Sredinnaya Fortress in Miniature

Among the many remarkable features of Catherine Park, the miniature Sredinnaya Fortress stands out as one of the most fascinating and historically illuminating objects in the entire park. The Sredinnaya Fortress was founded by order of Empress Catherine the Great, and it is around this original fortification that the future capital of Pridnestrovie gradually grew — making its construction the acknowledged starting point of Tiraspol’s entire history.

Of the original fortress, only the powder cellar of the Saint Vladimir Bastion has survived to the present day. The miniature model, however, allows visitors to visualize exactly how Tiraspol looked at the very beginning of its existence, bringing the city’s founding moment vividly to life in three-dimensional form.

Following the alleys near the eparchial lake leads visitors to this detailed miniature recreation, where the fortress’s key structures have been faithfully reproduced in decorative construction materials: residential buildings, military barracks, the parade platz and the church that once stood at the very center of the fortress — together telling the story of how this city began.

Location: Catherine Park, Tiraspol