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Bălţi
File:Primaria Balti.gif
Flag of BălţiFlagOfficial seal of BălţiSeal
Location of Bălţi in Moldova
Country	Moldova
Municipality	File:Balti-flag.gif Balti
Communes	Sadovoe, Elizaveta
Founded	1421
City rights	1818
Government
• Type	Municipal Council
• Mayor	Vasile Panciuc, since 2001
Area
• City	78 km (30 sq mi)
• Urban	41.42 km (15.99 sq mi)
Elevation	59 m (194 ft)
Population
• City	127,600
• Density	1,748/km (4,530/sq mi)
• Urban	122,700
Time zone	UTC+2 (EET)
• Summer (DST)	UTC+3 (EEST)
Postal code	MD-3100
Area code	+373 231 X-XX-XX
Licence plate	BL XX 000
Website	www.balti.md

Bălţi (Template:Lang-ro, Template:Lang-ru, Template:Lang-uk) is a city in Moldova. It is the second largest in terms of area and economic importance (after Chişinău), and the third largest city in terms of populationan (after Chişinău and Tiraspol). It is one of the five Moldovan localities having the status of municipalities. Bălţi, also called "the capital of the north", is the major industrial, cultural, commercial centre and transportation hub in the north of the country. The city is situated 127 km north of the capital Chişinău, and is located on the river Răut, a tributary of Dniester, on a hilly landscape in the Bălţi depression of the North-Moldavian plateau.

Etymology and names

The word Bălţi (pl. of Romanian sing. "baltă" ) is translated literally " puddles, pools", sometimes also as "swamp". 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.

Bălţi is sometimes (unofficially) called "the northern capital".

At the time of belonging to the Russian Empire and being part of the Soviet Union, the spelling Beltsy was also used. The spelling Бэлць was used in 1940-1989 in Moldovan Cyrillic alphabet, and after 1989 is sometimes used in Russian.

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, mostly consisting of black earth, or chernozem. The agricultural potential represents one of the most important natural resources of Moldova. Several extraction sites for raw materials used in the construction industry are also found in the vicinity of Bălţi. The creeks Răuţel, Copăceanca, and Flămândă cross the territory of the municipality, and flow into the river Răut. Also, several lakes are situated in Bălţi: (City Lake, Komsolskoe Lake, Kirpichnoe Lake, Strîmba Lake). The all-time maximum temperature registered in the city was 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 the north-east or the 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 city itself is located on portions of four hills. The river Răut separates one hill in NE, the inner slope of which is occupied by the neighborhood Slobozia. Its afluent Răuţel separates one hill in S, the inner slope of which is the Podul Chişinăului district, and in the valley cca 1 km upstream - Bălţul Nou neighborhood. The central hill dominates the valleys of the creek and river, and contains the downtown area and the old town; its gentle eastern slope - the industrial area and Molodova; the valleys - an unfinished project of a canoe-kayak park, Autogara, 9th district, the area of the former Bălţi concentration camp, and the Bălţi city airport. The NW and N parts are located on the highest of the four hills, separated from the rest of the city by the railway lines. The inner slopes of this hill are occupied by Pământeni and 8th district, the hill top - by the medical facilities area, and the outer slope - by Dacia/Bam. The municipality covers an area of 78.0 km², of which the city proper 41.42 km², the village Elizaveta (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.

The names of city neighborhoods reflect different historic infuences: 19th century suburbs: Pământeni, Slobozia, Molodova, Podul Chişinăului; others are known by their Soviet-era names: 8th district, 9th district. A district in the northern part of the city is called Dacia, and is sometimes colloquially referred Bam. A district in the southern part is called Bălţul Nou, and one in the eastern part - Autogara.

Flag and coat of arms

The current coat of arms and flag of Balti, elaborated by Silviu Tabac from the Moldovan State Commission for Heraldry, have been adopted by the Municipal Council in April 2006.

Coat of arms

A shield, with (alternating) six silverly strips (symbolizing water), and six blue strips (symbolizing earth) form the background (baltă, plural bălţi in Romanian language means in English pools or puddles, just as болото, pronounced balota in Russian language). 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 Balti is situated in the landscape of the north of Moldova) formed the coat of arms of the Balti county, while these and horse elements - the coat of arms of the city proper.

History

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 .

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

1469 A Crimean Tatar invasion led by the khan Meñli I Giray burned the town to the ground, before he was defeated in the Battle of Lipnic (about 100 km north). Bălţi was slowly rebuilt.

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 move to try to end Ottoman suzerainty and reclaim the independence of Moldavia. 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.

