Mechanical Factory Pribor

Pribor Plant
State enterprise "Pribor"
Benderskii Engineering Plant
Pribor Instrument-Making Factory
Uzina PRIBOR (Filiala SALIUT)
[uzina = plant, factory or industrial facility] 

MD-3200, Transnistria, 
mun. Bender, str. 28 Iunie 1
Telefon: (+373-552) 21166
Fax: (+373-552) 28463

A narrow strip of territory on Moldova's eastern border with Ukraine, Transnistria declared its independence after the breakup of the Soviet Union in 1991 and went to war against the Moldovan government in 1992. The conflict was squelched by Russian troops, which remain in the region. Bendery is the one and only Transdniestran town on the right (western) bank of the river Nistru (Dniestr). Bendery is the Russian name of the town - the Moldovan name is completely different: Tighina. The spelling Bender (a borrowing from Persian - "harbor, port") is often used as well. Bendery is a large industrial town, with several factories in the outskirts and a few dull residential areas.

In 2000 the plants "Pribor" [= Instrument in Russian] and "BMZ" in Bender were producing pieces for weapons on the order of the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation. The device was for the leading Russian combat helicopter KA-50, called Black Shark. Without that device, which was being produced only in Bender, the KA-50 helicopter does not meet the leading parameters, for which it has become so famous.

The Mechanical Factory Pribor (Bendery, June 28 Street) produced 47 mobile rocket launcher system BM-21 Grad with 20 disposable rocket tubes before the close of 1999. Twenty of these systems were transferred to the Transnistrian armed forces, while an intermediary Russian company working through Bulgaria covertly sold the rest to Georgia's separatist region of Abkhazia.

"Pribor" is the only enterprise on the territory subordinated to the Tiraspol regime which has been privatized by an economic agent from the Russian Federation with Chisinau's approval. The Russian enterprise "Salyut", which had privatized the "Mezon" plant in Chisinau, became subsequently the owner of "Pribor" plant in Bender. "Salyut" intended initially to produce at "Topaz" devices to control the activity of jet-propulsion engines, but this idea has not been put into practice by 2004. On 16 May 2006 the Transdniestrian Ministry of Economy declared that the Moscow Machine Building Enterprise Salyut had fulfilled all the terms on the privatization of the «Pribor Plant» in Bender.

Moldova has qualified the process as illegal. According to the 2004 Law for amending the Law on privatization, that came into force in Moldova, the actions of the privatization carried out in separatist Transnistria region without the official authorities in Chisinau, are illegal. From 2002 and until 2007 over 130 large enterprises in Transnistria had been privatized, the cost of privatization reaching the figure of around 111 million dollars. President Vladimir Voronin said that Moldova keeps intact the properties belonging to individuals and legal entities in Transnistria. To do this, he stressed, will be implemented as a special procedure is simple, which will have the title of the law and will be based on the principle of submission of statements.

In June 2006 the well-known Russian weekly "Voenno-Promîslennîi kurier" ("Military-Industrial Courier") published a list of enterprises that are part of the so-called "defense industrial complex" in Transnistria. The source cited states that the plant "Pribor" in Bender is enegaged in the production of BM-21 Grad rocket artillery. Factories "Electromas" and "Metallorukav" factory make guns such as PM, TT, PSM, guns AK-gun, AKM, complex battle "Policemen, grenades SPG-9. Also, the plants "Kirov" and "Elektroapparatnîi" began production aruncatoare of grenades "Pcela" and "elf" portable "Katran" and "Vasiliok" and "Duga" anti-aircraft rocket systems.

The most severe problem in the aspect of provision of security at the borders of Moldova is the self-proclaimed Transniestrian Republic and the regime in stalled in this region for 11 years. The assassinations, corruption, smuggling, illegal production and proliferation of weapons became usual and common things for those from Bender and Tiraspol. Due to close connections between the state structures and the criminal world, Transnistria was re-baptized as "Sheriff" Republic. The Plants "Electromas" and "Pribor", besides the industrial goods produced (electric motors, solar batteries, devices to produce noodles) are also said to produce in rather large batches pistols, machineguns, grenade launchers "Gnom", "Pcela", rocket launcher "Grab" and "Katrin".

