History of Transdniester

Leading up to the Civil War or the Early 1990s

Traditionally a part of Moldavia, the area came under the control of the Ottoman Empire in 1504. It was eventually ceded to the Russian Empire in 1792. At that time, most of the population was Moldovan/Romanian, but having also a nomadic Tatar population.

The end of the 18th century marked the Russian and Ukrainian colonization in region, with the aim of defending what was at the time the Imperial Russian eastern border.

After the Soviet Revolution, the region was organised as the 'Moldavan Autonomous Oblast' in the Ukrainian SSR. Romanian speakers still made up the majority of inhabitants of the regions and Romanian-language schools were opened.

After World War II, it was included with Bessarabia into the Moldavan SSR in exchange for Southern Bessarabia ("Bugeac"), which was included in the Ukrainian SSR.

During the Soviet era, Transdniester suffered as many ethnic Romanians were deported to Siberia and Kazakhstan and were replaced by Ukrainians and Russians. Many ethnic Romanians and Moldavians, however, were allowed to return in the 1950s, during a time of de-Stalinazation.

Most of the industry that was built in the Moldavan SSR was concentrated in Transdniester, while the rest of Moldova had a predominantly agricultural economy. In 1990, Transdniester accounted for 40% of Moldova's GDP and 90% of its electricity production.

The 14th Soviet army has been based in Transdniester since 1956 and, it is thought, was kept there after the fall of the Soviet Union to prevent any attempt of unification with Romania and, many believe, to safeguard a huge arsenal that is allegedly the largest stockpile of ammunitions and weapons (possibly obsolete) in Europe. It is thought that Russia established the weapons depot in case of a third world war during the paranoia era, or Cold War, following World War Two.