Balti city, Moldova. Balti

28.06.2023

Balti(Moldo. Bălţi [Balti]) is a city (municipal) in Moldova. Located 130 km northwest of Chisinau on the Reut River. The third most populous city in the country (after Chisinau and Tiraspol). Balti is the economic and cultural center of the northern region, which is why the city is often called the “northern capital”.

Geographical location and nature

Balti is located in the north of Moldova, 130 km northwest of Chisinau, on a hilly plain (Balti steppe), at the confluence of the Reutsel River.

Reut crosses the city from northeast to southwest, Reutsel - from southeast to northwest. The total length of these rivers in Balti is 17 km. The Kopachanka and Flamynde rivers, tributaries of the Reut, also flow through the city. All rivers belong to the Dniester basin. There are several artificial lakes on the territory of Balti: Gorodskoe, Komsomolskoe, Kirpichnoe.

The area of the city is 55 km², with suburbs - 78 km². Balti is located in a 7-point seismicity zone. The soil structure consists of ordinary chernozem and clayey sandy loam.

Climate

The climate is moderate continental. Winters are mild and short, summers are hot and long. The average temperature in January is −4.0 °C, in July +20.5 °C. The absolute maximum temperature is +40 °C, the absolute minimum is −32 °C. Prevailing winds are northeast and northwest 2-5 m/sec. The annual precipitation rate is 450-500 mm, the bulk of precipitation falls in the warm season.

Name

The word “Balti” (singular - balte) literally means “swamps” (another meaning is “puddles”). It is believed that the city received this name because it is located in a swampy area.

Coat of arms and flag

The modern coat of arms and flag of Balti were approved at a meeting of the Municipal Council in April 2006. The designs of the coat of arms and flag were developed by Silviu Tabak, a member of the State Commission on Heraldry.

Coat of arms

The main element of the coat of arms is a shield, on which twelve alternating horizontal stripes of silver and blue are applied. Silver color symbolizes water, blue - earth. The combination of these colors symbolizes the Moldovan name of the city, which literally means “swamps” (i.e. water and land).

The shield depicts an archer in Moldavian armor from the time of Stephen the Great. This element was borrowed from the Balti coat of arms of 1930, in which it symbolized, as stated in official materials, “ancient military guards and battles in this region of Moldova.” The archer's clothing is red, military equipment is gold.

Above the shield is a silver crown in the form of a fortress wall with seven towers (the so-called tower, or wall, crown). This element indicates that Balti has long had the status of a city. The number of towers symbolizes the importance of the settlement. In Moldova, besides Balti, only two other cities have the right to use a seven-headed crown in their coat of arms: Chisinau and Tiraspol. Other city emblems may only have three or five towers.

The shield is supported by two rearing silver horses. The horse is an ancient symbol of this region. The first coat of arms of Balti (1826) was a shield with the image of the head of this animal. Below the shield is a motto ribbon with the inscription in Latin: CEDANT ARMA TOGAE (Let the arms give way to the toga).

Flag

The flag is a canvas of two horizontal stripes: silver (upper) and blue (lower). In the center of the canvas is the main element of the coat of arms - a shield with the image of an archer.

Story

At the end of the 15th century it was completely burned by the troops of Khan Mengli I Giray and until the beginning of the 18th century there is no information about the destroyed settlement.

In 1711, during the Prut campaign of Peter I, the settlement was burned again (according to one version, by the Tatars who sought to destroy the supply base of Russian troops, according to another, by Russian troops during the retreat).

In 1766, the Moldavian ruler Alexander Ghica donated lands along the Reut River to the Iasi monastery of St. Spyridon and large merchants - brothers Alexander, Constantine and Jordan Panaite. The village of Balti begins to be built on the Panaite estate, which at the end of the 18th - beginning of the 19th centuries became a small trading place.

In 1779, at the invitation of the Turkish Pasha, Jewish merchants settled in Balti. Three years later, the rights and responsibilities of the Jewish community were approved by the authorities.

In 1812, Bessarabia came under Russian jurisdiction, and in 1818, with the formation of the Bessarabia region, which became part of the Pale of Settlement, Balti was appointed a district town of Iasi district. In the same year, Emperor Alexander I visited Balti. It is believed that during his stay in Balti, the emperor received news of the birth of his nephew (the future Emperor Alexander II) and, in honor of this event, ordered Balti to be given the status of a city.

