (PCRM) is the incumbent from 2001 and was re-elected twice: in 2003 during the anticipated elections (reform of the administrative division in Moldova) and in 2007.

Population

Demographics

The exact size of the population of the city is hard to estimate. The official 2005 estimates indicated 126,728 inhabitants, based on the 2004 census figure of 127,561, which includes the population of the two suburbs, Elisabeta (3,500 people), and Sadovoe (1,400 people). The accuracy of the 2004 census data is highly questionable, as the census officials, possibly motivated by financial shortages or political considerations, filled in approximate figures rather than questioning large portions of population. The last census, during the Soviet period (1989), came up with 161,475 inhabitants. An exodus has occurred since 1992 due to the economic situation in Moldova (worsening until 2001-2002 and stagnant or slightly improving after 2001-2002).

According to the Romanian official census for 1930, Bălţi had a population of 30,570, of which 14,200 were Jews, 8,900 Romanians, 5,400 Russians and Ukrainians, 1,000 Poles. Also 14,400 were Christian Orthodox, 14,250 Judaic, 1,250 Romano-Catholic. The city represented at the time only 7.9% of the population of the surrounding Bălţi County, which was by the same census almost entirely Romanian, and it is so today. According to the Romanian official estimations for 1935, based on the census of 1930, the city had around 35,000 people.

Year	1897	1930	1959	1970	1979	1989	2004
Population	18,500	30,600	67,666	105,505	126,950	161,475	127,561

In 1939 there was another census, data of which was not completely processed due to Soviet occupation. Preliminary data suggested around 40,000 inhabitants.

Today, official 2004 census figures [1] put Moldovans/Romanians at 54.2%, Russians at 19.2% and Ukrainians at 23.7%, although Ukrainians often speak Russian, or a mixture of Russian and Ukrainian as their native tongue.

Ethnic Groups[2]:

Ethnicity	Number	%
Moldavian	66 877	52,4 %
Ukrainian	30 288	23,7 %
Russian	24 526	19,2 %
Romanian	2258	1,8 %
Bulgarian	297	0,2 %
Gagauz	243	0,2 %
other	2889	2,3 %
not declared	183	0,1 %

Religion

At the last census, 90.7% of the population (110,961 people) identified themselves as Christian Orthodox, 2.1% (2,609 people) as Baptist, 0.8% (990 people) as Catholic, 3.2% (3,960 people) as belonging to other religious groups (none more than 0.5%), 0.4% (544 people) as atheist, and 2.7% (3,304) as agnostic.

Sociology

After World War II, during the period when the city was part of the former Soviet Union, there was significant immigration from all over the USSR in a move to establish a local Soviet and party apparatus, to develop the industry, and to create a Russian-speaking majority. In the same period many Moldovans (Romanians) from the countryside of Moldova moved to the cities, including Bălţi. By the end of 1980s, the Jews of Moldova had migrated en masse to Israel. The Russian- and Ukrainian-speaking (officially, over 30 other ethnicities of the former Soviet Union) had by then reached almost 50%, with Romanian-speaking Moldovans representing the other 50%.

Currently, many emigrant workers from the city are temporarily (legally or illegally) working in Russia and Greece, as well as Western Europe, including Italy, Portugal, Ireland, as it is very difficult to earn a living in Moldova. Remittances from these account for 30% of Moldova's GDP, the highest percentage in all of Europe.[3] Often, elderly relatives and children of these workers are left to live in Bălţi. In many cases children are left with minimal to no supervision for months or more. Other former inhabitants of Bălţi moved (often permanently) during the same period to work or study in Romania, Russia, or the rest of Europe. Emigration of Moldavians to or search of work, and low natality rate lead to 23% decrease in population of the city during 1994-2004, including 45% decrease among the Russian-speaking, 30% among Ukrainian speakers, 15% among Romanian speakers. The differences between the figures for different ethnic groups are due to re-patriation of ethnic Russians and Ukrainians after the brake of the formet USSR.

The majority of the population is bilingual (Romanian - Russian) and understands and/or speaks Ukrainian. Some older Russians, especially those who came to Moldova as adults and had a career in the Soviet system, can speak only Russian, though they often understand some Romanian. Younger Moldovans, educated after 1989, speak both Romanian and, usually, at least one foreign language. They might or might not know Russian.

