Transnistria is an unrecognized, self-governed pro-Russia separatist state located on the border of Moldova and Ukraine. At the time of my visit it was under a Level 4 “do not travel” warning. I can say it’s one of the most interesting places I have visited yet.
Also referred to as a “breakaway state,” Transnistria is located on the edge of Moldova and Ukraine. Officially, it’s part of Moldova and called the Pridnestrovian Moldavian Republic. Transnistria was created in 1990 after the dissolution of the Soviet Union, formed after a period of conflict with Moldova from which it hoped to remain separate. Although Transnistria’s de-facto government is largely unrecognized, it operates autonomously with its own bank and currency, parliament, military, police, postal system, and vehicle registration. It also boasts its own constitution, flag, and anthem. Pretty legit for a country that “doesn’t exist!”
Most of the nearly 500,000 people in the country hold both Transnistrian and Moldovan citizenship, with many additionally possessing Russian, Romanian, or Ukrainian passports. The government is supported politically, economically, and militarily by Russia, who maintains troops in the area (about 1,500 troops of total, some of which are visible as you drive and walk around).
I honestly didn’t know of Transnistria’s existence before I got to Moldova, but once I read about it I wanted to visit immediately. It was beyond interesting (and educational), and I am so glad I did! I was initially planning to travel from the Chișinău bus station to the capital, Tiraspol, myself, but given you have to stop at the border, show documents, and get a visa to enter (Transnistria isn’t allowed to stamp in your passport, due to its unrecognized status, but it provides its own paper visa at the border), I figured it might be better to go with others. I wrangled a couple of people from my hostel, we hired a guide, and off we went.
Visiting Transnistria was like stepping back in time, or stepping into what I imagine a Soviet world looked like. Not long after we crossed the border we were passing by a rusty old ferris wheel and a row of factories. We made a pit stop at the bank to obtain some Transnistrian currency, getting sets of colorful plastic coins which serve as real money (photo forthcoming).
Our guide told us most people still work in factories – assigned by the government – and the majority of businesses are owned by a single corporation. This company is highly active in business, politics, and sports, and owns a chain of gas stations and supermarkets, a TV channel, publishing house, construction company, car dealer, ad agency, liquor factory, bread factories, and mobile network. In case that wasn’t enough, they also own the football team FC Sheriff Tiraspol, all according to Wikipedia.
Transnistria is, logically, aligned with the 3 other regions in its same [unrecognized] position. In the heart of the capital, Tiraspol, the flags of these other nations formed during Post-Soviet separatist conflicts – South Ossetia (between Georgia & Russia), Nagorno-Karabakh (within Azerbaijan), and Abkhazia (next to Georgia) – hang alongside Transnistria’s.
My time in Transnistria included visiting a local market, the downtown area, a park, various monuments, military vehicles, and an old fort. We also stopped for a local malt drink and an atmospheric lunch. While I could go into detail about all the things I saw, I think the best way to capture the essence of visiting Transnistria is through looking at these photos.