In 1856, Empress Maria Alexandrovna honored Balti with a visit.

In 1887, Yassky district was renamed Beletsky (that is, Beltsky). At this time, approx. people lived in Balti. 10 thousand people, mostly Jews - 70%, there were 72 synagogues in the city

Located at the crossroads of major roads (it connected Chernivtsi, Khotyn, Soroki with Chisinau, Bendery, Akkerman, Izmail), the city gradually became a significant trading center in Bessarabia. The main item of trade was livestock.

The importance of Balti increased even more when the Balti-Ungheni-Chisinau and Rybnitsa-Balti-Ocnita railway was built in 1894. By the beginning of the 20th century, Balti had turned into an industrial city with widely developed trade and many factories.

The economic development of Balti continued after the annexation of Bessarabia to Romania in 1918.

Jews made up the majority of the city's population. According to the Romanian census of 1930, of the 35,000 inhabitants, about 20,000 were Jews, 10,000 Romanians (Moldavians), and 5,000 Ukrainians and Russians.

King Carol II of Romania visited Balti twice: in 1924 (while still crown prince) and in 1935 (together with his son, the future king Mihai I).

Like most Moldovan cities, Balti suffered greatly during World War II. Most of the remaining Jewish population in the city was destroyed.

During Soviet times, Balti became a major industrial center with the status of a city of republican subordination.

In 1991, the independence of Moldova was proclaimed. In the conditions of the economic crisis caused by the collapse of the USSR, most of the city's enterprises found themselves on the brink of survival. Unemployment and a sharp decline in living standards led to the fact that a significant part of the residents left the city. From 1989 to 2004, the population of Balti decreased by 20%. Most Jews repatriate to Israel and immigrate to other countries.

In 1994, Balti was given the status of a municipality.

In 1998, as a result of administrative-territorial reform, the Balti district was formed with its center in the city of Balti. However, after the reverse reform of 2003 (the abolition of counties and a return to division into districts), Balti again acquired the status of a separate administrative unit, not included in any of the districts.

Administrative structure

The municipality of Balti is an independent administrative-territorial unit. The municipality includes the villages of Elizavetovka and Sadovoe.

The governing bodies of the municipality are the municipal council and the mayor, who heads the mayor's office.

The council consists of 35 councilors elected for a term of 4 years. According to the results of the 2007 elections, the majority of seats in the Balti Municipal Council belong to the Party of Communists (PCRM) - 21 seats; 11 seats belong to representatives of other parties, 3 seats to independent candidates. There are two factions in the council: the PCRM faction (21 councilors) and the Meleag faction (Edge), which includes 2 independent councilors and 4 representatives of different parties.

The mayor of the municipality is also elected for a 4-year term. Since 2001, the post of mayor has been occupied by Vasile Panchuk, who was re-elected twice: in 2003 - in early elections (in connection with the reform of the administrative-territorial structure), and in 2007.

Public organizations

Balti is one of the important centers for the development of local and national civil society in Moldova. Many independent and apolitical organizations were founded in Balti, such as the NGO Second Wind - one of the most important Moldovan structures for the care of socially vulnerable people, a youth organization, Tinerii pentru Dreptul la Viaţă - “Youth for the right to life”, an organization dedicated to the development of youth policy in mun. Balti Prosperitatea Viitorului - Prosperous Future, non-governmental public organization of people without psychological problems "Movement of the Soul" - "Mishkara Sufletului" - "Movement of Soul" and others.

Population

According to the National Bureau of Statistics, as of January 1, 2010, the permanent population of the Balti municipality was 148.2 thousand people. Of this number, the urban population is 143.3 thousand, the rural population is 4.9 thousand.

Religious composition: Orthodox - 110,961, Baptists - 2609, Catholics - 990, Seventh-day Adventists - 576, Pentecostals - 487, evanghelică sinodo prestbiter - 296, сreştină după evahghelie - 166, Muslims - 106, evanghelică de confesiune - 77, Old Believers - 47, Reformed - 44, adherents of other religions - 2161, atheists - 544, professing no religion - 3304, refused to indicate their religion - 5193.

