Timeline of Moldova
From the founding of the Principality of Moldavia and Ștefan cel Mare, to Tsarist Bessarabia, the union of 1918, the Soviet period and today’s European path — the country’s history, year by year.
The Principality of Moldavia
A medieval state in its own right, between the Carpathians and the Dniester, which reaches its height under Ștefan cel Mare and then passes, step by step, under Ottoman suzerainty.
- 1359
The founding of the Principality of Moldavia
Bogdan I, a voivode who came from Maramureș, throws off Hungarian authority and lays the foundations of an independent state, whose seat is later at Suceava.
- 1457
Ștefan cel Mare comes to the throne
The longest reign in medieval Moldavian history begins — 47 years — and with it the principality’s most brilliant period.
- 1475
The Battle of Vaslui
On 10 January, at Podul Înalt, Ștefan wins one of the most resounding victories against a far larger Ottoman army.
- 1476
The Battle of Războieni
A defeat at the hands of the sultan, followed however by the resistance of the Moldavian fortresses, which halts the conquest.
- 1504
The death of Ștefan cel Mare
He leaves behind a strengthened country and dozens of churches and monasteries he founded, many of them still standing today.
- 1538
Ottoman suzerainty
After the campaign of Sultan Suleiman the Magnificent, Moldavia becomes a tributary state of the Ottoman Empire, while keeping its internal autonomy.
- 1600
A union of a moment
Mihai Viteazul holds, for a few months, Wallachia, Transylvania and Moldavia — a first union, and a fleeting one.
- 1711
Cantemir and Stănilești
The scholar prince Dimitrie Cantemir allies with the Russia of Peter the Great against the Ottomans; defeat sends him into exile, where he writes „Descrierea Moldovei" (Description of Moldavia).
Tsarist Bessarabia
The eastern half of Moldavia, between the Prut and the Dniester, is torn from the principality and annexed by the Russian Empire under the name Bessarabia.
- 1812
The Peace of Bucharest
The Russian Empire annexes the territory between the Prut and the Dniester. The name Bessarabia, borne before only by the south, is extended to the whole region.
- 1859
The Union of the Principalities
West of the Prut, Moldavia and Wallachia unite under Alexandru Ioan Cuza, forming the modern Romanian state — without Bessarabia, which remains under Russian rule.
- 1856 – 1878
Southern Bessarabia
Under the Treaty of Paris, three southern districts return to Moldavia; the Congress of Berlin gives them back to Russia in 1878.
- 19th c.
Russification
The administration, the schools and the church are gradually Russified, but the language and the traditions survive in village life.
Union and dissolution
Against the collapse of the Russian Empire, Bessarabia elects a parliament of its own and unites with Romania. Across the Dniester, the Soviets prepare a counter-construction.
- 1917
Sfatul Țării (the Country’s Council)
A parliament forms in Chișinău and proclaims, on 2 December, the Moldavian Democratic Republic.
- 1918
Union with Romania
On 24 January the republic declares its independence; on 27 March, Sfatul Țării votes for the union of Bessarabia with Romania.
- 1924
The Moldavian ASSR
On the left bank of the Dniester, in Ukraine, the Soviets create a Moldavian autonomous republic — the embryo of the future Moldavian SSR.
The Soviet period
The annexation of 1940 brings almost half a century of Soviet rule: deportations and famine at first, industrialisation and Russification later.
- 1940
The Soviet annexation
On 28 June, following the Ribbentrop–Molotov pact, the USSR occupies Bessarabia; on 2 August the Moldavian Soviet Socialist Republic is formed.
- 1941 – 1944
The Second World War
The region passes under Romanian administration, then is reoccupied by the Red Army in 1944.
- 1946 – 1947
The famine
Drought and Soviet requisitions cause a famine with hundreds of thousands of victims.
- 1949
The deportations
Thousands of families are deported to Siberia and Central Asia, above all in the summer of 1949.
- the 1950s – 1980s
Industrialisation and Russification
The cities grow, but the Romanian language is made to use the Cyrillic alphabet and given a separate „Moldovan" identity.
Revival and independence
The movement for the language opens the road to independence. What follows is a young state, a frozen conflict and, gradually, a European orientation.
- 1989
The language and the Latin alphabet
On 31 August, after the Great National Assembly in Chișinău, a vote restores the Latin alphabet and recognises Romanian as the state language.
- 1990
Towards independence
On 27 April the tricolour flag is adopted; on 23 June, Parliament declares the sovereignty of the republic.
- 1991
Independence
On 27 August, the Republic of Moldova proclaims its independence. Romania is the first state to recognise it.
- 1992
The war in Transnistria
The conflict on the left bank of the Dniester, from March to July, leaves the region under a separatist administration.
- 1994
The Constitution and Gagauzia
On 29 July the Constitution is adopted; also in 1994, the Gagauz south receives autonomous status.
- 2014
The European path
Moldova signs the Association Agreement with the European Union and obtains visa-free travel.
- 2022
Candidate country
On 23 June, the Republic of Moldova receives European Union candidate-country status.
- 2024
Accession negotiations
The negotiations for the accession of the Republic of Moldova to the European Union open officially.
Frequently asked questions
Frequently asked questions about the history of Moldova
When was the Principality of Moldavia founded?
In 1359, when the voivode Bogdan I, who came from Maramureș, founded an independent state between the Carpathians and the Dniester.
How long did Ștefan cel Mare reign?
From 1457 to 1504 — 47 years, the longest reign in medieval Moldavian history.
What is Bessarabia?
The name given by the Russian Empire to the territory between the Prut and the Dniester, annexed in 1812 by the Peace of Bucharest. It covers, broadly, today’s Republic of Moldova.
When did Bessarabia unite with Romania?
On 27 March 1918, when Sfatul Țării (the Country’s Council) in Chișinău voted for union with Romania. The union lasted until 1940.
When did Moldova declare its independence?
On 27 August 1991. Romania was the first state to recognise the independence of the Republic of Moldova.
When did Moldova become an EU candidate country?
On 23 June 2022. Accession negotiations opened officially in 2024.
See it on the ground
Monasteries
Cave hermitages along the Dniester and princely foundations in the Codru forest.
SeeReady-made itineraries
Day-by-day routes, with real driving distances and the route opening straight into Google Maps.
SeeWhere to stay
Real hotels and guesthouses, with prices compared on the map across Booking, Airbnb and other platforms.
SeeExplore further
From ruling princes and writers to monasteries and fortresses — the story of Moldova, at length.
