Mircea Ion Snegur (Romanian pronunciation: [ˈmirt͡ʃe̯a iˈon ˈsneɡur]; b. January 17, 1940 – Trifăneşti, now in Florești District) was the first President of Moldova from 1990–1997. Before that he was Chairman of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet ****–1990 (head of state) and Chairman of the Supreme Soviet from 27 April to 3 September 1990. In the Soviet era, he was often known in English as Mircha Ivanovich Snegur, a transliteration from the Russian Мирча Иванович Снегур.