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Onești
View from Perchiu Hill
Borzești Church
Heroes Monument
Salt Crystal artesian well
Saints Peter and Paul Catholic Church
Flag of Onești
Coat of arms of Onești
Location in Bacău County
Location in Bacău County
Onești is located in Romania
Onești
Onești
Location in Romania
Coordinates: 46°15′31″N 26°46′09″E / 46.25861°N 26.76917°E / 46.25861; 26.76917
CountryRomania
CountyBacău
Government
  Mayor (20242028)Adrian Jilcu[1] (PSD)
Area
52.48 km2 (20.26 sq mi)
Elevation
210 m (690 ft)
Highest elevation
398 m (1,306 ft)
Lowest elevation
180 m (590 ft)
Population
 (2021-12-01)[2]
34,005
  Density648.0/km2 (1,678/sq mi)
Time zoneUTC+02:00 (EET)
  Summer (DST)UTC+03:00 (EEST)
Postal code
601003–601159
Area code(+40) 0234
Vehicle reg.BC
Websitewww.onesti.ro

Onești (Romanian pronunciation: [oˈneʃtʲ]; Hungarian: Ónfalva), formerly known as Gheorghe Gheorghiu-Dej,[3] is a city in Bacău County, Romania, with a population of 34,005 inhabitants as of 2021. It is situated in the historical region of Moldavia.

Administratively, the villages of Slobozia and Borzești form part of Onești.

Etymology

[edit]

Nine settlements named Onești were recorded in the Principality of Moldavia between the 14th and 17th centuries:[4]

  • Onești on the Cobâle (likely Misihănești, Bacău County): Documented in 1436 as a gift from the Prince to Dan Mesehnă.[4][5]
  • Onești on the Ciuhur and Trebnih (modern-day Onești, Edineț District, Moldova)[4]
  • Onești on the Prut (near Slobozia Oancea, Galați County): Granted to Fetina, daughter of Hărman; now a vanished settlement.[4]
  • Onești on the Miletin (modern-day Onești, Iași County): Granted to Zanfira, later redeemed by Ionașcu Stroici from the High Chamberlain Bernat.[4]
  • Onești on the Gârbovăț (modern-day Neamț County): Located on the border with Tălpălăcești; now a vanished settlement.[4]
  • Onești in Strășeni District, Moldova: A surviving village in its historical location.[4]
  • Onești (Oinești) in Cârligătura (near Hăușești, Iași County): Located on the border with Balosin. It historical passed through several hands, including protopope Ioil, Giurgiu the scribe, priest Petre, Vlădica the cupbearer, Neaniul the deacon, and eventually High Vornic Ureche; now a vanished settlement.[4]
  • Onești on the Trotuș (Bacău County): The historical precursor to the modern city of Onești. It was granted to the Bistrița Monastery, with parts later confirmed to Baloș Ciortan and others.[4]
  • Onești on the Sărata (near Berești, modern-day Ungheni District, Moldova): Noted for a pond confirmed to Toader Dragotă; now a vanished settlement.[4]

The first documentary mention of Onești on the Trotuș dates to December 14, 1458, during the reign of Stephen the Great.[6] The settlement was recorded in a royal land charter[7], which documented a donation made by Marușca, the daughter of court official Andrieș Slujascul and wife of Negrilă. In this act, she gifted several estates to the Bistrița Monastery, including Onești, Maluri, Lăbășești, Horgul's Well (the site of her father's monastery), and a half-share of both a watermill and the village of Slujești, where her father's court had been located.[8][6]

The second historical mention of the settlement dates to April 5, 1488[9], when the regional governor Duma was granted an unpopulated settlement site on the Trotuș River by Stephen the Great. This site was previously associated with an individual recorded as "Oana from Moișa."[9][10]

