Dobrich
Encyclopedia
Dobrich is a town in northeastern Bulgaria
, the administrative centre of Dobrich Province
. With 91,030 inhabitants, as of February 2011, Dobrich is the ninth most populated town in Bulgaria, being the centre of the historical region of Southern Dobruja
. It is located 30 km west of the Bulgarian Black Sea Coast
, not far from resorts such as Albena
, Balchik
, and Golden Sands
.
Dobrich Knoll
on Livingston Island in the South Shetland Islands
, Antarctica is named after Dobrich. A point of interest is the Dobrich TV Tower
.
necropolis featuring pagan graves in the centre of the city.
During the 11th century, Pecheneg invasions devastated the interior of Dobruja
, leaving many settlements in the region uninhabited at the time of the Second Bulgarian Empire
.
The settlement was founded for a second time in the 16th century by the Turkish merchant Hacıoğlu Pazarcık, whose name it bore until 1882. According to Ottoman
data from 1646–1650, there were over 1,000 houses in the city, about 100 shops, three inns, three Turkish baths, twelve mosques and twelve schools.
From the 17th to the 19th century, the city developed as a handicraft, trade and agricultural centre, being famous for its weaving, homespun tailoring, coppersmith's trade, leather-work and agricultural products, such as wheat, linseed, wool and cheese.
At the beginning of the 19th century, the city's population reached 12,000, many of whom refugees from eastern Bulgaria after the Russo-Turkish Wars. The cultural appearance of the city was also formed. The first Orthodox church was built in 1843.
The city was liberated from the Ottoman Empire
on 27 January 1878 and renamed Dobrich on 19 February 1882 after Dobrotitsa
, a medieval ruler of Dobruja. This was done by means of a decree issued by knyaz Alexander I.
After the Treaty of Bucharest
of 1913 (confirmed by the Treaty of Neuilly
of 1919), Dobrich and the whole of Southern Dobruja were incorporated in Romania
for a period until 1940. During that time, the city bore the name Bazargic and was centre of Caliacra County
(judeţ in Romanian). On 25 September 1940, the Bulgarian army marched into the city after signing Treaty of Craiova
on September 7, 1940; date celebrated as the city's holiday, later changed to September 25.
During the period of Communist rule, Dobrich was renamed Tolbukhin (Толбухин) after Marshal of the Soviet Union
Fyodor Tolbukhin
. On 19 September 1990, a presidential decree restored the city's old name of Dobrich.
, followed by Turks
at 8% and Roma at 3.5%. The percentage of Orthodox Christians
is 86%, whereas 10% of the population are adherents of the Muslim
faith.
According to census 2011, Dobrich has a population of 89,472 inhabitants as of February 2011. The number of the residents of the city reached its peak in the period 1986-1991 when exceeded 110,000. The following table presents the change of the population after the liberation of the country in 1878.
There are about 30 high schools, 19 kindergartens and 3 mangers in Dobrich.
, Belarus
Golmud
, People's Republic of China
Zalaegerszeg
, Hungary
Kavadarci
, Republic of Macedonia
Nowy Sącz
, Poland
Constanţa
, Romania
Saratov
, Russia
Schaffhausen
, Switzerland
Kırklareli
, Turkey
Izmail
, Ukraine
Bulgaria
Bulgaria , officially the Republic of Bulgaria , is a parliamentary democracy within a unitary constitutional republic in Southeast Europe. The country borders Romania to the north, Serbia and Macedonia to the west, Greece and Turkey to the south, as well as the Black Sea to the east...
, the administrative centre of Dobrich Province
Dobrich Province
Dobrich Province is a province in northeastern Bulgaria, part of Southern Dobruja geographical region. It is divided into 8 municipalities with a total population, as of December 2009, of 199,705 inhabitants.-Municipalities:...
