Rescuers needed to make a dig to get into a niche and pull out animals in Chsinau, the capital of Moldova. It's a small country situated between Romania and Ukraine.

The unusual operation, carried out by the special operation staff GIC, removed seven puppies from hole. The incident occurred on March 9 on the street Gheorghe Asachi. The sound came from passengers who noticed helpless puppies stuck in an underground hole.

The rescue team who had arrived at the site needed to make a dig to get into the niche and pull out the animals. The operation lasted about 15 minutes, after which the rescued puppies were given to the volunteers.

According to the GIHS, from the beginning of the year, specialists conducted 57 animal rescue operations.

Republic of Moldova was about to receive a $200 million loan from Russia to help in the fight with the pandemic. And yesterday, the Constitutional Court of Moldova declared the credit agreement unconstitutional. 

The reason - Russia would be free to turn any private debt into a state debt.

According to the authors, deputies from the Pro-Moldova Group, PAS and the DA Platform:

"The agreement stipulates that the private debts of Moldovan companies to Russian banks can be turned into state debt. We are the only country in the world to which Russia has imposed such a condition. It is an international treaty and today everyone here recognized that even if they avoided it, the respective loan will make the debt to the Russian Federation increase without the Republic of Moldova benefiting from it ", mentioned Sergiu Litvinenco.

At the same time, in their opinion, the loan agreement contains statements that do not correspond to the national and economic interests of the Republic of Moldova, it threatens the sovereignty and economic security of the state.

More controversial, as it is known, are three provisions of the agreement, namely one that assigns a specific role to Russian companies in loan-financed infrastructure projects, another that would allow the consolidation of the current borrowed amount of subsequent private debt, as well as the prospect of capitalization in time of these debts. 

Moreover, the one that would exclude legal proceedings in case of disputes between the parties - they should be settled amicably, through negotiations, as the agreement shows.

What brought the three new appellants before the court, in addition to the criticisms already made even at the time of the adoption of the agreement in parliament, are the explanations how these provisions would contradict several principles defended by the constitution, especially that of sovereignty and of the pursuit of the national interest, which should be respected by any such document.

The former President of the Constitutional Court of the Republic of Moldova, Alexandru Tanase wrote on his page that: 

“The importance of today's decision is not necessarily limited to the invalidation of the so-called "Russian credit". Now I want to refer to the atmosphere that surrounded the trial of this case.  The harassment of judges of the Constitutional Court, the attempts to blackmail and intimidate them, have highlighted "older diseases" of our political environment.”

State officials who defended the agreement in court against the charges in the appeals said the opposition would operate with non-existent evidence, and if the court stops it, Moldova risks being shunned by other loans from Russia and other states, now and in the future at a time when he needs money the most. 

Andrei Balan, head of department at the Ministry of Finance: “In practice, we believe that this will not happen, that it will not lead to debt consolidation, but not even to the consent of the Republic of Moldova for a debtor from here."

Transnistria is an unrecognized microstate in the center of Europe, located between Ukraine and Moldova. The country is stretched from northwest to southeast along the Dniester valley for 200 kilometers. The distance between the village of Mikhailovka, Rybnitsa district, and the eastern borders of the republic are a little more than 2 kilometers.

 

What are other exciting details about Transnistria?

 

The Transnistrian Moldavian Republic is among the seven countries with a developed referendum democracy.

The most crucial state decisions in the country are made through direct democracy: the opinion of citizens determines state policy (including foreign policy). The inhabitants of Transnistria themselves proclaimed the republic at referendums in its cities and villages. The issue of independence was also resolved with the broad participation of the people. The citizens insist on deploying soldiers of the Russian army here, who Transnistriansperceive as guarantors of peace. The people also solve geopolitical issues: in 2006, 97.1% of Transnistriansvoted for independence and integration with Russia. Distinctive features of the Transnistrian referendums are high turnout and unanimity of citizens.

 

The constitutions of several states provide for the referendum. Still, only seven countries actively use this instrument of direct democracy: Ireland, Liechtenstein, Latvia, Lithuania, Slovakia, Switzerland, and Transnistria.