The city of Bender is located on the bend middle of the Dniester River, which goes back to the Carpathian Mountains and empties into the Black Sea. From ancient times to Dnestru were trading caravans from Lviv and Galic at Caffi and Carthage. In the Transnistrian region is difficult to find a city whose history, rooted in deep antiquity, so whimsically intertwined with its present and future.

The history of the town of Bendery dates back to ancient times (III century BC). The territory of this region has always been in the center of historical events in South-East Europe. In the past Bendery was an important strategic point for crossing the Dniester. In the 12th century the Genovese built a fortress on the location of the Slavic settlement, and at the beginning of the 16th century Bendery came under Turkish rule. In 1812 Bendery came under Russian rule and became a county market town and fortress. In 1918 it came under Romanian rule; and in 1940 it became part of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. Bendery is known for its involvement in the Cossack campaigns of the 16th century and the Russo-Turkish wars of the 18th and 19th century. In 1709 Hetman Ivan Mazepa died in the nearby village of Varnytsia, and that same year, as a result of the election of Hetman Pylyp Orlyk, the Constitution of Bendery was proclaimed.

In March 1919, with the permission of the Entente, the Zaporozhian Corps and part of the southeastern contingent of the Army of the Ukrainian National Republic forded the river there in order to reach Volhynia by traversing Romania and Galicia. Bendery was largely destroyed in 1941 and 1944. In 1941 the city was made up of Ukrainians (9 percent), Romanians (60 percent), Russians (9 percent), and Gagauzy (18 percent). Since the Second World War Bendery has grown considerably; in 1930 it had a population of only 31,000. The city has machine building, construction-supply, and food- production industries, as well as light industry. One of its architectural monuments is a Turkish fortress.

The convenient geographical location, mild climate in ancient times, people involved here. Here at the crossroads of trade routes, not just intersect the interests of nations and peoples. For centuries, to the province, some tribes followed by others, it sounded multilingual: Scythians, geto-Dacs, Sarmatians, Goths, Huns, Pechenegs, Kipchaks, Slavs, Volokh, Tartars, the Turks. On their presence remind us the names of ancient cities: Tunguty, Tyagyanyakyacha, Saskatchewan, Bender. The strength and power Benderskoy Fortress brought in their time of Swedish King Karl XII, with its walls died Ukrainian Hetman Ivan Mazepa, fought and died during the Russian war, Russian-Turkish wars of the second half of the XVIII century.

The history of the city is linked the names of famous personalities such as the great Russian poet Alexander Pushkin, M. Field Marshal Kutuzov, Prince G.Potemkin-Tauride, Earl P. Panin, a writer, playwright I. Kotlyarovsky, peasant uprising leader E. Pugachev. It is the birthplace of Academician L. S. Berg, founder of the theory of colloidal chemistry of soil K. Gedroytsa, members of the expedition "North Pole-1" Hero of the Soviet Union EK Fedorov. In Bender was born Honored pilot USSR, a member of the flight Moscow - New York in 1929 SA Shestakov, Hero of the Soviet Union SI Poletsky.

Today, the city of Bender is the second largest city and the importance of Transnistria. It covers an area of 9729 hectares. The population of the city 150 thousand people. Bender is a major cultural and industrial center of Transnistria. City Center mainly comprise building late XIX - early XX century, located on the outskirts of modern multi-complexes. The city has many historical and architectural monuments.

In the city of Bender developed the production sphere. The largest companies: Ship plant, electrical plant "Moldavkabel" elektrofarforovy and silk mills, shoe factory "Saskatchewan" premier "Floare." To date, most of the businesses operating on only 10-50% of its capacity. Bender is a major railway hub, is promising in the development of the river fleet. Since 1993, the city is connected to Tiraspolem trolleybusnoy line. Now the city there are 4 troleybusnye line.

The fighting in 1992, Bender have been badly damaged, 80 of thousands of people have become refugees, about half of thousands have been killed and wounded. Now the bulk of destruction eliminated, but traces of fighting, more reminiscent of themselves. The majority of residents support joining the city in the PMR, which is a consistent position and the Government of the Republic.