Tiraspol looks back 215 years as it gets ready for birthday

Russia's Aleksander Suvorov founded Tiraspol (shown) nearly 215 years ago. Now the city prepares its anniversary bash for 14 Oct

TIRASPOL (Tiraspol Times) - The city of Tiraspol is getting itself ready for a big birthday celebration: On 14 October 2007, the city turns 215 years old.

Founded in 1792 by Russian general Aleksander Suvorov, Tiraspol is today the capital of the de facto independent country of Pridnestrovie.

Before it was formally founded with its current fortress, numerous small settlements existed at the same location at various times throughout history. Archaeologists have traced the roots of Tiraspol back thousands of years; always separate and independent from Moldova.

Pridnestrovie, which is also known under names such as Transnistria and Transdniester, declared independence in 1990, seventeen years ago. Before that, it was joined with Moldova inside a Stalin-created entity called the Moldavian SSR (MSSR) in the Soviet Union, which lasted from 1944 to 1990. Prior to this - from 1924 - Pridnestrovie was an autonomous republic with Tiraspol as its capital, while Moldova was part of Romania.

The "On-The-River" republic...

Pridnestrovie literally means "On the Dniester". It takes its name from its location: On the left bank (east) of the Dniester River, and spanning the city of Bender on the right bank (west). Bender, traditionally a fortress defending Tiraspol and for centuries a part of the territory, is connected to the rest of the country by bridges.

Pridnestrovie itself has a rich, Western-oriented history dating back to 600 B.C. Historically, Pridnestrovie was never part of Moldova. The two countries were forced into a joint nation in World War II when Hitler and Stalin redrew the borders of Europe. In the breakup of the Soviet Union, both countries withdrew from this forced and unnatural union.

Separate from its larger neighbor Moldova in language, culture, alphabet and history, Pridnestrovie is today a proud and independent nation located on the banks of the Dniester River. Traditionally a multi-ethnic nation, it's independence is today an affirmation of minority rights.

The only link to Moldova owes its existence to political machinations of the communist era when the Soviet leadership created a small Moldavian Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic in Pridnestrovie, on the east bank of the river. Even though it didn't include an inch of Moldavian land, it was called "Moldavian" in order to serve as a beach-head for Soviet expansion.

Tiraspol has a majority Slavic population. Moldovans make up less than 14 percent of the city's inhabitants. Ever since it was founded nearly 215 years ago, the city has always been majority Slavic, with a predominance of Ukrainians and Russians, and smaller groups from Poland, Belarus, Bulgaria and other Slav countries.

Artificial country the result of secret Nazi-pact

As a result of Hitler's and Stalin's World War II plans for splitting up Europe between them, a secret protocol was added to the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact between Nazi Germany and the Soviet Union. In 1940, Stalin invaded Moldova and forcibly annexed to Pridnestrovie. Fifty years later, the two countries found freedom and became independent of each other again ... and as the historical record shows, both countries withdrew from this forced and unnatural union.

Pridnestrovie is content with its independence from Moldova, in line with historical norms. Moldova, however, quickly reversed its earlier opinion and now pursues a claim on Pridnestrovie despite a clear lack of any historical precedent. Who is right? A detailed legal analysis of Pridnestrovie's historical claim to sovereignty under international law was prepared last year, and concludes that the main reason for Pridnestrovie's unrecognized status is political, not legal. The unrecognized country currently meets the requirements for statehood under international law, and legally speaking it is already an independent country. But many say that widespread international diplomatic recognition of Pridnestrovie's statehood will not happen until the political situation with Moldova is sorted out.

In the meantime, life goes on in Tiraspol and the streets are being prepared for a huge open-air party on October 14, when the city officially turns 215.

See also:
» Against odds, Tiraspol reaches out to tourists

On the web:
» State sovereignty of Pridnestrovie under international law