HomeAn Outline of History
In the southeastern part of Moldova, as far as 98 km from Chisinau, the town of Rezina is situated on three successive terraces formed by the picturesque right bank of the Dniester. The lowest terrace (along the Dniester) houses the older town, the second one (on the hill slope) contains buildings constructed in the 195060s, while the upper terrace is the seat of the new town constructed in the 197090s. The town is 3 km from the Ribnita railway station and 6 km from that of Mateuti. The republican highway Orhei - Ribnita is going throgh the town. Like any other town, Rezina has a rich history, many places of interest, and can boast of a number of remarkable personalities. Archaeological monuments prove tha fact that first settlements appeared in the area 40-10 millennia ago. The Indo-European period (5000-3000 B.C.) witnessed the settlement of the hracians (Geto-Dacians in particular) here. In 1946-1947, on Rezina's westwern outskirts (near the road to Echimauti) scientists discovered an ancient site founded by the Geto-Dacians in the 4-3rd centuries B.C. It was built on a small promontory at the merger of two depressions and was 50 m long and 100 m wide. Regrettably, the site was heavily damaged by construction works on a cattle-breeding farm and a repair station for agricultural machines. The area needs further excavations in order to establish the period and causes of population destruction. The formation of the Roman province of Dacia had a special impact upon the lives of our ancestors. Tha lands of the future Rezina were not included in the Roman province and were inhabited by free Dacians. However, such a close vicinity of the Romans couldrit but influence the local Geto-Dacians who, on a line with Roman provinces' inhabitants, were Romanized by having apprehended many traits of the Roman material culture and traditions, the Latin language and script, and were converted to Chistianity. Since the evacuation of the Romans in 271 A.D. and until the 14th century, the land was swept by all kind of migrating peoples. However, the local population withstood all the adversities of the migration period and retained its Romance character. Small rural settlements numbered about 10-15 or more dwe-Uings usually inhabited by 45-50 persons tied by family relations. The favourable natural conditions of the area created all the prerequisites of normal life. Fertile soils were conducive to the development of agriculture and cattlebreeding. Dniester waters and dense forests were the two other factors favouring the establishment of the future Rezina in the late 14 - early 15th centuries.
