Orlivka, Izmail Raion, Odesa Oblast

Orlivka (Орлівка; Cartal) is a village in Izmail Raion, Odesa Oblast, southern Ukraine. It belongs to Reni urban hromada, one of the hromadas of Ukraine.

Until 18 July 2020, Orlivka belonged to Reni Raion. The raion was abolished in July 2020 as part of the administrative reform of Ukraine, which reduced the number of raions of Odesa Oblast to seven. The area of Reni Raion was merged into Izmail Raion.

Location
Orlivka is located at 45.31667°N, 28.43333°W between Lakes Kartal, Kahul and the river Danube.

History
Around 2nd century BC, a Celtic tribe settled the area and founded the town of Aliobrix. Later, from 1st to 3rd centuries AD, the site was further expanded by Romans who built the fortress nearby.

Later and until 1948 it was known as Cartal.

Demographics
According to the 2001 census, the vast majority of the inhabitants, 95.37%, were Romanian speakers at the time, with a small number of Russian (1.61%) and Ukrainian speakers (1.25%).

Infrastructure
Through the village passes highway Odesa–Reni, while on the banks of the Danube the Orlivka – Isaccea Ferry service was built in 2019. Portions of the Odesa–Reni Highway between Reni and Orlivka follow a narrow strip between Lake Cahul and the Danube.

During the Russian invasion of Ukraine in 2022-23, the Isaccea-Orlivka Danube crossing has developed into an important port, offering an alternative to the blockaded Ukrainian Black Sea ports.

Notable people

 * Pavel Chioru (1902–c. 1937), Moldovan journalist, folklorist, and communist activist