Civil Society

Bălţi is one of the major sources of civil society development locally as well as nationwide in Moldova. Bălţi is home for numerous independent and apolitical organisations such as the oldest Northern independent press agency DECA-press, major Northern Moldovan daily newspaper Spros i Predlojenie, one of the major Moldovan organisations for care of socially vulnerable persons NGO Second Breath, known youth organisation Tinerii pentru Dreptul la Viata.

Economy

Shopping

Bălţi is home for major chains such as German Metro Group AG, Ukrainian Fourchette, Moldavian Fidesco.

Numeorus shops, can be found in the central (retail), eastern (en gros) and northern (retail) parts of the city. The biggest shopping galleries are located in the centre and in Dacia district (north) of the city. Souvenir bouiques are mostly found around the central square Vasile Alecsandri.

The central market, busy from early morning, and its historical building may offer you just about anything from genuine butcher's products, all varieties of fresh vegetables and fruits, to a new dog.

Manufacturing

This city was an important economic center, with manufacturing playing an important role. Besides traditional for Moldova wine making, sugar, meat processing, flour milling, oil production, Bălţi was or is the center for manufacturing of agricultural machinery, of various construction materials, fur, textile, chemical and furniture industries. A mammoth Soviet-type conglomerate 8,000-worker factory (called "Lenin" before 1989 and "Răut" afterwards) produced a large variety of machine building products for consumer or industry use, from irons and telephone sets to sonar equipment for Soviet Military submarines.

However due to swift changes in the economic environment after the breakdown of the Soviet planned economy system, to which the local management, accustomed to rely only on directives from above, could not adapt, the manufacturing base of the city has severely suffered. However, more recently, new economic ties are being created, with collaboration and direct investment mostly from the European Union.

Services

The service sector has developed after 1989 to cover little more than the basic needs of the population. A variety of small private stores and supermarkets opened. Also, there are six public-owned and four private-owned markets; these are places where small-scale businessmen or women can for a tax trade different goods: imported or local-made clothing (quite often counterfeit) or agricultural products from farms in the villages neighboring Bălţi. More recently several supermarket chains have started opening stores in the city.

Energy and utilities

The main energy supply of the city comes from the local thermo-electric plant CET Nord, which uses a variety of imported carbon-based fuel (easier to obtain and cheaper than oil). The city is well-connected by high-voltage lines, and there are recent plans for the construction of a new line.

Russian-imported natural gas is distributed to households, generally for cooking, not for heating. But this commodity has recently become a political hazard. Winter heating is distributed in a centralized fashion throughout the city by pipelines.

Although the city was often without electricity and heating during the political hassles of 1994-2001, it has experienced no shortages or interruptions ever since.

The drinking water is supplied into the pipes from a network of local artesian wells (which are insufficient) and from the river Nistru (Dnister) by a 60 km long pipeline connecting Bălţi to Soroca (which is not economically feasible).

Transportation

Public Transport

Passenger transport in Bălţi is mainly carried out by the Bălţi Trolleybus Authority and Bălţi Bus Authority, as well as by private bus, minibus and taxi companies. The total amount of transported passengers in Bălţi for 2004 was 35,4 million passengers.

Buses and Mininuses

The Bălţi Bus Authority (B.B.A.) provides for 10 regular bus routes in Bălţi and its near agglomeration. There are also private bus and minubus services, which are not regulated by the B.B.A. There are around 25 minubus lines in Bălţi and its agglomeration.

Trolleybuses

There are 3 trolleybus lines in Bălţi, the fourth line being planned to be constructed in 2007-2008. Most troleybusses used by the Bălţi Trolleybus Authority (B.T.A.) are different modifications of Russian ZiU and of Czech Škoda.

Line		Length	In service from	Number of stations	Serviced by
Line 1	Molodovo – Aeroportul Bălţi-Oraş	?.? km / ?.? miles	1970?	?	B.T.A.
	Gara Bălţi-Slobozia – Cartierul "Dacia"	?.? km / ? miles	1970?	?	B.T.A.
	Combunatul de Carne – Autogara	?.? km / ? miles	1970?	?	B.T.A.
	Centru – Cimitirul	?.? km / ? miles	2008?	?	B.T.A.