 

The first referendum on the territory of the USSR was held in Transnistria. In total, since 1990, 7 republican referenda have been held here. In neighboring Moldova, during independence, there were two republican referendums (in 1994 and 2010), one of which was declared invalid. One referendum was held in Gagauzia, which is reduced to a superficial region of Moldova (in 2014).

 

Transnistria is one of two states globally that do not have broad international recognition and has its full-fledged currency.

 

According to some data, there are about 120 unrecognized or partially recognized states today. The Geopolitics website lists the 35 most famous (without dependent territories). However, according to other sources, there are a little more than 20 such countries. All of them have the state's main features, but not every country from this group was able to create its full-fledged monetary system. For example, only the Republic of China (Taiwan, Taiwanese dollar) has its currency among the partially recognized states. At the same time, Kosovo uses the euro, Western Sahara uses the Moroccan charm, Northern Cyprus uses the Turkish lira, and South Ossetia and Abkhazia use the Russian ruble.

 

 

Among the states not recognized by any UN member country, only Transnistria and Somaliland have a full-fledged currency. Nagorno-Karabakh also has its own money, but they are not used in actual circulation and are the subject of interest of numismatist collectors (limited circulation and insignificant denomination).

 

The payment instrument on the territory of the PMR is the Transnistrian ruble, introduced in 1994.

On the front side of its denominations are depicted historical figures who influenced the historical fate of Transnistria: generals of the Russian Empire Alexander Suvorov and Pyotr Rumyantsev (who, according to sources, was born in Transnistria), Empress Catherine II, Ukrainian poet, prose writer, and ethnographer Taras Shevchenko, Moldovan-Russian politician and encyclopedist Dmitry Kantemir.

 

The world's first experience of introducing coins made of composite materials into circulation

In 2014, the Central Bank of Transnistria put coins made of composite materials into circulation. They are made using Planet technology, innovative development of Goznak of Russia. Mixed coins combine the characteristics of banknotes (security against forgery; easy recognition by color, design, shape, and size; lightweight; low cost of production) and metal coins (high abrasion resistance; resistance to water and various chemical liquids).

 

And although plastic money appeared back in 1983 (today, such banknotes are found in 53 states), Transnistria became the first country to put composite coins into circulation.

 

For innovation in applying the best characteristics of banknotes and coins in coins made of composite materials, the Transnistrian Republican Bank became the winner of the "Watermark banknotes Awards" in the nomination. "Substrates for the modification of banknotes."

 

In Transnistria, the Moldovan language was preserved in the Cyrillic script.

After the Supreme Council of the MSSR adopted 1989 the law “On the Functioning of Languages ​​on the Territory of the Republic of Moldova,” the Moldovan language in the Cyrillic script was preserved only on the territory of Transnistria. Article 1 of this law announced the transition of the Moldavian language to the Latin alphabet, adopted in the United Principalities of Wallachia and Moldova (future Romania) back in 1862. Meanwhile, Moldavian writing is historically Cyrillic: narrative monuments in the Moldavian and Wallachian languages ​​in Cyrillic have been known since the 16th century (Athanasius Kochaga's dedicatory note, a letter from the boyar Nyakshu), but before that, the language of administration, church, and literature in the Moldavian principality and Wallachia was Church Slavonic ( Urik of Roman I from 1392).

 

Urik of Roman I - the first known document of the Moldavian Principality, written in Church Slavonic in Cyrillic script, 1392:

 

 

The Latin alphabet began to be used in the Danubian principalities only in the 19th century. Switching to the Latin alphabet was explained because these languages ​​are part of the Romance group. Therefore, phonetically they are more consistent with the Latin alphabet. Adherents of this idea, however, do not like to recall the words of Mihai Eminescu:

 

“Our phonetic laws are Old Slavic, which, however, are unusual and even surprisingly close to Romance, so much so that their merging in the Romanian language is completely natural.” (Letter to Titus Maiorescu, Iasi, October 15, 1877)

 

The PMR is the only state on the territory of the former USSR where the hammer and sickle remained on the coat of arms and flag.

