Also known as Tighina Fortress, which was its original name, Bender (Bendery) Fortress stands on the western bank of the Dniester river in the city of Bender in the internationally unrecognised Pridnestrovian Moldavian Republic (Transnistria). The fortress dates from the 15th-century and was built from earth and wood during the reign of Prince Stephen the Great. In 1538 it was conquered by the Turkish sultan Suleiman the Magnificent, who ordered it to be rebuilt in stone and enlarged. Between 1705-1707 the fortifications were further strengthened by prince Antioh Cantemir on behalf of the Turks. In this last variant, the fortress consisted of 10 bastions and 11 towers. Following the three Russo-Turkish wars, it came under the rule of the Russian Empire in the early 19th century. During this period the fortress lost its strategic importance and was used as military barracks. The site was restored between 2008 and 2012 and opened to the public.
The ticket office at the entrance to Bender Fortress. A ginger and white cat is sitting in the ticket window.View from the ticket office into a park that is located in front of Bender Fortress.A section of the outer defensive wall at Bender Fortress which has been rebuilt. Old cannons are pointing through some of the gaps at the top of the crenellated wall.The outer courtyard at Bender Fortress. A tower can be seen to the left. The view beyond the fortress is mostly fields with the Dniester river out of view in the valley below.An old cannon pointing through the outer walls of Bender Fortress.View of Bender Fortress from the outer courtyard looking towards the inner stone walls with an octagonal tower with a pointed red-tile roof in a corner. Ahead nine busts can be seen on plinths. At least some of these are of military commanders under the Russian Empire with connections to the local area.Tony in front of a traditional horse-drawn carriage. It is made of wood and is painted cream and gold on the wheels. It has an enclosed compartment with curtain-covered windows.The inner courtyard of Bender Fortress. Two of the eight stone towers around the inner fortress can be seen. The towers are joined by battlements with crenellated walls. The courtyard is covered with grass. There are several wooden barrels on the grass.Another view of the inner courtyard. In the foreground is a building that houses the fortress’s museum. The entrance gatehouse and tower can be partially seen to the left. In the distance, outside the walls of the fortress, the golden domes of the Alexander Nevsky church can also be seen. This orthodox church was built close to the fortress in 1833.On the battlements of Bender Fortress. A narrow walkway leads to a tower ahead. The tiled roof of the museum is on the left side.Tony touching a small cannon mounted on a wooden gun carriage at Bender Fortress.A display of military items inside the museum at Bender Fortress. The items include old rifles, cannon balls and a gun carriage. There is also a mannikin of a man in traditional Turkish-style dress carrying a sword in a scabbard.Tony inside the museum at Bender Fortress. A pair of 18th century rifles are displayed on the wall behind.Tony in front of a display case inside the museum. The items inside the case can’t be seen clearly, but include old photos.Tony next to a mannikin of a soldier. According to a sign the soldier is wearing an under-officer’s uniform belonging to the musketeer company of the Russian Imperial Army. It dates from the second half of the 18th century. The uniform is red and green and the hat is black with silver edging. The hat has large flaps over the ears.Tony in front of a large drawing depicting a historic battle taking place at Bender Fortress. The scene is filled with smoke with one of the fortress’s towers on fire. This perhaps imagines one of the battles that took place here during the Russo-Turkish Wars in the second half of the 18th century. At this time control of the fortress repeatedly switched between the Russians and the Turks.Another view of the print depicting a historic battle at the fortress. It is a scene of chaos with some soldiers attempting to scale the walls with ladders and others manning cannons.A model of Bender Fortress inside the museum showing how it would have once looked when the outer walls were complete in the late 18th century.Another large print of a painting depicting a historic scene. It is mounted in a recess measuring perhaps two metres in height and four metres in length. It depicts Bender Fortress in the distance and in the foreground there is a group of tents housing a garrison of soldiers. A row of soldiers in blue uniforms are shown standing to attention.Tony by a manikin wearing the uniform belonging to the royal guards of King Charles XII of Sweden. King Charles XII reigned from 1697 to 1718. He led an unsuccessful attempt to invade Russia as part of the Great Northern War. For a time he lived in exile in Bender, then part of the Ottoman Empire, following defeat at the Battle of Poltava in 1709. The uniform includes a blue and yellow tunic and a tricorn hat.
