Time travel in Transnistria

No UN member state recognises Transnistria, a de facto state in Eastern Europe that is a part of Moldova. Join Gautami Biswas in exploring Tiraspol, the capital of a country that’s stuck in a time warp as it doesn’t exist

The gate at the entrance to Kirov Park. PHOTOS BY AUTHOR

Do you know Transnistria is a country? No? Well, it is! At least the Transnistrians think so. So, we went to see this “country” too. And how was it, you ask? Read on to find out! Officially the Pridnestrovian Moldavian Republic (PMR), it is not recognised by the UN. But, it has its own Parliament, own set of laws, own currency and issues, and its own passport to people living there!

Sounds too exciting, isn’t it? That was the reason we decided to visit Transnistria and see for ourselves how a country that doesn’t exist looks and feels like! The Capital of Transnistria is Tiraspol and that’s where we were headed. Buses from Chisinau to Tiraspol run frequently (every 30 minutes) and the tickets can be purchased at the central market in Chisinau. Prices are 36.50 Moldovan Lei (MDL). As expected, soon the border check came and we had to get off the bus and enter the immigration office. There, we were asked about the purpose of the visit and the duration of our stay. We said we were on a day trip and we were given permission for a 10-hour stay in Transnistria.

The distance between Chisinau and Tiraspol is only around 70 km and the trip took approximately an hour and a half. Our first stop was the bank to change our Moldovan Lei to Transnistrian ruble. The exchange rate is 1:1. After getting our currency, we went inside the market. It was pretty small with a very limited range of products. It was a farmers’ market. So, we went out to see the church (Presentation of the Child Jesus Church) in Kirov Park. The park itself was unimpressive other than the huge gate that was quite imposing. There were a couple of babushkas sitting in the park staring at us! The church was huge and impressive on the inside.

After visiting the church, we walked to the KVINT Wine & Cognac Distillery. Unfortunately, there were no tours being conducted. So we had to see the distillery from outside only. After that, we went to see The Christmas/Nativity Cathedral. It was really, truly beautiful. We went inside (again no photography allowed) and it was quite austere, but there was an authentic feel to it that can’t be explained in words.

A couple of hundred meters ahead was the Monument to Pushkin. It was a rather small bust of Pushkin. Then we went to see the Monument to Suvorov.

It is dedicated to the founder of Tiraspol, Alexander Suvorov. It is surrounded by the Memorial of Glory, the building of the Supreme Council of Transnistria, the Palace of children and teenagers and the De Volan Square. The Statue was huge and impressive. Just a few paces away was the Monument to Zelinsky. Zelinsky was one of the founders of the theory on organic catalysis. It was a simple bust of the famous chemist.

Across the road was the Parliament of Transnistria. It was a huge building. We had read that taking photos near parliament or any military building was forbidden. But we were not stopped by anyone. In front of the Parliament was the Monument to Lenin. Opposite to the parliament is the Memorial of Glory. It commemorates the Veterans and the dead of the Great Patriotic War, the Soviet-Afghan War, and the Transnistrian War.

The Tomb of the Unknown Soldier is the centrepiece of the memorial, flanked by an eternal flame. You can feel all the lives lost in the war standing there, an eerie feeling. Immediately adjacent to it is the Tank Monument. It honours the heroes of the Great Patriotic War of the Soviet people of 1941-1945.

It is a T-34-85 tank, mounted on a high pedestal in the area of the city’s central square at the Glory Memorial. Nearby is the Orthodox Chapel in honour of St George the Victorious. It was not a big Chapel, but quite unique. After spending a couple of hours watching all the attractions in Tiraspol, we went for a walk beside the Dniester River inside the De Wollant Park.

By then it was nearly 3 pm. So after coming out of the mall we walked the long way back to the train station where we had first arrived. Near the entrance to the station, there is a ticketing window where you can buy tickets from Tiraspol to Chisinau.

We bought our tickets and soon we were off, leaving behind a strange country, still stuck in time. There are no ATMs here as cash is the only mode of payment. I wondered what the people really thought about living there. But perhaps they were used to it. But it was a very, very interesting trip for us and we will come back soon to spend at least a couple of nights in Tiraspol. A day just wasn’t enough to do full justice in exploring a “country that doesn’t exist.”