Comrat
Comrat is a city and municipality in Moldova and the capital of the autonomous region of Gagauzia. It is located in the south of the country, on the Ialpug River. The vast majority of the inhabitants are Gagauz.
History
Comrat was first settled as early as 1443, with other sources claiming it was founded in 1789. Nevertheless, the settlement was sparsely populated until the new Russian government issued a decree in 1819 to resettle the region with Bulgarians and other nationalities from across the Danube, after the territory was annexed by Russia from Moldavia in 1812.In 1906, the village revolted against the Russian authorities and proclaimed the autonomous Comrat Republic. Following World War I, it was part of Kingdom of Romania. During World War II, it was occupied by the Soviet Union in 1940, before it was recaptured by Romania in 1941.
During the time when the town was part of Moldavian SSR, Comrat's industry was geared toward the production of butter, wine, and rugs, the latter decorated with Moldavian motifs. The Comrat State University was established in 2002.
Demographics
According to the 2024 census, 19,120 inhabitants lived in Comrat, a decrease compared to the previous census in 2014, when 20,113 inhabitants were registered.Economy
Comrat is situated in the southern wine zone of Moldova. It is known for production of red wine and muscat. In Comrat and its suburbs there are about 10 wineries.Food production is very developed in the city. Comrat is a home for food processing factories, alcohol production, and an oil processing plant.
There is also such economic agents as a ferro-concrete factory, furniture productions, wood processing, production of plastic windows and doors, cattle butcheries, and transport companies.
Sport
Football clubs FC Olimp Comrat and Univer-Oguzsport are based in Comrat.Geography
Climate
Comrat has a humid continental climate, characterized by warm summers and cool, drier winters with snow. Winter lows are often below. In summer, the average maximum temperature is approximately. The average annual precipitation is relatively low.Notable people
- Petar Draganov Russian philologist and Slavist
- Reuven Shari was a Russian-born Israeli politician
- Alexandru Bârlădeanu a Romanian Marxian economist who was prominent during the Communist regime, sidelined in 1968
- Sorana Gurian a writer, journalist, and translator, emigrated to Israel and France
- Anatoliy Blashku was the Minister of Industry of Transnistria, a Moldovan who moved to Tiraspol as a teenager
- Alexandr Stoianoglo a Moldovan politician and member of the Parliament of Moldova since 2009.
- Irina Vlah a Moldovan politician, Governor of the Autonomous Territorial Unit of Gagauzia
- Igor Cobileanski a Moldovan film director
- Mihai Cojusea a Moldavian football striker who plays for CF Gagauziya
- Alexander Romanov a Moldavian UFC heavyweight fighter