Svishtov
Encyclopedia
Svishtov is a town in northern Bulgaria, located in Veliko Tarnovo Province
on the right bank of the Danube river opposite the Romania
n town of Zimnicea
. It is the administrative centre of the homonymous Svishtov Municipality
. With a population of 35,923 inhabitants, as of December 2009, the town is the second largest in the province after the city of Veliko Tarnovo
and before Gorna Oryahovitsa
.
on the right bank of the Danube
river in its southernmost point, across from Zimnicea
, Romania. The town lies 237 km (147.27 mi) north-east of the capital Sofia
, and 251 km (155.96 mi) west of the major Black Sea
port of Varna
. Other important cities in the region are Pleven
(80 km) and Ruse (90 km).
The port of Svishtov is the southernmost harbour on the Danube. It is served around the clock by the Svishtov-Zimnich ferry — a regular operation Ro-ro ferryboat across the Danube between Svishtov and Zimnicea
. The ferry shortens the road path to and from Turkey to Central and Western Europe by 140 km (86.99 mi) when compared to the traditional route over the Danube Bridge at Ruse-Giurgiu and allows a time gain of nearly 4 hours thus avoiding the traffic in and around the city of Bucharest
.
colony Novae
mentioned by Ptolemy
. It served as a base of operations for Roman campaigns against Barbarian tribes, last time during Maurice's Balkan campaigns
.
For a short time the place was The Main City for the Ostrogoths of Teodoric The Great.
Theodoric occupied Singidunum (Belgrade) in 471 and, after plundering Macedonia and Greece, settled in Novae (the modern Svishtov), on the lower Danube, in 483, where he remained till he transferred the sphere of his activities to Italy ten years later.
It was destroyed some time after 613, as shown by coin founds minted up to this dat
Svishtov is known as the first town to be liberated during the Russo-Turkish War, 1877-78, since the largest part of the Imperial Russian Army
forced the Danube nearby.
On 4 March 1977, Svishtov suffered major structural damage in the Vrancea earthquake, including the collapse of three apartment blocks in which over 100 people were killed.
Svishtov Cove
in Livingston Island in the South Shetland Islands
, Antarctica is named for the town of Svishtov.
. There is also a small group of Roman Catholics that have migrated from the surrounding villages of Oresh, Dragomirovo
and the town of Belene
.
and the park around the old fortress in the centre the town.
The House-museum of the Bulgarian novelist Aleko Konstantinov
is one of the top 100 Tourist Sites of Bulgaria
.
Another place of interest in town is the region called Мanastira / Манастира (The monastery) 5 km south-east of the town.
with:
Veliko Tarnovo Province
Veliko Tarnovo is a province in the middle of the northern part of Bulgaria. Its capital city, Veliko Tarnovo, is of historical significance as it is known as the capital of Medieval Bulgaria...
on the right bank of the Danube river opposite the 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...
n town of Zimnicea
Zimnicea
Zimnicea is a town in Teleorman county, Romania , a port on the Danube opposite the Bulgarian city of Svishtov.-Geography:...
. It is the administrative centre of the homonymous Svishtov Municipality
Svishtov Municipality
Svishtov Municipality is a municipality in Veliko Tarnovo Province, Central-North Bulgaria, located in the Danubian Plain along the right bank of Danube river...
. With a population of 35,923 inhabitants, as of December 2009, the town is the second largest in the province after the city of Veliko Tarnovo
Veliko Tarnovo
Veliko Tarnovo is a city in north central Bulgaria and the administrative centre of Veliko Tarnovo Province. Often referred to as the "City of the Tsars", Veliko Tarnovo is located on the Yantra River and is famous as the historical capital of the Second Bulgarian Empire, attracting many tourists...
and before Gorna Oryahovitsa
Gorna Oryahovitsa
Gorna Oryahovitsa is a town in northern Bulgaria, situated in Veliko Tarnovo Province, not far from the city of Veliko Tarnovo. It is the administrative centre of the homonymous Gorna Oryahovitsa Municipality...