Economy

Industry

Balti is a large industrial center. There are 40 enterprises in the city: food and light industries, electrical and agricultural engineering, production of building materials, etc. The annual volume of industrial production in average prices is 2.2 billion lei (2004).

Balti Free Economic Zone

On the basis of Law No. 26 of March 4, 2010 adopted by the Parliament of the Republic of Moldova, the FEZ “Bălţi” was created in Balti. The free economic zone includes two plots of approximately 12 hectares and has access to railways and highways of international importance. The planned duration of the FEZ “Bălţi” is 25 years.

Urban economy

The housing stock of Balti includes 12,800 houses and 65 dormitories.

Balti has 376 streets and 11 road bridges. The total length of all streets, driveways and embankments is 220.7 km, area - 1478.5 thousand km². The total length of sidewalks is 218.4 km, storm sewer networks are 31.2 km. The service life of municipal roads is 10 years or more, which affects the condition of their surface.

Water supply to Balti is carried out from the Dniester River through the Soroca water pipeline, as well as from artesian wells. There are 89 wells in total, most of them are mothballed. In addition, on the territory of the municipality there are 36 clean water reservoirs, 14 pumping stations, 667 mine wells. The wear and tear of the city's water supply networks exceeds 70%.

Sanitary cleaning and cleaning of municipal territories, sanitary maintenance of the municipality, removal, storage and processing of waste (MSW) is carried out by the Municipal Enterprise Special Automotive Services.

Transport

Passenger transportation in Balti is carried out by trolleybus and bus departments, private buses, minibuses and passenger taxis. The total volume of traffic for the year is 35.4 million passengers (2004). Tariffs for public transport are regulated by the municipal council (2 MDL on a bus and 1.5 MDL on a trolleybus, 2.5 MDL on a minibus).

Buses and minibuses

10 bus routes are served by private transport companies that are not regulated by the Balti Bus Administration. The Balti bus fleet has not served intracity routes since 1996, specializing mainly in suburban and intercity routes. There are also about 25 minibus lines in Balti and nearby settlements.

Trolleybuses

In Balti, the operational length of the trolleybus line is 39.6 kilometers. Service is provided by four traction converter electrical substations with a total installed capacity of 82.41 kilowatts. The source of supply is the general power system of the municipality by supplying a direct current of 600 volts through the traction converter substation TP-1; TP-2; TP-3; TP-4.

Currently, there are three trolleybus routes operating in the municipality. The average operating speed of trolleybuses on routes is 16 kilometers per hour. Most of the trolleybuses used by the Balti Trolleybus Administration (MPTU) are various modifications of the Russian ZiU (the newest of them were produced in 1992), the Czech Skoda 14trM (produced in 2002), three AKSM 20101 (produced in 2003-2004), as well as family VMZ-5298.01 (VMZ-375) of the company Trans-Alfa OJSC (2008 year of manufacture) Line Length In operation from Number of stops

Taxi

There is a large selection of taxi services in Balti (more than 7 companies), most of which have a fixed tariff within the city. Two services are branches of Chisinau Moldovan Republican Companies, four are Balti companies.

The tariff “2.50 lei km/1.00 lei minute of downtime” is currently being implemented by the government and is the subject of difficult negotiations on the part of taxi service unions.

Highways

Balti has always been at the crossroads of important routes and today is an important transmodal transport hub, namely at the intersection of the European main road E583 (class B road).

Bus service is an effective way to travel between cities in Moldova, as well as minibuses (public or private services). Balti is connected to Chisinau by 127 km of highway built in Soviet times (part of the road is in good condition). In 2 hours from Balti, by road you can reach Ukraine in a northern or western direction and 1 hour from Romania in a southwestern direction through the customs checkpoint Skulany-Sculany or in a western direction through Stancu Costesti, which allows you to reach important Romanian city of Iasi (104 km from Balti).

The Balti bus station is one of the largest in Moldova and provides bus service to literally any locality in Moldova, as well as European (Eurolines) and international bus service.

Railway stations

Balti is the most important transport hub in the north of Moldova, which includes two railway stations: “Balti-Slobodzeya” and “Balti-City” of the Moldovan Railways. Both stations serve passenger and freight trains of local and international traffic. Regular commuter trains include the following directions: Ocnita (north), Rezina (east), Ungheni (southwest), as well as Chisinau. The train ride to Chisinau takes 6 hours (200 km from Balti by rail).

The railway lines are single track, not electrified.
Summer train schedule (Russian).

Airports

The city has two functioning airports, one of which is international - Balti-Lyadoveni International Airport, a few km north (near the village of Korlateni, formerly called Lyadoveni), modern by Soviet standards, built in the 80s, where they can produce landing of large jet airliners (one runway 2,200 meters long). At the moment there is no information about regular flights.

The second airport for small aircraft is Balti City Airport, located on the eastern border of the city. This airport was the most important airport in the surrounding region during World War II.

Balti (rum. Bălţi, also Balti) is a city (municipality) in Moldova. Located 130 km northwest of Chisinau on the Reut River. The third most populous city in the country (after Chisinau and Tiraspol). Balti is the economic and cultural center of the northern region, which is why the city bears the unofficial title of the “northern capital”.

Geographical location and nature of the city of Balti

Balti is located in the north of Moldova, 130 km northwest of Chisinau, on a hilly plain (Balti steppe), at the confluence of the Reutsel River.
Reut crosses the city from northeast to southwest, Reutsel - from southeast to northwest. The total length of these rivers in the territory of Balti is 17 km. The Kopachanka and Flamynde rivers, tributaries of the Reut, also flow through the city. All rivers belong to the Dniester basin. There are several artificial lakes on the territory of Balti: Gorodskoe, Komsomolskoe, Brick.
The area of the city is 43 km², with suburbs - 78 km². Balti is located in a 7-point seismicity zone. The soil structure consists of ordinary chernozem and clayey sandy loam.

History of Balti

The first documentary mention of the existence of a settlement on the site of modern Balti dates back to 1421. This year is considered to be the year the city was founded. At that time, the settlement was part of the domain of Ringala, the wife of the Moldavian ruler Alexander the Good.
At the end of the 15th century it was completely burned by the troops of Khan Mengli I Giray and until the beginning of the 18th century there is no information about the destroyed settlement.
In 1711, during the Prut campaign of Peter I, the settlement was burned again (according to one version, by the Tatars who sought to destroy the supply base of Russian troops, according to another, by Russian troops during the retreat).
In 1766, the Moldavian ruler Alexander Ghica donated lands along the Reut River to the Iasi monastery of St. Spyridon and large merchants - brothers Alexander, Constantine and Jordan Panaite. The construction of the village of Balti began on the Panaite estate, which became a small trading place at the end of the 18th - beginning of the 19th centuries.
In 1779, at the invitation of the Turkish Pasha, Jewish merchants settled in Balti. Three years later, the rights and responsibilities of the Jewish community were approved by the authorities.
In 1812, Bessarabia came under Russian jurisdiction, and in 1818, with the formation of the Bessarabia region, which became part of the Pale of Settlement, Balti was appointed a district town of Iasi district. In the same year, Emperor Alexander I visited Balti. It is believed that during his stay in Balti, the emperor received news of the birth of his nephew (the future Emperor Alexander II) and, in honor of this event, ordered Balti to be given the status of a city.
In 1856, Empress Maria Alexandrovna honored Balti with a visit.
In 1887, Yassky district was renamed Beletsky (that is, Beltsky). At this time, approx. people lived in Balti. 10 thousand people, mostly Jews - 70%, there were 72 synagogues in the city.
Located at the crossroads of major roads (it connected Chernivtsi, Khotyn, Soroki with Chisinau, Bendery, Akkerman, Izmail), the city gradually became a significant trading center in Bessarabia. The main item of trade was livestock.
The importance of Balti increased even more when the Balti-Ungheni-Chisinau and Rybnitsa-Balti-Ocnita railway was built in 1894. By the beginning of the 20th century, Balti had turned into an industrial city with widely developed trade and many factories.
The economic development of Balti continued after the annexation of Bessarabia to Romania in 1918.
Jews made up the majority of the city's population. According to the Romanian census of 1930, of the 35,000 inhabitants, about 20,000 were Jews, 10,000 Romanians (Moldavians), and 5,000 Ukrainians and Russians.
King Carol II of Romania visited Balti twice: in 1924 (while still crown prince) and in 1935 (together with his son, the future king Mihai I).
Like most Moldovan cities, Balti suffered greatly during World War II. Most of the remaining Jewish population in the city was destroyed.
During Soviet times, Balti became a large industrial center with the status of a city of republican subordination.
In 1991, the independence of Moldova was proclaimed. In the conditions of the economic crisis caused by the collapse of the USSR, most of the city's enterprises found themselves on the brink of survival. Unemployment and a sharp decline in living standards led to the fact that a significant part of the residents left the city. From 1989 to 2004, the population of Balti decreased by 20%. Most Jews repatriated to Israel and emigrated to other countries.
In 1994, the city of Balti was given the status of a municipality.
In 1998, as a result of administrative-territorial reform, Balti County was formed with its center in the city of Balti. However, after the reverse reform of 2003 (the abolition of counties and a return to division into districts), Balti again acquired the status of a separate administrative unit, not included in any of the districts.

Balti (original name Bălţi) is an amazing city and also a municipality in Moldova. The presented city is located on the famous Reut River, 127 km from Chisinau. The city of Balti is the second largest in Moldova. It was founded in 1421.

It should be noted that the city of Balti ranks third in the country in terms of population after cities such as Tiraspol and Chisinau. Also, the city of Balti in Moldova is the cultural and economic center of the country. Local residents call this city the “northern capital”. There are several artificial lakes on the territory of the city, for example, Kirpichnoe, Gorodskoe and Komsomolskoe.

Rivers such as Flaminde and Kopachanka flow through the city of Balti (Moldova). The area of the presented city of Balti is 55 square kilometers, and together with the suburbs - about 78 square kilometers. The climate in the city is favorable, moderate continental. The name of the city translated means “swamps” or “puddles”. Many believe that this city received its name due to its swampy area.

Balti is one of the main centers for the development of national as well as local society in the country. The city's population is about 148.2 thousand people. It is worth noting that this city is a fairly large industrial center. On its territory there are more than 40 enterprises of agricultural and electrical engineering, light and food industries.

The main attractions of the city of Balti are the National Theater. Vasile Alecsandri, art gallery named after. Antioch Cantemir, Municipal Palace of Culture, Regional Museum of History and Ethnography, Palace of Culture "Flachera", St. Nicholas Cathedral, which was erected in 1975, Church of the Nativity of the Virgin Mary, Cathedral of St. Equal-to-the-Apostles Constantine and Helen, monument to Taras Shevchenko, monument to Stephen the Great , the building of the Balti Diocesan Administration, the monument to M. Eminescu, etc. To find out in detail where these attractions are located, you will see on the map of the city of Balti. It is also worth noting that in the city of Balti there are two modern airports, one of which is international. It is thanks to this that this city is visited by a huge number of tourists.

It proudly bears the unofficial name of the Northern capital of Moldova. This is a major transport hub, the center of the republic's processing and food industries. After Chisinau, it is the most populous and richest city in Moldova.

If you look at the map of Balti, you will see that the city is located in a beautiful, hilly and wetland-rich area. From the top of the hill occupied by Balti, a tranquil landscape overlooks lakes, manicured fields and pastures. But the city’s culture is not inferior to nature in terms of the richness of interesting places: modern theaters and art galleries compete with ancient churches. And the Orthodox Cathedral of St. Constantine and Helena and the Bishop's Palace with the adjacent park stand out.

The absence of an influx of tourists allows you to calmly and calmly enjoy your stay in a wonderful, quiet, spiritual place.

Useful information for tourists about Balti in Moldova - geographical location, tourist infrastructure, map, architectural features and attractions.

Balti is a city located in the northern part of Moldova, on a hilly plain, at the confluence of the Reucel River and the Reut River, 130 km from Chisinau. The Reutsel River crosses the city from southeast to northwest, and the Reut - from northeast to southwest. The name of the city comes from the marshy area on which it is located. The city has a total area of 41.42 sq. km, and with suburbs of about 78 sq. km, about 150 thousand people live.

