Tiraspol, 17 May. /Novosti Pridnestrovya/. It is planned to begin the first stage of the reconstruction of the Tsargrad Gate overlooking Panin St, the deputy director of the Bendery Fortress museum, Georgy Vilkov, has written on his Facebook page
The work plan was discussed at the first meeting of the state authorities involved in the reconstruction. It should be noted that the working meeting was held at the 205th anniversary of the city's accession to Russia.
As a result of the land inventory, a scheme has already been drafted to assign land plots to the defence ministry, interior ministry and Bendery's state administration. «A total of about 24 hectares, including the Lower Fortress, has been assigned to the Bendery Fortress museum," writes Vilkov.
The military will soon abandon the territory near the fortress's main Tsargrad Gate, after which the contractor will pull down the old gate structure, supply backup water and electricity and expand the earth mound.
«The draft of a new main gate, which is now in the final stage of design, will have to undergo a cultural and architectural examination and have to be approved by the customer. The draft is based on sketched diagrams and drawings, including 3D ones, made by the scientific department of the museum," noted Vilkov.
In a telephone conversation with Novosti Pridnestrovie Vilkov explained that the historic elements of new gate decor would be restored and the arc of the drive would be expanded. Near this gate and the first bastion, it is planned to lay out a park with exhibition sites, memorial sites and a view site overlooking the Dniester River.
According to Vilkov, there are plans to implement several projects this year with a total budget of 1.4 million roubles. This money comes from extra-budgetary sources — a large Russian corporation will be the investor, Vilkov says.
Firstly, citadel tower No. 1 will be restored, including the broken wall between the first and the second towers. Secondly, it is planned to build a fortress wall from the Vodyanaya [Water] Tower along the river bank plateau to the first bastion. Besides, the land plots assigned to the defence ministry and the museum will be divided by a metal fence.
«The fence will stretch from St Alexander Nevsky's Church along the citadel's western wall to the road leading to the Lower Fortress and the Gregory Gate," said Vilkov.
It is expected that the military will use Checkpoint No. 2, which will be reequipped as part of the fortress's reconstruction.
The construction of the Bendery Fortress began in 1538 after Bendery became part of the Ottoman Empire. During the Russo-Turkish Wars of the 18th — 19th centuries, the fortress was seized three times by the Russian army. On 16 May 1812 the fortress passed to Russia under the Bucuresti peace treaty.
From 2008 to the present, the citadel's reconstruction has been under way with the active involvement of the PMR's interior ministry. In 2013 the restoration of St Alexander Nevsky's Church was completed.
In February 2017, President Vadim Krasnoselsky stated the need to implement a biennial programme for the reconstruction of the fortress to make it a «cultural and historical centre of our republic which can yield some income».