For the first time, the flag of Transnistria was raised at 15:00 on September 2, 1991. It repeats the colors and symbols of the flag of the Moldavian SSR of 1952 (the creation of the Moldavian SSR was declared illegal by the Moldavian Parliament in June 1990). A golden sickle and hammer with a five-pointed star are in the upper left corner of the red canvas with a green line in the middle. This symbol disappeared from all the flags of the former Soviet republics in the early 90s of the last century. Today it can only be seen on the flags of some cities and regions of Russia: the Vladimir and Bryansk regions, the cities of Orel and Dzerzhinsk.

 

The hammer and sickle are the main elements of the emblem of the PMR, which, with some differences, repeats the symbol of the MSSR: the stylized horizon, from which the sun rises, is indicated by a blue ribbon with a white wavy line (it symbolizes the Dniester River). The color of the central bunch of grapes also differs: blue - on the Transnistrian and yellow - on the coat of arms of the MSSR.

 

The hammer and sickle, representing the unity of workers and peasants, are usually associated with the communist movement and the Soviet Union. However, Transnistria is not a communist state - the flag and coat of arms symbolize the historical continuity between the MASSR, established in 1924, and the PMR, proclaimed by the people in 1990.

 

"Younger brother" of Berlin Lenin

According to the observations of travel agents, 50% of foreign guests of Transnistria come to the capital of the PMR, Tiraspol, for Lenin. Transnistria is one of the few countries of the former USSR and the socialist camp where monuments to the leader of the world proletariat are not being dismantled. In the city center, one can often see how groups of foreigners are actively photographing the granite Vladimir Ilyich in front of the Government and Supreme Council buildings. A lot of assumptions have been made about the secret of his popularity. Meanwhile, the monument to Lenin in Tiraspol is the "little brother" of another monument - a 19-meter pink granite statue from Berlin on Leninplatz (now the United Nations Square).

 

In 1991, the Berlin Lenin was dismantled, and the Tiraspol one became an object of nostalgic tourism.

 

It was erected in 1987 and, according to experts, is one of the twenty highest monuments to Lenin. However, this moment is debatable: the height of the Transnistrian Ilyich is 16 meters, while the list of leaders begins with a 19-meter mark. By the way, in the first place is the monument to Lenin in Volgograd. It is not just tall. It is genuinely gigantic: together with the pedestal, it is 57 meters high.

 

According to experts, by 1991, 14,290 monuments to Lenin were erected in the USSR. Today there are about 8,000 left. At least nothing less.

 

Many Transnistrians have passports of several countries at once, citizens of four or more states.

This is explained by deep family ties between representatives of various ethnic groups and compatriots of the inhabitants of Bulgaria, Ukraine, Moldova, Russia, etc.

 

All Transnistriansare also citizens of the PMR, but the UN member states do not recognize the republic's passport. Citizenship of different forms in a peculiar political situation allows residents of Transnistria to travel outside the republic and visit other countries.

 

PMR is one of the twenty countries with three or more official languages

Representatives of more than 30 nationalities live in Transnistria. There is no titular nation. According to the latest census in 2015, more than a thousand people designated their ethnicity as “Prinestrovian.” 93% of the republic inhabitants consider themselves Russians (34%), Moldovans, and Ukrainians (26.7%).

 

 

This parity of peoples underlies the Russian, Moldovan, and Ukrainian official state languages.

 

Multilingualism is typical for many countries of the world, but not every language has the status of a state language. There are more than 200 recognized, partially recognized, and unrecognized states on the planet. Of these, you can find two dozen countries with three or more official languages. Ahead of the rest - Bolivia with 37 official languages ​​(according to the 2009 constitution). In New Zealand, even sign language is one of the state languages.

 

One of the largest settlements of Bulgarians outside the ethnic homeland is located in Transnistria.

