Belgorod-Dnestrovsky fortress

The Belgorod-Dnestrovsky fortress is a valuable historical and architectural monument. Its foundation is closely associated with the history of the entire regions adjoining the Dniester river and the northern part of the Black Sea coast. In the 9-th century Slavonic tribes built a city on the western bank of the Dniester estuary which got the name of Belgorod (wite city). Bearing this name it joined the ancient Russian state.

In the second half of the 13-th century these lands experienced the invasion of nomades. Soon the Genoan colonist came here. They built a small castle for the storage of their goods and used the same as a trading station.

In 14-th/15-th centuries the territory between the Dniester and the Prut rivers was a part of the Moldavian principality and Belgorod became the capital of the Southern province of Moldavia. In the first half of the 15-th century the aggressive Osman Empire came closer and closer to the frontiers of the principality.

Thus a fortress was built here for the defence of the principality. The fortress built by the hands of Russian, Ukrainian and Moldavian expert builders is a model of fortification skill.