.
Geography
Svishtov is situated in northern central BulgariaBulgaria
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...
on the right bank of the Danube
Danube
The Danube is a river in the Central Europe and the Europe's second longest river after the Volga. It is classified as an international waterway....
river in its southernmost point, across from Zimnicea
Zimnicea
Zimnicea is a town in Teleorman county, Romania , a port on the Danube opposite the Bulgarian city of Svishtov.-Geography:...
, Romania. The town lies 237 km (147.27 mi) north-east of the capital Sofia
Sofia
Sofia is the capital and largest city of Bulgaria and the 12th largest city in the European Union with a population of 1.27 million people. It is located in western Bulgaria, at the foot of Mount Vitosha and approximately at the centre of the Balkan Peninsula.Prehistoric settlements were excavated...
, and 251 km (155.96 mi) west of the major Black Sea
Black Sea
The Black Sea is bounded by Europe, Anatolia and the Caucasus and is ultimately connected to the Atlantic Ocean via the Mediterranean and the Aegean seas and various straits. The Bosphorus strait connects it to the Sea of Marmara, and the strait of the Dardanelles connects that sea to the Aegean...
port of Varna
Varna
Varna is the largest city and seaside resort on the Bulgarian Black Sea Coast and third-largest in Bulgaria after Sofia and Plovdiv, with a population of 334,870 inhabitants according to Census 2011...
. Other important cities in the region are Pleven
Pleven
Pleven is the seventh most populous city in Bulgaria. Located in the northern part of the country, it is the administrative centre of Pleven Province, as well as of the subordinate Pleven municipality...
(80 km) and Ruse (90 km).
The port of Svishtov is the southernmost harbour on the Danube. It is served around the clock by the Svishtov-Zimnich ferry — a regular operation Ro-ro ferryboat across the Danube between Svishtov and Zimnicea
Zimnicea
Zimnicea is a town in Teleorman county, Romania , a port on the Danube opposite the Bulgarian city of Svishtov.-Geography:...
. The ferry shortens the road path to and from Turkey to Central and Western Europe by 140 km (86.99 mi) when compared to the traditional route over the Danube Bridge at Ruse-Giurgiu and allows a time gain of nearly 4 hours thus avoiding the traffic in and around the city of Bucharest
Bucharest
Bucharest is the capital municipality, cultural, industrial, and financial centre of Romania. It is the largest city in Romania, located in the southeast of the country, at , and lies on the banks of the Dâmbovița River....
.
Population
History
Svishtov is identified with the RomanAncient Rome
Ancient Rome was a thriving civilization that grew on the Italian Peninsula as early as the 8th century BC. Located along the Mediterranean Sea and centered on the city of Rome, it expanded to one of the largest empires in the ancient world....
colony Novae
Novae
Archaeological site situated on the Danube in northern Bulgaria, about 4 kilometres east of the modern town Svishtov. A legionary base and late Roman town in the Roman province Moesia Inferior, later Moesia II.-Localisation and topography:...
mentioned by Ptolemy
Ptolemy
Claudius Ptolemy , was a Roman citizen of Egypt who wrote in Greek. He was a mathematician, astronomer, geographer, astrologer, and poet of a single epigram in the Greek Anthology. He lived in Egypt under Roman rule, and is believed to have been born in the town of Ptolemais Hermiou in the...
. It served as a base of operations for Roman campaigns against Barbarian tribes, last time during Maurice's Balkan campaigns
Maurice's Balkan campaigns
Maurice's Illyricum campaigns were a series of military expeditions conducted by emperor of Constantinopolis Maurice in an attempt to defend the Illyrian provinces of the East Roman Empire from Avars and Slavs...
.
For a short time the place was The Main City for the Ostrogoths of Teodoric The Great.
Theodoric occupied Singidunum (Belgrade) in 471 and, after plundering Macedonia and Greece, settled in Novae (the modern Svishtov), on the lower Danube, in 483, where he remained till he transferred the sphere of his activities to Italy ten years later.
