Pridnestrovian Moldavian Republic (A.k.a. Transnistria)

Pridnestrovian Moldavian Republic is a breakaway state from Moldavia with limited recognition, but for all intensive purposes functions as an independent state, including having its own currency and postage stamps. The stamps are only valid on local mail and mail to Russia. Other international mail must have Moldovan stamps.

For short, the official name is Pridnestrovie, but in English is commonly called PMR and Transnistria.

Location: Located mainly on a strip of land between the Dniester river and the internationally recognized eastern Moldovan border with Ukraine.



Capital: Tiraspol

Population: 518,000


Historical Dates:

1990 (spring): Popular front of Moldova wins first free parliamentary elections in the Moldavian Soviet Socialist Republic of the USSR.

1990 (Sept 2): Pridnestrovian Moldavian Soviet Socialist Republic was proclaimed as a Soviet republic by an ad hoc assembly, the Second Congress of the Peoples' Representatives of Transnistria, succeding from Moldavia SSR, with the end of the Soviet Union shortly after, this became complete Independence.

1990 (November): War breaks out between Moldavia and Pridnestrovie.

1991: (August 27): Moldova declares independence from the USSR.

1992: (June 30): First stamps issued by Pridnestrovie, overprinted USSR stamps.

1992: (July 21): Ceasefire signed between Moldavia and Pridnestrovie.

The first two stamps of PMR:




The overprints exist horizontal and vertical.

Local cover from the "Ministry of Industry"





I am not sure how the date is arranged, but I assume the date of the cancel is 22/04/2011, Tiraspol.

Great post BeeSee. I knew about Transnistria. It's populated by Russians that refuse to remain with Moldavia when the country got it's full independence (probably Russians of origin there lost the grasp they had over government). Now I don't know if those are pictures of covers and stamps you found on the internet or if you collect them. It's interesting but I would not spend money on that. I follow as a guide line not to collect what has no mention in Scott. Again very interesting post with the maps. Daniel

You do some lovely work BeeSee.
Nice to have a reference of a previous unknown territory.
A lot of my Russia opts, I plonk in the folder
"Russia~Dubious opts"

I like the wiki approach to maps,
perhaps you can consider a third, small map of the globe
with moldova darkened?
Kinda locks in the jigsaw piece to location.

Belay the above
I can snitch it off wiki

Timbres, I collect anything postally used .

I don't bother with Scott, they list lots of junk they should not, and don't list stuff they should. Look how long it took them to list Anguilla, Biafra, Katanga, etc.

Rod, excellent map to add

BeeSee, I agree with your approach, too. It doesn't worry me in the slightest that something isn't in the catalogues. As long as it actually passed through the post as commercial mail, that's good enough for me.

You won't get me collecting this stuff, but a most interesting post, all the same.

Interesting thread.

Regarding the cancellation, is it possible that the number '16' in it is the hour?? In this case 4:00PM??

Chimo

Bujutsu

Timbres, I forgot to mention, the stamps are not mine, but the cover is.

As I have posted in other threads, I am trying to make up a collection of one or two pages with maps for every stamp issuing entity, past or present. That is where Pridnestrovian Moldavian Republic comes in for me.

Bujutsu, that makes sense, 16 for 4:00PM. The envelope that the above cover was sent to me came from Bender in Pridnestrovian Moldavian Republic, but has Moldova stamps as per UPU regulations. There are some oddly dated Tiraspol backstamps, which I will show when I get it scanned later today.

Here is an international cover from the PMR controlled city (now 20 years!) of Bender. That is what Moldova calls it. PMR calls it Bendery, as per the return address on the back.



As per international rules, Moldovan stamps are used. The faint cancel reads C.P. Moldovei at the top and Bender at the bottom. The date appears to be 08 18 12 followed by 10 (time as suggested by Bujutsu?).



However I cannot figure out where the year comes in on the Tiraspol backstamp, 10 08 (blob) 015



More on Bender(y):
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bender,_Moldova

Pridnestrovie (PMR) stamps

http://www.pmrstamps.org/index.htm

Romania : 1943

Conquest of Transdniestria.....

Excellent supplementary material Rod

BeeSee, Scott lists two issues of these
an issue of 3, then 4
trying to nut out if they differ or what.

Rod, here is what I find in my Scott for the Romania Transnistria issue:

1941 Oct 6:

517 6l Light Brown
518 12l Dark Violet
519 24l bright Blue

1943 (no other date)

554 3l red orange
555 6l dull brown
556 12l dull violet
557 24l Bright Blue

Both sets perf 13-1/2. The watermarks foe both sets appear to be Wmk. 230 — Crowns and Monograms

I guess the shades of all values except the 24l (both bright blue???) are distinguishable?

I don't have any of the stamps... but the Scott listings are confusing

Oh I see now Rod - the second printing is a different watermark, called Scott 276, cross and crown.

Bravo! BeeSee
I shall check this evening and post
Well done you!