While local folk traditions popularized the myth that the city was named after a daughter of Stephen the Great named Oana, historians generally agree that the name derives from an early male landowner named Oană (or Oana) and his descendants[11], dating back to the foundation period of Moldavia. Scholars Ioan Bogdan[12] and Mihai Costăchescu[5] concluded that the "Oana" referenced in early texts was explicitly "Oană de la Moișa."[13][12][5] During this era, Oană was a common male name among the Moldavian nobility, many of whom were rewarded with large estates for their military service to the ruling princes. This widespread usage explains why multiple villages named Onești emerged across historical Moldavia. Contemporary documents show the name used exclusively for men, including references to "Oana, brother of Chirilă" and a royal decree freeing a royal Tatar servant named Oana.[13]

Alternative etymological theories suggest a Turkic origin for the name. Historian Neagu Djuvara argued that Oană is a Cuman name, along Tocsabă.[14] Prior to this, historian Nicolae Iorga had highlighted the Cuman origins of the name Basarabă, as well as that of a Cuman nobleman named Tâncabă (the namesake of Tâncăbești in Ilfov County).[14][15] Within the Trotuș region, several local toponyms reflect the historical presence of Eurasian steppe nomads. These include the Trotuș River itself (traditionally interpreted as "the river of the Tatars"), the Uz Valley (derived from the Oghuz Turks, known locally as uzi), and the town of Comănești (derived from the Cumans).[13] Additionally, the nearby village of Borzești[16] is named after Borzul[17] (also recorded as Bortz or Borč)[18], a Cuman chieftain documented in 1211.[17]

According to ethnographer Gábor Lükő, the root on- in the name is a personal name of Turkic origin, suggesting that the earliest inhabitants of the settlement may have been of Tatar-Cuman descent.[19]

While several Hungarian authors historically referred to the town as Ónfalva, modern Hungarian inhabitants do not use this term. Researcher Péter Halász noted that even the phonetic variant Onyest was historically rare in local Hungarian.[19]

In the modern era, following the death of Romania's communist leader, the city was renamed Gheorghe Gheorghiu-Dej on March 22, 1965.[20] It retained this official name until 1990, when it reverted to Onești following the Romanian Revolution.

History

[edit]
Onești in 1965

The locality was documentary attested as a village on 14 December 1458. In 1952, the communist authorities decided to build a large petrochemical industrial platform (Borzești Petrochemical Plant) and a new related city in the area of Onești and Borzești villages. Borzești, according to legend, was the birthplace of Stephen III of Moldavia. It is the site of the Borzești Church, which was built on his orders in 1493–1494.[21]

At the death of the Communist leader Gheorghe Gheorghiu-Dej in March 1965, Onești was renamed Gheorghe Gheorghiu-Dej, but the name was changed back in 1990[3] shortly after the Romanian Revolution.

Above the borough Malu, on the right-hand side of the river Cașin, were discovered archaeological fragments from a settlement dating from the Neolithic Age.[22]

Demographics

[edit]
Ethnic composition of Onești
  1. Romanians (79.8%)
  2. Other (0.49%)
  3. Unknown (19.8%)
Religious composition of Onești
  1. Orthodox (69.4%)
  2. Roman-Catholics (7.87%)
  3. Other (2.00%)
  4. Unknown (20.7%)

At the 2011 census, Onești had 39,172 inhabitants, of which 90.29% were Romanians, 1.39% Roma, 0.53% Hungarians, and 0.13% Greeks.

According to the 2021 census, the population of the municipality of Onești amounts to 34,005 inhabitants, a decrease compared to the previous census in 2011, when 39,172 inhabitants were recorded. The majority of the residents are Romanian (79.75%), while for 19.77%, their ethnic affiliation is unknown. From a confessional point of view, the majority of inhabitants are Orthodox (69.43%), with a Roman Catholic minority (7.87%), and for 20.69%, their confessional affiliation is unknown.

Historical population
YearPop.±%
195611,253    
196635,663+216.9%
197741,738+17.0%
199258,810+40.9%
200251,681−12.1%
201139,172−24.2%
202134,005−13.2%

Economy

[edit]

Onești is an industrial city with a well-developed economic structure centered around several industrial branches, particularly petrochemical processing on the Borzești Petrochemical Platform. On the city's industrial

Refinery No. 10 Gheorghe Gheorghiu-Dej (1968)
Gheorghe Gheorghiu-Dej Synthetic Rubber and Petrochemical Plant (1968)
Borzești Power Station (1950s–1960s)
Borzești Chemical Plant (1960s)
The Borzești Greenhouses, on Red Hill (1980s)
Interior of the Borzești Greenhouses
Onești Forestry Exploitation and Transport Enterprise (1969)

platform, garment manufacturing, woodworking, the food industry, and other services are other important branches.

