Tighina
Categories: Cities in Moldova | Transnistria
Tighina, or Tigina, is a city in Moldova. It was formerly known as Bendery (Turkish: Bender). Its geographical location is 46°50′ N 29°29′ E, population was 130,000 at the census in 1989.
A settlement has existed at the confluence of the Dniester and Bâc rivers since the 2nd century, subsequently growing and coming under the successive rules of Kiev, Moldavia, Genoa, Turkey, Russia and Romania. Along with Dubasari and Grigoriopol, Thighina is one of the Transnistrian cities with a very large Romanian population.
A fortress was founded here in the 16th century by Stefan cel Mare. In 1538 Suleiman the Magnificent conquered the fortress and renamed it Bender.
In 1713, the city was the site of a battle (kalabalik) between Charles XII of Sweden, who had taken refuge there with Cossack leader Ivan Stepanovich Mazepa after their failed attack on Russia, and Turks who wished to take him hostage and exploit the political difficulties of central Europe.
Tighina fell to the Russians during the Russo-Turkish War, 1806-1812 and remained in Russian hands until 1918. As a part of Bessarabia, Tighina belonged to Romania between 1918 and 1940, temporary also between 1941 and 1944. During the War of Transnistria most of the fighting was concentrated in the city. Today, the city is ruled by the transnistrian separatists.
Famous people born in the city include:
- Emil Constantinescu - former Romanian President
- Lev Simonovich Berg - zoologist and geographer
- Mikhail Grigoryevich Chernyayev - Russian general
- Jerzy Neyman - statistician
- Petro Poroshenko -Ukrainian politician and businessmen
External links
| Counties of Moldova | Image:Flag of Moldova.png |
|---|---|
| Bălţi | Cahul | Chişinău | Edineţ | Lăpuşna | Orhei | Soroca | Tighina | Ungheni | |