Ungheni

For other uses, see Ungheni (disambiguation).

Ungheni
Municipality
Piața Independenței (Independence Square)
Flag Coat of arms
Ungheni Location within Moldova
Coordinates: 47°13′N27°49′E / 47.217°N 27.817°E / 47.217; 27.817
Country	Moldova
County	Ungheni District
First mentioned	1462
Area
• Total	16.4 km2 (6.3 sq mi)
Population  (2014) [1]
• Total	30,804
• Density	1,880/km2 (4,860/sq mi)
Time zone	UTC+2 (EET)
• Summer (DST)	UTC+3 (EEST)
Website	Official website

Ungheni (Romanian pronunciation: [uŋˈɡenʲ] ^ⓘ ) is a city, municipality ^[2] and the seat of Ungheni District in the Republic of Moldova.

There is a bridge across the Prut and a border checkpoint to Romania. There is another border town with the same name in Romania (Ungheni, Iași), on the other side of the Prut River.

History

The first historical mention of Ungheni dates to 20 August 1462. A railway between Ungheni and Chișinău was built in 1875 by Russia in preparation for the Russo-Turkish War of 1877–1878. In the interwar period, the town formed part of Romania. During World War II, it was occupied by the Soviet Union from 1940, then recaptured by Romania in 1941, and then re-occupied by the Soviet Union in 1944, within which it formed part of the Moldavian SSR. After the war, the rail route through Ungheni became the main connection between the USSR and Romania.

Features and attractions

Gustave Eiffel bridge

Main article: Eiffel Bridge, Ungheni

Eiffel Bridge

In 1876, after the spring flooding of the river Prut, the railway bridge that linked Moldova and Romania was almost destroyed. The Railways Department invited Gustave Eiffel to Bessarabia (Moldova) to redesign and rebuild the bridge. Today, it remains a strategic structure under the supervision of border guards.

Th EU proposed in 2023 to lay a new rail 1435mm standard gauge line from Ungheni to Chisinau, alongside the existing 1520mm track, to avoid disruption to existing services. ^[3]

See also: Iași–Chișinău pipeline

Demographics

According to the 2024 census, 26,457 inhabitants lived in Ungheni (making it the sixth largest city in Moldova), a decrease compared to the previous census in 2014, when 30,804 inhabitants were registered. ^{[4] [5]}

Ethnic composition of Ungheni (2024)

1. Moldovans ^[a] (87.3%)
2. Romanians (7.80%)
3. Ukrainians (2.80%)
4. Russians (1.50%)
5. Others (0.50%)

Linguistic composition of Ungheni (2024)

1. Moldovan ^[b] (47.8%)
2. Romanian (43.9%)
3. Russian (6.70%)
4. Ukrainian (1.40%)
5. Other (0.20%)

Historical population

Year	Pop.	±%
1959	11,129	—
1970	17,228	+54.8%
1979	25,792	+49.7%
1989	37,788	+46.5%
2004	32,530	−13.9%
2014	30,804	−5.3%
2024	26,457	−14.1%

1. There is an ongoing controversy regarding the ethnic identification of Moldovans and Romanians.
2. In March 2023, the Parliament of Moldova passed a law updating all legislative texts and the constitution to refer to the national language as Romanian, effectively rendering the term "Moldovan" obsolete. ^{[6] [7]}

Media

• Unghiul
• Expresul de Ungheni
• Euronova TV
• UNGHENI.TV
• Radio Chişinău 93.8 FM
• Vocea Basarabiei 100.1 FM

Natives

• Anatolie Arhire
• Constantin Bejenaru
• Alexandr Braico
• Eugen Carpov
• I. A. L. Diamond
• Natalia Munteanu
• Vanotek - Moldovan-Romanian record producer and disc jockey
• Shmuel Cohen - Jewish poet, wrote the Music of Hatikvah, the national anthem of Israel

International relations

Main article: List of twin towns and sister cities in Moldova

Twin towns – Sister cities

Ungheni is twinned with:

• Auce, Latvia
• Dmitrovsk, Russia
• Konin, Poland
• Reghin, Romania
• Vasylkiv, Ukraine
• Winston-Salem, United States ^{[8] [9]}
• Mankato, United States
• Cascais, Portugal

Consulates

•   Romania – Consulate ^{[ citation needed ]}

Gallery

• 
  The first historical mention of Ungheni dates to 20 August 1462
• 
  Museum
• 
  Socialist mosaics
• 
  Palace of Culture
• 
  Saint Alexander church
• 
  Town Hall

References

1. Results of Population and Housing Census in the Republic of Moldova in 2014: "Characteristics - Population (population by communes, religion, citizenship)" (XLS). National Bureau of Statistics of the Republic of Moldova. 2017. Retrieved 1 May 2017.
2. LEGE Nr. 248 din 03.11.2016 pentru modificarea și completarea Legii nr. 764-XV din 27 decembrie 2001 privind organizarea administrativ-teritorială a Republicii Moldova Archived 19 February 2019 at the Wayback Machine (in Romanian)
3. "EIB study set out first steps for standard-gauge links to Ukraine and Moldova". 7 August 2023.
4. "Rezultatele finale ale Recensământului Populației și Locuințelor 2024: Caracteristici etnoculturale ale populației". National Bureau of Statistics of the Republic of Moldova.(in Romanian)
5. "2014 Moldova Census of Population and Housing". National Bureau of Statistics of the Republic of Moldova.(in Romanian, Russian, and English)
6. "Chisinau Recognizes Romanian As Official Language". Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty. 5 December 2013. Archived from the original on 23 September 2016. Retrieved 11 March 2014.
7. "Moldovan parliament approves law on Romanian language". Reuters. 16 March 2023. Retrieved 11 July 2024.
8. Sister Cities Winston-Salem Archived 23 September 2015 at the Wayback Machine . City of Winston-Salem.
9. Winston-Salem, NC Archived 23 March 2017 at the Wayback Machine . Interactive City Directory. Sister Cities International, Inc.

• Brezianu, Andrei and Spânu, Vlad (eds.) (2007) "Ungheni" Historical Dictionary of Moldova (2nd ed.) Scarecrow Press, Lanham, Maryland, USA, p. 371, ISBN   978-0-8108-5607-3