Northern Moldova - Soroca

 I drove up to northern Moldova today, primarily to visit the Castle at Soroca. This was one of the string of forts that defended the Dniester River border, initially built for the Moldavian princes and later for the Ottomans. 

It was built by Stephan the Great in 1499 to defend the river crossing. It was strengthened in the following century and saw a couple of epic sieges. It has been beautifully reconstructed, thanks to the EU's assistance.

Ukraine is just across the river; thankfully, it remains peaceful today.

I drove up to a bluff that overlooks the town, which has a church in the shape of a candle. It provides fantastic views, including the Ukrainian village of Tsekynivka, which has a couple of fields with solar panels. A clever way of getting around Putin's bombardment of the power stations. A decentralised grid is helping them keep warm. Not that they needed it today!

Back in the town, there was a memorial to locals who died in the Soviet era Afghan conflict. Topical given the news in the UK.

In addition to the WW2 memorial, there was one for the 1991-92 Transnistrian conflict in which several locals died. A nice balance to my trip on Tuesday to the other side. I accidentally tried to pay for a souvenir with Transnistrian Rubles, which did not go down well!

The journey took about two and a half hours on decent roads for a change. In 1944, the Red Army stormed across this area in the Jassy–Kishinev offensives. The Russians claim there was only one, but there were two. When you drive through the endless rolling hills, you can see why they cut through the Axis lines so quickly. There are few defensive positions here once you are across the Dniester. Perfect tank country.

Southern Moldova

 Day three of my Moldovan trip. I hired a car and headed off to southern Moldova. My primary reason was to visit the site of the Battle of Kagul, fought on 1 August 1770 between the Russians and Ottomans. It was probably the largest battle in the 18th century, but little known in Western Europe. 

The Russian army, commanded by Field Marshal Rumiantsev, was around 40,000 strong. They faced an Ottoman army, commanded by İvazzade Halil Pasha, with around 150,000 troops, although I suspect this number included non-combatants. The Russians advanced in five, possibly six squares, and fought off the Ottoman cavalry. However, the Janissaries broke into two Russian squares before the reserves pushed them back. As the Ottoman forces retreated, they lost around 20,000 men, and more later in a chaotic crossing of the Danube.

There are several 18th-century maps of the battlefield, which, although not to scale, give the impression of rugged terrain. While it's certainly not flat, as one drawing of the battle has it, I would describe it as rolling hills. The battle is named after the river, but most of the smaller rivers in this region are now dry due to agricultural practices. And of course, 200,000 men take up a lot of space, so you can pick and choose when it comes to terrain.

A panoramic view from one of the hills on the Russian right.

The battlefield is marked by a large, if rather weather-worn, monument. Which, without even a noticeboard, will mean very little to visitors. It is just outside the town of Vulcanesti.

In the town, there is a small local history museum. They have paintings and display boards about the battle, along with some equipment found on the site. It also contains a significant amount of information about World War II, including original pictures, letters home, and more. This area was part of the Soviet Union at the start of the war.

This is meant to portray the assault on the Ottoman camp.
 

Lots of WW2 kit and photos like this. I'll need to do some translation when I get home.

There is a World War II memorial in the town, in a typical Soviet style.

I drove down to the Prut River. It was a bend in the river that the Battle of Larga was fought a few weeks before Kagul. It is challenging to pick the exact spot, as the Larga River wasn't marked on my map and is likely to be dry anyway. The Russians dispersed a mainly Tatar army.

The Prut River is behind the trees.

My last stop was the modern university city of Cahul (Kagul). It was the village of Frumoasa when the battle was fought. They have a fine bust of Suvorov, which is odd as his primary victories were in modern Romania and in the next war. They should have honoured Rumiantsev, who won both of the local battles and was Suvorov's mentor. 

They have an aviation monument overlooking the city with an early MiG fighter - MiG-15, at a guess.

And, no Moldovan town would be complete without a T34 WW2 memorial.

Transnistria (Pridnestrovian Moldavian Republic)

 I am in Moldova this week, partly advising on a documentary, but also researching my current writing project. Today I took a trip into the breakaway state known as Transnistria, properly the Pridnestrovian Moldavian Republic (PMR). When the Soviet Union broke up and Moldova established its independence, the largely Russian-speaking population in Transnistria sought to retain its ties with the Soviet Union rather than have the Romanian language imposed upon them. In 1991, it turned into a brief shooting war with 700 dead, and a peace treaty was signed in 1992 that has held to the present day. The PMR is not officially recognised by any state, but it operates its own government and armed forces, assisted by Russian 'peacekeepers'. There are passport checks on the border, and they have their own currency. Economically, the country is in the grip of an oligarch who appears to own just about every modern facility.