. With 91,030 inhabitants, as of February 2011, Dobrich is the ninth most populated town in Bulgaria, being the centre of the historical region of Southern Dobruja
Southern Dobruja
Southern Dobruja is an area of north-eastern Bulgaria comprising the administrative districts named for its two principal cities of Dobrich and Silistra...
. It is located 30 km west of the Bulgarian Black Sea Coast
Bulgarian Black Sea Coast
The Bulgarian Black Sea Coast covers the entire eastern bound of Bulgaria stretching from the Romanian Black Sea resorts in the north to European Turkey in the south, along 378 km of coastline. White and golden sandy beaches occupy approximately 130 km of the 378 km long coast...
, not far from resorts such as Albena
Albena
Albena is a major Black Sea resort in northeastern Bulgaria, situated 12 km from Balchik and 30 km from Varna. Albena is served by the international airport of Varna....
, Balchik
Balchik
Balchik is a Black Sea coastal town and seaside resort in the Southern Dobruja area of northeastern Bulgaria. It is located in Dobrich Oblast and is 42 km northeast of Varna...
, and Golden Sands
Golden Sands
Golden Sands is a major seaside resort town on the northern Bulgarian Black Sea Coast, adjacent to a national park of the same name in the municipality of Varna....
.
Dobrich Knoll
Dobrich Knoll
Dobrich Knoll rises to over 400 m in the middle of Veleka Ridge, Tangra Mountains, eastern Livingston Island. Overlooking Tarnovo Ice Piedmont to the east and Arkutino Beach to the west. The knoll is named after the Bulgarian city of Dobrich.-Location:The knoll is 740 m south of the summit of...
on Livingston Island in the South Shetland Islands
South Shetland Islands
The South Shetland Islands are a group of Antarctic islands, lying about north of the Antarctic Peninsula, with a total area of . By the Antarctic Treaty of 1959, the Islands' sovereignty is neither recognized nor disputed by the signatories and they are free for use by any signatory for...
, Antarctica is named after Dobrich. A point of interest is the Dobrich TV Tower
Dobrich TV Tower
Dobrich TV Tower is a 146 metres tall TV tower built of reinforced concrete near Dobrich in Bulgaria. Dobrich TV Tower, which was designed by Petar Andreev, was completed in 1979 and has an observation deck open for tourists...
.
History
The first evidence of settlement in what is now Dobrich dates from 4th-3rd centuries BC. Ruins from AD 2nd-4th century and 7th-11th century have also been found, including a BulgarBulgars
The Bulgars were a semi-nomadic who flourished in the Pontic Steppe and the Volga basin in the 7th century.The Bulgars emerge after the collapse of the Hunnic Empire in the 5th century....
necropolis featuring pagan graves in the centre of the city.
During the 11th century, Pecheneg invasions devastated the interior of Dobruja
Dobruja
Dobruja is a historical region shared by Bulgaria and Romania, located between the lower Danube river and the Black Sea, including the Danube Delta, Romanian coast and the northernmost part of the Bulgarian coast...
, leaving many settlements in the region uninhabited at the time of the Second Bulgarian Empire
Second Bulgarian Empire
The Second Bulgarian Empire was a medieval Bulgarian state which existed between 1185 and 1396 . A successor of the First Bulgarian Empire, it reached the peak of its power under Kaloyan and Ivan Asen II before gradually being conquered by the Ottomans in the late 14th-early 15th century...
.
The settlement was founded for a second time in the 16th century by the Turkish merchant Hacıoğlu Pazarcık, whose name it bore until 1882. According to Ottoman
Ottoman Empire
The Ottoman EmpireIt was usually referred to as the "Ottoman Empire", the "Turkish Empire", the "Ottoman Caliphate" or more commonly "Turkey" by its contemporaries...
data from 1646–1650, there were over 1,000 houses in the city, about 100 shops, three inns, three Turkish baths, twelve mosques and twelve schools.
From the 17th to the 19th century, the city developed as a handicraft, trade and agricultural centre, being famous for its weaving, homespun tailoring, coppersmith's trade, leather-work and agricultural products, such as wheat, linseed, wool and cheese.
