Bendery Fortress

The Bendery Fortress stands as one of the oldest and most magnificent structures in all of Pridnestrovie — an outstanding monument of fortification architecture whose history spans more than five centuries of wars, sieges and empires. The fortress citadel was originally built by the medieval Genoese, before being substantially rebuilt by the Ottoman Turks following Bendery’s incorporation into the Ottoman Empire in 1538. Remarkably, the citadel has survived to the present day in nearly its original form, complete with all eight of its historic towers.

Throughout its long history, the fortress proved formidable against every challenger: Cossack detachments and the armies of Moldovan princes all repeatedly failed to breach its walls. During the Russian-Turkish wars of the 18th and 19th centuries, the fortress found itself at the epicenter of the struggle between two great empires, changing hands three times as Russian troops successfully stormed it before Bendery was ultimately incorporated into the Russian Empire, after which the fortress served as a stronghold of the Russian military.

Within the well-preserved ancient powder cellar of the citadel, a Historical Museum has been established, complemented nearby by a Museum of Medieval Instruments of Torture and a souvenir shop. The grounds surrounding the citadel feature a remarkable collection of monuments to historical figures connected to the fortress and the broader Pridnestrovian region, including Alexander Suvorov, Mikhail Kutuzov, Peter Rumyantsev-Zadunaysky, Peter Wittgenstein, Mikhail Barclay de Tolly, Nikolay Raevsky, Matias Miller and Yakov Kulnev. Along the southern wall of the citadel, the Pantheon of Russian Glory presents busts of celebrated military leaders of the Russian Imperial Army.

A separate and uniquely charming memorial site honors Baron Karl Jerome von Munchausen — a real historical figure, captain of the Russian Imperial Army, who participated in the campaign against Bendery fortress in 1738, and whose adventurous exploits inspired the famous literary tales of R.E. Raspé. Visitors can even find a symbolic cannonball at the site, referencing the legendary story in which the Baron supposedly flew through the air on just such a projectile during the siege of the fortress.

Address: 2, Panina str., Bendery
Phone: +373 552 48032 | +373 779 08728 | +373 69087619
Website: www.bendery-fortress.com