It was destroyed some time after 613, as shown by coin founds minted up to this dat
Svishtov is known as the first town to be liberated during the Russo-Turkish War, 1877-78, since the largest part of the Imperial Russian Army
Military history of Imperial Russia
The Military history of the Russian Empire encompasses the history of armed conflict in which the Empire participated. This history stretches from its creation in 1721 by Peter the Great, until the Russian Revolution , which led to the establishment of the Soviet Union...
forced the Danube nearby.
On 4 March 1977, Svishtov suffered major structural damage in the Vrancea earthquake, including the collapse of three apartment blocks in which over 100 people were killed.
Svishtov Cove
Svishtov Cove
Svishtov Cove is a 2 km wide cove indenting for 1.5 km the northwest extremity of Byers Peninsula, Livingston Island in the South Shetland Islands, Antarctica...
in 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 for the town of Svishtov.
Name
The origins of the name Svishtov can be found in its old Bulgarian variation Sveshtniy (Свѣщний), deriving from the word svesht/svyasht (свѣщ), meaning candle. This was due to the existence of a lighthouse in the city. The previous name Sistova was first mentioned in the treaty after the Austro-Turkish War in 1791, when Bulgaria was still under Ottoman rule. This name was chosen instead of the Turkish word Zigit. During the Ottoman rule of Bulgaria the town was also known as Ziştovi and in Romanian as Şiştova.Religion
The main religion in Svishtov is Eastern Orthodox ChristianityOrthodox Christianity
The term Orthodox Christianity may refer to:* the Eastern Orthodox Church and its various geographical subdivisions...
. There is also a small group of Roman Catholics that have migrated from the surrounding villages of Oresh, Dragomirovo
Dragomirovo, Veliko Tarnovo Province
Dragomirovo is a village in central northern Bulgaria, part of Svishtov Municipality, Veliko Tarnovo Province. As of January 2006, it has a population of 864 and the mayor is Hristo Yordanov of the National Movement Simeon II....
and the town of Belene
Belene
Belene is a town in Pleven Province, Northern Bulgaria. It is the administrative centre of the homonymous Belene Municipality. The town is situated on the right bank of the Danube river, close to the town of Svishtov...
.
Politics
The mayor of Svishtov Municipality is Stanislav Blagov, he is in his third mandate and is chosen from the list of the coalition For Svishtov that includes SSD, SDS, BZNS and Lider.Economics
The main industries in the town of Svishtov include imports and exports via the harbor, electronics, chemical manufacturing, and wheat production. The town's University of Economics is also a major economic draw. Additionally, there are a large number of European tourists, particularly from Romania, who frequent Svishtov because of its relatively lower prices.Landmarks and Interesting places
One of the most beautiful places around the town of Svishtov is the unique river valley(1–2 km away from the town) which hosts the monastery of Svishtov; the region called Pametnitsite / Паметниците (The Monuments) on the banks of the DanubeDanube
The Danube is a river in the Central Europe and the Europe's second longest river after the Volga. It is classified as an international waterway....
and the park around the old fortress in the centre the town.
The House-museum of the Bulgarian novelist Aleko Konstantinov
Aleko Konstantinov
Aleko Konstantinov was a Bulgarian writer, best known for his character Bay Ganyo, one of the most popular characters in Bulgarian fiction....
is one of the top 100 Tourist Sites of Bulgaria
100 Tourist Sites of Bulgaria
"100 Tourist Sites of Bulgaria" is a Bulgarian national movement established in 1966 to promote tourism among Bulgaria's most significant cultural, historic, and natural landmarks....
.
Another place of interest in town is the region called Мanastira / Манастира (The monastery) 5 km south-east of the town.
Twin towns - Sister cities
Svishtov is twinnedTown twinning
Twin towns and sister cities are two of many terms used to describe the cooperative agreements between towns, cities, and even counties in geographically and politically distinct areas to promote cultural and commercial ties.- Terminology :...
with:
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