Tiraspol History

The city's name comes from the Greek name of the river Dniester Τυρας and ancient Greek. πολις - «city».

The Treaty of Iassy [Jassy] was signed by both Russia and Ottoman Empire on December 27, 1791 after the end of Russo-Turkish War of 1787-1792. As a result of this agreement, Russia acquired the Ochakov region between the west bank of the river South Bug and the river Dniester. Dniester River became the border between two territories. In 1792, to strengthen the new borders of the empire Russia began the construction of a series of forts along the left bank of the Dniester River (while on the right bank stood two powerful fortresses of Bender and Akkerman that belonged to the Turks).

At the conclusion of Treaty of Jassy, Cossacks of Ekaternoslavskaya cavalry, who on their way back home asked permission from Suvorov to settle on the left bank of the Dniester river area, became first Russian settlers in Sucleya (currently adjacent to Tiraspol, village of Sucleya).

In 1792, following the special order of Aleksandr Suvorov , Sredinnaya [Middle] Fortress was founded on the bank of the river Dniester. Construction was carried out under the leadership of de Ribas and engineer de Vollan.

Aleksandr Suvorov Source: wikipedia.org

Josep de Ribas Source: wikipedia.org

François-Paul Sainte de Wollant Statue in Tiraspol Source: http://www.palamar-photo.com/ Author: A. Palamar

Architectural Model of Tiraspol Fortress Source: http://www.palamar-photo.com/ Author: A. Palamar

In January 1792 Katherine II ordered Yekaterinoslav governor Vasily Kakhovsky to induct new territories to the Yekaterinoslav region, and to explore their resettlement plan. In September of the same year he made a number of proposals, including building a new town in the Sredinnaya Fortress. That is how Tiraspol was founded. Due to the construction of the city, the residents of the village of Sucleya had to move three miles further along the Dniester river. According to 11th volume Military Statistical Review of the Russian Empire, the Tiraspol fortress was built among the other fortresses that were built after Treaty of Iassy [Jassy] was signed. The Tiraspol fortress was raised in front of the former Turkish fortress, Bendery. At the site of the present Tiraspol was a Moldovan farm of 6 small houses, whose residents were engaged in fishing. In 1793 Tiraspol was built near the fortress.

Dniester Estuary Source: http://www.palamar-photo.com/ Tiraspol Museum

The city is split into two parts: the east and west, by a wide ravine, called the estuary, into 2 parts. The east was the larger of the two and was built on a low-lying valley, which was covered with spring flood water. The Dniester River washes the city from the south. There are two ferries crossing the river, each of which can take 50 people. Tiraspol, since it is located on a large river and on the main route from Bessarabia, is quite a significant city and a great strategical object allowing to defend the border of Russian Empire.

By 1795 there were more than 2.5 thousand settlers in the new town. From 1792 to 1795 Tiraspol was the center of Ochakov district.