Pașcani
Pașcani (Romanian pronunciation: [paʃˈkanʲ]) is a city in Iași County in the Western Moldavia region of Romania, on the Siret river. As of 2021, it has a population of 30,766. Five villages are administered by the city: Blăgești, Boșteni, Gâstești, Lunca, and Sodomeni.
The city derived its name from the estate of the boyar Oană Pașca. It is the city where Mihail Sadoveanu's novel The Place Where Nothing Happened takes place. An important local site is the Church of the Holy Archangels.
Pașcani is a key node in the Căile Ferate Române rail network; its train station serves the CFR main lines 500 and 600.
| Year | Pop. | ±% |
|---|---|---|
| 1930 | 13,968 | — |
| 1948 | 10,857 | −22.3% |
| 1956 | 15,008 | +38.2% |
| 1966 | 18,689 | +24.5% |
| 1977 | 24,459 | +30.9% |
| 1992 | 44,900 | +83.6% |
| 2002 | 42,172 | −6.1% |
| 2011 | 33,745 | −20.0% |
| 2021 | 30,766 | −8.8% |
| Source: Census data | ||
Natives
- Octavian Nemescu (1940–2020), composer
- Visarion Puiu (1879–1964), metropolitan bishop of the Romanian Orthodox Church
- Neculai Rățoi (1939–2016), politician who served as the mayor of Pașcani from 1981 to 2008
- Mihail Sadoveanu (1880–1961), novelist, short story writer, journalist, and political figure, who served as acting head of state in 1947–1948 and 1958
- Vasile Vasilenco (1926–1977), literary critic