How did the Treaty of Bucharest in 1812 change Bessarabia?

The Treaty of Bucharest (1812), which concluded the Russo-Turkish War, fundamentally changed the status of Bessarabia by transferring the region from Ottoman Empire control to the Russian Empire.12

Following this annexation, the name "Bessarabia" was applied to the entire region. The transition initiated a period of Russian administration that initially featured a liberal approach; from 1818 to 1828, the region was granted autonomy, with a Moldavian governor and archbishop installed to oversee local affairs. However, this period of relative self-governance was temporary. Over the course of the 19th century, the Russian administration shifted toward a policy of Russification in both civil and ecclesiastical sectors.23

While the region experienced agricultural prosperity and infrastructure development—such as the construction of railways linking the area to Odessa—the political landscape remained complex, eventually fueling the rise of a nationalist movement following the Russian Revolution of 1905.32