My main reason for going was to visit the fortress at Bender (Bendery). Suleiman the Magnificent conquered the town from Moldavia in 1538 and renamed it Bender. Its fortifications were developed by the Turkish architect Koji Mimar Sinan. By the 18th century, it had become the central element of the Dniester fortress line (including Khotin and Akkerman), facing Russian advances into Ukraine.

The fortress has been extensively restored, incorporating both the original fortress and the more modern bastions and outworks.

There is a small museum inside, focusing on Charles XII, who had a base at Bender after the Battle of Poltava. 

In Bender, there is also a memorial to those who died in the 1991-2 fighting.

Then it was off to Tiraspol, via an excellent traditional lunch and copious amounts of homemade wine. This is a Soviet era time capsule (replete with Lenin statues), overlaid with modernity, all owned by an oligarch. A beer in a Soviet diner was fun.

Another war memorial with a T34 tank. A fine statue of Suvorov, who founded the city facing the boss, Catherine the Great.

Arran - Scotland in Miniature

 I live a stone's throw away from the ferry terminal for Arran, but haven't been over for years. It is here temporarily (probably) while the Scottish Government and Peel Ports sort out an upgrade of the port facilities at Ardrossan. Yes, they built a new ferry that was too big for the ferry terminal, and it still hasn't been resolved!

However, the new ferry is an excellent ship, and Arran is a glorious place to visit on a sunny day. It is called 'Scotland in miniature' because it has all the elements that make up Scotland on one island. This includes several historical sites that reflect the island's rich history.

The ferry docks at the main town, Brodick. Our first stop was the Arran Heritage Museum, which I hadn't visited before. This small museum reflects many aspects of Arran life, from the geology and archaeology to the present day. The cafe also has delicious cake! Of particular interest is a display about wartime Arran. I have previously reviewed Colin Turbett's excellent book about wartime Arran and its role in defending the Clyde estuary. 

HMS Fortitude at Adrossan was the main naval base.

Memorial to the 21 USAF airmen who died in a Liberator crash on the island. The map above plots all the crashes.

Commandos trained on the island.

Next stop was Brodick Castle, probably the main attraction on the island. The medieval castle has been largely replaced by a Victorian house in the Scottish baronial style. Napoleon III lived here during his exile and there is a fine collection of Napoleonic medals.

The other castle is at Lochranza on the northern tip of the island. This was a MacSween castle built in the 1200s, and later developed as a royal castle. It's in a stunning location in a bay that would have housed the clan's fighting ships. There was a third castle in the south at Kildonan, but there is little left to see.

We drove down the west side of the island, which has little to see other than a fine view of Kintyre. The last historical stop (there were pubs, cafes and an art gallery!) was Kingscross point, the site of a Viking fort that would have defended their base in Lamlash Bay. King Haakon of Norway's fleet was based here before the Battle of Largs in 1265. The Bay was also used by the Royal Navy in both world wars. There are no remains but the view is excellent.

If you are planning a visit, I would recommend Horace Fairhurst's Exploring Arran's Past, for the history of the island. We are indeed blessed to have such treasures on our doorstep.

Yorkshire castle trail.

 I am en route to York for the Vapnartak wargames show on Sunday. I decided to stop at some Yorkshire castles I hadn't visited for some time. Most castles in Yorkshire were substantial, reflecting the strong agricultural economy in the Middle Ages.

The first stop was Barnard Castle, more famous recently for Boris Johnson's advisor Dominic Cummings' trip there during lockdown, claiming he was testing his eyesight! This was a Balliol castle whose family briefly held the throne of Scotland. It is one of the largest in England, and the most striking view is as you approach the town. The castle towers over the River Tees.

The view from the castle down to the river reinforces this.

The entrance is through the pleasant market town and is pretty level. Inside you can see the remains of a complex castle structure with several levels of defence.

The next stop was Richmond, which also has the Green Howards Regimental Museum. Today it is the home of the Yorkshire Regiment and gives a good overview of the regiment's development with exhibits and interactive displays.

Napoleonic wars

I hadn't appreciated just how big a WW1 Spandau HMG was.

A lovely piece for the Napoleonic buffs. Pinched from Ney at Waterloo.

Crimean War

Then up to another massive castle, this one initially built by Alan Rufus.

It is a lot of steps, but the view is worth it!

Finally, Knaresborough Castle. More minor and less left standing, but another grand view.

A good day out, and I earned my beer and curry this evening. Looking forward to the show tomorrow.