Briceni, Moldova

🇲🇩 Briceni is a city in northern Moldova. It is the seat of Briceni District.

Demographics At the 1930 census, there were two localities: Briceni Târg (literally Briceni Fair), and Briceni Sat (literally Briceni village), and at the time they were part of Plasa Briceni of Hotin County.

Etymology The town has been also called: Berchan, Bricheni, Bricheni Târg, Bricheni Sat, Britchan, Britchani, Britsiteni. A village, approximately 50 km (30 mi) to the east to the city, is also known as Briceni. It is at 48° 22´ north latitude and 27° 42´ east longitude, which puts that town 174 km (108 mi) north north-west of Chişinău.

Jewish community • 1817 The town (then a fair) had 137 Jewish families. Another 47 had previously left when the village was partly destroyed by fire. • 1847 Jewish school opened. • 1850 Briceni had one of the largest Jewish communities in Bessarabia. • 1885 Jewish hospital founded. • 1897 There were 7,184 Jews in Bricheni (96.5% of the total population) • 1898 The town had 7,303 Jews out of a total population of 8,094. There were 972 Jewish artisans, most of whom were furriers who produced and exported up to 25,000 fur overcoats and caps per year. 25 families were dedicated to gardening and to producing tobacco. About 700 Jews were day laborers, earning 10–30 kopeck per day. • 1924 125 Jews were occupied in agriculture on 64 km² (approx. 1,600 acres) of land, most of it (5 km²) held on lease. • 1930 5354 Jews (95.2% of the total population). There was a Hebrew Tarbut school. • 1940 Jewish population grew to about 10,000. • June, 1940 Briceni, along with the rest of Bessarabia was occupied by the USSR. Most Jewish property and community buildings were confiscated. The only synagogue was saved because the Soviets decided to use it as a granary. About 80 Jews, mostly community leaders, were exiled to Siberia. • July 8, 1941 German & Romanian troops passed through the town, murdering many Jews. Jews from the neighboring towns of Lipcani (then Lipcani Târg) and Sokyriany (then Secureni Târg) were brought to Briceni. • July 28, 1941 All Jews were dispatched across the river Dniester (outside Bessarabia) and several were shot en route. When they arrived in Mohyliv-Podilskyi, the Germans "selected" the old people and forced the younger ones to dig graves for them. From Mohyliv-Podilskyi the rest were turned back to Otaci and then on to Secureni-Târg. Hundreds died en route. For a month they stayed in the ghetto there, only to be deported again to Transnistria in late 1941. All the young Jews were murdered in a forest near Soroca. • After 1945 Only about 1,000 Jews returned to Briceni at the end of the World War II. • The Jewish cemetery of Briceni contains some 3,250 remaining tombstones though it is heavily overgrown and many are illegible. It is located in the eastern vicinities of the town, left of the road R11 leading to Ocnița.

History On 5 December 2022, during a Russian bombing campaign against Ukraine during the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine, a missile fell within the borders of Moldova into an orchard near Briceni. This was only the second such incident in Moldova, as previously on 31 October, a Russian rocket had fallen into the village of Naslavcea. Later, on 14 January 2023, another missile fell into the village of Larga and again on the same village on 16 February of the same year. As a result of the latter incident, residents of Briceni expressed fear. On 25 September, a missile crashed into Chițcani, for the first time in Moldovan territory controlled by Transnistria.

Media • Radio Chișinău 102,6 FM.

Economy Briceni District in the National Development Complex of the Republic of Moldova, is presented as an agrarian-industrial district. In 2004, 20,000 were active economic agents, including industrial enterprises of 1070, 18,000 peasant farms, joint stock companies 27, 185 limited liability companies, cooperatives 32, 20 trade enterprises, 19 state companies, insurance associations 20 associations households peasant 2 and budgetary organizations 186.

Agriculture Agriculture is the main economic branch of the district dominated by increasing crops such as sugar beet and tobacco. And cereal crops: wheat, barley and oats. Orchards have an important part of global agricultural production is grown mainly district: apple, cherry, plum and more.

Transport Transportation Briceni is divided between transport drivers transporting people and goods to introduce lesser extent, its main routes are inter-district, Chișinău, Bălți and Chernovtsy. Rail node is based on Lipcani ensure primarily to carry goods and fuel.

Culture The district operates 31 houses and homes of culture, 32 public libraries, five schools of arts education, which includes 154 employees. Most houses, libraries, art schools have a good basic material, cultural institutions headquarters remain in an exemplary cleaning. Most cultural events are organized by the homes of culture, library and music school in the village of Larga, the homes of culture in the villages Drepcăuți, Balasinești, Tețcani. Noted that a number of artistic groups, who the honorary title "model" of rural district participated in various festivals, competitions, both national, and international. Dances from the village collectives and wide band "Izvoras" village Colicăuți became winners of the 32nd edition of "La hore hearth". Vocal-instrumental ensemble "Amor" village festival Drepcăuți became laureate of contest "harmonies fall". Recently, the folk dance team "Marinca" from the village participated in international festival Larga choreography "Vesennie arabeski" held in the Luhansk Oblast, Ukraine, where he won the title of laureate of the prestigious international festival. In district 28 artistic groups working with the honorary title "model".

Sport In Briceni District registered 196 sports facilities and two stadiums: those of Larga and Drepcăuți. In Briceni began renovated stadium. Specialized finishes Olympic Boxing Centre in the village Grimăncăuți. In 29 sports halls and courts have held 160 training and sports competitions. Good results are recorded by the School no. 2 Briceni schools Grimăncăuți, Medveja, other. Medveja School performance results have Grimăncăuți boxers, Briceni (coach Peter Caduc obsolete master emeritus in sport). In the period 1979-2004 were trained 30 champions of the republic among the juniors and cadets. School has given over 30 national championships between junior champions. Were training 7 medals at the European Championships, European Cups and the Olympics. The highest recorded performance was by Vitalie Grușac, who won a bronze medal at the Sydney Olympics (2000) and qualified for the 2004 Summer Olympic Games in Athens.