Antique Moldovan rug

Chronology of Important Events

 Period                Description  SECOND-THIRD CENTURIES  ca. 105-270             Rome occupies territory of future                         Romanian lands.  FOURTEENTH CENTURY  1349                    Prince Bogdan establishes Bogdania, later                         renamed Moldova, stretching from                         Carpathian Mountains to Nistru River.  SIXTEENTH CENTURY  1512                    Although Stephen the Great (1457-1504)                         achieves significant victories against                         Ottoman Empire, Moldova becomes tributary                         state of empire for 300 years.  SEVENTEENTH CENTURY  First Half              First Moldovan books appear.  EIGHTEENTH CENTURY  1792                    Ottoman Empire cedes all its holdings in                         Transnistria to Russian Empire under                         Treaty of Ia i.  NINETEENTH CENTURY  1812                    Bessarabia is incorporated into Russian                         Empire under Treaty of Bucharest after                         Russo-Turkish War (1806-12).  1858                    Moldovan territory west of Prut River is                         united with Walachia. Alexandru Ioan Cuza                         is elected prince of the two regions the                         following year.  TWENTIETH CENTURY  1917                    February Revolution and Bolshevik                         Revolution bring down Russian Empire.                         Bessarabia's newly created National                         Council declares Bessarabia the                         independent Democratic Moldovan Republic,                         federated with Russia.  1918                    Bessarabia declares its complete                         independence from Russia and votes to                         unite with Romania.  1924                    Soviet government creates Moldavian                         Autonomous Oblast on east bank of Nistru                         River. Seven months later, oblast is                         upgraded to Moldavian Autonomous Soviet                         Socialist Republic (Moldavian ASSR).  1940 June               Bessarabia is occupied by Soviet forces                         as a result of secret protocol attached                         to 1939 Nazi-Soviet Nonaggression Pact.  August                  Soviet government creates Moldavian                         Soviet Socialist Republic (Moldavian SSR)                         from most of Bessarabia and a portion of                         Moldavian ASSR.  1941                    Germany and Romania attack Moldavian SSR                         and Ukrainian SSR  Germany gives                         Bessarabia, northern Bukovina, and                         Transnistria to Romania.  1944                    Soviet forces  17ed
  reoccupy Bessarabia and                         Transnistria.  1947                    Bessarabia, northern Bukovina, and                         Transnistria are formally returned to                         Soviet Union by treaty.  1950-52                 As first secretary of Communist Party of                         Moldavia, Leonid I. Brezhnev liquidates                         and deports thousands of ethnic Romanians                         from Moldova and institutes forced                         collectivization.  1986                    Mikhail S. Gorbachev announces policy of                         perestroika at CPSU's Twenty-                         Seventh Party Congress in Moscow.  1988                    Yedinstvo/Unitatea is formed by Slavs in                         Transnistria.  1989                    Moldovan Popular Front is formed.  1990 February           Popular Front organizes "Republic's                         Voters Meeting," attended by more than                         100,000 persons. First democratic                         elections are held for Supreme Soviet of                         Moldavian SSR. Runoff elections are held                         in March. Mircea Snegur is elected                         chairman of Supreme Soviet.  June                    Name of Moldavian Soviet Socialist                         Republic is changed to Soviet Socialist                         Republic of Moldova. Supreme Soviet                         adopts declaration of sovereignty  August                  Gagauz declare an independent "Gagauz                         Republic."  September               Slavs in Transnistria proclaim                         independent "Dnestr Moldavian Republic."                         Snegur becomes president of Soviet                         Socialist Republic of Moldova.  1991 May                Soviet Socialist Republic of Moldova is                         renamed Republic of Moldova. Supreme                         Soviet changes its name to Moldovan                         Parliament.  August                  August coup d'état takes place in Moscow.                         Moldovan Parliament bans Communist Party                         of Moldavia. Moldova declares its                         complete independence from Soviet Union                         on August 27 and demands withdrawal of                         Soviet troops.   October                 President Snegur announces decision to                         organize Moldova's own national armed                         forces.  December                Stepan Topal is elected president of                         "Gagauz Republic." Igor' N. Smirnov is                         elected president of "Dnestr Moldavian                         Republic." Minsk Agreement establishes                         Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS).                         President Snegur signs Alma-Ata                         Declaration, which expands membership of                         CIS, but Moldovan Parliament refuses to                         ratify declaration. Soviet Union is                         dissolved. United States recognizes                         Moldova.  1992 March              Government of Moldova declares state of                         emergency in reaction to mounting                         violence.  May                     Armed resistance by separatists escalates                         to full-scale civil war in Transnistria.  July                    An agreement establishing a cease-fire in                         Moldova is signed by Moldovan president                         Snegur and Russian president Boris N.                         Yeltsin.  1993 January            Moldovan Parliament refuses to sign an                         agreement strengthening CIS.  February                Moldovan Popular Front is reformed as                         Christian Democratic Popular Front.  November                Moldova introduces its own currency, the                         leu.  1994 February           Parliamentary elections drastically                         change Moldovan government. Popular Front                         majority gone, compromises made with                         nationalities on various issues.   April                   Moldova votes to join CIS.   August                  New Moldovan constitution goes into                         effect.   October                 Moldova and Russia sign an agreement on                         withdrawal of Russian 14th Army from                         Transnistria and Bendery, but only                         Moldovan government approves it.  1995 March              Students, intelligentsia, workers, and                         pensioners demonstrate in Chi in u over                         cultural and educational issues and the                         name of the language.  June                    Lieutenant General Aleksandr V. Lebed'                         resigns as head of the Russian 14th Army                         in protest over scheduled downgrading of                         the 14th Army. 

Data as of June 1995