1766 The prince Alexandru Ghica, one of a few local (and non-Greek) princes of that time, divided the Bălţi estate into 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 brothers, over the next decades improved the locality small city.

Bălţi benefited 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 visited 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. Overjoyed, he granted Bălţi official city status.

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

1887 Iaşi county was renamed Bălţi county.

1889 The city became 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.

The city was not affected by World War I beyond the recruitment and movement of troops.

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

1920s The seat of the Bishopric was 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 reached close to 40,000 inhabitants.

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, were gathered to be deported in cattle cars to Siberia. Bălţi, as the most important railroad link in the north of Moldova, served as a gathering point. The city was supposed to be conquered by the 14th Romanian Division, ally of Nazi Germany, 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, were 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. On July 8, the 22nd Regiment of the 13th Romanian Division, ally of Nazi Germany, 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.

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

March to August 1944 The line of the front stabilized 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) the Red Army penetrated the German-Romanian defenses (approx. 600,000 troops) in the Iaşi-Chişinău operation, partly surrounding them. 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 but disappeared.

Late 1950s through 1980s Bălţi, a very heterogeneous mass from throughout the Soviet Union settled in Bălţi, composed of: competent specialists, well-qualified engineers, doctors, ordinary workers, many Soviet World War II veterans, Soviet and Communist Party apparatchiks.

Although the city could then claim several dozen nationalities, only two languages were widely spoken in public places - Russian and Romanian. 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 moving from countryside to the city. By 1989 Russian was a dominant language compared to Romanian in public and private life.

1980s The vast majority of Jews move to Israel.

1988-1989 Bălţi was known as the "quiet city" of Moldova. Regular peaceful demonstrations and gatherings took place around the Lenin monument in order to support the old system and keep the language balance. A couple of demonstrations are organized from Chişinău by representatives of the National Front with slogans like "Baggage - Station - Russia" , meaning pack your baggage, go to the train station, and go to Russia, targeting ethnic Russians .

Since 1989 All local elections are won by the old Soviet apparatus candidates, the Russian minority being stronger politically and economically.

Currently, municipal activity is done in Russian and Romanian. The city actively supports Ukrainian language and culture, as at least 25,000 inhabitants speak Ukrainian. 1994-2004 Emigration and low natality rate lead to 23% decrease in population of the city, including a 45% decrease among the Russian-speaking, 30% for the Ukarinian-speaking, and 15% for the Moldavian-speaking segments of the population. Many inhabitants of the city travelled for seasonal work, and less often emigrated, to Italy, Portugal, Greece, Spain, Ireland, Germany, France, Romania, Russia, USA, Israel. Many ethnic Russians, ethnic Ukrainians and ethnic Romanians, prompted by the poor economic situation of Moldova, have repatriated to Russia, Ukraine and Romania.

Administration

Bălţi Municipality is a territorial unit of Moldova (one of its 3 municipalities un-subordinated to other territorial units; 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. It is composed of 35 counsellors elected every four years. As a result of the last regional elections of local public adlinistration held in June 2007, the Party of Communists of the Republic of Moldova (PCRM) holds 21 mandates, 11 mandates are held by representatives of other parties, and 3 mandates by independents. There are two 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 (as a result of a new reform of the administrative division in Moldova in 2003), and in 2007.

Population

Demographics

In accordance with the data submitted by the Department of Statistics and Sociology of the Republic of Moldova, the population of Bălţi municiplaity was, as of 1 January, 2006 127,600, from which 122,700 live in the city of Bălţi, 4,900 in the suburbs (3,500 in Elizaveta, 1,400 in Sadovoe).

2004 Census

According to the 2004 census, the population of Bălţi municipality was 127,561. The population of the Bălţi city - 122,669, suburban villages - 4,892; men - 58,418; women - 69,143.

Available census information

The population of Bălţi in accordance with all availavle census data.

Note: in 1897 was carried out the first Russian Empire Census; in 1930 was carried out the census of Romania (in 1939 another Romanian census was carried out, however its data was never processed because of the beginning of the World War II); in 1959, 1970, 1979, 1989 the all-Soviet Union population censuses were carried out.

Ethnic Groups:

*Official census data showed 67.6% Moldovans and 4.5% Romanians; however, due to the contested status of the Moldovan ethnicity and OSCE objections over procedure, organizations such as the CIA World Factbook present them together. According to the "Moldova Azi" news agency, a group of international census experts described the 2004 Moldovan census as "generally conducted in a professional manner", while remarking that that "a few topics… were potentially more problematic", in particular,

1. The census includes at least some Moldovans who had been living abroad over one year at the time of the census.
2. The precision of numbers about nationality/ethnicity and language was questioned. Some enumerators apparently encouraged respondents to declare that they were "Moldovan" rather than "Romanian", and even within a single family there may have been confusion about these terms. Also it is unclear how many respondents consider the term "Moldovan" to signify an ethnic identity other than "Romanian".