Taxis

Bălţi offers a wide choice of taxi services (more than 5 companies), most of which with a fixed tarif in the inner city. Three taxi companies are branches of Moldavian national companies, two taxi companies are Bălţi registered businesses.

The "per km/time" tarification is currenlty being enforced by the government through difficult negotiations with taxi syndicats.

Motorways

Bălţi was and is an important transportation hub of Moldova.

The best inter-city transportation is coach or van (privately or publicly owned). 135 km of Soviet style highway (portions in good or fair condition) connect the city to the capital Chişinău. By road one can also reach Ukraine (in about 2 hours) to the north or to the east, and Romania (1 hour) to the south-west by the Sculeni-Sculeni crossing point, which leads to the important Romanian city of Iaşi (104 km from Bălţi), or to the west by the Stânca-Costeşti crossing.

The Bălţi Inter-City Coach Station is one of the biggest in Moldova and provides for regular bus connections to almost any city and village in Moldova, as well as for numerous European and international connections (Eurolines).

Train Stations

Regular railroad connection to Ocniţa (north), Rezina (east) and Ungheni (south-east), as well as to Chişinău exists, however it takes today 6 hours to cover the 200 km to Chişinău.

The railroad lines are not electric, and contain only a single lane between stations. Since Moldova got independent, the railroad lines became the responsibility of Calea Ferată din Moldova (Railways of Moldova) State company.

There are two railroad stations: Bălţi-City Station and Bălţi-Slobozia Station (the name of a city neighborhood), which both serve internal and international traffic.

Airports

The city also has two operational airports. One of them, Bălţi Airport (formerly Bălţi-Leadoveni International Airport), 15km north of the city center (near the village of Corlăteni, formerly called Leadoveni), modern by Soviet standards, built in 1980s, where large aircraft can land (one 2,200 meters runway), is officially certified and operates both charter passanger and cargo flights. As of October 2007, it does not operate regular passanger flights. A second airport, for small aircraft, Bălţi-City Airport, is located on the eastern outskirts of the city. It was the most important airport in the surrounding region during World War II, but currently is only used for agriculture and emergency services.

Culture

Architecture and tourist attractions

The main points of attraction in the city are:

• Vasile Alecsandri theatre
• Saint Nicolas Church, Bălţi (1795). Although orthodox, the building, financed by Gheorghe Panaiti, has a degree of catholic influence brought in by the architect Antuan Weismann from Galicia.
• Saint Constantine and Elena Cathedral, Bălţi (1934), orthodox, built in Romanian neo-Byzantine style. The building, at which official opening the Romanian royal family was present, survived almost without visible effects the harsh treatment during the Soviet era, when it was for most of the time a depot, later to be turned into the municipal museum.
• Bishopric Palace, Bălţi (1924-1932), which during the Soviet time was the main office of the agricultural enterprise-institute "Selectia", and the surrounding park
• Saint Parascheva Church, Bălţi (1933), by the bishop Visarion Puiu
• Archangels Michael and Gabriel Church, Bălţi (1912-1933)
• Saint Peter and Paul Church, Bălţi (1915-1929)
• Armenian Saint Gregory Church, Bălţi (1916)
• Birth of the Blessed Virgin Mary Church (1884)
• the oldest surviving building, a two-stories boyar house, presently right in the centre of the downtown area, dates back to 1609, but it has been re-constructed and re-modeled many times with total disregard to conservation to the extent that now it simply looks like an odd two-storey building.
• Monument of Stephen the Great (2003)
• others (see down through the text)
• others

Hotels

• Lidolux Hotel Bălţi
• Hotel Bălţi (former Basarabia)
• Hotel Tinereţe

Main article: Memorials of Bălţi

Memorials

Soviet deportations and political imprisonments

We surely can add photos here.

Holocaust

Mass deportation of Jews in 1941-1942. In the three-day period following the takeover the city by the Romanian and German armies, while the troops were moving through the city in the pursuit of the Red army units, and before the Romanian administration moved in, the approximately two-dozen-strong SS Einsatzkommando unit, attached to the 11th German Army, hunted and assassinated over 200 Jews from the city. The German army was strictly ordered by Berlin not to interfere in "non-military matters", and was sometimes obliged to hand in Jews in the houses of which they temporarily installed.

