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Historical maps of Pridnestrovie

Pridnestrovie

History of Pridnestrovie

Historically distinct, PRIDNESTROVIE was attached to the territory that became Moldova when Stalin redrew borders in 1940.
It became independent again in 1990.
Click on the timeline below to see Year: 600 BC

Pridnestrovie has a long history, with records of its civilization dating back to 600 BC:
TYRAS was an ancient Greek colony, founded on the Dniester river.
Tiraspol, the capital of Pridnestrovie today, takes its name from the original Tyras.
')">our borders throughout history.
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Year: 600 BC

Pridnestrovie has a long history, with records of its civilization dating back to 600 BC:
TYRAS was an ancient Greek colony, founded on the Dniester river.
Tiraspol, the capital of Pridnestrovie today, takes its name from the original Tyras.
')">600 BC
[0]Year: 850

In the early Middle Ages, Pridnestrovie was populated by peaceful SLAVIC TRIBES and TURKIC NOMADS.
As a natural border, The Dniester river marked a clear separation from the lands to the West.
')">850
[0]Year: 1450

Pridnestrovie was a formal part of the GRAND DUCHY OF LITHUANIA in the 15th century. The border was marked by the Dniester river.
Moldavia, on the other side of the river, was never part of the union.
')">1450
[0]Year: 1792

In 1792 Pridnestrovie became part of the RUSSIAN EMPIRE,with the Dniester river representing the southwest border of Russia.
On the other side of the river, Moldavia never laid claim to any of the territory of Pridnestrovie.
')">1792
[0]Year: 1924

By 1924, Moldavia was part of Romania.
Pridnestrovie became the MOLDAVIAN A.S.S.R. which also incorporated parts of Ukraine but none of Moldavia. The Dniester river was still respected as the natural border between the two countries.
')">1924
[0]Year: 1940

In WWII, Stalin invaded Romania and added parts of it to Pridnestrovie to artifically create the MOLDAVIAN S.S.R.
By force, and for the first time in history, these two distinct lands were joined despite the natural border of the Dniester River.
')">1940
[0]Year: 1990

With the fall of the Soviet Union, the independence of PRIDNESTROVIE was declared. The artificial Stalin-era experiment of a union with Moldova was ended and once again the Dniester river became the natural, historical border of the two countries.
')">1990
[0]History of Pridnestrovie

Historically distinct, PRIDNESTROVIE was attached to the territory that became Moldova when Stalin redrew borders in 1940.
It became independent again in 1990.
Click on the timeline again to see our borders throughout history.
')">
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600 B.C.: First settlement, a greek colony named Tyras, is founded on the site of today's Tiraspol.

100 B.C.: Pridnestrovie is formally part of Sarmatia; itself confederated with Scythia. The Dniester River forms the Western-most reaches of Sarmatia and the border with Dacia, the forerunner to today's Romania and Moldova.

850: In the early Middle Ages, Pridnestrovie is populated by peaceful Slavic tribes and Turkic nomads. The Bulgarian Khanate reaches all the way up to the Dniester river. Then, as now, the Dniester marks a clear separation from the lands to the west.

1450: Pridnestrovie becomes a formal part of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania in the 15th century. Strong influences from Northern Europe can still be seen in Pridnestrovie's culture and architecture, as a result of the Polish-Lithuanian union which included Pridnestrovie. The border was marked by the Dniester river. Moldavia, on the other side of the river, was never part of the union.

1792: The Russian Empire incorporates the area, with Pridnestrovie's Dniester river representing the southwest border of Russia. On the other side of the river, Moldavia never laid claim to any of the territory of Pridnestrovie.

1924: Under the new Soviet Union, Pridnestrovie becomes the Moldavian ASSR which also incorporates parts of Ukraine but none of Moldavia. The Dniester river is still respected as the natural border between the two countries. Moldavia, in 1924, is part of Romania.

1940: Under the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact with Nazi-Germany, Stalin invades Romania and takes Moldavia which is annexed to Pridnestrovie (MASSR). The resulting area becomes known as the Moldavian Soviet Socialist Republic. By force, and as an act of war, the two distinct lands of Pridnestrovie and Moldova are joined despite their will and despite the natural border of the Dniester River.

1989: In Chisinau, Moldova's Parliament annuls the 1940 Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact which annexed Moldova to the Soviet Union. However, it is this same pact which joined Pridnestrovie and Moldova, too. So by declaring the pact null and void, Moldova also implicitly renounces its claim under international law to sovereignty over the Tiraspol, Bender, Grigoriopol, Dubossary, Rybnitsa, Slobodzeya and Kamenka districts of the dissolved MSSR. A year later, in 1990, the Republic of Moldova repeats this in its Declaration of Independence. [0]

1990: On 2 September 1990 Pridnestrovie becomes independent. The republic is created democratically, by an explicit declaration of independence according to the will of the people in a popular referendum.

(Taken from: "Dates and facts: Chronological history of Pridnestrovie" [0])