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%: 576 people as Seventh-day Adventist, 487 people as Pentecostal, 296 as Methodist, 166 as Evangelicalist, 106 as Muslim, 77 as Presbyterianist, 47 as Old Believers, 44 as Reformed, 2161 as followers of other religions 0.4% (544 people) as atheist, and 2.7% (3,304) as agnostic.

Social aspects

The decrease in population of city during the last decade is mainly due to economic and demographic situation of Moldova, which promted a wave of emigration.

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. In the same period many Moldovans from the countryside of Moldova moved to the cities, including Bălţi. By the end of 1980s, the Jews of Bălţi had migrated en masse to Israel.

Remittances from the migrant workers account for 30% of Moldova's GDP, the highest percentage in all of Europe. Often, elderly relatives and children of these workers are left to live in Bălţi. In Bălţi, many 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, Ukraine or the rest of Europe.

The majority of the population of Bălţi is bilingual (Moldavian-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 Moldavian. Younger Moldovans, educated after 1989, speak both Moldavian, Russian, understand Ukrainian and, usually, at least one foreign language.

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 Deca-press, the oldest independent press agency in the north of the country, Spros i Predlojenie, a major northern Moldovan daily newspaper, Second Breath, one of the major Moldovan NGOs for care of socially vulnerable persons, Tinerii pentru Dreptul la Viata, a known youth organisation.

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 is an important economic center, with manufacturing playing an important role. Besides traditional for Moldova wine making, sugar, meat processing, flour milling, oil production, and light industry in general, Bălţi 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, 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 minibuses

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 minibus services, which are not regulated by the B.B.A. There are around 25 minibus 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.
	Combinatul 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 currently being enforced by the government through difficult negotiations with taxi trade unions.

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 electrified, and contain only a single track between stations. Since Moldova gained independence, 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-Leadoveni International Airport (colloquially mentioned as Bălţi 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 passenger and cargo flights. As of October 2007, it does not operate regular passenger 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 municiâl and regional public services, agriculture, emergency services and pilot training.

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

This section needs expansion. You can help by adding to it.

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

Balti by night

The nightlife in the centre of Balti is mainly concentrated around the central Vasile Alecsandri square, which, together with adjoining Independence street and other central squares, is one of the biggest esplanades in Europe. Numerous cafés and restaurants with international cuisine can be found there (including Turkish, Japanese). Most of the city's feasts take place here. One of the favourite pastimes of Baltiers is an evening stroll along the Independence street and Vasile Alecsandri square.

Balti is home for two of the biggest clubs in the north of Moldova. The Soho Club, 500m from the city centre, in the Palace of Culture the and Convention Centre of the "Răut" Company, is known for its 1980-style 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 also known for an after-work Wednesday party, popular nowadays in Europe.

Education

Primary and Secondary Education

There are 13 high schools (Lyceums):

• Lyceum "Dimitrie Cantemir"
• Lyceum "Nikolai Gogol"
• Lyceum "Alexander Pushkin"
• Lyceum "Vasile Alecsandri"
• Lyceum "Mihai Eminescu"
• Lyceum "Bogdan Petriceicu Hasdeu"
• Lyceum "Maxim Gorky"
• Lyceum "George Coşbuc"
• Lyceum "Ştefan cel Mare"
• Lyceum "Ion Creangă"
• Lyceum "Lucian Blaga"
• Lyceum "Mikhail Lomonosov"
• Lyceum "Alexandru Ioan Cuza"

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

• Republican College of Music and Pedagogy
• Pedagogical College „Ion Creangă"
• College of Medicine (Nursing school)
• Professional College of Textile Industry
• Polytechnical College
• Technical College of Railroads

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, the second biggest university in Moldova, named after the 19th century Moldavian illuminist and ethnologist Alecu Russo. The University houses one of the biggest libraries in the South-Eastern Europe, and is an important member of the implementation of the Bologna process in Moldova.
• Transnistrian Institute of Economy and Law
• Moldavian Branch of the non-governmental educational institution "Baltic Institute of Ecology, Politics and Law"
• Humanist Contemporary Institute

These schools teach either in Romanian, Russian, Ukrainian, English or are mixed. The later case was inherited from the Soviet system, which provided for education in Russian and Romanian languages (at that time Moldovan language), where mixed schools were created with the administration being carried out in both languages. Today, both Romanian and Russian languages are used in the administration.

