Izmail
Encyclopedia : I : IZ : IZM : Izmail
Izmail (Ukrainian: Ізмаїл, translit. Izmayil, Russian: , translit. Izmail, Romanian: Ismail, Turkish: İşmasıl or Hacidar; also referred to as Ismail) is a historic town near the Danube river in the Odessa Oblast (province) of south-western Ukraine. Serving as the administrative center of the Izmailsky Raion (district), the city itself is also designated as a separate raion within the oblast, and is located at .
Izmail is the largest Ukrainian port on the Danube Delta. As such, it is a center of the food processing industry and a popular regional tourist destination. It is also a base of the Ukrainian navy and the Ukrainian Sea Guard units operating in Danube. The World Wildlife Fund's Isles of Izmail Regional Landscape Park is loacted nearby.
The current estimated population is around 85,000, with ethnic Russians forming about 43.7% of that total, 38% being Ukrainians, 10% being Bessarabian Bulgarians, and 4.3% being ethnic Moldovans.
History
The fortress of Izmail was built by Genoese merchants in the 12th century and later belonged to Moldavia, until around 1478 when it became an Ottoman Empire protectorate (under direct rule from 1538). Since the early 16th century it was the main Ottoman fortress in the Budjak region. In 1569 Sultan Selim II settled Izmail with his Nogai subjects, originally from the North Caucasus.The fortress was claimed to be impregnable at the time, but during the Russo-Turkish War of 1787-1792 the Russian military commander Alexander Suvorov successfully stormed it on December 22 1790 (although it also had been briefly held by general Peter Rumyantsev-Zadunaysky in 1770). Turkish forces inside the fortress had the orders to stand their ground to the end, haughtily declining the Russian ultimatum. The defeat was seen as a catastrophe in the Ottoman Empire, while in Russia it was glorified in the country's first national anthem, Let the thunder of victory sound!.
Later, Izmail was returned to the Ottoman Empire, and captured by both sides on several occasions. It was held by Romania between 1856 and 1877, finally becoming part of Russian Empire's Bessarabia province in 1878 as a result of the Treaty of San Stefano. Between 1918 and 1940, and again from 1941 to 1944/1945, Izmail was held by the Kingdom of Romania; during the interval, and again after World War II, it became part of the Ukrainian SSR, independent Ukraine since August 24 1991. Until 1954, it was the capital of the former Izmail oblast.
Natives
- Alexandru Averescu, Romanian Marshal, Army Commander during WWI (in fact, born near Izmail, in the village of Ozyornoye).
- Olena Hovorova, Ukrainian athlete, winner of the triple jump bronze medal at the 2000 Summer Olympics.
External links
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| Subdivisions of Odessa Oblast, Ukraine |
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| Raions: |
Ananyivsky Raion |
Artsyzky Raion |
Baltsky Raion |
Berezivsky Raion |
Bilhorod-Dnistrovskyi City |
Bilhorod-Dnistrovskyi Raion |
Biliayivsky Raion |
Bolhradsky Raion |
Frunzivsky Raion |
Illichivsk City |
Ivanivsky Raion |
Izmail City |
Izmailsky Raion |
Kiliysky Raion |
Kodymsky Raion |
Kominternivsky Raion |
Kotovsk City |
Kotovsky Raion |
Krasnookniansky Raion |
Liubashivsky Raion |
Mykolaivsky Raion |
Odessa City |
Ovidiopolsky Raion |
Reniysky Raion |
Rozdilniasky Raion |
Saratsky Raion |
Savransky Raion |
Shyriayivsky Raion |
Tarutynsky Raion |
Tatarbunarsky Raion |
Teplodar City |
Velykomykhailivsky Raion |
Yuzhne City
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| Cities: |
Ananyiv |
Artsyz |
Balta |
Berezivka |
Bilhorod-Dnistrovskyi |
Biliayivka |
Bolhrad |
Illichivsk |
Izmail |
Kilia |
Kodyma |
Kotovsk |
Odessa |
Reni |
Rozdilna |
Tatarbunary |
Teplodar |
Vylkove |
Yuzhne
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| Towns: | Frunzivka | Ivanivka | Kominternivske | Krasni Okny | Liubashivka | Mykolaivka | Ovidiopol | Sarata | Savran | Shyriaieve | Tarutyne | Velyka Mykhailivka | ||
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