Dniestr Republic (Moldova)

Transnistria, Pridnestrov'e

Last modified: 2001-11-16 by manuel giorgini
Keywords: dniestr | moldova | europe | hammer and sickle |
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• Depiction on Stamp
• Coat of Arms
• General Suvorov

See also:

• Moldova
• Moldavian SSR

The Dniestr Republic was organized by ethnic Russians opposed to being part of newly independent Moldova, particularly in view of the introduction of Moldovan (i.e. Romanian) as the national language. The flag of the Dniestr Republic is identical to that of the old Moldavian SSR. A version without the hammer and sickle is also reportedly in use.

Suart Ntholt

This flag which incorporates the hammer and sickle seems not to exist anymore. I visited Dniestr in July 1996 and I could only see the plain red-green-red flag. This plain flag was widely flown everywhere, including at the governmental buildings in Tiraspol (the capital), in Bendery (Tighina) and at the border between Moldova and Dniestr (this border is controlled by Russian peace-keeping forces).

Chistian Berghänel, 13 January 1997

Does this flag have any status recognized by the Moldovan government? I know that Chisinau has normalized relations with the Gagauz Turks in the south,and they have an officially-recognized flag and territory. Has an accord with the Trans-Dniester region been reached?

Josh Fruhlinger

I doubt this flag is recognized by the Moldovan government. The Moldovan government does not even recognize the Dniestr government and tried to stop the Dniestr presidential elections of 22 December 1996. It seems, though, that there might be normal relations in the near future. Moldova's newly (December 1996) elected President Petru Lucinschi has said that the Dniestr region might get some kind of "special status". He has also had talks with Russian negotiators and with the Ukrainan president about the Dniestr problem.In Dniestr, Igor Smirnov was re-elected as President and inaugurated on 10 January 1997, when he said "...that the future relationship between Chisinau and Tiraspol should be based on treaties and that Moldova should view the Dniester region as a [separate] state".

Dniestr is still using the Soviet Union car licence plates and they have their own currency - the Transdniestr Rouble. It's not possible to use the Transdniestr Rouble in Moldova nor the Moldovan Lei in Dniestr.

Christian Berghänel, 14 January 1997

Transnistria and Trans-Dniestr are the same. Other name used: Dniestr, Dniester, Dniestria, Trans-Dniester, Trans-Dniestria., Transdniestr, Transdniester, Transdniestria. On their banknotes the "Transdniestrian Bank" is in 3 languages, all in cyrillic.

1. Banke Nistrjane (Cyrillic Moldovan?)
2. Pridnestrovskij Bank (Russian?)
3. Pridnistivskij Bank (Ukrainean?)

Christian Berghänel, 01 September 1997

It is, as the name suggests, spanning the Dnester river in E. Moldova / W. Ukraine - a non-ethnic Noldavian region of Moldova. Not surprinsgly, they want independence for themselves form Moldova, and the Transdnester Republic is that self-proclaimed nation. Since Moldova seems to have toned down it's rhetoric of joining Romania (another hint as to where the Dnester river is) the Transdnester republic may not be any more, I don't know.

David Kendall, 19 September 1998

A flag was adopted officially on 25 July 2000 (but before several variants were in use). On the same day a coat of arms was adopted. The flag is 1:2, three horizontal stripes 3:2:3 of red, green, red. In the canton there is am imaginary square; in the square (size 1/5 of the width of the flag) is the hammer and sickle in yellow and red star bordered yellow. The star is is in a imaginary square (size 1/10 of the width and situated 1/10 of the width of the flag).

Reverse of the flag flag: three horizontal stripes of red, green, red (3:2:3).

The Presidential flag is like the national but without hammer and sickle and proportioned 1:1 (fringed yellow). In center are the new national arms (very similar to the old ones except for some changes in inscriptions).

The Army flag is blue with red cross fimbrated yellow (red more yellow is approximately one-half of the height).

Source: Gaceta de Banderas
Jaume Ollé 05 November 2000

Ethnic composition
From the book: Europe-Between 1763-1993 Maps Collection:

"In the left bank of the Dniestr Moldavia (Camenca, Ribnita, Dubosari, Grigoriopol, Slobozia, Tiraspol districts and towns) there lived 601,8 thousand inhabitants (1989 census). 39,9% Rumanian, 28,3% Ukrainian, 25,5% Russian. And on the right bank Tighina or Bender has got a large Ukrainian and Russian majority (18,2% and 41,9%). These districts will contain the secedate Transnistrian Rep."

If we see from Chisinau the "Transnistrian Rep" is really over the Dniester. But if we see from Tiraspol the republic is before Dniester. Citizens of this republic name themselves as "Near-Dniestr Republic" (Pridnestrovskaya Respublika). 'near-' but not 'trans-'.
I think a more correct translation is Dniester Republic (or Nistru Republic).

by Ivan Sache and Mark Sensen

I have just received the newsletter from my postal stamp provider, and it includes a stamp with the mention POSTA PMR (in Cyrillic alphabet), the year 2000, the A facial value (express mail, permanent value)). The stamp shows a waving flag with the three stripes equal in height, and hammer-and-sickle in canton (but no star as it would be the case if the flag were the former one of Moldavian SSR. The second stamp of the series has the B facial value (slow mail, permanent value) and shows a "coat of arms" nearly identical to the one of Moldovian SSR ( in ), but with RMN on the main ribbon and PMR on the two other ones. I guess these stamps are real ones, as opposed to the fake "Russian republics and territories" stamps, which, as far as I am aware, are neither legal nor to be found in Russia.

contributed by Nozomi Kariyasu

contributed by Jaume Ollé

During Dnistrian revolt (1990-1992) some revolutionary flags were used. General Suvorov's was one of the most known and published. Now, we can have a correct image from a photo taken by Michel Lupant. Ratio seems to be 7:11. The diagonal stripe is the river (with waves meaning water) and the central figure is the statue of general Suvorov, a local hero.