Ruse, city in northeastern Bulgaria, at the confluence of the Danube and Rusenski Lom rivers. Ruse is the principal Bulgarian port on the Danube and a railway terminus. It is a large commercial center with shipyards, a petroleum refinery, and metal, leather, textile, and food-processing industries. Angel Kancev Technical University (1954) is here. Under the Romans the city was one of a chain of fortified sites along the Danube. It was destroyed in the 7th century by barbarians, but later rebuilt. For almost five centuries, until the Russo-Turkish War of 1877 and 1878 was decided, Bulgaria was under Turkish domination, and Ruse was the Turkish stronghold of Ruschuk. Population (1996 estimate) 168,051.
