History
A town on the Romanian side of the Chilia branch, known as Chilia Veche (Ukrainian: Cтapa Кілія, translit. Stara Kiliya) or "Older Chilia", was founded by the Byzantines - κελλίa, kellia being the equivalent of "granaries", a name first recorded in 1241, in the works of the Persian chronicler Rashid-al-Din Hamadani.
Kiliya is therefore sometimes referred to as Nova Kiliya (Russian: Hoво Килия, Ukrainian: Hoва Кілія, translit. Novo Kiliya, Romanian: Chilia Nouă), or "New Kiliya". It was founded by Stephen the Great of Moldavia, in order to counteract the Ottoman Empire which had taken control over Chilia Veche in the 15th century. It was a major Moldavian port. However, this site too was eventually conquered by Ottomans in 1484, who kept it until 1790, when it was taken by Russian Army under the command of the general Ivan Gudovich during Russo-Turkish War (1787–1792). The city was given back to Ottomans in 1792, but retaken by Russians in 1806 and awarded to them in 1812.
After being bombarded by the Anglo-French fleet in July 1854 during the Crimean War, it was given to Romania in the Treaty of Paris (1856). In 1878, Kiliya was transferred to Russia together with Budjak. Between 1918 and 1940 it was again part Romania, then occupied by the Soviet Union and the Ukrainian SSR (it was briefly held yet again by Romania, from 1941 to 1944, during World War II), and passed on to Ukraine after the Soviet downfall.
The oldest building in Kiliya is the semi-subterranean church of St. Nicholas, which may go back to 1485, although an old inscription in the church claims that it was founded on 10 May 1647.
Read more about this topic: Kiliya, Ukraine
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