Drăgănești is a commune in Sîngerei District, in the central-northern part of the Republic of Moldova. It is composed of three villages: Drăgănești (the seat), Chirileni, and Sacarovca.
Geography
The commune is located at coordinates 47°43′N 28°15′E, approximately 19 km from the town of Sîngerei and 126 km from the capital Chișinău. The village of Drăgănești is situated at an altitude of 135 meters above sea level.
History
The village of Drăgănești was first mentioned in a historical document in 1536 under the name Pîrtești. Another date of first attestation is given as April 16, 1617, depending on the documentary source. The local church, dedicated to Saint Nicholas, was built in 1822, and the village's feast day (hram) is celebrated on May 22.
Demographics
According to the 2014 census, the commune had a total population of 2,940 inhabitants. The 2004 census recorded 3,047 residents for the commune and 2,529 for the village of Drăgănești itself. The ethnic composition of the village in 2004 was approximately 96.6% Moldovans, 1.38% Ukrainians, 1.23% Romanians, 0.63% Russians, and smaller numbers of Gagauz, Bulgarians, and others.
Administration
The local council (Consiliul local Drăgănești) consists of 11 councillors. Following the November 2023 local elections, the council is composed of 6 members from the Liberal Democratic Party of Moldova (PLDM), 3 from the Party of Action and Solidarity (PAS), 1 from the Party of Socialists (PSRM), and 1 from the Coalition for Unity and Welfare (CUB). The mayor (primar) of Drăgănești is Sergiu Dubenco.
Infrastructure and Economy
The village of Drăgănești covers an area of approximately 3.09 km². It has 5 shops, a café, a barbershop, a dry cleaner, a medical center, a hospital, two preschool institutions, a general school, a cultural center, 3 libraries, a post office, and 3 sports fields. The agricultural land in the public sector spans 2,728 ha, including 1,725 ha of arable land, 176 ha of vineyards, and 239 ha of orchards. The private sector covers 361 ha. There are 426 wells, 21 km of roads, and approximately 1,000 liquefied gas installations in the locality.
The public medical institution "Centrul de Sănătate Drăgănești" serves the area and is under the authority of the Sîngerei District Council.
Notable People
- Alexandru Groapă – public figure associated with the locality.
- Serhiy Tihipko (born 1960) – Ukrainian politician, businessman, and former Vice Prime Minister of Ukraine, who was born in Drăgănești.
See Also
- Sîngerei District
- List of communes in Moldova
References
- Results of Population and Housing Census in the Republic of Moldova in 2014, National Bureau of Statistics of the Republic of Moldova (2017).
- Clasificatorul unităților administrativ-teritoriale al Republicii Moldova (CUATM).
- Date from the Sîngerei District Monograph (2021).
- Romanian Wikipedia and Russian Wikipedia entries for Drăgănești.
