Bendery, 2 June. /News of Transnistria/. A new tourist site has been opened today in Bendery – an old wine cellar. It is located in the very center of the city. They opened solemnly: with gypsies, Moldovan and Jewish dances, as well as a brass band. But the main characters of the holiday were still Osya Bender and Kisa Vorobyaninov. The son of a Turkish citizen (we remember from which language the name “Bendery” came from), as well as the former marshal of the nobility, invited guests and told what interesting things awaited them in the basement of the Bendkoopsoyuz. The name itself also referred to the adventures of the famous heroes Ilf and Petrov. As well as a session of simultaneous chess, organized next to the basement.
By the way, it was discovered 2 years ago quite by accident, when during a large-scale reconstruction of the street. Lenin’s hatch failed and the builders saw a large cavity.
Experts examined and found out that this is a large basement. It was decided to reconstruct – but only part of it, the safest. To add some atmosphere, they collected some authentic utensils: drags and presses, a collection of old jugs and pots, hundred-year-old scales, kerosene stoves and other household items and winemaking. And on the walls are photographs of Bender from the early 20th century.
“This is a wine cellar where any visitor can come, see the atmosphere itself, as well as taste different types of wine or buy it already in a bottle. Both our local producers and Moldovan ones will be presented. We will develop it further, draw up a tourist route between the fortress and this basement,” said Alexander Yaskov, director of the Bendery Fortress Historical Military Memorial Complex.
The basement will belong to the fortress itself, and it is planned to include it in the tourist routes around Bendery. The head of the city, Roman Ivanchenko, told journalists about this. He was one of the first to appreciate how the new attraction turned out.
“There are similar cellars in many families. But those who live in apartment buildings far from Transnistria, they probably have not seen this. So far, we are opening it in the form of such a museum exhibition with wine tasting. In the future, we will have filling. For sure, there will already be a vinarium and new chips here. What did they talk about with Ostap? About the wonderful future of Bender, about the sources of income for the city, including the story of Ostap Bender, will also help us in this,” he said.
The new facility is already open. It will be available to everyone for a nominal fee.