Fortunately, the majority of Jews from the city fled with the retreating Russians (many to Uzbekistan), and survived the war unharmed. By the time German troops entered, only 1,300 of the 20,000 Jews were in the city. Thousands of others simply hid in the neighboring villages, thinking they would be safe once the frontline had passed. The Romanian authorities, however, decided to deport all Jews from the territories occupied by USSR in 1940, as well as from two other Romanian counties, to Transnistria, across the river Dniester (Nistru). They were motivated in this by the fact that Jews had welcomed the Russian takeover a year earlier. Although some Jews did indeed become Soviet Communist activists, they were a tiny minority among the total Jewish population of the city, and those have certainly retreated along with the Russian troops.

In the towns in the north and middle of Transnistria the Romanian authorities decided to deport the remaining Jewish population of Bessarabia (Basarabia), Northern Bukovina (Bucovina), and two other counties of Romania (Suceava and Botoşani) – a total of 90,000 people. Jews were organized in columns and marched to crossing points. No regular food supply, overnight housing, transportation, or additional clothing were organized, and many died on the road, or were shot by guards on the pretext of slowing down the movement.

In towns such as Mohyliv-Podilskyi (Movilău in Romanian), Yampil (Iampol in Romanian), Bershad and others, ghettos were fenced out, and Jews were settled in. Being deprived of the right to own agricultural land, and having very few job opportunities, often without clean water and having insufficient housing, many became ill from malnutrition and infections. Interestingly, the Jews from Romania that were not affected by the deportation were treated quite tolerantly by the Romanian authorities, and even were allowed to visit the ghettos to deliver food and clothing. Unfortunately, because of fear, few ventured to do this. In several of these places the retreating German troops in 1944 shot every Jew in order to cover up the existence of the ghetto camps. Despite the fact that 70% of Jews that survived on the Soviet territory under occupation during World war II were in Transnistria, over 70% of those deported did not survive 1944.

Bălţi POW Camp

From March to August 1944, the World War II frontline stabilized along a west-east curve passing 40 km south of the city. After gathering enormous quantities of troops (3.4 million) and artillery (370 units per km of frontline) the Red Army penetrated the German-Romanian defenses (600,000 troops) in the Iaşi-Chişinău operation, partly surrounding them.

Before the operation, the Soviets had established two POW camps in Bălţi, a simple camp on the location of the present-day military unit, and a concentration camp by fencing out several streets in the southeast limits of the city, next to the small airport situated there. During the night, lights were arranged inside the camp in a way to resemble those of the airport. Heavily bombed by the German aviation, they would produce havoc inside the POW camp, while the airport would be left intact. The holes produced by the bombs were used as common graves for the dying prisoners. In the outcome of the Iaşi-Chişinău operation, around 45,000 prisoners, including up to 40,000 Romanians (including many locals), 5,000 Germans, 2,000 Hungarians, 3,000 Italians, Czechs, and Poles were gathered in the POW camp in Bălţi, the main transit POW camp for this operation. Some prisoners ended in the camp as late as September-October 1944, after fighting in the Romanian army on the Allies side, but being injured, were sent to hospitals close to their homes, and were arrested by the Soviets.

Many POWs died in the camp from malnutrition, infections, or were shot by guards, and then were buried in the bomb holes. Prisoners were kept in the camp anywhere from two months to over a year. On one occasion, a brake was made through a wall, and a major escape took place. By the end of 1945, all surviving prisoners were moved out to the interior of the Soviet Union to work. The site of the camp was leveled, and no buildings were ever erected in the area. Rumors about the POW camp and the conditions inside it were quickly silenced, and even by the 1980s the vast majority of the inhabitants of the town did not know about its existence. Consequently, during the Perestroika time, laborers were astonished to run upon thousands of human skeletons while working on straightening a road, and were so disturbed they refused to continue the work.

