Bendery

Introducing Bendery

Bendery (sometimes called Bender, and previously known as Tighina), on the western banks of the Dniestr River, has made something of a miraculous recovery in recent years. Physical and figurative scars from the bloodshed in the early ’90s have noticeably healed. The centre in particular is a green, breezy and pleasant place, vastly more sociable and inviting than Tiraspol. Busy cafés, non-Soviet inspired sculptures and a palpably less guarded air make this place seem like it’s sitting on the wrong side of the border.

During the 16th century, Moldavian prince Ştefan cel Mare built a large fortress here on the ruins of a fortified Roman camp. In 1538 the Ottoman sultan Suleiman the Magnificent conquered the fortress and transformed it into a Turkish raia (colony), renaming the city Bendery, meaning ‘belonging to the Turks’. During the 18th century, Bendery was seized from the Turks by Russian troops who then massacred Turkish Muslims in the city. In 1812 Bendery fell permanently into Russian hands. Russian peacekeeping forces remain here to this day. The bloodiest fighting during the 1992 military conflict took place in Bendery and many walls of buildings in the centre remain bullet-pocked.

Last updated: Feb 17, 2009