Historical Transnistrie

This article deals with historical/cultural Transnistrie. For the autoproclamé State, to see Moldavian Republic of Transnistrie. For the other uses, to see Transnistrie.

The area of Transnistrie is a territory of the République of Moldavie, made of a portion of the Podolie historical, and controlled since in 1991 by the Moldavian République of Transnistrie, an entity secessionist of the République of Moldavie. Officially, this entity is recognized by the Moldavian government like autonomous territorial Unité of left bank of Dniestr , whereas the Moldavian République of Transnistrie car-proclaimed independent state (not recognized by the international community).

This republic maintains its independence de facto thanks to units of volunteers Russian or Ukrainian cossacks , like thanks to the 14th Russian army, ordered by the general Alexandre Lebed, who prevented the République of Moldavie from exerting his sovereignty on this part of his territory Guerre of Transnistrie. Since the cease-fire of 1992, the the Council of Europe regards the area of Transnistrie as an area of larval conflict .

Names

The name of the area comes from the Rumanian name of the river Dniestr: Nistru , and means country beyond of Dniestr . In Russian and Ukrainian, the name of the area is Pridniestrovie , which means country before Dniestr (one pourait to translate by Cisnistrie ).

History

Old story

Tyras was an old Greek counter of Milet, probably founded towards 600 av JC, and located at the mouth of Dniestr (of which the old name is Tyras). Three centuries later, it belongs to the Royaume of the Bosphorus whose kings appear on his currency, then it is conquered towards 50 av JC by the Daces which call it Turidava. In 56 av JC, it is rebuilt by the Romans, and then forms part of the province of Basse Messiah, which includes also Scythie minor (current Dobrogée or Dobroudja) and the North-East of the Bulgaria. The romanisation of the Daces gives the Valaques, ancestors of the populations roumanophones of ujourd' today, that the Russians call Moldavian .

The Middle Ages at the 20th century

With the Middle Ages, Transnistrie is populated in north by the Slavic tribes of Oulitches (Ulichs) and of Tivertzes (Tivertsy), and with the south by Finnish wandering populations or Turkish like the Avars, the Magyars, the Petchenègues, the Coumans that the Russians call Polovtsy , and the Tatars.

During one moment its territory is used as outlet towards Byzance with the Varègues (which sail on Dniestr since the the Baltic, with the Rus' of Kiev, with the Poland and with the Grand-Duchy of Lithuania, then, at the 15th century, it becomes Moldavian. The south of Transnistrie falls under the yoke from the Othoman in 1504, belonging to the sandjak Yedisan, north in 1663, with all the Podolie. Then the Othomans yield it to the Russian Empire in 1792. In this time, at the end of the 18th century, the population was sparse and made up of Moldavian (Rumanian) and of Ruthènes (Ukrainian), but also of people wandering, the Tatars Nogai, which leave towards Dobrogée (Dobroudja) and are replaced by Bulgares colonists, Ukrainian, Russian and German.

Second world war

The Soviet socialist Republic of Moldavie ( RSSM ), created by the decision of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR the August 2nd 1940, sees its territory made up starting from two thirds of the Bessarabia taken with the Romania the June 28th, according to the terms of the Pacte Molotov-Ribbentrop, where the majority of the population is roumanophone, and a band of ground on left bank of Dniestr taken with the RASSM. This band of ground is about the territory of current the Moldavian République of Transnistrie ( RTM ).

In 1941, the forces of the Axis attack the USSR, cross Dniestr and advance in the RSSU. Romania then annexes all the area between Dniestr and the Eastern Bug, including the town of Odessa, under the name of Transnistrie . The mode of Antonescu, the Rumanian Pétain makes a kind of Rumanian Siberia of it where it off-sets resistant, Jewish and Rroms. Until March 1943, approximately 185 000 Ukrainian and Rumanian Jews are off-set here under the Rumanian and German occupation of Transnistrie: the three quarters of them are deaths of cold there, of hunger and dysentery, or shot by the Einsatzgruppen ; the survivors became Soviet in 1945 and emigrated later on.

The Soviet socialist Republic of Moldavie, member of the Soviet Union, is restored in 1944 thanks to the projection of the Red Army until the Prout.

the RSSM after the Second world war

The RSSM becomes the subject of a policy of systematic Russianization, more effective than at the time tsarist. The writing in Cyrillic characters is imposed for Rumanian, consequently identified like Moldavian , which has a statute of Co-official language beside the Russian , principal language of " communication inter-ethnique".

Most of industries is concentrated in Transnistrie, whereas the remainder of the RSSM is agricultural. In 1990, Transnistrie émarge for 40% of the GNP of the RSSM, and for 90% of its total production of electricity, thanks to the hydroelectric station of Dubăsari. One finds there also industries of armament and the large arsenal of Colbasna.

The 14th Soviet army is stationed there since 1956, and it remains there confined during the fall of the USSR to assemble the guard on what is probably the largest stock of weapons and ammunition in Europe, then installed for a possible conflict around the Black Sea.

