# Orhei District

Orhei (Romanian pronunciation: [orˈhej]) is a district (Romanian: raion) in central Moldova, with its administrative center in the city of Orhei. As of 2014 Moldovan Census its population was 101,502.

## History

The Orhei region has been inhabited since the Stone Age. Settlements included the ancient city of Getae (located near modern Trebujeni). Getae stood from the eighth to the second century BC and was abandoned after an invasion by a Germanic tribe, the Bastarnae. Non-fortified settlements were located on the riverbank. A medieval fortress of earth and wood was later constructed near the former site of Getae, which stood from the 12th to the 14th century AD. During the 14th century, the Golden Horde occupied the region; the town was conquered, and its name changed to Shehr al Jedid. From 1363 to 1365, Horde leader Abdullah Khan resided in Shehr al Jedid. At the end of the 14th century, the Horde were driven out and the empire dissolved; the eastern city evolved, acquiring Moldovan characteristics. During the reign of Stephen the Great the stone city was repaired, equipped with artillery and became the residence of Orhei's governor. During the mid-16th century, the old city was abandoned in favor of the current site, 15 kilometres (9.3 mi) northwest. The stone fortress was destroyed. About 1600, Prince Ieremia Movilă unsuccessfully attempted to rebuild the city, and in 1665 a cave monastery was built in the area. In 1773, the Curchi monastery was built near the Vatici. After the 1812 Treaty of Bucharest, Bessarabia was occupied by the Russian Empire until 1917. In 1918, after the collapse of the Russian Empire, Bessarabia joined Romania. Orhei County existed as part of the Kingdom of Romania from 1918 to 1940 and 1941 to 1944. After the 1939 Molotov–Ribbentrop Pact, Bessarabia was occupied by the USSR in June 1940. Moldovan independence in 1991 revived Orhei County until 2003, when it became a district of Moldova.

## Geography

The district is located in the central part of the Republic of Moldova. Neighboring districts include Rezina (north), Rîbnița and Dubăsari districts (east), Strășeni and Criuleni (south), and Călărași and Telenești (west). The land is divided into several orographic units:
* The Central Moldavian Plateau (forest), in the northeast, combines narrow, deep valleys and broad slopes.
* The northern plain was created by soil erosion. This area has the lowest altitude (200–250 metres (660–820 ft)), crossing the Răut and Cogâlnic rivers from north to south. The Răut Valley covers about 6,500 hectares (25 sq mi), primarily privately owned pasture.
* The terraced Nistrului Plateau is at an altitude of 250–300 metres (820–980 ft), with dips of 150–200 metres (490–660 ft). The western slope is gradual, with the east sloping more sharply towards the Dniester.

### Climate

The district has a temperate continental climate with short, mild winters (average January temperature −3 – −5 °C (27–23 °F)) and long, warm summers (average July temperature 21–22 °C (70–72 °F)). Annual rainfall is 500–650 millimetres (20–26 in). Two-thirds of the annual precipitation falls as rain from April to November, and about one-third as snow and sleet from December to March.

### Fauna

Mammals in the region include foxes, deer, red deer, wild boars, hedgehogs, badgers, rabbits, and wolves. Birds include crows, hawks, partridges, storks, and jays.

### Flora

Forests occupy 20.1% of the district (24,277 hectares). Tree species in these forests include oak, English oak, ash, hornbeam, linden and willow. Local plants include fescue, clover, bell and knotweed.

### Protected areas

There are nature reserves in Susleni, Pohrebeni and Trebujeni.

### Hydrosphere

Rivers in the district include the Nistru, Răut, Vatici, Cula, and Cogâlnic. There are 162 lakes and ponds, covering 975 hectares (2,410 acres). A spring in the village of Jeloboc has an output of 401 litres (106 US gal) a second. The Nistru River (Dniester) has been harnessed for irrigation in the villages of Jora de Mijloc and Vîșcăuți. Near the village of Biești, geological surveys have found an aquifer large enough to supply the city of Orhei.

