The Town of Cahul until the Beginning of the 19th Century

Abstract

The city of Cahul, located in the south-west of the Republic of Moldova, near the Prut, furrowed by the valleys of several rivers and streams, guarded by several hills and peaks, offered economic opportunities and allowed people to live in this region since ancient times. In the post-war period, on the estate of the city of Cahul, archaeologists discovered the first human settlements, which appeared around 1300 BC. The first documentary attestation of the locality took place 520 years ago. But the town is much older. The locality is several centuries old, changing its name several times (Șchei, Frumoasa) depending on the influx of population and the current political situation. After 1383, the Romanian state formation on the lower reaches of the Siret and the Prut led by Voivod Șendre voluntarily entered the composition of the Republic of Moldova headed by the Grand Voivode Petru Mușatinul, thus the current Cahul became part of the Moldavian state. Gifted by Ștefan cel Mare to Putna Monastery, plundered numerous times by Turks and Tatars, Cahul got its name in 1835, by decree of Tsar Nicholas I, obtaining the status of city and county. The evolution of Cahul was also marked by the activity of historical and cultural personalities such as B.P. Hasdeu and M. Kogălniceanu.

Keywords

• cahul
• șcheia
• frumoasa
• ștefan cel mare
• moldovan localities