Memorial of Commemoration and Sorrow

In 1992, the city entrance from Tiraspol became the scene of fierce fighting between Pridnestrovie’s defenders and invading armed units of Moldova. To honor the memory of those who fell here, the Memorial of Commemoration and Sorrow was established at this very location — a place where the weight of recent history is felt with particular immediacy.

The first element of the memorial was unveiled on June 19, 1993, on the first anniversary of the Bendery tragedy: a restored infantry fighting vehicle, whose crew had perished in the opening days of the battle for the city. An eternal flame was lit before this combat vehicle, ensuring the memory of these early victims would never be extinguished.

In 1995, an open chapel crowned with an Orthodox cross was added to the memorial, housing a 430-kilogram bell crafted in Moscow at the Likhachov Plant in cooperation with the Society for Old Russian Musical Culture. An inscription inside one of the chapel’s arches reads: “In blissful repose, eternal rest grant, O Lord, unto your servants, soldiers departed on the battlefield, and may they forever be remembered.”

The full human toll of the 1992 conflict bears recording here: 489 people lost their lives in Bendery during the spring and summer of that year, including defenders of Pridnestrovie and 132 civilians. For the 6th anniversary of the tragedy in 1996, a further memorial sign was unveiled: five reinforced concrete structures bearing marble fragments inscribed with the names of those who died. Around the memorial’s perimeter, powerful inscriptions speak directly to those who visit: “You fell in Bendery, but you are not forgotten! You are remembered not only by granite slabs” and “Thank your lucky stars you are alive and bow down to the fallen for it.”

The most recent addition to the memorial was unveiled in 2012 — a monument to Lieutenant General Alexander Ivanovich Lebed, commander of the 14th Army of the Russian Federation. Taking command in the midst of active hostilities, Lebed played a decisive role in compelling Moldova toward peace, bringing an end to the bloodshed and securing the stability that Bendery has known in the decades since.

Location: Intersection of Kotovsky and Tkachenko str., Bendery