Ungheni

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Ungheni
Municipality
Piața Independenței (Independence Square)
Flag Coat of arms
Ungheni Location within Moldova
Coordinates: 47°13′N 27°49′E / 47.217°N 27.817°E / 47.217; 27.817
Country	Moldova
County	Ungheni District
First mentioned	1462
Government
• Mayor	Vitalie Vrabie
Area
• Total	16.4 km2 (6.3 sq mi)
Population  (2014)
• Total	30,804
• Density	1,880/km2 (4,860/sq mi)
Time zone	UTC+2 (EET)
• Summer (DST)	UTC+3 (EEST)
Website	Official website

Ungheni (Romanian pronunciation: [uŋˈɡenʲ] ^ⓘ) is a city, municipality and the seat of Ungheni District in the Republic of Moldova.

There is a bridge across the Prut River and a border checkpoint to Romania. The town of Ungheni in the Republic of Moldova lays across the Prut from the village of Ungheni in Romania, the two being historically part of the same town.

History

The first historical mention of Ungheni dates to 20 August 1462. A railway between Ungheni and Chișinău was built in 1875 by Russia in preparation for the Russo-Turkish War of 1877–1878. In the interwar period, the town formed part of Romania. During World War II, it was occupied by the Soviet Union from 1940, then recaptured by Romania in 1941, and then re-occupied by the Soviet Union in 1944, within which it formed part of the Moldavian SSR. After the war, the rail route through Ungheni became the main connection between the USSR and Romania.

Features and attractions

Gustave Eiffel bridge

Main article: Eiffel Bridge, Ungheni

In 1876, after the spring flooding of the river Prut, the railway bridge that linked Moldova and Romania was almost destroyed. The Railways Department invited Gustave Eiffel to Bessarabia (Moldova) to redesign and rebuild the bridge. Today, it remains a strategic structure under the supervision of border guards.

The EU proposed in 2023 to lay a new rail 1435mm standard gauge line from Ungheni to Chisinau, alongside the existing 1520mm track, to avoid disruption to existing services.

See also: Iași–Chișinău pipeline

Transport

Ungheni has a well-developed network of roads of both national and local importance, and serves as a key railway hub and customs border crossing that connects the domestic network with international routes.

Rail

Ungheni railway station is an international crossing point, handling both freight and passenger transport. It is the largest railway junction in central Moldova, with limited services to Chișinău and international services to Kyiv.

Demographics

According to the 2024 census, 26,457 inhabitants lived in Ungheni (making it the sixth largest city in Moldova), a decrease compared to the previous census in 2014, when 30,804 inhabitants were registered.

Media

• Unghiul
• Expresul de Ungheni
• Euronova TV
• UNGHENI.TV
• Radio Chişinău 93.8 FM
• Vocea Basarabiei 100.1 FM

Natives

• Anatolie Arhire
• Constantin Bejenaru
• Alexandr Braico
• Eugen Carpov
• I. A. L. Diamond
• Natalia Munteanu
• Vanotek - Moldovan-Romanian record producer and disc jockey
• Shmuel Cohen - Jewish poet, wrote the Music of Hatikvah, the national anthem of Israel

International relations

Consulates

•  Romania – Consulate^{[citation needed]}

Gallery

• 
  The first historical mention of Ungheni dates to 20 August 1462
• 
  Museum
• 
  Socialist mosaics
• 
  Palace of Culture
• 
  Saint Alexander church
• 
  Town Hall

References

• Brezianu, Andrei and Spânu, Vlad (eds.) (2007) "Ungheni" Historical Dictionary of Moldova (2nd ed.) Scarecrow Press, Lanham, Maryland, USA, p. 371, ISBN 978-0-8108-5607-3

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Ungheni.