| Montana, Bulgaria Монтана |
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  Montana, Bulgaria
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| Coordinates: 43°25′N 23°14′E / 43.417°N 23.233°E | |||
| Country |  Bulgaria |
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| Province (Oblast) |
Montana | ||
| Government | |||
| - Mayor | Zlatko Zhivkov | ||
| Elevation | 135 m (443 ft) | ||
| Population (13.09.2005) | |||
| - Total | 54,932 | ||
| Time zone | EET (UTC+2) | ||
| - Summer (DST) | EEST (UTC+3) | ||
| Postal Code | 3400 | ||
| Area code(s) | 096 | ||
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Montana (Bulgarian: Монтана) is a city in northwestern Bulgaria and the administrative centre of Montana Province. It is located 50 km south of the Danube, 40 km northwest of Vratsa and 30 km east of the Serbian border.
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Names
When the town was first settled by Slavs, it was known as Kutlovitsa, in Ottoman Turkish Kutlofça. The town was renamed Ferdinand in 1890, receiving the benevolence of Bulgarian Knyaz Ferdinand and a city status. In 1945, communist authorities changed the town's name to Hristo Mihaylov after red party activist Hristo Popmihaylov (died 1944), a leader of the 1923 September Uprising who was born there. A year later the name was changed to Mihaylovgrad. In 1993, after a presidential decree, the town received the name Montana, inspired by the name of the nearby Roman settlement[1].
Geography
Montana is situated on the river Ogosta, north of Stara Planina, surrounded on the south and east by uplands.
The climate is temperate continental, with a cold winter and hot summer. The average temperature is -2°C in January and 25°C in July. In the last 15–20 years, temperatures reaching up to 35-40°C in the summer are not uncommon.
History
Roman times
The region around Montana became part of the Roman province of Upper Moesia in 29 BC. Around 160, the military camp that was most likely founded on the remains of an older Thracian settlement, acquired city rights under the name of Municipio Montanensium.The oldest part of town is the neighborhood at the foot of Montana mountain (hill). The city developed and urbanized after a Roman model and became the second most important settlement in the province after Raciaria (modern-day Archar). A fortress was built on top of the hill over Montana, as well as public and residential buildings, temples, baths and theatres. Montana became a typical imperial settlement, where the local romanized population coexisted along Italic and Anatolian settlers. The base of the town's economy were the big landowners of Italic origin and their villas and mansions, where the locals served to obtain agricultural production and gold from Ogosta's river valley. A stratum of Greek settlers, who engaged in craftsmanship and money-landing existed in the town during the period. The patrons of Montana in the spirit of Hellenism were Diana and Apollo.
Middle Ages
Between 440 and 490, the northwest of modern Bulgaria was devastated by the raids of the Huns under Attila and the Goths. Slavs and Avars delivered the final strike on the Greco-Roman culture in the region, and the Slavs that settled in the area called the town Kutlovitsa. During the time of the First and Second Bulgarian Empires, the settlement recovered and became the centre of an eparchy.
Ottoman rule
After Kutlovitsa was seized by the Ottomans, the settlement was destroyed and became deserted. It was renamed "Kutlofça" by the Ottomans, which was derived from Kutlovitsa. Between 1450 and 1688, the town was resettled by Turks because of its strategic location, and went through another period of blossoming as a typically Oriental town. A mosque, fountains, and other new buildings were erected. There was also a Roman Bath left over the Middle Ages.
Modern history
After the Liberation began a massive wave of migration towards Kutlovitsa and a period of economic blossoming. An electric station, a train station, a post office and a hospital were built, a fair and a community centre emerged. She has a football team, who named PFC Montana. PFC Montana was founded in 1921 and played in Bulgarian A Professional Football Group between 1994-1997.
Born in Montana
- Yordanka Blagoeva (1947-01-19) - World champion and record holder in high jump between September 24, 1972 and August 24, 1974
- Stiliyan Petrov (r. 1979) - Player in the national football team of Bulgaria and Aston Villa
- Stefan Savov (1896 - 1969) - playwright
- Nelly Rangelova (r. 1958) - Bulgarian pop-singer
- Dragomir Asenov (1926 - 1981) - playwright
- Rosalin Nakov (1965) - Composer
- Elen Koleva ( March 31, 1984) - actress
- Ognyan Nikolov-opera singer
International relations
Twin towns — Sister cities
Montana is twinned with:
Banská Bystrica, Slovakia
Zhytomyr, Ukraine
Schmalkalden, Germany
Pirot, Serbia
Salvatierra/Agurain, Spain
Dzerzhinsky (town), Russia- Kassel, Germany
Honour
Montana Bluff on Livingston Island in the South Shetland Islands, Antarctica is named after the city of Montana.
Districts
- Central
- Mladost 1 and 2 - large residential district in the northwestern part of the town composed of about 40, built in the 80's, blocks of flats.
- Pliska
- Pastrina
- Mala Kutlovitsa - suburban district composed mainly of residential houses
- Izgrev
- Kosharnik - rundown neighbourhood on the outskirts of the town populated mainly with Roma Gypsies.
- Ogosta
- Zhivovtsi
- Industrial Zone
- Bodur Mahala (unofficial name)
- Barcelon mahala (unofficial name)
Gallery
 Church of Sts Cyril and Methodius |
 Central bus station |
 Monument to the victims of the wars |
 Fountains in the centre |
References
- ^ Rough Guide to Bulgaria (2008) ISBN 978 1 85828 068 4 p.182
External links
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