Pridnestrovie has a rich, Western-oriented history dating back to 600 B.C. Historically distinct, Pridnestrovie was attached to the territory that became Moldova when Stalin redrew borders in 1940. It became independent again in 1990.

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 capital, Tiraspol, can trace its roots back thousands of years; always separate and independent from Moldova.

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.

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. But historically, Pridnestrovie was never part of Moldova and today continues to defend its traditional right to independence.

» Pridnestrovie.net: History of PMR

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Dates in history:

600 B.C.: First settlement, a greek colony named Tyras, is founded on the site of today's Tiraspol.

100 B.C.: Inhabited by Scythians, Pridnestrovie is formally part of Slavic Sarmatia. The Dniester River forms 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. As a natural border, the Dniester river marks a clear separation from the lands of the Roma (Moldova, 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 (the 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.

1990: 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, Slobozya and Kamenka districts of the dissolved MSSR. A year later, in 1990, the Republic of Moldova repeats this in its Declaration of Independence.

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

» Read more: "Dates and facts: Cronological history of Pridnestrovie"