The political changes of the end of the 1980s allowed the remaining survivors of the camp to come out and relate the truth. Fortunately for these individuals, they were originally from the north of Moldova. By simply approaching the inner barbed wire on the side facing the city, and crying out in Romanian when the guards were not near, they were able to pass the word about their fate to friends and relatives in their home villages. The latter would come to the camp – bribe and feed the Soviet guards for a spared life. Unfortunately Germans, as well as the majority of Romanian POWs who were not locals, could not use this method to escape. Many German officers died of malnutrition, refusing the black bread. The more physically fit were then transferred for work throughout the former USSR. The Soviet archives have preserved considerable information about the POW camps in Bălţi, although they were kept a secret before 1989. Apparently, a study in 1992 on a sample of 800 POWs came up with only 13 survivors by 1953.

In 1992, many locals took part in the unveiling of one of the common graves. Sculs and bones were gathered in a piramid on a dry ground and covered with "fresh earth", A cross has been erected on the site on May 7, 1992. The name of the first prisoner discovered in the Soviet archives was decided to be the first written on the cross: "Tudor, son of Nicolae, Glavan from the village Sofia, Drochia district", i.e happened to be a local from just 20 km north of the city. The building of an "Ossuary Church" is in progress, despite the lack of financial possibilities and political will from the still Communist-dominated municipal authorities. Even the exact extent of the camp is not known, with only a small portion being unveiled so far (the field is approx. 1 km² in size).

Bălţi by night

The nightlife in the centre of Bălţi spins around the central Vasile Alecsandri square, which is one of the biggest in Europe. Numerous cafés and restaurants with international cuisine can be found there (including Turkish, Japanese). One of the favourite pastimes of Bălţeans is an evening stroll along the Independence boulevard and Vasile Alecsandri square.

Bălţi is home for two biggest clubs in the North of Moldova. The Soho Club, 500 m from the city centre, in the so-called Palace of Culture and Convention Centre of the "Răut" Enterprise, offers variety of music for all tastes. It is known for its 1980s parties on Thursdays. The A-Club, located near the Bălţi-Slobozia Railway Station, is known for its after parties on week-ends for younger visitors, whereas it is the best place for an after-work Wednesday party, popular nowadays in Europe.

Education

Primary and Secondary Education

There are [4] 13 high schools (Lycées):

• Liceul "Dimitrie Cantemir"
• Liceul "N. Gogol"
• Liceul "A. Puşkin"
• Liceul "Vasile Alecsandri"
• Liceul "Mihai Eminescu"
• Liceul "Bogdan Petriceicu Haşdeu"
• Liceul "Maxim Gorkii"
• Liceul "George Coşbuc"
• Liceul "Ştefan cel Mare"
• Liceul "Ion Creangă"
• Liceul "Lucian Blaga"
• Liceul "Mihail Lomonosov"
• Liceul "Alexandru Ioan Cuza"

6 institutions (colegii) offering (the last 3 years of) high school edication and 2 years post-high school technical education:

• Colegiul Republican de Muzică şi Pedagpogie
• Colegiul Pedagogic „Ion Creangă"
• Colegiul de Medicină (Nursing school)
• Colegiul de Industrie Uşoară
• Colegiul Politehnic
• Colegiul Tehnic feroviar

14 secondary schools (numbered 2, 3, 4, 6, 7, 9, 10, 12, 14, 15, 16, 19, 21, 23), 7 professional or professional-technical schools (numbered 1 through 7), and 3 boarding school, including one for visually impaired.

Higher Education

The Alecu Russo University of Bălţi, named after the 19th century Moldavian Romanian illuminist and ethnologist Alecu Russo, has a couple of thousand students. The original complex of buildings (1930s) housed the financial administration, as well as three high-schools (two of which were girls-only) and has the characteristic architecture of the time. The university was founded in 1946. Languages (Romanian, English, French, German, Russian), mathematics, physics, some engineering, law, economics, music education, education training, sociology, and psychology are taught at Bachelor and Master levels. Many of its buildings have been added or re-furbished more recently. The main language of education is Romanian, but there are also some courses and specialties offered in Russian.

