I went to Transnistria, a country which doesn’t even, technically, exist. Lost on the wild frontier of Eastern Europe, somewhere between Moldova and Ukraine, this breakaway Republic declared its independence from Moldova when the Soviet Union collapsed in the 1990’s. Ever since, Transnistrians have governed their own affairs, but not a single nation on Earth has recognised their independence- not even their own Russian Motherland. I went on a weekend getaway to this gun running, drug smuggling rouge nation and found myself in Tiraspol, the self proclaimed capital of the last bastion of the Soviet Union, and a land of Lenin statues and T-34 tanks.
Transnistria is the last bastion of the Soviet Union. That’s Lenin standing proudly in the capital.
This T-34 Tank is a memorial to the Transnistrian War of Independence fought against Moldova in 1992.
Transnistrians see themselves as more Russian than Moldovan. But not even the Motherland recognises this breakaway Republic.
The unrecognised nation is the closest place left to the Soviet Union. There’s hammers, sickles and KGB everywhere.
The House of the Soviets is still open for business.
I love Tiraspol.
The rouge state is frequently accused of being a haven for gun running and drug smuggling.
Suvorov, The National Hero.
Only other breakaway and unrecognised nations have ever acknowledged this Post Soviet country’s independence.
These include the frozen conflict regions of Abkhazia, South Ossetia and Nagorna-Karabakh. Breakaway territories have to stick together.
If you’re looking for Soviet nostalgia, Transnistria is the place to visit.
This wild frontier really is the last bastion of the Soviet Union.
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