Otaci
Otaci (formerly Ataki, Russian Атаки) is a town (population 8,400) on the southwestern bank of the Dniester River, which at that point forms the northeastern border of Moldova. On the opposite side of the Dniester lies the Ukrainian city of Mohyliv-Podilskyi, and the two municipalities are connected by a bridge over the river. Otaci is located in Ocnița District.
The town was first attested in the 15th century. As part of Bessarabia, it was given by the Ottoman Empire to the Russian Empire following the Russo-Turkish War of 1806–1812, although the region belonged to Moldavia, a vassal state of the Ottomans. By the 1890s, it had become a poor, heavily Jewish village. In April 1918, during the last stages of World War I, it became part of the Kingdom of Romania.
During the interwar period, Otaci was the seat of Plasa Otaci, in Soroca County, Romania. In 1940, as a consequence of the Molotov–Ribbentrop Pact, the Red Army entered Bessarabia and incorporated it into the Soviet Union. In 1991 Moldova became independent, and in 1994 Otaci achieved the status of oraș (town).
On 19 June 2019, Otaci was the site of an apartment building collapse. One of the 2 tower blocks in the town collapsed shortly after it was evacuated, leaving no one injured. It is believed that the building, when constructed in the 1970s, was built on muddy soil, and the foundations were damaged over the years.
The town was first attested in the 15th century. As part of Bessarabia, it was given by the Ottoman Empire to the Russian Empire following the Russo-Turkish War of 1806–1812, although the region belonged to Moldavia, a vassal state of the Ottomans. By the 1890s, it had become a poor, heavily Jewish village. In April 1918, during the last stages of World War I, it became part of the Kingdom of Romania.
During the interwar period, Otaci was the seat of Plasa Otaci, in Soroca County, Romania. In 1940, as a consequence of the Molotov–Ribbentrop Pact, the Red Army entered Bessarabia and incorporated it into the Soviet Union. In 1991 Moldova became independent, and in 1994 Otaci achieved the status of oraș (town).
On 19 June 2019, Otaci was the site of an apartment building collapse. One of the 2 tower blocks in the town collapsed shortly after it was evacuated, leaving no one injured. It is believed that the building, when constructed in the 1970s, was built on muddy soil, and the foundations were damaged over the years.
Map - Otaci
Map
Country - Moldova
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| Flag of Moldova | |
Most of Moldovan territory was a part of the Principality of Moldavia from the 14th century until 1812, when it was ceded to the Russian Empire by the Ottoman Empire (to which Moldavia was a vassal state) and became known as Bessarabia. In 1856, southern Bessarabia was returned to Moldavia, which three years later united with Wallachia to form Romania, but Russian rule was restored over the whole of the region in 1878. During the 1917 Russian Revolution, Bessarabia briefly became an autonomous state within the Russian Republic. In February 1918, it declared independence and then integrated into Romania later that year following a vote of its assembly. The decision was disputed by Soviet Russia, which in 1924 established, within the Ukrainian SSR, a so-called Moldavian autonomous republic on partially Moldovan-inhabited territories to the east of Bessarabia.
Currency / Language
| ISO | Currency | Symbol | Significant figures |
|---|---|---|---|
| MDL | Moldovan leu | L | 2 |
| ISO | Language |
|---|---|
| RO | Romanian language |
| RU | Russian language |
| TR | Turkish language |