## Administrative subdivisions

* Localities: 75
* Administrative center: Orhei
* City: Orhei
* Communes: 37
* Villages: 37

## Demographics

In January 2012 the district population was 125,800, with 26.6 percent in urban and 73.4 percent in rural areas.
* Births (2010): 1,521 (12.1 per 1,000)
* Deaths (2010): 1,694 (13.5 per 1,000)
* Growth Rate (2010): -173 (−1.4 per 1,000)

### Ethnic groups

| Ethnic group | % of total |
| Moldovans * | 86.5 |
| Romanians * | 8.8 |
| Ukrainians | 3.0 |
| Russians | 1.3 |
| Gagauz | 0.1 |
| Bulgarians | 0.1 |
| Romani | 0.1 |
| Other | 0.3 |
| Undeclared | 0.17 |
Footnote: * There is an ongoing controversy regarding the ethnic identification of Moldovans and Romanians.

### Religion

* Christians – 98.4%
** Orthodox Christians – 97.6%
** Protestant – 0.8%
*** Baptists – 0.4%
*** Seventh-day Adventists – 0.2%
*** Evangelicals – 0.2%
* Other – 1.2%
* None 0.4%

## Economy

There are 40,693 registered businesses in the district. Fifty-seven are public companies, 4,606 are privately owned, 40 have mixed public-and-private ownership and 14 are foreign-owned. Manufacturing and agriculture are the dominant sectors of the district economy. There are 30 industrial companies: 27 manufacturers and three mines. In 2009, there were 2,496 unemployed workers. Agricultural land comprises 82,238 ha (67 percent) of the total area. Arable land comprises 57,161 ha (46.5 percent) of agricultural land. Orchards make up 5,287 ha (4.3 percent), vineyards 4,461 ha (3.6 percent), pasture 13,288 ha (10.3 percent) and 27,305 ha (21.2 percent) are planted to other crops.

## Education

The Orhei district has 69 educational institutions, and the total number of students is 15,160. There are 1,448 students in teachers' and medical colleges, and 685 students in professional schools.

## Politics

The Orhei district has traditionally favored right-wing parties, primarily the AEI. The percentage of residents voting for the PCRM has dropped steadily over the last three elections, and the AEI increased 100.6 percent.
Parliament election results :
| Year | AEI | PCRM |
| 2010 | 68.77% 40,344 | 24.25% 14,227 |
| July 2009 | 64.40% 34,880 | 29.51% 15,982 |
| April 2009 | 37.80% 20,115 | 39.37% 20,952 |

### Elections

28 November 2010 Parliament of Moldova election results, Orhei District :
| Parties and coalitions | Parties and coalitions | Votes | % | +/− |
| | Liberal Democratic Party of Moldova | 21,991 | 37.49 | +16.71 |
| | Party of Communists of the Republic of Moldova | 14,227 | 24.25 | −5.26 |
| | Democratic Party of Moldova | 9,972 | 17.00 | +0.07 |
| | Liberal Party | 5,758 | 9.81 | −8.93 |
| | Party Alliance Our Moldova | 2,623 | 4.47 | −3.48 |
| | European Action Movement | 773 | 1.32 | +1.32 |
| | Other parties | 3,346 | 5.66 | -0.43 |
| Total (turnout 61.05%) | Total (turnout 61.05%) | 59,118 | 100.00 | |

## Culture

The district has five museums, 60 public libraries and 62 community centres.

## Health

Orhei District has a 430-bed hospital, a family-health center, 33 family practitioners' offices, 14 health centres, and 17 health offices. There are 246 physicians and 836 other healthcare professionals.

## Notable residents

* Alecu Donici – Poet, storyteller and translator
* David Knut – Russian poet
* Iurie Platon – Russian painter and sculptor
* Jacobo Fijman – Argentine poet
* Meir Dizengoff – Politician and first mayor of Tel Aviv
* Paul Goma – Writer and anticommunist militant
* Sergey Lazo – Communist militant during the Russian Civil War, Siberia and the Far East
* Sergiu Niță – Politician, attorney, minister for Basarabia in 1920–1921, 1926–1927