Sfântu Gheorghe

History

According to the elders, the village was formed, in part, by political refugees arriving from Russia during the reign of Empress Catherine the Great, fleeing the military conscription that used to last for 25 years. Fishermen and hunters by trade, they settled at the mouth of the St. George branch and reached an understanding with Greek merchants, to whom they gave their catch in exchange for the necessities of life. Around the year 1735, Zaporozhians (Ukrainians), "hoholi" or "Cossacks," also arrived here. Following them, as a result of other official colonizations driven by the interests of the Ottoman and Tsarist Empires, Lipovans came from Russia, having been driven away by Patriarch Nikon. After some time, conflicts arose between them and the Ukrainians, leading the Lipovans to leave and establish the villages of Jurilovca and Sarichioi. The first Romanians settled in these parts at the beginning of the 19th century, specifically in the year 1810. In that year, a few shepherds with their flocks, coming from the foothills of the Făgăraș Mountains and led by a head shepherd named Niculea, settled on the sandbank (grind) that today bears the name of Grindul Nicu. The name of the sandbank comes from the shepherd's name, except that, over time, the last syllable was lost. During Napoleon Bonaparte's campaign in Russia, the Russian authorities retreated from his path. Russian serfs took advantage of this and fled to Dobruja, and some, moving down toward the sea, coexisted with Niculea's shepherds. At that time, the Black Sea was teeming with Greek ships trading with Moldavia along the Sulina branch. In 1820, some of these ships began to detour to Sfântu Gheorghe with all kinds of fruit, which the fishermen took in exchange for fish. Over time, fish production increased…

Most-observed species

• Great Cormorant/European Shag

  Phalacrocorax carbo (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  116
• Gray/Purple Heron

  Ardea cinerea Linnaeus, 1758 · Aves
  113
• Mute Swan

  Cygnus olor (J.F.Gmelin, 1789) · Aves
  112
• Pygmy cormorant

  Microcarbo pygmaeus (Pallas, 1773) · Aves
  108
• Great White Pelican

  Pelecanus onocrotalus Linnaeus, 1758 · Aves
  108
• Great Egret

  Ardea alba Linnaeus, 1758 · Aves
  105
• Hooded Crow

  Corvus cornix Linnaeus, 1758 · Aves
  89
• Eurasian Hobby

  Falco subbuteo Linnaeus, 1758 · Aves
  88

Most recent

• M 2.5 — 2007-11-10
  6 km ENE of Sfântu Gheorghe, Romania
• M 2.5 — 2007-06-20
  91 km SSE of Sfântu Gheorghe, Romania
• M 3.7 — 2006-01-04
  3 km NW of Maliuc, Romania
• M 3.5 — 2005-04-18
  4 km NNE of Nuf?ru, Romania
• M 2.9 — 2005-02-15
  3 km NW of Malcoci, Romania
• M 2.7 — 2005-01-24
  0 km E of Valea Nucarilor, Romania