The capital of Pridnestrovie is a modern, clean city with extensive areas of beautiful parkland bordering the Dniester River.

Daily life: A street in Tiraspol

Tiraspol derives from classical Greek roots and means “the town on the Dniester”. The country´s capital dates back to the year 600 B.C. when a settlement called "Tyras" was originally founded on this location.

In its modern form, Tiraspol appeared on the map in 1792 during the Russian and Turkish battle near Bender Fortress. In just a few months, a fortress with 3 towers was constructed to strengthen the positions of the Russian Army lead by Alexander Suvorov.

Tiraspol and Pridnestrovie has traditionally been on the faultline between a clash of civilizations. The Dniester River has for ages represented a border where civilizations meet, and in 1792 it was the case of Muslim vs Christian Orthodox forces. Tiraspol, on the Christian side, was the outpost in the fault line war between the Ottoman Empire (Turkish forces) and the European civilization (represented by Imperial Russia).
After Russia consolidated its dominance over the area, the fortress was transformed into a prison. There, during the Czarist rule, many Decembrists were held.

Inspired by the American revolution
Decembrists were reformers who tried to overthrow the Czar and bring liberal democratic government to Russia. They were influenced by the successful French revolution and the ideas of the American revolution. One of Prince Wittgenstein's sons, based in Kamenka (northern Pridnestrovie) was a prominent Decembrist leader. Today in Tiraspol you can see statues and monuments to the Decembrists, whereas the fortress itself was later destroyed. Today we can see the ruins of only one tower.

Tiraspol is a city with strong Jewish roots. In 1897, before a subsequent Romanian/Moldovan invasion and extermination campaign, 27 percent of the city's population were Jews. They contributed to architecture and a strong musical tradition which is alive today thanks to Pridnestrovie's State Symphony Orchestra.

Tiraspol is a green city with a beautiful leisure zone on the banks of the Dniester. There is an old Tree Garden in the centre of the town. You can also visit The History Museum, T.G. Shevchenko University, the Drama Theatre, monuments to A. Suvorov and the Decembrist V. Raievscki. For a relaxing side trip, head outside of town to spend a day at Lake Kuchurgan.

Today the city is home to 159,000 inhabitants. A little over 10 percent are ethnic Moldavians, the rest are mostly Slavs.

» City map of Tiraspol

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