Drochia

For the commune in the same district with the same name, see Drochia, Drochia.

Drochia
Flag Coat of arms
Drochia Location in Moldova
Coordinates: 48°2′N 27°45′E
Country	Moldova
District	Drochia District
Established	1777
Government
• Mayor	Nina Cereteu, since 2015
Elevation	741 ft (226 m)
Population  (2014)
• Total	13,150
Time zone	UTC+2 (EET)
• Summer (DST)	UTC+3 (EEST)
Postal code	MD-52xx
Area code	+373 252 xx x xx
Climate	Dfb

Drochia is a city in the northern part of Moldova. It is the administrative center of the eponymous district. The city is located 174.4 km (108.4 mi) north of the national capital, Chişinău, and 67 km (42 mi) north-east of the Romanian city of Iaşi. The average elevation of Drochia is 226 meters. The population at the 2004 census was 16,606.

The name of the city comes from a local type of bird, called dropie (English: great bustard).

History

Drochia is first mentioned by chroniclers in 1777. By 1830 it was a small settlement encompassing 25 families. A document dating from 1847 notes that a small grape-processing plant, the town's first industrial enterprise, had been built. Two mills situated on a local stream were built in 1875.

More intensive industrial development emerged after the railway first came through at the end of the 19th century. At the 1930 census, the locality (then a village) was known as Drochia-Gară (literally Drochia Station), and had a population of only 595. It was part of Plasa Bădiceni of the Soroca County.

Drochia received the status of a city in 1973.

Demographics

Ethnic composition
Ethnic group	1930 census	2004 census	2014 census
Moldovans	N/A	12,670	10,556
Romanians	181	194	569
Ruthenians and Ukrainians	77	2,600	1,314
Russians	209	986	570
Jews	112	13	N/A
Bulgarians	–	22	17
Gagauzians	–	18	13
Poles	5	6	68
Gypsies	–	2
Armenians	7	95
Serbians, Croatians, Slovenes	1
others	3
Total	595	16,606	13,150

Native language
Language	1930 census	2004 census
Romanian	198	N/A
Russian	210	N/A
Yiddish	102	N/A
Ukrainian	80	N/A
Polish	4	N/A
other	1	N/A
Total	595	16,606

Media

• Radio Chişinău 93.8 FM
• Vocea Basarabiei 101,0
• Radio Studentus www.studentus.md/listen.html

Mayors of Drochia

• Anatol Pleşca 1991–1999
• Valeriu Ceban 1999–2007
• Grigore Melnic 2007 – 2011
• Igor Grozavu 2011 – 2015
• Nina Cereteu 2015 -

Photo gallery

• 
  Cathedral of the "Adormirea Maicii Domnului"
• 
  Monument of Mihai Eminescu
• 
  City Hall
• 
  Bogdan Petriceicu Hasdeu High School
• 
  Drochia Bus Terminal
• 
  Drochia District Council and the monument of Stephen III of Moldavia
• 
  Office building
• 
  Monument of Mihai Eminescu

International relations

See also: List of twin towns and sister cities in Moldova

Twin towns – Sister cities

Drochia is twinned with:

• Borisov, Belarus
• Dorohoi, Romania
• Kolomyia, Ukraine
• Rădăuți, Romania
• Pineto, Italy

External links

• Drochia Stadium on divizianationala.com
• Weather in Drochia
• Bogdan Petriceicu Hasdeu High School Webpage
• Drochia in Photos
• Meteo Moldova
• Drochia.md