The World as the Mirror for Moldova Fund continues shooting for the TV Project The Dniester as the Territory of Life. This time the expedition will raft from Dubasari to Palanca, which is the only segment of the Dniester, which has not yet been explored by the team.

This segment is interesting, above all, for its cultural and historical sites.

«The fortress of Bender stands at a key crossing that has been there for several millennia. The Dniester’s Bender and the Caucasian Derbent have kindred names, with just the syllables «bend» and «der» swapped. Translated from Iranian, they mean «a fortress at a crossing». These fortresses were standing in the path of conquerors at key points, protecting the access to the Balkans and Europe that led past the Carpathian Mountains, in the first case, and the Caspian Road from the Great Steppe to Asia and back, in the second case. It was there, at the Bender crossing, Causani and the Upper «Trajan wall», where the «keyhole» in the «Danube lock» was unlocking the door to the Balkans,» says professor Andrei Dobrolyubski (South Ukrainian Pedagogical University, Odessa).

Bender Fortress

Names of many historical personalities are associated with this fortress: Peter I and Carl XII, Stephan the Great and Sultan Bayazed. We can find its descriptions in accounts of many travelers of the past.

There is another equally interesting site here – the second capital of the Crimean Khanate, the town of Causeni today (the first capital was located in Bakhchisaray). The capital was the residence place for the well-known khans’ dynasty of Girey.
 
«This little Moldovan town is known for its one of a kind monument of the world heritage, registered by UNESCO. It is the church of Causeni, which is an object of Christian architecture, but not only. It also reminds of nomads, who were sometimes present in this region, for it rests deep in the ground: its roof was not to be higher than a horseman’s head. One can still see genuine frescos of 17th century inside the church» doctor of history, Nicolai Russev (University High Anthropological School) says.

Church of Assumption. Causeni

«Besides Moldovans, Ukrainians and Russians, there are also Bulgarians who live here today. This ethnic cocktail is mixed with village names along the river’s banks. Many of them have preserved their genuine names intact since the Turkish domination» Alexander Burean, Director of the Fund, says.

«Among this bulk of Turkish village names» continues Burean, «quite a peculiar place is taken by a small village called «India». There is another locality close to it, which is referred to as «Pakistan» by the local population. The project team is yet to find out the origin of these names on the Dniester».

The expedition will take three weeks, to be followed by feature shooting, which will use replica armors of nomads.