The principal type of fortification present on the territory of medieval Moldova was the fortress. In Moldova fortresses were preserved in Tighina and Soroca, both of which are situated on the right bank of Dniester, representing frontier fortresses that were included in a wide defensive system, comprising in addition the Hotin and White Fortresses, which are currently located on the territory of Ukraine. Compact volumes and quite small dimensions are characteristic for the Soroca and Tighina fortresses, being typical of artillery fortresses constructed in the first period of use.
Octavian Goga used to recollect about the fortresses situated on the bank of Dniester: "Having been erected at Hotin, Soroca, Tighina and White Fortress, initially aimed to serve as a bulwark against Crimean Tartars, these walls of a remarkable picturesqueness had often a determinant role in Russian-Turkish wars, hosting among others a romantic exile of the king of Sweden, Charles the XII. Today these are mirrored silently in Dniestr waters, erecting their gullies as close fists of Europe".
Ground fortress in Tiraspol named "sredneia" ("average") is not included in the defensive system on the right bank of Dniester. It was conceived by the architect Vonan as a principal fortress of the left bank of Dniestr and was meant to serve as an asylum for soldiers in the eventual military encounters with Turks and Tartars. Solely the Vladimir bulwark was preserved until today out of the entire fortress.
There used to be fortresses and fortifications of foreign origin on the territory of the Republic of Moldova, which are nowadays demolished and irrevocably disappeared . Apart from ruins left from the fortifications of the Tartar medieval city of Sehr-al-Djedid (Orheiul Vechi) in the XIVth century, certain ruins of a Turkish fortress are preserved nearby the village of Palanca in Basarabia, which was quadrilateral in plan and included a mosque, three bastions and a gunpowder turret. Unfortunately they do not exist any more.