The first chronicle mentions of the city date back to the beginning of the 15th century. In 1421, during the reign of the Moldavian sovereign Alexander the Good, the settlement was in the possession of Princess Mazowiecka. Very often the poorly fortified settlement was attacked by the Tatars, who robbed and burned houses. At the end of the 15th century. The Budak Tatars, who were under the leadership of Khan Megli-Gery, plundered and completely burned the settlement.

In 1711, during the Prussian campaign, Balti was the main supply base for Russian troops with large food supplies. Soon information about this reached the Tatars, after which Balti was again plundered and burned. In 1766, the Moldavian ruler Alexander Ghica expelled the Tatars from this territory, and donated the local fertile lands to the monastery and the merchant brothers of Panaiti - Iordacia, Constantine and Alexander. Over time, a village began to be built on the Panaiti estate, which received the name Balti, which at the end of the 18th century. transformed into a small shopping center. In 1811, Russian Tsar Alexander I ordered the small town of Balti to be given the status of a city.

Located at the crossroads of major roads, the city became an important trading center in the historical region of Bessarabia. The main item of trade at that time was cattle. Second half of the 19th century. was marked by the expansion of artisan workshops and the creation of small handicraft enterprises. In 1887 the city turned into a county center. Thanks to the construction at the end of the 19th century. railway Balti-Ungheni-Chisinau and Rybnitsa-Balti-Oknitsa, Balti by the beginning of the 20th century. became an industrial city with well-developed trade, a huge number of factories and factories.

Balti, like most cities in Moldova, suffered greatly during the Second World War. Before that, the bulk of the city's population were Jews, but during the war most of them were exterminated. During the Soviet years, Balti was a large industrial center, having the status of a city of republican subordination. After Moldova declared independence, the standard of living in the city dropped sharply due to unemployment, forcing some residents to leave. In 1994, Balti received the status of a municipality.

There are a large number of memorial sites and monuments in Balti. The youngest complex, opened in 2010, is the Alley of Classics, where you can see pedestals with busts of figures of Moldovan culture. Also in the city there is an Alley to the soldiers who died in 1941-1944, and many monuments, for example, a monument to the liberators of the city - Tank T-34, a monument to the Young Guard B. Glavan, N. Ostrovsky, A. Russo, M. Eminescu, “Stefan Great" and a monument to railway workers.

The green part of Balti is very diverse. The city has several beautiful squares and parks: central park, Andries children's park, Victory park, Selection park and so on.

The most favorite place for walking is the main city street, Stefan cel Maare. It is here that the ancient Church of St. Nicholas, the Church of the Nativity of the Virgin Mary, the Church of St. Gregory, the building of the Cathedral of St. Constantine and Helen Equal to the Apostles, the Church of St. Venerable Paraskeva, the Church of St. Apostles Peter and Paul, the building of the Balti Diocesan Administration and the Church of the Holy Archangels are located Michael and Gabriel.

On the banks of the Reut River. It is the cultural and economic center of the state.

Peculiarities

The city is located on a hilly plain and abounds in significant expanses of water. In addition to Reut, Balti is cut by small rivers, Kopachatka and Flaminde, belonging to the Dniester basin. Also in the city area there are three artificial lakes, which were popular with local residents back in Soviet times. They even have names characteristic of those years: Brick, Komsomolskoe and Gorodskoe.

The area of the city, excluding suburbs, is only 43 square kilometers, and the population barely exceeds 130 thousand people. There are no skyscrapers in Balti, and the tallest building has 18 floors. The city is considered a major industrial center of Moldova, with several dozen manufacturing plants and factories. The transport infrastructure is well established, although the quality of the roads leaves much to be desired.

general information

The city of Balti covers an area of 78.01 square meters. km. The population is 145.3 thousand people. Time zone is UTC+2 in winter and UTC+3 in summer, local time is 1 hour behind Moscow in winter. Official website balti.md.

