See Also: Sofia(encyclopedia)
Sofia(dictionary)
Air Sofia(tourism)
SOFIA(tourism)
Sofia doctors(health)
Sofia flights(tourism)
Sofia city(tourism)
Sofia car rental(tourism)
Sofia airports(tourism)
Air Sofia flights(tourism)

Vodian (iou) and Sofia (sh)


Vodian (iou)



Vodian noun & adjective. . M20.
[from Russian Vod' + -IAN.]
A. noun.
A member of a minor Finnic people settled to the NW of Novgorod, mentioned in sources from the 11th cent. M20.
The almost extinct Finnic language of this people. M20.
b. attrib. or as adjective. Of or pertaining to the Vodians or their language. M20.

Sofia (sh)




ancient Serdica

City (pop., 2001: 1,096,389), capital of Bulgaria.

Established as a Thracian settlement งใ 8th century BC, it flourished under the Romans. Plundered by the Huns in the 5th century AD, it was rebuilt under the Byzantine Empire. In 809 it became a Bulgarian town but reverted to Byzantine rule from 1018 to 1185, when the second Bulgarian empire was established. The Turks held it from 1382 until it was liberated by the Russians in 1878. In 1879 it was made the Bulgarian capital. It is the country's principal transportation and cultural centre and the site of many Industries. Among its educational institutions is the University of Sofia (1888), Bulgaria's oldest university. Its historical monuments include the 6th-century church of St. Sofia.