Bender Fortress
Bendery Fortress is an ancient powerful fortification in Transnistria, erected in the 16th century in the town of Bender. The fortress is featured in the book "100 most beautiful and amazing places of the USSR" released in 2010.
The fortress was built in 1538 by the Ottoman Empire to protect its borders. After construction, the bastion was surrounded by a large earthen embankment and a deep moat was dug around it to make the fortress impregnable. The advantageous tactical location of the citadel made it an important stronghold during the era of the Russian-Turkish wars. The first unsuccessful attempt to seize it was made in 1540 by Moldavian Prince Alexander Kornya. In 1574, Ion Voda the Fierce attacked the fortress, captured the city, but they failed to seize the fortress. The next attempt was made 20 years later, during which the city was burned down, but the Bendery fortress resisted. After losing the Battle of Poltava, King Charles XII of Sweden and Hetman Ivan Mazepa lived in the fort for some time.
During the Russo-Turkish wars in the 18th and 19th centuries, Russian troops captured the fortress 3 times. For the first time in 1770, the 33,000 army of Peter Ivanovich Panin besieged and captured the Bendery fortress, defended by 18,000 Turkish soldiers. Catherine II was extremely unhappy with the heavy losses during the capture, which amounted to 6,000 people, but, nevertheless, this battle made a significant contribution to the overall victory over the Turks. After the defeat, the Turks declared mourning for 3 days in connection with the loss of the Bendery fortress and the territory it guarded. Unfortunately, after the signing of the peace agreement, the fortress again went to the Turks. In 1789, the garrison of the fortress had already surrendered without a fight, in 1806 the garrison of the fortress was bribed and Russian troops entered the fortress without a fight, and later Emperor Alexander I declared war on the Turks and the soldiers of the garrison were captured. This year, the fortress was finally secured by the Russian Empire.
The Bendery fortress was reinforced several times, both with weapons and protection. Since 2008, the citadel has been undergoing restoration work. On its territory you can see the Alley of Glory of Russian commanders, where monuments to the greatest commanders are located. Here you can also see the bust of Baron Munchausen, who, according to legend, flew right here on the core above the fortress. History lovers should visit the museum of the Bendery Fortress and the museum of medieval instruments of torture, and for souvenirs you can stop at the Besiktas store.
