The Prut (also spelled in English as Pruth; , ) is a river in

Eastern Europe Eastern Europe is a subregion of the Europe, European continent. As a largely ambiguous term, it has a wide range of geopolitical, geographical, ethnic, cultural and socio-economic connotations. Its eastern boundary is marked by the Ural Mountain ...

. It is a left

tributary A tributary, or an ''affluent'', is a stream or river that flows into a larger stream (''main stem'' or ''"parent"''), river, or a lake. A tributary does not flow directly into a sea or ocean. Tributaries, and the main stem river into which they ...

of the

Danube The Danube ( ; see also #Names and etymology, other names) is the List of rivers of Europe#Longest rivers, second-longest river in Europe, after the Volga in Russia. It flows through Central and Southeastern Europe, from the Black Forest sou ...

, and is long. Part of its course forms

Romania Romania is a country located at the crossroads of Central Europe, Central, Eastern Europe, Eastern and Southeast Europe. It borders Ukraine to the north and east, Hungary to the west, Serbia to the southwest, Bulgaria to the south, Moldova to ...

's border with

Moldova Moldova, officially the Republic of Moldova, is a Landlocked country, landlocked country in Eastern Europe, with an area of and population of 2.42 million. Moldova is bordered by Romania to the west and Ukraine to the north, east, and south. ...

and

Ukraine Ukraine is a country in Eastern Europe. It is the List of European countries by area, second-largest country in Europe after Russia, which Russia–Ukraine border, borders it to the east and northeast. Ukraine also borders Belarus to the nor ...

Characteristics

The Prut originates on the eastern slope of Mount

Hoverla Mount Hoverla (Ukrainian language, Ukrainian and ), at , is the highest mountain in Ukraine and part of the Ukrainian Carpathians. The mountain is located in the Eastern Beskids, in the Chornohora region. The slopes are covered with beech and spr ...

, in the

Carpathian Mountains The Carpathian Mountains or Carpathians () are a range of mountains forming an arc across Central Europe and Southeast Europe. Roughly long, it is the third-longest European mountain range after the Ural Mountains, Urals at and the Scandinav ...

(

Ivano-Frankivsk Oblast Ivano-Frankivsk Oblast (), also referred to as Ivano-Frankivshchyna () or simply Frankivshchyna, is an administrative divisions of Ukraine, oblast (region) in western Ukraine. Its administrative center is the city of Ivano-Frankivsk. It has a pop ...

). At first, the river flows to the north. Near Yaremche it turns to the northeast, and near

Kolomyia Kolomyia (, ), formerly known as Kolomea, is a city located on the Prut, Prut River in Ivano-Frankivsk Oblast in the west of Ukraine. It serves as the administrative centre of Kolomyia Raion, hosting the administration of Kolomyia urban hromada ...

to the south-east. Having reached the border between Moldova and Romania, it turns even more to the south-east, and then to the south. It eventually joins the

near Giurgiulești, east of

Galați Galați ( , , ; also known by other #Etymology and names, alternative names) is the capital city of Galați County in the historical region of Western Moldavia, in eastern Romania. Galați is a port town on the river Danube. and the sixth-larges ...

and west of Reni. Between 1918 and 1939, the river was partly in

Poland Poland, officially the Republic of Poland, is a country in Central Europe. It extends from the Baltic Sea in the north to the Sudetes and Carpathian Mountains in the south, bordered by Lithuania and Russia to the northeast, Belarus and Ukrai ...

and partly in

Greater Romania Greater Romania () is the Kingdom of Romania in the interwar period, achieved after the Great Union or the related pan-nationalist ideal of a nation-state which would incorporate all Romanian speakers.Irina LivezeanuCultural Politics in Greate ...

(Romanian: ''România Mare''). Prior to

World War I World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...

, it served as a border between Romania and the

Russian Empire The Russian Empire was an empire that spanned most of northern Eurasia from its establishment in November 1721 until the proclamation of the Russian Republic in September 1917. At its height in the late 19th century, it covered about , roughl ...

. After

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

, the river once again denoted a border, this time between Romania and the

Soviet Union The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR), commonly known as the Soviet Union, was a List of former transcontinental countries#Since 1700, transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 until Dissolution of the Soviet ...