In 1842, a mill was built, worked by the slaves of the landowner Alecu Aslan, followed later by other small watermills. There were also two boyar distilleries for manufacturing grain brandy, as well as two blacksmith shops and two inns for marketing the alcoholic beverages produced in the area.[23]

Chemical and Petrochemical Industry

  • RAFO Onești (former Refinery No. 10 Onești), defunct
  • CAROM (former Onești Synthetic Rubber and Petrochemical Plant), defunct
  • Chimcomplex (former Borzești Chemical Plant)
  • Aroma Rise (former Elon), synthetic perfumes and food flavorings

Electric and Thermal Energy Industry

Machine Building Industry

  • UTON (former Borzești Chemical Equipment Enterprise, established in 1974),[23] defunct unit
  • GOSPOMAS (former Borzești Manufacturing Center, former CRCCFMS, spun off from the Bacău Agricultural Mechanization Station (SMA) in 1983),[25] an enterprise for agricultural machinery, hydraulic pumps, and auto parts, defunct unit

Textile Industry

  • MODEON (former garment factory, established in 1976),[23] clothing factory operating under the lohn (cut-make-trim) system
  • „Flacăra” SOCOM (National Union of Handicraft Cooperatives), a handicraft cooperative society
  • Maremod
  • Autoliv

Food Industry

  • Croco
  • Albrau Group
  • Panimon (former bakery factory, established in 1978),[2] bakery products factory
  • Agricultorul Group
  • The Milk Factory, defunct
  • SERON and SERE ONEȘTI (former Onești Greenhouses and Borzești Greenhouses), vegetable greenhouses established in 1963.[26] The greenhouses inside the city were transformed into a Pa&Co factory, while those on Red Hill were demolished.
  • The Ice and Juice Factory, defunct

Wood Industry

  • Barlinek (former Forestry Exploitation and Transport Enterprise, privatized as Diana Forest), solid and engineered wood flooring factory
  • Rich Forest, logging/wood exploitation (Chinese citizen Li Ning, the company's director, was declared undesirable for 10 years in December 2012 along with other compatriots due to organized crime offenses).[27]
  • Pa&Co International, doors and engineered wood flooring factories
  • Smart Wood (former Pa&Co flooring), wooden sticks factory[28]

Construction Industry

  • Tehnocin (former Gheorghe Gheorghiu-Dej Industrial Construction Trust), defunct
  • MECON (former Heavy Equipment and Transport Enterprise for Construction, IUGTC/SUGTC), defunct
  • Energoconstrucția, defunct
  • Confer Group, civil engineering works
  • DMC AG, civil and industrial construction
  • Gironap

Glass Industry

  • SART GLASS (former glass factory), established in 1973.[29] Defunct.
  • Fredi

Geography

[edit]

Onești is located in the Tazlău-Cașin Depression of the Eastern Carpathians at an average altitude of 210 metres (690 ft).[30] It lies at the confluence of the rivers Trotuș, Cașin, Oituz, and Tazlău, some 60 km (37 mi) southwest of the county capital, Bacău. The city is crossed by the European road E574 and by the national roads DN11A and DN12A that connect it to Bucharest, to the northern part of the country, and to Transylvania. Rail connections are made through the Căile Ferate Române network, and the proposed A13 Brașov–Bacău Motorway will link the city to the rest of Romania's highway network as a second connection to the country's major cities.[31]

Climate

[edit]

Onești has a hot-summer humid continental climate (Köppen: Dfa), with hot summer temperatures that frequently go above 30 °C, and maximums reaching 35 °C almost every year. Winters are cool with moderate snowfall and highs safely above freezing. The town has a mean yearly temperature of 10–11 °C, and annual precipitation totals around 600 mm. The most frequent winds blow from the west and south-west.[32]

The microclimate of Onești is significantly shaped by the foehn effect, a consequence of the city's location within the Tazlău-Cașin Depression at the eastern foothills of the Eastern Carpathians. When prevailing westerly air masses ascend the western slopes of the Ciuc and Berzunți mountains, they cool and shed their moisture as precipitation.

