Vylkove (Ukrainian: Вилкове; Russian: Вилково; Romanian: Vâlcov) is a small city located in the Ukrainian part of the Danube Delta, at utmost South-West of Ukraine, in the Kiliyskyi Raion (district) of the Odessa Oblast (province).
Vylkove is located inside the Danube Delta marshlands, which makes grain growing almost impossible, thus making fishery in the Danube, delta lakes and in the Black Sea the main occupation of the local people. In addition, the city is famous for its viticulture and cultivation of strawberries on the islands in the river delta.
The administration of the Ukrainian Danube Biosphere Reserve (participant of UNESCO list of World Heritage Sites) is based in Vylkove. The territory of the Reserve includes the islands upstream and downstream the Danube, reedbeds to north from Danube, delta water bodies and adjacent area of the sea (2 km/1.2 mi from the coast).
Vylkove was founded in 1746 and was assigned the status of "town" in 1762. It is the last settlement on bank of the Danube before the Black Sea. This town is also known as "The Ukrainian Venice" thanks to a number of channels excavated inside its territory — the reason why boating is a more common method of transport than an automobile.
The population is about 11,000, according to the Ukrainian Census conducted in 2001. About 70% of population consists of Lipovans (Russians), about 25% — Ukrainians, and the remaining — Moldovans, Romanians, Gagauzians (Turks of Orthodox religion), Bulgarians, etc. The main confession is Christian Old Believers (Lipovans) (about 70%, mainly Russians), the rest are the members of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church. There are three churches in Vilkovo: two belong to Old Believers and one to Ukrainian Orthodox Church.