. Nowadays, for a length of , it forms the border between Romania and Ukraine, and for , it forms the border between Romania and Moldova. It has a hydrographic basin of 27,540 km², of which are in Romania and in Moldova. The largest city along its banks is

Chernivtsi Chernivtsi (, ; , ;, , see also #Names, other names) is a city in southwestern Ukraine on the upper course of the Prut River. Formerly the capital of the historic region of Bukovina, which is now divided between Romania and Ukraine, Chernivt ...

. The Stânca-Costești Dam, operated jointly by Moldova and Romania, is built on the Prut. There is also a Hydro-Electric Station in Sniatyn (

). Ships travel from the river's mouth to the port city of

Leova Leova is a city in Moldova, located 92 km southwest of the national capital, Chișinău. It is the administrative center of Leova District. The city is situated on the east bank of the river Prut bordering Romania. History The city of Leova is ...

(southern

). The lowermost part of the basin is strongly marshy. The average discharge at its

mouth A mouth also referred to as the oral is the body orifice through which many animals ingest food and animal communication#Auditory, vocalize. The body cavity immediately behind the mouth opening, known as the oral cavity (or in Latin), is also t ...

is . The average discharge at the city of Leova is . The slope of the river varies from 100 m/km (near the source) to 0.05 m/km (near the mouth). In the upper reaches (to Delyatyn) it has a mountainous character, with a steep right bank, sometimes the cross-sectional profile of the channel has the form of a ridge. Near the city of Yaremche is the waterfall of Probiy.

Name

The Prut was known in Antiquity as the ''Pyretus'' (), or Scythian ''Porata'' (possibly), ''Hierasus'' () or ''Gerasius''. Herodotus lists the Prut, under the name of Porata or Pyretus, as being among the five rivers flowing through the

Scythian The Scythians ( or ) or Scyths (, but note Scytho- () in composition) and sometimes also referred to as the Pontic Scythians, were an ancient Eastern Iranian equestrian nomadic people who had migrated during the 9th to 8th centuries BC fr ...

country which swell the Danube. In the second volume of the Ottoman-Bulgarian chronicles of Iman "Jagfar Tarihi" (1680) the Prut River is referred to as Burat. And in the Byzantine treatise of Constantine Porphyrogennetos " On the management of the empire" it is mentioned as the Brut river (Chap. 38) or as Burat (Chapter 42).

Towns

The following towns are situated along the river Prut, from source to mouth: Vorokhta, Yaremche, Deliatyn, Lanchyn,

, Zabolotiv, Sniatyn, Nepolokivtsi, Luzhany,

Novoselytsia Novoselytsia (, ; , ; ; ) is a city in Chernivtsi Raion, Chernivtsi Oblast, Chernivtsi Raion, Chernivtsi Oblast (oblast, province) of Ukraine. It stands at the northern tip of Bessarabia region, on its border with Bukovina. It hosts the administra ...

, Darabani, Lipcani,

Ungheni Ungheni () is a municipality in Moldova. With a population of 35,157, it is the seventh largest town in Moldova and the seat of Ungheni District. There is a bridge across the Prut and a List of Moldova–Romania border crossings, border chec ...

, Cantemir and

Cahul Cahul (; also known by alternative names) is a city and municipality in southern Moldova. The city is the administrative center of Cahul District; it also administers one village, Cotihana. As of 2014 census, the city has a population of 30,0 ...

Tributaries

The following rivers are tributaries to the river Prut (source to mouth): Left: Turka, Chorniava, Sovytsia, Rokytna, Rynhach, Cherlena, Larga (Briceni), Vilia, Lopatnic, Racovăț, Ciuhur, Camenca, Delia, Nârnova, Lăpușna, Sărata, Larga (Cantemir) Right: Pistynka, Rybnytsia,

Cheremosh The Cheremosh River (, , ) is a river in western Ukraine, right-bank tributary of the river Prut. Description It is formed by confluence of two upper streams of the river ''Bilyi Cheremosh'' (White Cheremosh) and ''Chornyi Cheremosh'' (Black Che ...

, Derelui, Hertsa, Poiana, Cornești,

Isnovăț The Isnovăț is a right tributary of the river Prut in Romania Romania is a country located at the crossroads of Central Europe, Central, Eastern Europe, Eastern and Southeast Europe. It borders Ukraine to the north and east, Hungary to th ...

