Pridnestrovian Moldavian Republic

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Pridnestrovian Moldavian Republic Приднестро́вская Молда́вская Респу́блика Republica Moldovenească Nistreană Придністро́вська Молда́вська Респу́бліка
Flag Error creating thumbnail: Unable to save thumbnail to destination Coat of arms
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Capital and largest city	Tiraspol
Official languages	Moldavian Russian Ukrainian
Demonym(s)	Pridnestrovian Transnistrian
Dominant mode of production	Capitalism
Government	Unitary semi-presidential bourgeois republic
• President	Vadim Krasnoselsky
• Prime Minister	Aleksandr Rozenberg
• Speaker of the Supreme Council	Alexander Korshunov
Legislature	Supreme Council
History
• Independence from Moldavian SSR declared	2 September 1990
• Independence from the USSR declared	5 August 1991
• Pridnestrovian War	2 March – 1 July 1992
Area
• Total	4,163 km²
Population
• 2024 estimate	367,776
• Density	73.5 km²
Currency	Pridnestrovian ruble

Pridnestrovie, officially known as the Pridnestrovian Moldavian Republic, is a partially recognized state in Europe claimed by Moldova. It is located between the Dniester river to the west, with both Pridnestrovie and Moldova controlling sections of land on both sides of the river, and Ukraine to the east. Since 1992 the region has been in a frozen conflict after Priednestrovie broke away due to Moldova's repression of Russian speaking minorities and its plans to unify with Romania.

Pridnestrovie is a region of geostrategic importance and hosts the largest ammunition depot in Europe, as well as an industrial hub. Pridnestrovie's independence is guaranteed by Russian peacekeepers, which are themselves vulnerable with no Russian coterminous land access to the region. The Russo-Ukrainian war and a fuel crisis caused by Ukraine has increased the likelihood of Pridnestrovie becoming a target of imperialist aggression.

Despite its Soviet-era aesthetics including the usage of the flag of the Moldavian SSR, it's not a socialist state, however, it does have a communist party.

Name

The region has been referred to by various names, the official short name according to the de facto government is Pridnestrovie, despite this, Transnistria is the more common term for the state and region.

According to the Pridnestrovian Foreign Minister Vitaly Ignatiev, "[t]he denomination Transnistria refers to the period of the Second World War and is associated with military, political crimes, [and] the Holocaust."

History

Moldavian ASSR (1924–1940)

See main article: Moldavian Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic

During the events of the October Revolution several previously Tsarist border regions including the region of Bessarabia broke away or were occupied by neighbouring countries. Following the Romanian annexation of Bessarabia, the only remaining territory was the left bank of the Dniester which after fierce fighting was held onto by the Soviets. Following the end of the Civil War, socialist construction began and on October 12, 1924 the Moldavian ASSR was formed out of regions in the Ukrainian SSR with Moldavian populations.

Moldavian SSR (1940–1990)

In 1940 the Soviet Union demanded the return of Bessarabia from the fascist Romanian regime and in June 26 the Red Army entered the region and reclaimed the territory. On August 4 the Moldavian SSR was created out of parts of the territories of Bessarabia and the Moldavian ASSR with a majority Moldavian population whilst the remainder was given to the Ukrainian SSR.

Independence (1990–)

Pridnestrovie declared its independence from the Moldavian SSR on 2 September 1990 as the Pridnestrovian Moldavian Soviet Socialist Republic, however it was never recognized by the Soviet Union.^{[citation needed]}

The Pridnestrovian Moldavian SSR declared its independence from the Soviet Union on 5 November 1991, it also abandoned socialism and was renamed the Pridnestrovian Moldavian Republic.^{[citation needed]}

Foreign relations

Pridnestrovie has no official relations with most countries outside of three other unrecognized states: Abkhazia, Artsakh and South Ossetia, despite this, it maintains unofficial relations with a few countries.^{[citation needed]}

Pridnestrovie—Russia relations

Russia does not have diplomatic relations with Pridnestrovie, however it has strong unofficial relations with it.^{[citation needed]}

Russia has had a consulate in Pridnestrovie since 2012.^{[citation needed]}

Pridnestrovie—Ukraine relations

Like Russia, Ukraine does not have diplomatic relations with Pridnestrovie, however it maintains a special relationship with it.

Relations between the two have declined since the 2014 far-right Ukrainian coup, relations hit their lowest point during the 2022 Russo-Ukrainian conflict, this is despite Pridnestrovie taking no side in the conflict.

Architecture

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An example of Soviet-era architecture in Pridnestrovie from its capital city, Tiraspol.

One of the most noticeable parts of Pridnestrovie architecture is the Soviet-era aesthetics, the flag and coat of arms of the state both feature a hammer and sickle despite the country not being socialist, many Soviet monuments are also around the region, including one of Russian revolutionary Vladimir Lenin.^{[citation needed]}