At the beginning of the 19th century, the city's population reached 12,000, many of whom refugees from eastern Bulgaria after the Russo-Turkish Wars. The cultural appearance of the city was also formed. The first Orthodox church was built in 1843.
The city was liberated from the Ottoman Empire
Ottoman Empire
The Ottoman EmpireIt was usually referred to as the "Ottoman Empire", the "Turkish Empire", the "Ottoman Caliphate" or more commonly "Turkey" by its contemporaries...
on 27 January 1878 and renamed Dobrich on 19 February 1882 after Dobrotitsa
Dobrotitsa
Dobrotitsa was a Bulgarian noble, ruler of the de facto independent Principality of Karvuna and the Kaliakra fortress from 1354 to 1379–1386....
, a medieval ruler of Dobruja. This was done by means of a decree issued by knyaz Alexander I.
After the Treaty of Bucharest
Treaty of Bucharest, 1913
The Treaty of Bucharest was concluded on 10 August 1913, by the delegates of Bulgaria, Romania, Serbia, Montenegro and Greece.As Bulgaria had been completely isolated in the Second Balkan War , and as it was closely invested on its northern boundary by Romania and on its western frontier by the...
of 1913 (confirmed by the Treaty of Neuilly
Treaty of Neuilly
The Treaty of Neuilly-sur-Seine, dealing with Bulgaria for its role as one of the Central Powers in World War I, was signed on 27 November 1919 at Neuilly-sur-Seine, France....
of 1919), Dobrich and the whole of Southern Dobruja were incorporated in Romania
Romania
Romania is a country located at the crossroads of Central and Southeastern Europe, on the Lower Danube, within and outside the Carpathian arch, bordering on the Black Sea...
for a period until 1940. During that time, the city bore the name Bazargic and was centre of Caliacra County
Caliacra County
Caliacra was a county of Romania in the intewar period, in Southern Dobruja, with the seat at Bazargic .The county consisted of 4 districts : Balcic, Casim, Ezibei , and Stejarul...
(judeţ in Romanian). On 25 September 1940, the Bulgarian army marched into the city after signing Treaty of Craiova
Treaty of Craiova
The Treaty of Craiova was signed on 7 September 1940 between the Kingdom of Bulgaria and the Kingdom of Romania. Under the terms of this treaty, Romania returned the southern part of Dobruja to Bulgaria and agreed to participate in organizing a population exchange...
on September 7, 1940; date celebrated as the city's holiday, later changed to September 25.
During the period of Communist rule, Dobrich was renamed Tolbukhin (Толбухин) after Marshal of the Soviet Union
Marshal of the Soviet Union
Marshal of the Soviet Union was the de facto highest military rank of the Soviet Union. ....
Fyodor Tolbukhin
Fyodor Tolbukhin
Fyodor Ivanovich Tolbukhin was a Soviet military commander.-Biography:Tolbukhin was born into a peasant family in the province of Yaroslavl, north-east of Moscow. He volunteered for the Imperial Army in 1914 at the outbreak of World War I. He was steadily promoted, advancing from private to...
. On 19 September 1990, a presidential decree restored the city's old name of Dobrich.
Population
2001 census data states that about 86% of Dobrich's inhabitants are ethnic BulgariansBulgarians
The Bulgarians are a South Slavic nation and ethnic group native to Bulgaria and neighbouring regions. Emigration has resulted in immigrant communities in a number of other countries.-History and ethnogenesis:...
