Dimitrovgrad, Bulgaria

Dimitrovgrad, Bulgaria
Димитровград

Coat of arms
Dimitrovgrad, Bulgaria

Location of Dimitrovgrad, Bulgaria

Coordinates: 42°3′N 25°36′E / 42.050°N 25.600°E / 42.050; 25.600Coordinates: 42°3′N 25°36′E / 42.050°N 25.600°E / 42.050; 25.600
Country Bulgaria
Province
(Oblast)		 Haskovo
Government
 • Mayor Ivo Dimov
Area
 • City 62.436 km2 (24.107 sq mi)
Elevation 125 m (410 ft)
Population (Census February 2011)[1]
 • City 38,015
 • Density 610/km2 (1,600/sq mi)
 • Urban 52,541
Time zone EET (UTC+2)
 • Summer (DST) EEST (UTC+3)
Postal Code 6400
Area code(s) 0391
Website Official website

Dimitrovgrad (Bulgarian: Димитровград) is a town in Haskovo Province, south-central Bulgaria, located close to the province capital - Haskovo. It is a newly founded settlement, and was built at the end of the 1940s. The town takes its name from the communist leader Georgi Dimitrov. The town is the administrative centre of the homonymous Dimitrovgrad Municipality. As of February 2011, it had a population of 38,015 inhabitants (municipal population - 52,541).[1][2][3]

History

The city was built in 1947 by the Communist government of the time and the brigades organized for that purpose. On the 2 September, 1947 the town's establishment was officially announced, but its construction and expansion continued intensively for several more years, as the three villages (Rakovski, Mariyno and Chernokonyovo) that existed at the place were merged to form Dimitrovgrad. The main practical reason behind the new city was to create a modern industrial centre. Of course, there was also an ideological foundation for building it. In 1970 the celebration of the national poetry festival 'Penio Penev' took place for the first time, and that tradition continues to the present. In 1980 the biennial Bulgarian theatrical poster was held for the first time. In 1987 the museum – house Penio Penev was opened.

The courts of justice in Dimitrovgrad, Bulgaria.
Dimitrovgrad park Penyo Penev.

In 1992, the monument to Georgi Dimitrov, the man after which the town is named, was removed by the authorities. This move, however, proved very unpopular with the local residents and in 2012 a plan was adopted by Dimitrovgrad city council to restore the statue and re-mount it by 2013.[4]

Tourism

Architecture in Dimitrovgrad is similar to that of the Roman Empire: it has spacious streets and large parks. It is one of the greenest cities in Bulgaria. There are three large parks with about 15 lakes, dozens of species of rare trees, shrubs and flowers, sculptures, gazebos and fountains.


Population

The population of Dimitrovgrad during the first decade after its foundation was about 34,000.[3] Since then it started growing, mostly because of migrants arriving from rural areas. This migration reached its peak in the period between 1985 and 1992, when it exceeded 50,000.[2] Since this time, and particularly during the 1990s, the population has declined rapidly due to the poor economic situation in the Bulgarian provinces that lead to a new migration in the direction of the country's capital Sofia and abroad.


Dimitrovgrad
Year 1887 1910 1934 1946 1956 1965 1975 1985 1992 2001 2005 2009 2011 2013
Population --- --- --- --- 34,162 41,816 45,595 53,804 50,677 45,918 42,840 41,810 ?? ??
Highest number ?? in ??
Sources: National Statistical Institute,[1] „citypopulation.de“,[2] „pop-stat.mashke.org“,[3] Bulgarian Academy of Sciences[5]


Twinnings

References

  1. 1 2 3 (English) Bulgarian National Statistical Institute - towns in 2009
  2. 1 2 3 (English) „WorldCityPopulation“
  3. 1 2 3 „pop-stat.mashke.org“
  4. ↑ (Bulgarian) http://www.dnevnik.bg/bulgaria/2012/06/29/1856367_dimitrovgrad_vrushta_pametnika_na_patrona_si_v_aleia - Restoration of the Georgi Dimitrov monument in Dimitrovgrad]
  5. ↑ (Bulgarian) Bulgarian Academy of Sciences
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