Transdnestr: Journey to a Breakaway Region

Transdnestr's Soviet emblem at the entrance to Tiraspol.



"Back in the USSR" is a Moldovan tour guide's name for his one-day car excursion to Tiraspol, the capital of Transdnestr, a Moldovan breakaway region.



The Transdnestr region is often referred to as a place 'frozen in Soviet time'.



The 90-minute bus ride from Chisinau, the Moldovan capital, to Tiraspol costs $10 dollars, but the Russian comedy shows screened on the bus televisions are priceless.

The Chisinau bus station, where transport departs to Tiraspol.



As reflected in the language of the bus's entertainment, most travelers between Chisinau and Tiraspol are native Russian speakers, typically Ukrainian or Russian. The two nationalities make up around 60 percent of Transdnestr's population.



Before entering Transdnestr, visitors must undergo passport control where a stamped paper is handed over, to be tucked carefully away as it must be returned when exiting the town.

Sign welcoming visitors to Tiraspol.



A new shopping center, gas station and construction projects belie the town's 'Back in the USSR' reputation. Further along, a traditional outdoor market and currency exchange point are at least reminiscent of the 1990s, if not Soviet times.



Bad weather meant hailing a taxi to journey to the town center. The cheap Soviet Lada models that have nearly vanished from Moscow roads are a common sight in Tiraspol.



A shiny new Mercedes and a bust of Lenin marks the front facade of the House of the Soviets, now Tiraspol's city administration building.

A black Mercedes parked at the House of the Soviets in Tiraspol, in front of a bust of Lenin.

Birds flying from abandoned buildings.



Aside from the grandiose Soviet emblem upon arrival, Tiraspol could be any under-invested Russian town, entirely dependent on government funding.



It has the same combination of modern retail outlets, food shops and banking services to assist residents in spending their pensions or government salaries.



It has the same ramshackle Soviet housing, grand government buildings in the Stalinist style and abandoned factories.



Unsurprisingly, it has the same young people looking for escape. They seek new cities, jobs — they seek a future.

A young Moldovan in Tiraspol.



He hopes to move to Moscow, where his brother works. Transdnestr is worth a day's visit if you are in Chisinau, but do not expect anything other than a typical provincial Russian town.

A woman outside the Chisinau bus station.

A Russian comedy plays on this bus to Tiraspol.

An outdoor market in Tiraspol.

A young couple in Tiraspol. He may move to Russia.

Republic Palace.

A street musician in Tiraspol.

A woman recently returned from Istanbul, where her boyfriend lives.

A young boy riding along a street in Tiraspol.

Tiraspol City Bus reads "A future together with Russia."