Alexander Nevsky church
Exterior view of Alexander Nevsky church which is located close to Bender Fortress. The church’s four gold-topped domes can be seen. The walls are painted creamy yellow and white. The church was built in Byzantine style in 1833 and is one of the oldest surviving religious buildings in Bender. During the Soviet period it became a soldier’s club and this use continued until the mid-1990s. It reopened as a church in 2011 following extensive renovation work.Outside the museum Tony visited close to Alexander Nevsky church. Tony is alongside an artillery gun dating from the 20th century.Another view showing the exterior of Alexander Nevsky church.Inside Alexander Nevsky church looking along the nave towards the iconostasis. The iconostasis and small altars on both sides of the nave are decorated in gold. The floor is laid in marble.A slightly blurry photo looking up into Alexander Nevsky church’s central dome. The inside is painted with religious imagery and a large chandelier hangs from the centre.A religious wall painting in Alexander Nevsky church depicting three men, perhaps saints, with halos around their heads and a city in the background. One man is holding an orb and a flag, another an orb and a sword and the third a flag and another object, perhaps a shield, which is mostly out of view.Another icon in Alexander Nevsky church. This one depicts two men on horseback. They again have halos around their heads suggesting they are saints.A life-sized sculpture of Jesus on the cross inside Alexander Nevsky church. There are large gold candlesticks at either side.A smaller room inside Alexander Nevsky church, perhaps a side chapel. The walls and ceiling are painted with icons. The images include a winged angel on horseback blowing a horn.Tony now outside Alexander Nevsky church. The main doorway is behind with five icons painted on panels around it. A small gold-domed bell-tower is above.
Noul Neamț Monastery, Chițcani
Noul Neamț Monastery (New Neamț Monastery) is located in the village of Chițcani, near to the city of Tiraspol, in the internationally unrecognised state of Transnistria. This all-male Orthodox monastery was founded in 1861 when several monks broke away from the Neamț monastery. At that time the site was located in Bessarabia, a region then under the control of the Russian Empire. In 1962 the Soviet authorities closed the monastery and turned the buildings into a hospital. The monastery was reopened in 1989 followed by a Romanian-language school for Orthodox priests in 1991. The monastery has four churches as well as a bell tower which stands at around 50 metres high.
Exterior view of the Holy Ascension Cathedral at Noul Neamt Monastery. This is one of four churches at the monastery. There is a single central dome topped with a gold cross. There is another gold cross above the main doorway. The walls are painted pink and shades of cream.Tony with another two churches in the background at Noul Neamt Monastery. The larger church on the right is the Church of the Assumption of the Virgin Mary. It is built from stone with four red domes topped with gold crosses on the roof. The small church on the left is Holy Cross Church, which is the monastery’s refectory. It has a single dome with a gold cross and cream outside walls.Tony with three of the monastery churches behind: these are the Holy Ascension Cathedral, the Holy Cross Church and the Church of the Assumption of the Virgin Mary. The fourth church not in view is St Nicholas Church, which is the seminary.Another shot of Tony outside Holy Ascension Cathedral at Noul Neamt Monastery.Tony inside one of the churches at Noul Neamt Monastery. The large gold iconostasis is in the background. The iconostasis is undergoing restoration and many of the icons, that would be mounted in alcoves, are missing. Ladders and scaffolding can be seen behind the iconostasis.Tony in front of one of the few icons that is still in place at the bottom of the iconostasis which is undergoing restoration. The icon appears to depict Christ ascending with disciples and followers below.Tony below another icon surrounded by a gold frame. It depicts a bearded man in a red robe.Looking back along the nave inside one of the monastery churches. The nave is empty with no seating suggesting restoration work is taking place. There are a few icons painted on to the plaster walls.Looking up into the central dome of another of the four churches at Noul Neamț Monastery. The dome has an octagonal profile and all the panels within are painted with icons. The paintings depict Jesus and saints in symbolic form with halos around their heads and often angelic wings.The iconostasis inside one of the churches at Noul Neamț Monastery. It contains about 50 icons in a carved wooden frame. There is a central doorway. The iconostasis separates the nave from the sanctuary in Eastern Orthodox churches.Looking back along the nave towards the entrance doorway inside the monastery church. The walls and ceiling are decorated with religious paintings. A wooden staircase leads up to a gallery at the back of the church. A golden chandelier hangs from the ceiling.Tony in front of the iconostasis inside one of the churches at Noul Neamț Monastery.Again Tony in front of the iconostasis. In the background, one of a larger icons can be seen. It appears to show Jesus holding the Bible. A thurible is hanging from above: a thurible is a metal container for burning incense during services. There is a vase of flowers on the floor.An icon inside the church with Tony standing below. The central part of the icon appears to depict the Holy Trinity with Mary holding the baby Jesus towards the base.Tony standing in the centre of the nave. The iconostasis with the opening of the dome above are visible in the background.Tony at the top of the bell tower at Noul Neamț Monastery. A large bell is hanging above him.Another view at the top of the bell tower. The bell tower provides good views over the monastery and the surrounding area.Tony in front of the bell tower, which is a separate building, near the entrance to the Noul Neamț Monastery site. The exterior is painted pink and white.Tony in the grounds of the Noul Neamț Monastery. The bell tower can again be seen including the gold dome on its roof.A large metal chest with its lid open at Noul Neamț Monastery. The inside lid is decorated with depictions of around 30 saints or other religious figures with halos around their heads.View inside the metal chest. There is a small metal cross enclosed behind glass in the centre. There are lots of other small holes again covered with glass which hold gold and silver coins of various denominations.Tony next to the metal chest with a sculpture of Jesus on the cross standing behind.A small room at Noul Neamț Monastery. A small jug and drinking glasses sit on a table. The walls are adorned with icons.