The vegetation is specific to the temperate-continental zone: conifers, deciduous trees, and climbing plants. The area also has rare southern plants found in the Dealul Perchiu nature reserve, a designated Natura 2000 Site of Community Importance (SCI). Notable species include the downy oak, smoketree, dwarf almond, and the pedunculate oak, which reaches the absolute northernmost limit of its distribution here. These warmth-loving species are isolated far north of their typical habitats, usually belonging to the hot Balkan Peninsula, the Mediterranean basin, or the forest-steppes of Southeastern Europe.[33]

The highest recorded temperature is 40.8 °C (105.4 °F), on 5 July 1916, and the lowest is −29.6 °C (−21.3 °F) on 25 January 1942.[34] On 17 December 1989, Onești recorded a temperature of 23.3 °C (73.9 °F), just 0.1 °C lower than Romania's national December record of 23.4 °C (74.1 °F), set at Câmpina in 1985.[35]

Climate data for Onești (2014-2026 normals, extremes 1981-present)
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Record high °C (°F) 20.5
(68.9)
22.7
(72.9)
27.2
(81.0)
31.7
(89.1)
33.2
(91.8)
36.3
(97.3)
40.8
(105.4)
39.9
(103.8)
36.6
(97.9)
32.9
(91.2)
26.8
(80.2)
23.3
(73.9)
40.8
(105.4)
Mean daily maximum °C (°F) 4.8
(40.6)
7.1
(44.8)
11.9
(53.4)
17.3
(63.1)
21.9
(71.4)
27.1
(80.8)
29.1
(84.4)
29.4
(84.9)
24.1
(75.4)
17.4
(63.3)
10.2
(50.4)
6.4
(43.5)
17.2
(63.0)
Daily mean °C (°F) 0.4
(32.7)
2.4
(36.3)
6.5
(43.7)
11.3
(52.3)
15.9
(60.6)
21.1
(70.0)
22.8
(73.0)
22.7
(72.9)
18.0
(64.4)
11.7
(53.1)
5.9
(42.6)
2.6
(36.7)
11.8
(53.2)
Mean daily minimum °C (°F) −4.1
(24.6)
−2.2
(28.0)
1.1
(34.0)
5.2
(41.4)
9.9
(49.8)
15.1
(59.2)
16.5
(61.7)
16.1
(61.0)
11.8
(53.2)
5.9
(42.6)
1.6
(34.9)
−1.2
(29.8)
6.3
(43.3)
Record low °C (°F) −29.6
(−21.3)
−23.0
(−9.4)
−18.3
(−0.9)
−5.8
(21.6)
0.6
(33.1)
5.1
(41.2)
7.5
(45.5)
7.0
(44.6)
0.5
(32.9)
−8.2
(17.2)
−19.9
(−3.8)
−22.3
(−8.1)
−29.6
(−21.3)
Average precipitation mm (inches) 23.6
(0.93)
17.0
(0.67)
35.2
(1.39)
44.2
(1.74)
81.9
(3.22)
105.7
(4.16)
75.2
(2.96)
67.3
(2.65)
50.9
(2.00)
47.6
(1.87)
40.0
(1.57)
31.2
(1.23)
619.8
(24.39)
Average precipitation days (≥ 1.0 mm) 4.4 4.5 6.7 7.5 10.1 10.9 8.9 5.4 6.0 5.3 5.9 5.8 81.4
Average snowy days 7.1 5.6 3.5 1.0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2.5 4.6 24.3
Source: Meteomanz (2014-2026)[36]; Infoclimat (1980-2017)[37]; PAAR Onești[38]

Culture

[edit]

Saint Nicholas is the patron saint of the city, whose inhabitants are predominantly Romanian Orthodox. St. Nicholas Day, 6 December, is the municipal day of Onești.[22]

