Visiting “the country that doesn’t exist”

Oooh! Red zone travel! daring-do! Forgein Office headache! What would we find when we snuck off into “Transnistria” aka Pridnestrovie?

A clarification – Transnistria – that’s what background reading called this region. Our local guide explained that the citizens call their country Pridnestrovie or PMR (Pridnestrovian Moldavian Republic).

Crossing the border

Since the gas crisis earlier in 2025, passports are no longer stamped at the border between PMR and Moldova. Instead, it’s like any other land border crossing – without fanfare, our minibus was stopped at a gantry with booths, we were ushered off the bus into a kiosk with a wee window, handed over our passports and were given a receipt which was our don’t lose it visa. That was it. pretty unremarkable apart from the Russian peacekeeper troops lurking in the background.

Our first stop was the town of Bender where we were the only visitors to the old fortress. Pretty much an unremarkable 4 walls with a big empty car park and a few deserted fairground rides.

It really struck me how spotless this part of the world is, no litter, streets swept clean and municipal areas well kept and well used. Litter bins were everywhere.

Next was a wander in the Dneister riverside park where we met friendly families out enjoying the sunshine and thanking us for coming to visit and learn about their home.

Then it was a quick nosey inside the House of Local Culture. This felt like a big community centre, faded posters advertising kids judo, choirs and craft clubs were stuck to the hall walls.

A giant soviet mural and a giant hammer and sickle poster adorned the walls of the main hall. Through two locked doors, Andrej our guide pointed out the room where weekly peacekeeping meetings between Pridnestrovie, Moldova and Russia have taken place since the 1992 ceasefire between Moldova and Pridnestrovie to, as he put it, “avoid squabbles”.

Without vanishing down too much of a geopolitical rabbit hole (i think it’s important context)..

The PMR benefits from the Moldova/EU free trade agreement, with steel, textiles and wine exports heading off to Moldova (about 50%), the EU (over 30%)  and about 10% to Russia.

Conversely, the PMR looks to Russia for around 70% of imports, with only 14% from the EU and just 7% from Moldova.

The people who call the PMR home are not a homogeneous group. Because the country is not recognised by the UN, Pridnestrovian citizens tend to have two or more citizenships including Moldovan, Russian, Romanian, or Ukrainian.

Currency

Sadly despite what you might have read online, the plastic coins are no longer in use here.  Credit cards could work but only if you happen to have a Russian one.

At the time of writing £1 was approx 24 PMR roubles. And more importantly 26 roubles buys a glass of very nice local wine!

Tiraspol – capital city

Whilst the first thing we saw was a giant granite Lenin monument outside the government offices, the rest of the city felt pretty similar to other Eastern European cities. Yes, communist past was evident with soviet-era blocks of flats and monuments, but also a Korean beauty shop, plenty of hipster coffee shops and the odd Tesla driving by.

Oh and “Sheriff” branded  supermarkets, petrol stations and the infamous FC Sheriff Tiraspol stadium (who once beat Real Madrid 2-1 in the Champions League)

From what I’ve read, the Sheriff company grips the economy with monopolies and the relationship between sheriff bigwigs and the government is pretty damn shady.

Victory day “parade”

We woke to loud music echoing across the park and crowds of umbrellas meandering around in the rain.

We asked what time the parade started. Andrej, slightly baffled, said he wasn’t sure why we kept talking about parades. This was a day for the people to commemorate VE day and honour their WW2 dead.

No tanks, missiles or particular fanfare. Just thousands of families braving the rain to lay flowers at the war memorials.

We were free to wander around without guides just cautioned not to take pictures of the “secret” police.

How to spot the secret police

Just look for the men that looks like he’s auditioning to be a football casual with puffer jackets ear pieces and putting a lot of effort into looking surly. The most inconspicuous one looked about 17 and sported a bumfluff moustache.  He very gently and quietly accosted us at a coffee stand in the park, asking us where we were from. I assumed he was a curious teenager and launched into an effervescent ramble about Scotland, Glasgow (you know Rangers and Celtic football?) its cold and wet just like here today haha. He looked a mix of baffled and trying-hard-surly and and very gently “demanded” to see our papers. A quick look at our don’t lose it visas and he nodded and  sloped off.

The day ended with music and very loud fireworks.

Special mention to the “Bros”

To the collaborative warm and friendly tour leader of redacted name tour group who bumped into us in our hotel lobby, called our tour “for pussies” and bragged that they had seen way more than we had (not true) and why weren’t we out getting blind drunk in the casinos? Fanny. We found out the next day that one of his group had been hospitalised and four unable to function from their memorable night in Tiraspol casinos *slow clap for machismo bros tour*

Out of town

Heading out of the city into the surrounding area, we crossed the Dniester river on the chain link “ferry” – a rusty steel platform hauled from bank to bank by a pair of grinning leathery old drunks.

Final thoughts

What was it about this wee place that had felt weirdly familiar to me?

Scotland and Pridnestrovie – not immediately obvious …

…but scratch a bit deeper and you’ll find:

Both geographically small and on the arse ends of Europe.

Scotland tried to leave the UK in 2014. Transnistria declared independence in the ’90s and never looked back (despite the lack of international recognition).

Both with a fierce sense of identity, cuture and tradition.

Both historically faced invaders from all sides.

Both with their own government and currency*

Both with citizens who vote differently, talk differently, and think about the future differently to their geographical neighbours.

And finally, both interesting wee places that are worth a visit!

* although the currency is GBP, Scotland has it’s own designs on bank notes

(Thanks to Tom who nagged me to get this post finished!)