About Belgorod-Dnestrovskiy
Belgorod-Dnestrovsky is a city (68,900) in Southern Ukraine, a port at the mouth of the Dnestr River. Belgorod-Dnestrovsky is also a large rail junction and a trade centre for wine. Industries include fishing and fish processing, winemaking, and meat and dairy processing. Founded by Greek colonists in the 6th century BC, it later passed to Rome and Byzantium. In the 9th century it was a Slavic trade and political centre called Bilhorod (Belgorod). The city belonged to the duchy of Halych-Volhynia in the 13th century, to Genoa in the 14th century, and to Moldavia in the 15th century. The Turks acquired it in 1484 and renamed it Akkerman. Belgorod-Dnestrovsky was ceded to Russia in the early 19th century. It was held by Romania from 1918 to 1940, by the Germans during World War II, and by the Soviet Union after 1944. It was again called by its Slavic name after its incorporation into the USSR. The city has a 15th-century church and the remains of a medieval fortress.