Popular tourist attractions are Perchiu Hill and the Hero Cross from atop the aforementioned hill, the Municipal History Museum, a steel monument dedicated to the Romanian national poet Mihai Eminescu, and the city park.[39]

Administration and politics

[edit]

The municipality of Onești is administered by a mayor and a local council composed of 19 councilors. The mayor, Adrian Jilcu, from the Social Democratic Party, has been in office since 1 November 2024. Following the 2024 local elections, the local council has the following composition by political party:

PartyCouncilorsCouncil Composition
Social Democratic Party10
10 / 19
National Liberal Party5
5 / 19
Save Romania Union2
2 / 19
Alliance for the Union of Romanians2
2 / 19

Mayors

[edit]
  • Emil Lemnaru (PSD), 1996–2012
  • Victor-Laurențiu Neghină (PSD), 2012–2015
  • Alexandru Cristea (UNPR), 2015–2016
  • Nicolae Gnatiuc (PSD), 2016–2020
  • Victor-Laurențiu Neghină (PMP), 2020–2024
  • Adrian Jilcu (PSD), 2024–2028

Notable people

[edit]

Twin towns and sister cities

[edit]

See also

[edit]

Notes

[edit]
  1. "Conducere Primăria Municipiului Onești". onesti.ro (in Romanian). Onești City Hall. Retrieved 22 May 2025.
  2. "2021 Romanian census". National Institute of Statistics. 1 December 2021.
  3. 1 2 "Onești | Romania". Encyclopedia Britannica. Retrieved 25 April 2019.
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Alexandru I. Gonța, „Documente privind istoria României: A. Moldova, veacurile XIV-XVII, 1384-1625. Indicele numelor de locuri”, Editura Academiei Române, București, 1990, p. 180 ISBN 973-27-0092-0
  5. 1 2 3 Mihai Costăchescu, „Documente moldovenești dela Ștefan cel Mare”, Institutul de Arte Grafice „Brawo”, Iași, 1933, p. 9
  6. 1 2 Monografia ..., Verde, 2003, p. 11
  7. Mihai Costăchescu, „Documente moldovenești de la Ștefan cel Mare”, Institutul de Arte Grafice „Brawo”, Iași, 1933, p. 9
  8. Leon Șimanschi (coordonator), Georgeta Ignat, Dumitru Agache (colaboratori), „Documenta Romaniae Historica, A. Moldova, Volumul II”, Academia de Științe Sociale și Politice a Republicii Socialiste România, Editura Academiei Republicii Socialiste România, București, 1976, p. 115
  9. 1 2 Bogdan F. Romandaș, Vasile Jenică Apostol, Vilică Munteanu, „O istorie a Oneștiului. Restituiri (1458 – 1921)”, Editura „Magic Print”, Onești, 2018, ISBN 978-606-622-369-0, p. 11
  10. „Documente privind istoria Romîniei: Veacul XV, A. Moldova, Vol. II (1476–1500)”, Academia Republicii Populare Romîne, Editura Academiei Republicii Populare Romîne, București, 1854, p. 95
  11. Monografia ..., Verde, 2003, p. 12
  12. 1 2 Ioan Bogdan, „Documentele lui Ștefan cel Mare: vol. I: Hrisoave și cărți domnești (1457–1492)”, Atelierele Grafice Socec & Co., Societate Anonimă, București, 1913, p. 344
  13. 1 2 3 Bogdan F. Romandaș, Vasile Jenică Apostol, Vilică Munteanu, „O istorie a Oneștiului. Restituiri (1458 – 1921)”, Editura „Magic Print”, Onești, 2018, ISBN 978-606-622-369-0, p. 12
  14. 1 2 Djuvara, Neagu (2007), Thocomerius–Negru Vodă: un voivod de origine cumană la începuturile Țării Românești: cum a purces întemeierea primului stat medieval românesc dinainte de „descălecătoare” și până la așezarea Mitropoliei Ungrovlahiei la Argeș: noi interpretări (a II-a revăzută și adăugită ed.), Humanitas, p. 71, ISBN 978-973-50-1787-3, OCLC 266688702, retrieved 30 January 2023
