It is a classical delta, well individualized, with clear boarders because it ends in a closed sea, with no tides, where winds have a reduced frequency and low intensity, conditions which are promoting delta’s apparition. As a result of interactions between river and sea, the Danube Delta divides itself in two sectors: river delta in the West and river-marine delta in the East, separated by the line of banks Letea-Caraorman-Crasnicol.
Referring to Danube Delta’s genesis and evolution, informations that we have got from the antique historians, corroborated with the most recent data, let us reconstitute, in space and time, the Delta’s territory. Almost all theories converge to the idea of genesis through bay-lagoon-delta phases.
According to these theories, the genesis of delta took place in an old sea bay, isolated by a narrow sand bank, which transformed its western side in a lagoon. Before ending the process of sand filling, the dominant winds from NE associated with high waves accumulated the sand hillocks of Letea and Caraorman. Using the advanced parts of these hillocks, the sea builds new series of sea sides which are closing behind lagoon sectors, themselves filled by the river with sand after. This is the mechanism through which the Danube delta advances continuously into the sea.

Between the factors which contribute to delta’s evolution, the most important is the Danube river which, with its solid transport, forces the delta to advance continuously into the sea. (the medium speed of advancing during 1835-1992 was 17.405 m/an). It pours its waters into the sea through three channels: Chilia- 84 km, Sulina-77 km and Sfantul Gheorghe (Sahalin Island)-81 km.

Saint George (Sfantu Gheorghe) village is situated in the eastern extremity of the Danube Delta, in the eastern part of Tulcea county, at a distance of 120 Km from Tulcea (the largest town of Tulcea county and the administrative centre of the county) and at 35 Km from Sulina. The village is bordered at north by Crisan village and Sulina town, at east and south by the Black Sea and at west by Murighiol village.
The climate is continental, with warm summers and freezing winters with harsh winds. The annual medium temperature is 11°C and the average quantity of precipitation is 440l/mp per year.

Sf Gheorghe village lays on the left side of the oldest branch of Danube – Saint George, close to where Danube flows into the Black Sea. The administrative area of the village is of 60575, 87 ha. The village itself is spread on 75, 98 ha but the plans of extension include an area of 123, 32 ha.
The village is inhabited by 971 people that live in 358 dwellings and have preserved their traditions and Ukrainian language.

The access in the community is possible on water only. One can take the boat either from Tulcea harbour (Tulcea – Saint George 4h), Mahmudia (Mahmudia – Saint George 2h 30’) or Murighiol waterfront (Murighiol – Saint George 2h). Both Mahmudia and Murighiol ports can be reached by car, on the main road the distance being of 30 km and respectively 38 km from Tulcea.

Community

The village was first certificated in the historical documents in the 14th century, when the economic development was favourable to increasing the role of the Italian merchants in the area. During that time the Genovese ruled the Black Sea waters, trading fish caught from Danube. An ancient map from 1318 by the Genovese Visconti includes the economic centres of the Dobrogea territory and mentions also San Giorgio, Saint George village of today.

In the second half of the 18th century, the wars between Russians and Turks took place also at the river mouth of Danube as Russia wished to occupy these territories. The wars destroyed Dobrogea region and provoked the economic ruin of the area while the population was either killed or dispersed.

The old inhabitants of the village say that the village is formed partially of the political non-official refugees from Russia, during the rule of emperor Ecaterina the Great due to military service obligations. The population of the village are the descendants of these refugees. The colonization of the area with slavian population was done in many phases. The first refugees arrived in the area following the Poltava fight in the year 1709, when the Russian tzar Petru the Great began the reprisals on the fighters for the freedom of Ukraine.
The second part of refugees arrived in the area after 1775 when emperor Ecaterina destroyed the Ukrainian army from Zaporijie. About 8000 inhabitants from Zaporijie arrived in the Danube Delta, a region similar in landscape and fish richness to the Nipru area, where they came from. The name of the soldiers from Zaporijie is hahols and the language they speak is Ukrainian mixed with words from different languages (Romanian, Turk, and Greek) depending on the populations they interacted with.
The hahols are orthodox of the old style and follow the Russian calendar.
The Ukraineans didn’t mix with lipovens (Russian ethnics) even through their language and traditions are similar. The hahols are offended if someone takes them for lipovens.

The main occupation of the villagers is fishing, which provides the meals and represents the main income source. The animals are reared in a unique way in this area. Just the traction horses are raised in the household, all the other animals – horses, pigs or cows are marked and left free on the sand banks. The animals are brought back to the household just before their sacrifice.
The reed harvesting represents a seasonal occupation of the villagers that use the reed in the construction of the houses, stables, fences and roofs.

The tourism developed increasingly only lately and brings the villagers a new income source during the summer. The accommodation is done in the villagers homes and pensions. All the houses offer accommodation and meals mainly prepared with fish.

