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Tiraspol was founded 215 as a Russian border town. Here, the city's flag is hoisted with PMR's red-and-green in the background

TIRASPOL (Tiraspol Times) - Pridnestrovie's capital city officially turned 215 years old on 14 October 2007, an event marked with street dancing, parades and plenty of free beer for everyone.

Tiraspol, home to thirty percent of Pridnestrovie's total population of 550,000 people, was founded in 1792 by Russian general Alexander Suvorov at the request of Catherine the Great (Empress Catherine II of Russia). Prior to World War II, it was the capital of an autonomous republic that was part of the Ukrainian SSR, and from 1990 it has been the capital of the 'de facto' independent country of Pridnestrovie.

" - Happy birthday, Tiraspol," said Mihai Ghiletchi, a local resident, during a break from dancing with his wife.

" - Happy birthday," echoed Viktor Gorbatko, an honorary citizen of Tiraspol who is both a retired pilot and former Cosmonaut and has been to space three times.

Two girls in Pridnestrovie, wearing the yellow colors of a pro-independence youth group, lay flowers at one of the events dedicated to Tiraspol's freedom and independence.

Holiday events started Friday evening and went on into Saturday with a flag raising ceremony in front of City Hall. Viktor Gorbatko, who took part in raising the red and green flag of Pridnestrovie, flew on the Soyuz 7, Soyuz 24, and Soyuz 37 missions as a Cosmonaut. After leaving the space program in 1982, he went into a career of teaching and is today an honorary citizen of Tiraspol.

Celebrations continued with flower laying at the feet of the statue of Alexander Suvorov, as well as on the graves of those who gave their lives defending the city against Moldova in the 1992 war.

Tiraspol's mayor Victor Kostyrko was also supposed to unveil a bust of Empress Catherine the Great today, but the planned event had to be canceled because the bust was lacking. It was made-to-order from nearby Odessa (Ukraine) and didn't show up in time for the start of the birthday festivities.

12% Moldovan minority

As is tradition in Tiraspol each year, the statue of Tiraspol founder A.V. Suvorov was decorated with a flower arrangement depicting the number of years since the city was founded. The flowers, in red and green, always mirror the national colors of Pridnestrovie's flag.

Igor Smirnov, who was re-elected as President of Pridnestrovie in 2006, speaks of the historical legacy of Tiraspol's founder Alexander Suvorov (shown, background).

On Saturday night, an open-air play took place in the central park near Suvorov's statue and the PMR Parliament building. Entrance was free and the actors put on a historical play depicting events related to the founding of Tiraspol.

Following the free street theater, a song-and-dance marathon took place which lasted until the early hours of Sunday. With Sunday the 14th of October being the official anniversary, street parties take place throughout the city.

Ever since it was founded by Russia 215 years ago, Tiraspol has always been a majority-Slav city. It is home to approximately 160,000 people today. Only twelve percent of the inhabitants are ethnic Moldovans, a figure which remains largely unchanged since it was part of the Moldavian SSR inside the Soviet Union — in the last Soviet Census, in 1989, just fourteen percent of Tiraspol's population were ethnic Moldovans.

" - I don't really know how Moldova thinks it can ever govern Tiraspol against the will of the people who actually live here," said Ghiletchi. "But that is their problem. We are happier by not being part of their country."

" - My son is 16 and he doesn't know what it is like to be part of Moldova, added Larisa, his wife. "And to be honest, I don't ever want him to know."

A Tiraspol inhabitant prays for peace on his city's 215th birthday. Some 15 years ago, Moldovan troops attacked in an attempt to take control of Pridnestrovie through a war which left more than 1,000 people dead.

Formerly part of Ukraine

The reason for the low number of Moldovans is due to the fact that neither Tiraspol nor the rest of Pridnestrovie have ever belonged to Moldova. Before Pridnestrovie became solidly Russian — uninterrupted for more than 200 years except for a brief pro-Nazi occupation between 1941 and 1944 — it was Ukrainian land.

To mark the birthday of Pridnestrovie's capital, a new tourist guide was published last week for Tiraspol in Russian and English. The new book, which is in both Russian and English, includes extensive maps and sight-seeing information. It is published by the PMR Chamber of Commerce and Industry with the financial help of local companies and other private sponsors.

The city's formal program of activities started on Friday, 11 October, and will end on Tuesday, 16 October. Parliamentarians from Russia, South America and several European countries are present at the five-day long series of events. (Photos: Lenta PMR)

See also:
» Tiraspol looks back 215 years as it gets ready for birthday [1]
» New anthem for Tiraspol's 215th birthday [2]
» Street fairs, celebrations mark Tiraspol's 214th birthday [3]