, followed by Turks
Turkish people
Turkish people, also known as the "Turks" , are an ethnic group primarily living in Turkey and in the former lands of the Ottoman Empire where Turkish minorities had been established in Bulgaria, Cyprus, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Georgia, Greece, Kosovo, Macedonia, and Romania...
at 8% and Roma at 3.5%. The percentage of Orthodox Christians
Eastern Orthodox Church
The Orthodox Church, officially called the Orthodox Catholic Church and commonly referred to as the Eastern Orthodox Church, is the second largest Christian denomination in the world, with an estimated 300 million adherents mainly in the countries of Belarus, Bulgaria, Cyprus, Georgia, Greece,...
is 86%, whereas 10% of the population are adherents of the Muslim
Muslim
A Muslim, also spelled Moslem, is an adherent of Islam, a monotheistic, Abrahamic religion based on the Quran, which Muslims consider the verbatim word of God as revealed to prophet Muhammad. "Muslim" is the Arabic term for "submitter" .Muslims believe that God is one and incomparable...
faith.
According to census 2011, Dobrich has a population of 89,472 inhabitants as of February 2011. The number of the residents of the city reached its peak in the period 1986-1991 when exceeded 110,000. The following table presents the change of the population after the liberation of the country in 1878.
Education
Higher Education:- Dobrudza Technological College http://www.tu-varna.bg/tu-varnakd/
- College of Education of Shoumen University "Ep. Konstatine Preslavski"
- International University College http://vumk.eu/
- Medical college (closed in 2006)
There are about 30 high schools, 19 kindergartens and 3 mangers in Dobrich.
Notable natives
- Dora GabeDora GabeDora Gabe was а Bulgarian poetess. She published poetry for adults and children as well as travel books, short stories and essays.Gabe was born in the village of Dabovik near Dobrich to the family of Peter Gabe, a Russian immigrant. She studied natural science at the University of Sofia, French...
- poetess - Dimitar SpisarevskiDimitar SpisarevskiDimitar Spisarevski was a Bulgarian fighter pilot known for taking down an American bomber by ramming it during the bombing of Sofia in World War II....
- famous fighter pilotFighter pilotA fighter pilot is a military aviator trained in air-to-air combat while piloting a fighter aircraft . Fighter pilots undergo specialized training in aerial warfare and dogfighting... - Ivaylo PetrovIvaylo PetrovIvaylo Petrov is a retired Bulgarian footballer who played for CSKA Sofia. His nickname is "Pifa". Petrov is known in Bulgaria as an expert in saving penalty kicks. Аs a matter of fact Petrov saved 4 penalty kicks against Levski. The first 2 were when he was with Cherno More and the last 2 were...
- poet - Boncho Genchev - footbal player, 4th in the 1994 FIFA World Cup1994 FIFA World CupThe 1994 FIFA World Cup, the 15th staging of the FIFA World Cup, was held in nine cities across the United States from June 17 to July 17, 1994. The United States was chosen as the host by FIFA on July 4, 1988...
with the Bulgarian national teamBulgaria national football teamThe FIFA Bulgaria national football team is an association football team fielded by the Bulgarian Football Union, a member association of UEFA. The team's home ground is Vasil Levski in Sofia and Luboslav Penev is in charge manager after replacement of Lothar Matthäus... - PreslavaPreslavaPetya Koleva, famous under her stage name – Preslava, is a Bulgarian pop-folk singer. She was born on June 26th, 1984, in Dobrich, Bulgaria. Preslava completed her musical education with the specialty ‘folk singing’.-Biography:...
- pop-folkPop-folkPop-folk is the umbrella term for the popular musical genres originating in the Balkans and Eastern Europe that are characteristic by the fusion of commercial folk music and "nightclub" music. The term is used alternatively for Turbo-folk and Chalga and is mostly used in Bulgaria...
singer - MiroMiroslav KostadinovMiroslav Kostadinov born 10 March 1976 in Bulgaria is a singer and songwriter who represented Bulgaria in the Eurovision Song Contest 2010 with the song Angel si ti....
- singer
Twin cities
PinskPinsk
Pinsk , a town in Belarus, in the Polesia region, traversed by the river Pripyat, at the confluence of the Strumen and Pina rivers. The region was known as the Marsh of Pinsk. It is a fertile agricultural center. It lies south-west of Minsk. The population is about 130,000...