The conflict

The policy of Perestroika of Mikhaïl Gorbatchev in the USSR allows a democratization at the regional level in the years 1980. In the Republics not-Russian of the USSR, the local autochtones majorities claim the respect of their identities and become political clouts. It is the case also in Moldavie with the Popular front directed by Mircea Druc. The colonists Russian speakers and other minorities of these countries (in Moldavie: Ukrainian, gagaouze and Bulgarian) fears for their statute. In Moldavie, they are opposed to the Popular front , in particular because, at the time of the Soviet Union, the local policy was often dominated by not-Roumanians, and rather by personalities of Russian origin. The law on the return for the use of the Latin alphabet in the place of the Cyrillic alphabet, doubled obligation to include/understand Rumanian for the civils servant, was felt as constraining by the population Russian speaker which did not understand the local language. The problem of the official languages in the Republic of Moldavie became a Gordian knot, and was some exaggerated, and intensely politicized. This disagreement with the new reforms was even more sensitive in Transnistrie, where the urban centres as Tiraspol have a Slavic majority. The demonstrations against the central government were more impressive over there.

According to the census of 1989, the population in Transnistrie is of 39,9% from Moldavians, 28,3% of Ukrainians, Russian 25,4%, and 1,9% the Bulgarian ones.

The September 2nd 1990 the Moldavian République of Transnistrie (RTM) is unilaterally proclaimed Soviet republic by the " second congress of the representatives of the people of Transnistrie" chaired by Siberian: Igor Smirnov. The December 22nd the president of the USSR Mikhaïl Gorbatchev, refusing to recognize this accomplished fact, sign a decree " concerning measurements which could make return the situation to the normal in RSSM". This decision specifies that the proclamation of the républqiue of Transnistrie is null and not avenue. The August 25th 1991 the Supreme Soviet of the RTM adopts the declaration of independence of the RTM. The August 27th 1991 the Moldavian Parliament adopts the Declaration of Independence of the Republic of Moldavie, whose territory includes/understands Transnistrie. The Moldavian Parliament asks the government of the Federation of Russia, considered as diplomatic heiress of the USSR, " to begin the negotiations with the Moldavian government to put a term at the illegal occupation of the Republic of Moldavie and to withdraw the Soviet troops of the territory moldave" . Russia negotiated with the République of Moldavie, Transnistrie and the Ukraine to obtain the authorization of passage to be able to evacuate this military material towards Russia. In 1992, the general headquarter of the 14th army is transferred from the Moldavian capital Chişinău, with the capital of Transnistrie, Tiraspol.

When the Republic of Moldavie becomes member of the the United Nations (March 2nd 1992), the Moldavian president Mircea Snegur (president of 1990 to 1996) authorizes the military action concerted against the rebellious forces which had attacked the police stations Moldavian loyal supporters on left bank of the Dniestr, and on a small zone of Right Bank around the town of Tighina (Bender). The rebels, helped by quotas of Russian Cossacks and by the 14th army Russian, consolidate their control on the zone in conflict.

The forces of the 14th army (which had made allegiance in the USSR, the Communauté of the States Indépendants and with the Fédération of Russia) station in Transnistrie, and fight at side and the place of the separatist forces. The separatists can also make use of the weapons taken in stocks of the old 14th army. The role of this 14th Russian army is crucial in the zone to finish the conflict. The Moldavian army is put in position of inferiority, and cannot take again control on Transnistrie. An agreement of cease-fire is signed the July 21st 1992.

After the conflict

The continuation of the history is that of the Moldavian République of Transnistrie.

Population

With the census of 1989, the population was of 546 400 hearts. With the census of 2004, whose figures are disputed, the population was of 555 000 people.

Recently there was an important emigration since the area of Transistrie, because of the economic difficulties of the years 1990. It is one of shaved for which there is a significant proportion of pensioners.

Ethnicity

Until the years 1960, the Moldavian composed the pus large left the population the area, but the proportions changed because of industrialization and the immigration of Russian and Ukrainian workers, encouraged by Soviet. The tendency continues after 1991, and the fraction of the Moldavian population decreased between 1989 and 2004 from 41% to 32% of the total population. In spite of these figures, the Moldavians remain the most important group of the area.

Census of 1989

Total population on left bank of Dniestr (without Tighina): 546 400
Total population in the Raion S on left bank of Dniestr (with Tighina): 600 700 Moldavian

: 40%
Ukrainian: 28% Russian
: 24%
Others: 8%

Census of 2004

Total population (without Tighina): is. to 425.000 - 477.000
Total population (with Tighina): 555.500

Moldoves: 31,9% Russian
: 30,3%
Ukrainian: 28,8%

References

Xavier Deleu: Transnistrie, the explosives magazine of Europe , ISBN 7-7556-0055-1.

External bonds

the war of Transnistrie in images
the decision with Ilascu and others against the Republic of Moldavie and Russia
the plan of installation of the conflict transnistrien by the Ukraine
Mission of the SOEC in Republic of Moldavie
Eurojournal.org
the Council of Europe larval Conflicts
Profile of Transnistrie of BBC

Moldavian side

Moldova Azi: News from Moldova
Interlic News Agency
BASA-press News Agency

Official side of Transistrie

Olvia-Press: The information agency off Transnistria
Constitutional Court off the Pridnestrovskaia Moldavskaia Respublika
MRT Presidential website
Transdniestria.com has news portal website with Transdniestria stories and views.

Rumanian side

Viorel Dolha "All Transnistria" butt;

Russian side

"Armed conflict in and around the city off Bendery" - carryforward by Human Rights and Humanitarian Society " Memorial"

Any other business (in Rumanian)

Totul despre Transnistria I (ro)
Totul despre Transnistria II (ro)
Totul despre Transnistria III (ro)
Totul despre Transnistria IV (ro)
Totul despre Transnistria (ro)

Random links: