Varnița | |
|---|---|
Commune | |
 | |
 Flag  Seal | |
| Coordinates:46°52′N29°28′E / 46.867°N 29.467°E /46.867; 29.467 | |
| Country |  Republic of Moldova |
| County | Anenii Noi |
| Government | |
| • Mayor | Alexandr Nichitenco |
| Population | |
• Total | 5,105 |
| Time zone | UTC+2 (EET) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC+3 (EEST) |
| Area code | +373 265 |
| Website | varnita |
 | |
Varnița is a village in theAnenii Noi District, in south-easternMoldova,[2] located nearBender (Tighina). It is also considered asuburb of Bender.
After the 1992War of Transnistria, Varnița remained controlled by the government of the Republic of Moldova, while the city of Bender is controlled by the authorities ofTransnistria.
The first mention of the village comes from the company of SultanSuleiman the Magnificent in afirman directed to Hasan, abey ofAkkerman and theSandžak.[3] It mentions that according to information provided by MoldovanvoivodeAlexandru Lăpușneanu, bandits who had committed murders and robberies had found shelter in Varnița or Varnigea nearBender.[3] There is a hypothesis according to which the town was established immediately after the creation of Bender in 1538.
After losing thebattle of Poltava,Swedish KingCharles XII lived in the village in 1709–1713.[4] The king set up amilitary camp in here which was called theSecond Stockholm. The settlement included hisCossack andMoldavian allies, notably among whom wasIvan Mazepa, who died in Varnița. In 1925, at the request of theSwedish authorities, a memorial obelisk was erected here. A separate monument commemorates the figure of Mazepa.
In 2016, the remains of the palace of Charles XII were found in the village.
The leaders ofTransnistria claim Varnița as being part of the Pridnestrovian Moldavian Republic, but the attempts of Transnistrian authorities to take control of the village have failed to date. This conflict likely stems from Varnița being a port on theDniester River, and began in 2006.[5]
In 2006, the parties announced their willingness to settle the dispute in court, and the authorities in Transnistria announced that until the verdict was handed down, the control of port infrastructure should be exercised by the mainly Russian soldiers stationed in Transnistria since 1992. After the soldiers entered Varnița, the United States Embassy inChișinău became interested in the case, calling for the return of the port of Moldova.[6] TheEuropean Union also called on both sides to calm and de-escalate the conflict. Finally, a Moldovan court stated that the port was the property of local authorities. The incident around the port was artificially blown up by both parties, both possessing a key interest in keeping international organizations involved in the conflict over Transnistria.[7] In 2013, another border incident occurred in the village, when residents destroyed border checkpoints built by Transnistria in response to the Moldovan announcement of erecting such points in the security zone. That same year, the President of Transnistria, Evgeni Shevchuk, by decree unilaterally announced the extension of the Transnistria borders to include Varniţa.[8]
| Year | Pop. | ±% |
|---|---|---|
| 1930 | 2,704 | — |
| 2004 | 4,210 | +55.7% |
| 2014 | 5,105 | +21.3% |
| Source:[9][1] | ||
According to the2004 Moldovan Census, there were 4,210 inhabitants, 3,390 of which were ethnicMoldovans, 454Russians, 228Ukrainians, 50Roma, 35Bulgarians, 15Gagauzes, 1Jew, 1Pole, and 36 other/undeclared.
According to the 1930 Romanian census, the population was 94.8%Romanian, 3.7% Russian and 1.16% Jewish.[9]
Media related toVarnița, Anenii Noi at Wikimedia CommonsCities, towns and communes ofAnenii Noi District,Moldova | ||
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District seat:Anenii Noi | ||
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