Health Protection

The city has a big Republican hospital, another multifunctional 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):

• Republican Multifunctional Hospital
• Municipal Hospital/Clinic
• Children's Municipal Hospital/Clinic
• Emergency Medical Services Centre (with subsections throughout the city)
• Tuberculosis Clinic
• Hospital for Mental Illnesses
• Hospital of Moldavian Rialroads
• Network of Family Doctors
• Non-Governmental Organisations
• Private Hospital/Clinic Centre of Laser Therapy "Incomed"
• Dental Clinic

Sport

• 7 sport schools in Balti offer programmes in following sports: (Orienteering, Volleyball, Handgun shooting sports, Equestrianism, Basketball, Handball, Weightlifting, Chess, Swimming, Canoeing, Football, Athletics, Turism.

• Minicipal Stadium "Olimpia Bălţi Stadium" (home of the FC Olimpia Bălţi)
• Olympic Swimming Pool "Central"
• Olympic Swimming Pool "Volna" (open air)
• FC Olimpia Bălţi is a football club playing in the top of the national division

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 Reich Security Main Office (Template:Lang-de), 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 medial doctor of Moldova, founder of the 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
• Emanuil Catelli, politician, prefect of Bălţi, killed by the NKVD
• 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
• Ion Pelivan, lawyer and politician, co-leader of the Moldavian National Party, minister of the exterior of the Moldavian Democratic Republic, killed by NKVD
• 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 cancelled by the Moldavian government)

• Consulate of Ukraine, address: str. Kiev 143

External links

• Template:Ro Template:Ru icon balti.md - Official site of the Balti City Hall
• Transclusion error: {{En}} is only for use in File namespace. Use {{langx|en}} or {{in lang|en}} instead. Template:Ro Template:Ru icon Deca-Press: daily city news
• Transclusion error: {{En}} is only for use in File namespace. Use {{langx|en}} or {{in lang|en}} instead. Template:Ro Template:Ru icon Turism in Bălţi at www.turism.md
• Transclusion error: {{En}} is only for use in File namespace. Use {{langx|en}} or {{in lang|en}} instead. Template:Ro Official web site of "Alecu Russo" Balti State University

Notes and References

1. http://dexonline.ro/search.php?cuv=bălţi
2. In medieval Moldavia Arcaşii lui Ştefan , free peasants paying tax only to the country's ruler, formed the first line of defense against the invading barbarian hordes, and often would have to defend their families and villages themselves, or hide them in the forests, before the Principality's army would come to relief. Throughout the hilly part (i.e. most) of Moldova, many summits have an additional man-made earth addition of up to 10 meters in some places, where warning fires were located in the early Middle Ages. One can easily recognize these spots on the Moldavian, now deforested, mainly cultivated landscape, all the way to the banks of the river Dniester (Nistru), across from which the Asian steppe starts, and can observe a repeating peculiarity: From each of the summits the otherwise obscured neighborhood is very well observable, with at least 3 other such spots in clear view, although possibly at a couple hours' walking distance.
3. In ancient Rome, Toga was the loose outer garment worn by citizens in public.
4. In particular, many were Russian clerics (Old Believers) who had not accepted a 17th century move of modernization within the Russian Orthodox Church, and were excommunicated, provoking a split. The western provinces of the Russian Empire were more liberal religiously, and Bessarabia especially.
5. Constantine, the Roman emperor who, under the influence of his mother Elena (Helen), ordered the Romans to convert to Christianity in 325, is venerated by them.
6. Experts Offering to Consult the National Statistics Bureau in Evaluation of the Census Data, Moldova Azi, May 19, 2005, story attributed to AP Flux. Retrieved October 11, 2005.

v t e Administrative divisions of Moldova
Districts	Anenii Noi Basarabeasca Briceni Cahul Cantemir Călărași Căușeni Cimișlia Criuleni Dondușeni Drochia Dubăsari Edineț Fălești Florești Glodeni Hîncești Ialoveni Leova Nisporeni Ocnița Orhei Rezina Rîșcani Sîngerei Soroca Strășeni Șoldănești Ștefan Vodă Taraclia Telenești Ungheni
Autonomous territorial units	Găgăuzia Administrative-Territorial Units of the Left Bank of the Dniester
Municipalities	Bălți Bender Cahul Ceadîr-Lunga Chișinău Comrat Edineț Hîncești Orhei Soroca Strășeni Tiraspol Ungheni
^ Currently controlled by the unrecognized Pridnestrovian Moldavian Republic.

• Cities in Moldova
• Districts of Moldova
• Counties of Moldova
• 1421 establishments
• Settlements established in the 1420s