Traditions in the community

The Village day – 6 May – a service takes place in the church, the women prepare the food and after the service all villagers join together in the church yard for a group meal.  On the village day there many contests are organized in the village: boat contest, riding contest, rope contest and dancing contest. The evening is spent with music and dance.
Catalaua – on Saint Andrew night (30 November) the people tie a knot-shaped bread with candies of the ceiling and men have to jump and bit of the bread without using their hands. For the young people the meaning is that the one who succeeds will get married next year.
Vecera - in the evening of 6 January, on Christmas night on the Russian calendar the families go the their relatives with presents and cakes. They visit all their relatives and the people they respect.
Easter of the dead persons – takes place on a Monday, the eighth day after Easter. The people go to the cemetery and organize a meal at the family tomb. The festivity begins with a religious service where the dead people are mentioned. After the service the people give food to neighbours. It is an important ritual that is an occasion for the people who left the village to return and remember their ancestors.
Christmas on the Russian calendar – 7 January: there is a service at the church and in the evening the people go from house to house singing Christmas carols.
The New Year’s Eve on the Russian calendar – 14 January.

Traditional dishes

The main food of the fishermen is the fish cooked in a big diversity by their wives. Here are a few of the village dishes:
Storceag (fish soup made of sturgeon).
Storceag can be tasted in a single place in Romania- at Saint George, the Danube Delta. It is a mix of Ukrainian and Romanian dish, a motley meal – both fishing and continental – but light. Radu Anton Roman, Dishes, Wines and Romanian Traditions.
Scordolea (sheat fish, garlic, potatoes, tomatoes)
Proboi Pie (proboi- is the placenta of the sturgeon, where the caviar lies)
Vezeica Perischie (vezeica – is the cartilage/backbone of the sturgeon)
The beach
At a distance of 2 km from the village there is a wide natural beach with fine sand which lies on a distance of 38 Km till Sulina. The depth of the sea is growing slowly and there is a secure area for children to bath.

Fishing
For fishing lovers the area offers the opportunity of organizing fishing contests on the Danube, lakes and channels at carp, sheat fish, pike, eel, crucian, perch and sea fishing at grey mullet, turbot and shark. The permit for sport fishing can be obtained from the company that has the authorisation for the fishing in the area, Saint George branch.

Tourist boat treks
The tourists can enjoy boat treks on Danube, channels and lakes with specific fishing area boats or can take a modern speed boat.
Sulina – Saint George on the route:
Sulina town – channels: Busurca- Imputita – along the sea – Tataru – Saint George village.

Sulina – Saint George on the route:
Sulina town- Busurca channel – Rosu channel – Imputita channel – Rosulet lake – Rosulet fishing hut – Rosu lake – Rosu tourist area – Puiu lake – Mocansca channel – Erenciuc lake – Saint George branch – Saint George village.

Saint George tour on the route:
Saint George village – channels: Zaton – Buhaz – Palade – Crasnicol – Saint George branch- Saint George village.

In their addresses, Lucia Varga, current President of the International Commission for the Protection of the Danube River, well-known politicians of the region and an Ukrainian delegation welcomed the project and confirmed their support to it. The kick-off event was the hub of a “Fish & Culture” festival on the sea promenade, which went on for the entire weekend.

And there was fish and culture galore!
Over a dozen folk dance ensembles, representing the different ethnic groups –Aromuns, Greeks, Bulgarians, Lipovans, Italians, Turks, Roma, Ukrainians – gave an impressive demonstration of the Danube Delta’s cultural diversity, dancing in their colourful costumes unfazed by sweltering temperatures of 36 degrees in the shade.
The typical dishes served by people from the local minorities covered the full spectrum of the region’s culinary diversity.

Visitors were invited to prepare a very special type of fish: Together with the two land artists Karin van der Molen and Patrick van Boeckel they were weaving fish scales from osier stakes: On Sunday afternoon the job was completed, when eventually also the skeletal head of the fish was nicely covered with scales. In the meantime, the almost six metres high, prefabricated fish’s tail had become the most popular photographic motif as well as place of refuge for people seeking shade along the sea promenade.

The local sculptor Mihai Florea created a lasting work of art: As of now, a pelican on the sea promenade will spread the message of cross-border cooperation – one of the Landscape-of-the-Year’s guiding ideas – in four languages – Romanian, Ukrainian, English, and German.

After this upbeat note sounded by the kick-off event, hopes are high for the years ahead, in which IFN will be actively involved in boosting sustainable development in the Danube Delta, building on close cooperation with the local population, with local initiatives, associations and institutions. The ground is well prepared.

Murighiol is the jump-off point for boats to Uzlina. Located 24 miles east of Tulcea, Uzlina is home to the offices of the Danube Delta Biosphere Reserve and the Jacques Cousteau Foundation. The Wild Danube floating hotel in Uzlina provides facilities for hiring boats and guides to venture into some of the more interesting parts of the Delta.

Interesting fact: Sulina is the most eastern point of Romania.

Note: Access to Caraorman Forest is permitted only with a guide (warden) on the designated route.

Fisherman’s soup
In a big cast-iron kettle, water is brought to a boil with vegetables and some 4 to 6 species of small fish. The liquid is then strained and the small fish discarded. Big chunks of carp or pike are then boiled in the broth. The fish soup makes two dishes: first, the broth is served with a wooden spoon and then the big chunks of fish are sprinkled with chili pepper or garlic.
Afterwards, the saramura, prepared from big chunks of carp broiled on the stove or on a spit, is served with polenta and garlic sauce.

Starting with the 15th century, the Danube Delta was part of the Ottoman Empire. The Treaty of Paris of 1856 which ended the Crimean War, Danube Delta together with two districts of Southern Bessarabia was included in the Principality of Moldavia and was established an international commission which made a series of works to help navigation. In 1859, it became part of the United Principalities of Wallachia and Moldavia and later Romania.