  15. Nicolae Iorga, „Imperiul cumanilor și domnia lui Băsărabă: un capitol din colaborația româno-barbară în Evul Mediu”, Academia Română, Memoriile Secțiunii Științifice, Seria III, Tomul VIII, Mem. 3, Cultura Națională, București, 1928, p. 100
  16. Nicolae Iorga, „Istoria românilor, vol. III Ctitorii”, București, 1937, p. 32
  17. 1 2 Nicolae A. Constantinescu, „Dicționar onomastic romînesc”, Editura Academiei Republicii Populare Romîne, București, 1963, p. 211
  18. András Pálóczi-Horváth; Pechenegs, Cumans, Iasians: steppe peoples in medieval Hungary, Wellingborough, Corvina, 1990, pag. 48
  19. 1 2 Péter Halász; Zboară praful pe străzile din Onești..., în Moldvai Magyarság, 4 (323), 2020, pag. 10
  20. Monografia ..., Verde, 2003, p. 50
  21. Rozalia & Teodor Verde (July 2003). Monografia Municipiului Onești – în date și evenimente. Onești. p. 12.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
  22. 1 2 "Onesti Online". www.onestionline.ro. Retrieved 23 January 2026.
  23. 1 2 3 Strategia ..., Primăria Onești, 2016, p. 26
  24. Spătaru, Alexandru, Ing. (1983). Centrala Electrică de Termoficare Borzești.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  25. Bursa de Valori București, „Raport anual conform Regulamentului CNVM nr. 1/2006 și Legii nr.297/2004, GOSPOMAS SA”, București, 2014, p. 1
  26. „Revista de horticultură și viticultură”, Volumul 12, Ministerul Agriculturii, Industriei Alimentare și Apelor din Republica Populară Română, București, 1963, p. 9
  27. "Directorul firmei Rich Forest din Oneşti, declarat indezirabil de autorităţile române". adevarul.ro (in Romanian). 20 December 2012. Retrieved 5 June 2026.
  28. "Un angajator din ONEȘTI plătește orele suplimentare cu 200%. Și are LOCURI DE MUNCĂ DISPONIBILE!". Unu pe Trotus (in Romanian). 7 June 2021. Retrieved 5 June 2026.
  29. "SART GLASS". www.sartglass.ro. Archived from the original on 4 February 2005. Retrieved 5 June 2026.
  30. "Anuarul statistic al județului Bacău" (PDF). INSSE. 2019. p. 27.
  31. "Autostrada A13 Sibiu - Brasov - Bacau". www.130km.ro. Retrieved 1 June 2026.
  32. "Planul de Analiză și Acoperire a Riscurilor al Municipiului Onești" (PDF). onesti.ro. Retrieved 2 July 2026.
  33. "Dealul Perchiu" (PDF). ananp.gov.ro. 17 December 2021. Retrieved 2 July 2026.
  34. "Strategia de dezvoltare a orașului Târgu Ocna 2021-2027" (PDF). www.orasul-targuocna.ro. Retrieved 29 April 2026.
  35. "Relevés météo archivés du dimanche 17 décembre 1989 à Tirgu Ocna - Roumanie | archived weather records in Tirgu Ocna - Infoclimat". www.infoclimat.fr. Retrieved 26 May 2026.
  36. "TARGU OCNA - Weather data by months". meteomanz.com.
  37. "Climatologie de l'année 1980 à Tirgu Ocna - Infoclimat". www.infoclimat.fr. Retrieved 17 July 2026.
  38. "Planul de analiză şi acoperire a riscurilor al municipiului onesti" [Onesti Municipality's Risk Analysis and Coverage Plan] (PDF) (in Romanian). Archived from the original (PDF) on 6 July 2026.
  39. "Info Tour. www.infotour.ro. Retrieved 2026-01-23".
  40. "Municipiul Onești s-a înfrățit cu orașul Streșeni din Republica Moldova". Timpul (in Romanian). 23 August 2015. Retrieved 6 February 2020.
[edit]
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