, Belarus
Belarus
Belarus , officially the Republic of Belarus, is a landlocked country in Eastern Europe, bordered clockwise by Russia to the northeast, Ukraine to the south, Poland to the west, and Lithuania and Latvia to the northwest. Its capital is Minsk; other major cities include Brest, Grodno , Gomel ,...
Golmud
Golmud
Golmud , sometimes transliterated as Ge'ermu or Geermu, is a county-level city in Qinghai Province, Western China. Administrated by Haixi Mongol and Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture, it is the second largest city in Qinghai and the third largest in the Tibetan Plateau . The population is now about...
, People's Republic of China
People's Republic of China
China , officially the People's Republic of China , is the most populous country in the world, with over 1.3 billion citizens. Located in East Asia, the country covers approximately 9.6 million square kilometres...
Zalaegerszeg
Zalaegerszeg
In 2001 Zalaegerszeg had 61,654 inhabitants . The distribution of religions were, 71.1% Roman Catholic, 3.8% Calvinist, 1.6% Lutheran, 11.6% Atheist .-Notable people:* Lajos Botfy , mayor...
, Hungary
Hungary
Hungary , officially the Republic of Hungary , is a landlocked country in Central Europe. It is situated in the Carpathian Basin and is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine and Romania to the east, Serbia and Croatia to the south, Slovenia to the southwest and Austria to the west. The...
Kavadarci
Kavadarci
Kavadarci is a town located in the Tikveš region of the Republic of Macedonia. Situated in the heart of Macedonia’s wine country, it is home to the largest winery in south-eastern Europe, named after the Tikveš plain. The town of Kavadarci is the seat of Kavadarci Municipality...
, Republic of Macedonia
Republic of Macedonia
Macedonia , officially the Republic of Macedonia , is a country located in the central Balkan peninsula in Southeast Europe. It is one of the successor states of the former Yugoslavia, from which it declared independence in 1991...
Nowy Sącz
Nowy Sacz
Nowy Sącz is a town in the Lesser Poland Voivodeship in southern Poland. It is the district capital of Nowy Sącz County, but is not included within the powiat.-Names:...
, Poland
Poland
Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
Constanţa
Constanta
Constanța is the oldest extant city in Romania, founded around 600 BC. The city is located in the Dobruja region of Romania, on the Black Sea coast. It is the capital of Constanța County and the largest city in the region....
, Romania
Romania
Romania is a country located at the crossroads of Central and Southeastern Europe, on the Lower Danube, within and outside the Carpathian arch, bordering on the Black Sea...
Saratov
Saratov
-Modern Saratov:The Saratov region is highly industrialized, due in part to the rich in natural and industrial resources of the area. The region is also one of the more important and largest cultural and scientific centres in Russia...
, Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
Schaffhausen
Schaffhausen
Schaffhausen is a city in northern Switzerland and the capital of the canton of the same name; it has an estimated population of 34,587 ....
, Switzerland
Switzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
Kırklareli
Kirklareli
Kırklareli is the capital of Kırklareli Province in Eastern Thrace, on the European part of Turkey. The province has a coastline on the Black Sea. There is a Jewish community.-Name:It is not clearly known when the city was founded, nor under what name...
, Turkey
Turkey
Turkey , known officially as the Republic of Turkey , is a Eurasian country located in Western Asia and in East Thrace in Southeastern Europe...
Izmail
Izmail
Izmail is a historic town near the Danube river in the Odessa Oblast of south-western Ukraine. Serving as the administrative center of the Izmail Raion , the city itself is also designated as a separate raion within the oblast....
, Ukraine
Ukraine
Ukraine is a country in Eastern Europe. It has an area of 603,628 km², making it the second largest contiguous country on the European continent, after Russia...
External links
- The modern website of Dobrich
- Info Dobrich
- City of Dobrich
- The official site of Municipality Dobrich
- A guide to Dobrich
- Dobrich Information and Photos