Oryahovo
Oryahovo ( ) is a port city in northwestern Bulgaria, part of Vratsa Province. It is located in a hilly country on the right bank of the Danube, just east of the mouth of the river Ogosta, a few more kilometres downstream from where the Jiu flows into the Danube on Romanian territory. The town is known for the ferry service that connects it to the Romanian town of Bechet across the river. There are also plans by local private companies for a bridge across the Danube. History. Ancient history and Middle Ages. The town's name has evolved through the  course of history, with names such as "Vrhov", "Orezov", "Oreov" and "Rahovo" being mentioned in documents until the current one was officially established in 1886. The area around Oryahovo has been inhabited since ancient times, as archaeological research has proven with findings from the early Neolithic to the Late Middle Ages. A fortress called "Kamaka" ("Камъка") is located 1 km east from Oryahovo, which existed from the 9th to the 14th century. In 1396, the city, already controlled by the Ottoman Turks, was sacked and its Ottoman civilian inhabitants killed while the prisoners were massacred by French crusaders heading towards  Nicopolis. The troops of Holy Roman Emperor Sigismund and Polish King Władysław III of Varna passed through the fortress during their unsuccessful crusades (the Battle of Nicopolis in 1396 and the Battle of Varna in 1444, respectively) against the Ottoman Empire. Bulgarian National Revival. During the Bulgarian National Revival, Oryahovo established itself as an economic and industrial centre and a key point for the supply of the Ottoman Empire with goods through the Danube. The town was mentioned as an important Danube port in a 1762 book printed in Brussels. The St George Church was opened in 1837, a secular  school was built in the town in 1857 and a community centre ("читалище, chitalishte") followed in 1871. During the Russo-Turkish War of 1877–78, the town was liberated on 21 November 1877 by Romanian forces after three-day fighting. A memorial by Italian sculptor Arnaldo Zocchi was erected in their honour. Liberated Bulgaria. After the liberation, Oryahovo was known for the lively trade and rich cultural life. A provincial centre for three months, it became the centre of an okrag for 10 years (1877–1882 and 1884–1889). The architecture from the period is typically influenced by the one of Western Europe , with many such buildings being preserved today. A railway line linking Oryahovo with Cherven Bryag was constructed in 1926, a new church, the Assumption of Mary Church, opened in 1930, and a new building for the community centre was built in 1936 after a project by two Vidin architects. Some of the first industrial companies in the city, a spare parts factory and a metalworking company, were opened in 1961. Kozloduy Nuclear Power Plant, a short drive west of town, is also a major employer. The ferry Oryahovo - Beckett, crossing Danube, is one of the main transport corridors from Bulgaria  to Romania. This is the most direct route from Sofia to Romania, Ukraine and other countries. Sport. Badminton. Badminton has been developed in Oryahovo since 1980. This sport has brought considerable fame to the city in Bulgaria, but also in Romania, the former USSR, Georgia, Poland, Moldova, Hungary and Northern Macedonia. The badminton coach is Koycho Stanev and his wife Nikulina Staneva. From 1981 to 1991, when the workers' badminton was closed, the men's team at the Post Office in Oryahovo was the undisputed republican champion. Composition: Koycho Stanev, Ventsislav Stanev, Boyko Angelov and Yani Kirilov. Many children practice  badminton in the renovated city hall. The badminton teams of Hristo Botev High School 5th - 7th and 8th - 10th grade are regularly participants in the finals of school games, invariably ranking among the top 6 teams in the country. The teams are entirely made up of players from the Badminton Club "Oryahovo 80" with chairman and coach Koycho Stanev and Nikulina Staneva. Today, many children train, with an emphasis on children's and youth badminton - up to 17 years inclusive. From the badminton school in Oryahovo is the national athlete Vladimir Metodiev, who competes in men. Children from 2nd to  10th grade train badminton. In 2010, coach Koycho Stanev participated in a national tournament for veterans in Varna, where at the age of 55+ in the men's doubles discipline he became a national champion with partner Radi Nikolov from Stara Zagora. In 2010, the youth team under 19 of the Badminton Club "Oryahovo-80" won the prestigious fourth place in the country at the State Team Championship for youth under 19, and the girls - 9th place in the country. The teams were composed of: boys - Alexander Valeriev, Devin Slavov, Kristian Petrov and Dean Genov, and the girls - Janet Borisova , Gloria Simova, Tsvetelina Vasileva and Dalia Tosheva. Coach Koycho Stanev participates in the course for second level coaches of the International Olympic Committee and the Bulgarian Olympic Committee. Honour. Oryahovo Heights on Livingston Island in the South Shetland Islands, Antarctica is named after Oryahovo.