# Dondușeni District

Dondușeni District (Romanian pronunciation: [donduˈʃenʲ]) is a district (raion) in the north of Moldova. Its administrative center is the city of Dondușeni. As of 2011, its population was 45,100.

## History

The earliest attestations of historical towns were in 1437, when the district was certified Teleșeuca village. Other localities, Arionești, Corbu, Crișcăuți, Horodiște and Tîrnova were documented between 1463–1470. In the following centuries, district towns were developed both socially and culturally. In 1812, the Treaty of Bucharest, Bessarabia was occupied by the Russian Empire as a district for more than 100 years (1812–1918) until the Russian administration fell. In the spring of 1888, the construction of Bălți–Ocnița railway started, and ended in 1893. The railway history is closely linked to the city of Dondușeni, during the years 1902–1905; the building near the railway station, built in 1892, held the construction of a pumping station and a water tower, two warehouses for grain and a ramp load, two kilometers of road and three houses. 1918 registered a new page in the history of Bessarabia. On 27 March, Sfatul Țării of Bessarabia voted for the Union of Bessarabia with Romania.
Following the pact between Hitler and Stalin on 26 June 1940, the fate of Bessarabia was determined by military force. 22 June 1941 marked the start of 1418 days and nights of fierce and bloody fights between the Germans and the Soviets. During this period, more than half the male population was mobilized to Donduşeni station and sent into the searing flames of war. From 1946–1947, the district endured hunger caused by the communists. In 2004, the district population was 47,400.

## Geography

Donduşeni district is located in the north-eastern part of Moldova, with neighboring districts- Ocnița District in the north, Edineţ District in the west, Rîșcani District in the south, Drochia and Soroca in the southeast. Also, it has a border with Ukraine in the northeast. Chernozems occupy 80% of the district. Maximum altitude in the district is located near the village Pocrovca, reaching heights of 247 m.

### Climate

Donduşeni district has a temperate continental climate with an annual average temperature of 10 °C (50 °F) in July mean temperature is 20 °C (68 °F), while in January, 4 °C (39 °F). Yearly precipitation is 450–600 mm. Wind speed is an average speed of 2–5 m/s.

### Fauna

The fauna of the district is typical European, with a greater presence of foxes, hedgehogs, badger, wild boar, ferret rarely deer, raccoon dog and spotted deer. Of birds: storks, crows, tits, cop, starlings, swallows and others.

### Flora

Forests occupy 7.7% of the district territory and are made up of common oak, hornbeam, linden, maple, of plant: fescue, clover, burdock, wormwood, and many others.

### Ţaul Park

The largest park in Moldova is located in the middle of the village of Ţaul, about 200 km north of Chişinău and 5 km from Donduşeni. The compositional core and the focus of contemplation is the whole mansion, open park boundaries not only vision but also the village due to the dominant position in the village. To the left of the palace, the exotic trees shade the lawn and flower gardens with a picturesque glade were built box-resorts, hosting house guests, kitchen and group destination auxiliary buildings. The assembly of Taul village bore little change over time and remains a classical monument characteristic of early 20th-century residences. The compositions of landscapes and found the most appropriate ideas materialize planning landscape gardens, developed in Europe at the end of the 19th century, and many species of garden is a precious treasure arboretum.

### Rivers

Located in the Nistru river basin district bordering the river only a small portion near the village Arioneşti. The main river crossing the district is Răut (286 km), which takes its origins from the confluence of two streams within 2 km east of the village Rediul Mare, at an altitude of 180 m, with tributaries Cubolta (103 km) and Cainari. Răut is the largest tributary of the Nistru. Most lakes are artificial origin.

## Administrative subdivisions

There are a total of 30 localities: 1 city, and 21 communes (containing further 8 villages within):

### Cities

* Donduşeni (population 10,700)

### Communes

| Arionești (pop. 1,596) Baraboi (pop. 3,354) Briceni (pop. 897) Cernoleuca (pop. 2,087) Climăuți (pop. 1,228) Corbu (pop. 1,619) Crișcăuți (pop. 1,348) Dondușeni (Dondoșani; pop. 1,695)  Elizavetovca (Elisabeta; pop. 632) Boroseni Frasin (Frasân; pop. 2,090) Caraiman Codrenii Noi Horodiște (Horodiștea; pop. 1,075) Moşana (pop. 1,796) Octeabriscoe | Pivniceni (pop. 728) Plop (Plopi; pop. 1,472) Pocrovca (pop. 1,059) Rediul Mare (pop. 1,150) Scăieni (Scăienii de Sus; pop. 2,037) Sudarca (pop. 2,013) Braicău  Teleșeuca (Teleșăuca Veche; pop. 828) Teleșeuca Nouă (Teleșăuca Nouă)  Tîrnova (pop. 4,606) Briceva Elenovca (Elena-Doamnă) Țaul (pop. 3,331) |

