Attractions of Bolhrad

The memorial sign in honor of General Ivan Inzov was opened in 2010 for the 165th anniversary of the death of the founder of Bolhrad, a hero of the Franco-Russian war, a guardian of immigrants from the southern part of the Russian Empire.

The first monument to Inzov in Bolhrad was created with public funds back in 1911, but it was dismantled and taken to Romania under the Romanian authorities. It is planned to create an exact copy.

The current memorial is a round obelisk with a relief portrait of Inzov. The inscription on the reverse side reads: "General Inzov of the Suvorov and Kutuzov schools made a famous name for himself in military and civil positions. He gave the settlers a new life in the new Motherland. With his assistance, the construction of Bolhrad was started."

The Church of Saint Mitrofan in Bolhrad is the temple-tomb of General Ivan Inzov, the guardian of foreign settlements on the territory of Bessarabia, which the Russian Empire conquered in 1806-1812.

General Inzov paid special attention to the situation of the Bulgarian immigrants who founded Bolhrad. In particular, with his efforts, the Bulgarians were equalized in rights with the German colonists.

During his lifetime, Inzov expressed his desire "that his ashes lie in Bolhrad after his death." The cemetery rotunda church of Saint Mitrofan was built in 1840-1844. After Inzov's death in 1845 in Odesa, residents of Bolhrad carried the coffin with his remains on their shoulders to Bolhrad and buried them in the Saint Mitrofan Church, which became Inzov's mausoleum. The restored hearse of Inzov, which was never used for its intended purpose, is stored in the church. The words carved on the tombstone: "...He gave the envoys a new life in the new Motherland. The grateful Bulgarian colonists wished to transfer the ashes of the perpetrator of their prosperity to the depths of their settlement to preserve his name in the memory of the people."

The majestic Savior and Transfiguration Cathedral in Bolhrad is the main spiritual center of the Bulharian community of Bessarabia, a monument of cultural heritage of national significance.

The cathedral was built in 1833-1838 with donations from the inhabitants of the city of Bulgarian origin. Architect Abraham Melnykov used the architectural style of mature classicism in the project. The height of the dome, decorated with Corinthian pilasters, is 50 meters.

The interior was painted in 1912-1914 by the artist Pavlo Piskariov in the style of romanticism. Some sources indicate that the sketches for the murals were created by the famous artist Viktor Vasnetsov.

There is a small museum at the Transfiguration Cathedral, where some artifacts related to the history of the temple are collected.