There are also three smaller private higher education establishments:

• Institutul Nistrean de Economie şi Drept
• Filiala instituţiei nestatale de învăţămînt «Балтийский Институт Экологии, Политики и Права» din Moldova
• Institutul Umanist Contemporan

These schools teach either in Romanian, in Russian, in Ukrainian, or are mixed. The later case was inherited from the Soviet system, which discouraged education in any language but Russian, or would create mixed schools where the administration would be hold automatically in Russian, the official language of the Soviet Union. The resistance of the Moldovan population to the policy of Russification was the main local driving force of the political changes that occurred in 1988-1991. Currently, Romanian/Moldovan is the official language, but Russian is still often used even in the administration.

Health Protection

The city has a big municipal hospital, a children's hospital, and a range of other medical facilities (smaller clinics and hospitals, as well as buildings, named poly-clinics, gathering doctors offices).

Military

1st Motorized Infantry Brigade "Moldova" of the Moldovan army (out of a total of 6 brigades - three infantry, one artillery, one aircraft and one anti-aircraft) is located in Bălţi. A unit of Soviet "Tochka-M" short-range rockets, each carrying 500 kg of conventional explosive, was known to be based in the city. No updated information is available.

Trivia

Cultural

The Yiddish song “Beltz, Mayn Shtetele” is a moving evocation of a happy childhood spent in the shtetl (little town) Beltz. Its composer Alexander Olshanetsky (1892-1946) had moved to the US from Bessarabia in 1921, the lyrics are by Jacob Jacobs (1892-1972).

Non-cultural

Reinhard Heydrich, the chief of the German RSHA, flew several fighter missions in his private modified Me109 from the Bălţi-City Airport in July 1941. Heydrich was shot down by Soviet anti-air fire over Ukraine, and barely escaped capture after having to swim for his life.

During the 1980s, the constituency that included the city delegated to the Supreme Soviet of the Soviet Union the Soviet marshal Sergei Akhromeyev, one of the most preeminent hard-liners in the Soviet power system. He was one of the close allies of the 1991 putchists that tried to overthrow Gorbachev.

Notable people

• Ianina Baicalov, merited doctor of Moldova, founder of Ambulance Service in Bălţi
• Natalia Barbu, singer, represented Moldova at the 2007 Eurovision musical competition
• Gheorghe Briceag, political prisoner, dissident, and human rights activist with the Helsinki Commettee, receiver of the 2004 Homo Homini Award
• Eugen Coşeriu, philologist, founder of the School of Linguistics at Tübingen University
• Lia van Leer, founder and director of the International Jerusalem Film Festival
• Marian Lupu, politician, speaker of the Parliament of Moldova since 2005
• Anatol Pânzaru, actor and producer of theatre
• Ştefan Pirogan, politician, mayor of Bălţi 1923-1934, political prisoner, killed by NKVD
• Vadim Pirogan, political prisoner and dissident
• Colea Răutu, movie star
• Nicolae Testemiţanu, Moldovan physician, surgeon, hygienist, and politician
• Vadim Vacarciuc, weight lifter, 1997 World Champion
• Mihai Volontir, movie star

International Relations

Twin Cities

• Stryi, Ukraine (from 1980)
• Smolyan, Bulgaria (from 1985)
• Larisa, Greece (from 1986)
• Miercurea-Ciuc, Romania (from 1993)
• Gyula, Hungary (from 1995)
• Orsha, Belarus (from 1996)
• İzmir, Turkey (from 1997)
• Kaesong, North Korea (from 1997)
• Khmelnytskyi, Ukraine (from 1997)
• Lakeland, Florida, USA (from 1997)
• Płock, Poland (from 2000)
• Vitebsk, Belarus (from 2002)
• Milet, Greece (from 2006)

Consulates

• Consulate of Romania, address: str. Sf. Nicolae, not yet opened

(Note: The previous agreement between Moldova and Romania to open a Consulate in Bălţi, was recently officially canceled by the Moldavian communist government)

• Consulate of Ukraine, address: str. Kiev 143

External links

• Official site of the Mayor of Bălţi
• Web page of Bălţi in Romanian, English, French: news, photos, videos, maps
• Web page of Bălţi in Russian: photos, mas
• Turism in Bălţi at www.turism.md
• [5] Daily city news
• The official web site of "Alecu Russo" Bălţi State University