## Demographics

1 January 2012 the district population was 44,800 of which 23.9% urban and 76.1% rural population.
* Births (2010): 424 (9.4 per 1000)
* Deaths (2010): 853 (18.8 per 1000) (highest in Moldova)
* Growth rate (2010): -429 (−9.5)

### Ethnic groups

| Ethnic group | % of total |
| Moldovans * | 80.2 |
| Ukrainians | 11.3 |
| Russians | 5.3 |
| Romanians * | 2.6 |
| Romani | 0.2 |
| Gagauz | 0.1 |
| Bulgarians | 0.1 |
| Other | 0.2 |
| Undeclared | 0.4 |
Footnote: * There is an ongoing controversy regarding the ethnic identification of Moldovans and Romanians.

### Religion

* Christian – 96.5%
** Orthodox Christian – 94.0%
** Old Believers – 1.6%
** Protestant – 0.9%
*** Seventh-day Adventists – 0.3%
*** Pentecostals – 0.3%
*** Evangelicals – 0.3%
* Other – 2.5%
* No Religion – 0.8%
* Atheists – 0.2%
There is an ongoing controversy over whether Romanians and Moldovans are the same ethnic group, namely whether Moldovans' self-identification constitutes an ethnic group distinct and apart from Romanians or a subset. At the census, citizens could declare only one nationality. Consequently, one could not declare oneself both Moldovan and Romanian.

## Economy

As of 2009, 18,311 businesses were registered in the district. Most of these were private (individual) farms. 532 km$^2$. of the district's 645 km$^2$ (249 sq mi) area is agricultural land, including 333.23 km$^2$ (128.66 sq mi) of arable land, and 38.88 km$^2$ (15.01 sq mi) of orchards. Main crops are cereals cultivation in the district: wheat and barley, maize, sugar beet, sunflower, rapeseed and soy.

## Education

As of 2009, there were 21 kindergartens in the district. There were 7 lyceums (grades 1–12), 3 secondary schools (grades 1–11), 15 gymnasiums (grades 1–9), 1 primary school (grades 1–4), one or more professional schools (grades 12–13), and one or more boarding schools for orphans.

## Politics

Located in the so-called North Red, region where PCRM which usually has good results obtained from 2001 until now over 50% of the vote. But the last three elections the Communists are in constant decline. District is one of the founding members of Euroregion Dniester.
During the last three elections AEI had an increase of 109.6%
Parliament elections results :
| Year | AEI | PCRM |
| 2010 | 39.39% 8,319 | 54.00% 11,405 |
| July 2009 | 33.72% 7,146 | 58.94% 12,495 |
| April 2009 | 19.05% 3,969 | 64.65% 13,467 |

### Elections

Summary of 28 November 2010 Parliament of Moldova election results in Donduşeni District :
| Parties and coalitions | Parties and coalitions | Votes | % | +/− |
| | Party of Communists of the Republic of Moldova | 11,405 | 54.00 | −4.94 |
| | Liberal Democratic Party of Moldova | 4,137 | 19.59 | +9.51 |
| | Democratic Party of Moldova | 3,022 | 14,31 | +0.15 |
| | Liberal Party | 900 | 4.26 | −1.31 |
| | European Action Movement | 268 | 1.27 | +1.27 |
| | Party Alliance Our Moldova | 260 | 1.23 | −2.68 |
| | Christian Democratic People's Party | 258 | 1.22 | −2.50 |
| | Other Party | 877 | 4.12 | +0.50 |
| Total (turnout 65.34%) | Total (turnout 65.34%) | 21,288 | 100.00 | |

## Culture

There are 23 public libraries, 22 culture halls, and 1 museum in Donduşeni district. There are also 87 art groups. In recent years several houses were repaired by culture, or open more libraries, especially in villages. Village libraries are equipped with books in large numbers.

## Health

There is a hospital with 135 beds, and an outpatient health center with 10 branches, and 10 physician offices. All villages of the district were reading a medical point of 5–6 physicians in the environment.

## Personalities

* Alexander Gelman – Basarabian playwright, writer, and screenwriter.
* Arcadie Gherasim – Journalist (Vocea Basarabiei)
* Boris Trakhtenbrot – Israeli and Russian mathematician in mathematical logic, algorithms, theory of computation and cybernetics
* Constantin Stere – Politician, lawyer, scholar and writer
* Gary Bertini – Israeli conductor
* Ion Druta – Poet, Member of the Academy of Sciences of Moldova
* Mihai Grecu – Artist, one of the most appreciated in his time by critics and the public
* Mihail Șleahtițchi – Minister of Education of Moldova, of 2010
* Dorin Recean – Prime minister of Moldova
48°20′N 27°40′E﻿ / ﻿48.333°N 27.667°E﻿ / 48.333; 27.667