, Rădăuți, Ghireni,

Volovăț Volovăț () is a commune located in Suceava County, in the historical region of Bukovina, northeastern Romania. It is composed of a single village, namely Volovăț, and also included the village of Burla until 2004, when it was split off to ...

, Badu,

Bașeu The Bașeu is a right tributary of the river Prut in Romania. It discharges into the Prut near Ștefănești, on the border with Moldova Moldova, officially the Republic of Moldova, is a Landlocked country, landlocked country in Eastern E ...

, Corogea, Berza Veche, Râioasa, Soloneț, Cerchezoaia, Jijia, Bohotin, Moșna,

Pruteț The Pruteț is a right tributary of the river Prut in Romania. It flows into the Prut in Vetrișoaia, Bumbăta.Elan, Horincea, Oancea, Stoeneșa, Brănești, Chineja

Historical events

In 1538, the Ottoman army of

Suleiman the Magnificent Suleiman I (; , ; 6 November 14946 September 1566), commonly known as Suleiman the Magnificent in the Western world and as Suleiman the Lawgiver () in his own realm, was the List of sultans of the Ottoman Empire, Ottoman sultan between 1520 a ...

crossed the Prut during the campaign of Karaboğdan. During the Russo-Turkish War of 1710–1711, on 19 July 1711 Russian forces initially divided among

Peter the Great Peter I (, ; – ), better known as Peter the Great, was the Sovereign, Tsar and Grand Prince of all Russia, Tsar of all Russia from 1682 and the first Emperor of Russia, Emperor of all Russia from 1721 until his death in 1725. He reigned j ...

's army on the west bank and Boris Sheremetev's army on the east bank of the Pruth and allied with

Dimitrie Cantemir Dimitrie or Demetrius; Cantemir (; ; 26 October 1673 – 21 August 1723), also known by other spellings, was a Moldavian prince, statesman, and man of letters. He twice served as voivode of Moldavia (March–April 1693 and 1710–1711). Durin ...

, the ruler of Moldova, met with the Ottoman army led by

Grand Vizier Grand vizier (; ; ) was the title of the effective head of government of many sovereign states in the Islamic world. It was first held by officials in the later Abbasid Caliphate. It was then held in the Ottoman Empire, the Mughal Empire, the Soko ...

Baltaci Mehmed Pasha. The Turks and Crimean Tatars attacked first against Sheremetev, who then retreated to the other side to join Peter the Great. Afterwards the Russian army set up a defensive camp between

Stănilești Stănilești is a commune in Vaslui County, Western Moldavia, Romania Romania is a country located at the crossroads of Central Europe, Central, Eastern Europe, Eastern and Southeast Europe. It borders Ukraine to the north and east, Hungar ...

and the river, which was then completely surrounded by the Ottoman army. Negotiations started on 21 July 1711 and the Treaty of the Prut was signed on 23 July 1711. After this treaty, Dimitrie Cantemir had to go in exile at Moscow. This treaty led to the end of local dynasties of kings and inauguration of Greek rulers from the Fanar Quarter of Istanbul ( Phanariotes). During the Russo-Turkish War of 1768-74, on 1 August 1770, Russian forces led by Field Marshal

Pyotr Rumyantsev Count Pyotr Alexandrovich Rumyantsev-Zadunaisky (; – ) was one of the foremost Russian generals of the 18th century, and is widely considered to be one of Russia's greatest military leaders, and one of the greatest military commanders in ...

defeated a larger Ottoman army led by Grand Vizier Ivazzade Halil Pasha in the Battle of Kagul on the Prut. In 1821, the Greek Nationalist leader

Alexander Ypsilantis Alexandros Ypsilantis (12 December 1792 – 31 January 1828) was a Greek nationalist politician who was member of a prominent Phanariot Greeks, Phanariot Greek family, a prince of the Danubian Principalities, a senior officer of the Imperial R ...

crossed the Prut river at Sculeni, with the intention of touching off a rebellion in the Danubian Principalities. Though the Wallachian uprising ultimately failed — due especially to irreconcilable differences between Ypsilantis and his Wallachian ally

Tudor Vladimirescu Tudor Vladimirescu (; c. 1780 – ) was a Romanian revolutionary hero, the leader of the Wallachian uprising of 1821 and of the Pandur militia. He is also known as Tudor din Vladimiri (''Tudor from Vladimiri'') or, occasionally, as Domnul Tudor ...

