Vylkove

"Vâlcov" redirects here. For other uses, see Vâlcov (disambiguation).

Vylkove Вилкове
A canal in Vylkove
Coat of arms
Vylkove Location of Vylkove
Coordinates:
Country Oblast Raion	Ukraine Odessa Oblast Kiliya Raion
Founded	1746
City rights	1762
Population (2001)
• Total	9,300
Area code(s)	+380 4843

Vylkove (Ukrainian: Вилкове; Russian: Вилково; Romanian: Vâlcov) is a small city located in the Ukrainian part of the Danube Delta, at utmost South-West of Ukraine, on the border with Romania. Administratively it is part of the Kiliya Raion (district) of the Odessa Oblast (province).

Geography

Vylkove is located inside the Danube Delta marshlands, which makes grain growing almost impossible, thus making fishery in the Danube, delta lakes and in the Black Sea the main occupation of the local people. In addition, the city is famous for its viticulture and cultivation of strawberries on the islands in the river delta.

The administration of the Ukrainian Danube Biosphere Reserve is based in Vylkove. The territory of the Reserve includes the islands upstream and downstream the Danube, reedbeds to north from Danube, delta water bodies and adjacent area of the sea (2 km or 1.2 mi from the coast).

History

Vylkove was founded in 1746 and was assigned the status of "town" in 1762. It is the last settlement on bank of the Danube before the Black Sea. This town is also known as "The Ukrainian Venice" thanks to a number of channels excavated inside its territory — the reason why boating is a more common method of transport than an automobile.

Demographics

The population is about 9,300, according to the Ukrainian Census conducted in 2001. About 70% of the population consists of Lipovans, about 25% are Ukrainians, and the remainder are Moldovans, Romanians, Gagauzians (Turks of Christian Orthodox religion), and Bulgarians. The main confession is Christian Old Believers (Lipovans) (about 70%, mainly Russians), the rest are the members of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church. There are three churches in Vilkovo: two belong to Old Believers and one to Ukrainian Orthodox Church.

Gallery

• 

  One of the streets in Vylkove

• 

  St. Nicholas (old rite) Church

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  Saint Nicholas Orthodox Church in Vylkove

External links

• museum-collections.odessa.ua — The Bleschunov Municipal Museum of Personal Collections
• vilkovo.info - Vylkove boat guide. Info and rest-day in Vylkove