A brief excursion into history

“Northern Capital” is the unofficial name of the city of Balti, which is the cultural and economic center of the region. The first mentions date back to 1421, which is considered the year the city was founded. From 1812 Balti was under Russian jurisdiction until the annexation of Bessarabia to Romania in 1918. In 1991, after Moldova declared an independent country, the city lost its status as a “city of republican subordination”, and most enterprises found themselves on the brink of survival in a crisis. Today the city occupies the status of a separate unit.

Climate

Balti is located in a temperate continental climate with hot, long summers and short, mild winters. The best time to visit the city is from May to October.

How to get there

There are two railway stations in Balti, the main one being the Northern Station. You can get to the city from Chisinau, where there are direct flights from Moscow.

Transport

Having an advantageous geographical location, Balti is an important link in intercity communication in the northern region of the republic, between several countries at once. In just a couple of hours, along a wide expressway you can get to major cities, and. The Balti railway station is also important for the northern part of the country. In a fairly short period of time you can get from Balti to Ocnita, Rezina or Ungheni. Therefore, it is best to start your trip to Moldova from here.

Attractions and entertainment

Despite its relatively small territory, Balti has a significant number of interesting attractions. One of the most striking is Cathedral of Saints Helen and Constantine, consecrated in the summer of 1935 and became a favorite place for pilgrims from all over Moldova. The ceremony to consecrate the temple was attended by King Carol II of Romania along with Crown Prince Mihai, who were directly related to the construction of the complex, which began in 1924. The founder of the cathedral was Bishop Vissarion Puiu, thanks to whom Balti became famous in Eastern Europe. It is curious that the Second World War caused virtually no damage to the cathedral, in contrast to the Soviet authorities, who committed a real act of vandalism, cutting down the crosses and demolishing the picturesque domes of the temple. In place of the altar, the vandals erected a “monument” to a two-handed machine gun, which became a symbol of the Bolshevik victory over the imperialists. By 1995, the Cathedral of Saints Helen and Constantine was restored and re-consecrated.

Among the cultural buildings in Balti, the one that stands out is National Theater Vasile Alexandri, founded in 1957. Initially, it was just an addition to the Russian theater created in these places in the post-war years, but over time it turned into the main theater stage of Balti. This solemn event took place in mid-May 1990, when the theater was awarded the status of “National Theater named after Vasile Alecsandri of Balti”. During its existence, more than two hundred performances were performed here. The local repertoire consists of productions in Moldavian, Romanian, Ukrainian and Russian. The Vasile Alecsandri Theater enjoys great prestige in Europe and is considered international, since representatives of different nationalities perform on its stage. It is curious that all the artists performing on the stage of the theater are graduates of the University of the Arts of Moldova.

Among other attractions of Balti it is worth noting Church of St. George, Central Square, And monument to the great ruler Stefan cel Mare, which appears on all city guides and postcards dedicated to Balti. In addition, in city squares, streets and gardens there are many sculptures, monuments and compositions dedicated to great people and events of the past, which had a significant impact on the future of the city and the country as a whole.

Nightlife in Balti is limited to Vasile Alexandru Square, which, by the way, is considered one of the largest in Europe. The Soho and A-Club nightclubs are located here, which are well known to young people who spend their leisure hours there.

Accommodation

The tourist infrastructure is not the main advantage of Balti, but for a small Moldovan town the level of hotels is quite good, and moreover, it is harmoniously combined with a fairly good quality of service. Among the most comfortable and popular hotels in the city, “Lido” and “Tineretea” stand out. They are superbly equipped and offer all kinds of amenities. True, in accordance with the level of hotels, the prices here are also not cheap.

Kitchen

Near the entertainment venues there are cafes and restaurants, the menu of which includes a wide variety of cuisines. Here, in addition to national Moldavian dishes, you can treat yourself to culinary works from Ukraine, Romania, Turkey, China, Japan and even Thailand.

Shopping

Among the modern buildings, the Plaza shopping and entertainment center stands out, where you can not only make purchases, but also have a good rest. There are numerous attractions, restaurants, and snack bars. There is a cinema, as well as a fitness club and games center. In stores you can buy almost any product, from expensive jewelry to cheap clothes. Today, the city also has two supermarkets, Green Hills Market and Furshett, which are owned by Ukrainian companies.

Precautionary measures

The city is safe for recreation and travel; you should take care of your personal belongings.