Between the cities of Tiraspol and Bender is the village of Parkany. According to official figures, more than 10 thousand people live here, of which 80% are Bulgarians. The Parklane is the largest enclave outside Bulgaria, Taraclia in Moldova and Bolgrad in Ukraine.

 

The village has preserved the charm of the original Bulgarian culture. You can not only see and hear it but also taste it. Parkins retain elements of past years in architecture, in language, in holidays that are brightly celebrated, in customs and rituals, and even in the character traits of residents.

 

One of the three regions of Eastern Europe with a large concentration of ancient monuments

In Transnistria, in a relatively small area (4163 km²), more than two thousand historical and cultural monuments have been officially identified. 95% of them are archeological monuments. Meanwhile, according to experts of the Transnistrian State University, there are many more ancient objects: about 10-12 thousand. These are numerous settlements of different cultures, sanctuaries, sites from the Stone Age, and burial mounds - cult steppe pyramids.

 

"Royal mound" near the village of Bury, Grigoriopol region:

 

In the scientific centers of the CIS and Europe, Transnistria is called the "archaeological Klondike," the contact zone where the ancient cultures of the West and East intersected.

 

Golden hryvnia from the Dubossary region:

 

Transnistria is one of the three unique historical and cultural regions of Eastern Europe (along with the Caucasus and Crimea), where monuments of ancient history with a diverse chronological and cultural coverage are found almost at every turn.

 

 Unique geological monuments are located on the territory of the republic.

For paleontologists from all over the world, Tiraspol is known not as a city but as a paleontological symbol. In the northwest of the capital of Transnistria, there is a geological reference section up to 30 meters, which journalists called the "stone book" with the chronicle of the Pleistocene era. We talk about the unique geological and paleontological monument "Kolkotova Balka."

 

This is a complete stratigraphic section of the Quaternary period in Eurasia, where a stratification of sediments containing traces of ancient animals and plants has been preserved in a strict geological sequence. Sediments accumulated here from 1 million to 300 thousand years ago. Scientists have discovered the remains of various microorganisms, plants, and animals (cave lions, mammoth ancestors - trogontherian elephants, and many others).

 

Mammoth tusk, found in the Kolkotovaya Balka deposits, is stored in the Geological Museum of PSU:

 

The data of the sections allow us to conclude the ancient landscape and climate. The latter changed from arid to cold several times, judging by various finds.

 

 

An ancestral tooth of a mammoth trogontherian elephant, found in the Sukleysky quarry, is stored in the Geological Museum of PSU:

 

However, Kolkotova Balka is not the only geological landmark of Transnistria. In Kamensky, Rybnitsky and Griogriopolsky districts there are outcrops of an older Neogene system. The deposits date back to 13-9 million years ago - just when the waters of the Sarmatian Sea were here instead of land (the name is conditional and has nothing to do with the historical Sarmatians).

 

According to paleontologists, the geological Sarmatian sections are unique. It is no coincidence that in the scientific centers of Russia, Transnistria is called a paleontological paradise.

 

 In Transnistria, rare plants of several geographical zones have been preserved at once

 

As a result of intensive economic activity, many plant species that previously grew in the steppe have disappeared. However, in reserve near the village of Novaya Andriyashevka, relics, endemics, and rare plants grow, which you can no longer find in other steppe places. Due to a peculiar hilly landscape. They have been preserved as inconvenient for agriculture.

 

The reserve is spread on the picturesque hills in the vicinity of the village of Novaya Andriyashevka:

 

 The flora of the reserve is diverse. It combines elements from different geographical areas, yet it is closely linked to the ancient Mediterranean. About 50 plant species are subject to protection. Six species were included in the Red Book of the USSR (for example, Sarmatian bellevalia, Odesa gymnosperm, which had previously disappeared, but were reintroduced by Transnistrian biologists).

 

In general, Transnistria is characterized by a mixture of different geographical areas. Crossing the republic along the Dniester valley, for 202 kilometers, one can see a sudden change of landscapes: steppes, hills, and forests.