Lot Essay
Bender, known today as Tighina in Moldova, was founded in the 2nd Century at the confluence of the Dniestr and Bâc rivers. In the 16th Century Stefan cel Mare built a fortress which was conquered in 1538 by Suleiman the Magnificent who gave the settlement the Turkish name Bender. The town fell to the Russians during the Russo-Turkish War, 1806-1812, and remained in Russian hands until 1918.