— it did touch off the

Greek War of Independence The Greek War of Independence, also known as the Greek Revolution or the Greek Revolution of 1821, was a successful war of independence by Greek revolutionaries against the Ottoman Empire between 1821 and 1829. In 1826, the Greeks were assisted ...

, leading to the

Kingdom of Greece The Kingdom of Greece (, Romanization, romanized: ''Vasíleion tis Elládos'', pronounced ) was the Greece, Greek Nation state, nation-state established in 1832 and was the successor state to the First Hellenic Republic. It was internationally ...

gaining independence ten years later. In the Principalities it led to the end of Greek Phanariote rule, and indirectly to increasing self-government and eventually to the independence of

several decades later. In Greek history, Ypsilantis' crossing of the Prut is an important historical event, commemorated in a famous painting displayed at

Athens Athens ( ) is the Capital city, capital and List of cities and towns in Greece, largest city of Greece. A significant coastal urban area in the Mediterranean, Athens is also the capital of the Attica (region), Attica region and is the southe ...

Popular culture

Sydir Vorobkevych: Within that Prut Valley (Над Прутом у лузі).The Ukrainian Weekly 1933-02.pdf
Within that Prut Valley a cabin rests close
In which lives a lassie—a beautiful rose:
Her eyes like the bright stars that lighten the sky;
When you see them, laddie, you'll pause with a sigh. Within that Prut Valley the moon does not shine,
'Tis only a lover has come to his shrine.
A sweet conversation in murmur now goes
While dreamy old river just quietly flows. Within that Prut Valley the flowers are plucked
And wreathes for the wedding with myrtle are tucked;
Inside of the cabin play fiddles and bass
While friends sing together: To their Happiness!
Translated by Waldimir Semenyna (13 October 1933, '' Ukrainian Weekly'').

Bridges

* Lipcani-Rădăuți Bridge * Eiffel Bridge, Ungheni * Costești-Stânca * Fălciu-Cantemir * Oancea-Cahul * Galați-Giurgiulești

Gallery

File:Skelia sphinx.JPG, Skelia sphinx File:Pruth Giurgiulesti.JPG, Prut near Giurgiulești, Cahul District File:01898 Brücke über den Pruth (Prut) bei Jaremcze (Jaremze) von Karl Jeczmieniowski.jpg, Bridge over the Prut at Yaremche. Drawing by Karl Jeczmieniowski, 1893 File:Banks of the Pruth, the boundary between the Russian territory and Moldavia.jpg, Banks of the Prut in an 1876 edition of ''

The Illustrated London News ''The Illustrated London News'', founded by Herbert Ingram and first published on Saturday 14 May 1842, was the world's first illustrated weekly news magazine. The magazine was published weekly for most of its existence, switched to a less freq ...

'' File:Bundesarchiv B 145 Bild-F016198-0033, Rumänien, Brückenbau über den Pruth.jpg, German engineers building a

pontoon bridge A pontoon bridge (or ponton bridge), also known as a floating bridge, is a bridge that uses float (nautical), floats or shallow-draft (hull), draft boats to support a continuous deck for pedestrian and vehicle travel. The buoyancy of the support ...

across the Prut River during the advance towards

Uman Uman (, , ) is a city in Cherkasy Oblast, central Ukraine. It is located to the east of Vinnytsia. Located in the east of the historical region of Podolia, the city rests on the banks of the Umanka River. Uman serves as the administrative c ...

, 1941 File:Prut at its beginning.jpg, Prut at its beginning File:Prut River im. 1499.jpg, Prut River between Dămideni (Romania) and Balatina (Moldova)

References

External links

*
Prut River
at the

Encyclopedia of Ukraine The ''Encyclopedia of Ukraine'' (), published from 1984 to 2001, is a fundamental work of Ukrainian Studies. Development The work was created under the auspices of the Shevchenko Scientific Society in Europe (Sarcelles, near Paris). As the ...

{{DEFAULTSORT:Prut River International rivers of Europe Moldova–Romania border Ramsar sites in Ukraine Rivers of Botoșani County Rivers of Chernivtsi Oblast Rivers of Galați County Rivers of Iași County Rivers of Ivano-Frankivsk Oblast Rivers of Moldova Rivers of Romania Rivers of Vaslui County Border rivers Romania–Soviet Union border