Day 9 (July 14, 2019): Transnistria - Amazing!
The Tiraspol train station was a very eerie place when we arrived just after dark last night. A small group of us disembarked the train in Tiraspol, and as the train pulled away towards Chisinau, the capital of Moldova, I think we all wished we were going with it! A Transnistrian official led us into the dark station and then set up his computer and started processing everyone. We were expecting to have to bribe him for some excuse of a reason, but in the end, it was an easy process and we were out of there in no time. Fearing that any cab-driver who might be waiting at the station might kidnap us or feed us to a pack of wolves (one's mind tends to get carried away when one reads on Global Affairs Canada's site to "avoid all travel to Transnistria"!), I had pre-arranged a driver from the hotel to meet us. He didn't speak a word of English, but we felt comfortable that he was honest and would take us to the hotel.
The streets of Tiraspol were quite dark, as there were few street lamps. So it all just added to the spookiness of the experience. Poor Pam was almost beside herself with fear, and my guilt at having subjected her to this started to mount.
However, before long, we pulled up to the CityClub Hotel, and it looked quite inviting. The receptionist got our room key, we paid in cash (as we had been told credit cards do not work in Transnistria), and before long, we were comfortably situated in our clean, modern room.
We got up this morning and had an excellent breakfast at the hotel, and then we set out on foot to explore Tiraspol. Tiraspol is internationally recognized as the second largest city in Moldova, but is effectively the capital and administrative centre of the unrecognized Pridnesrrovian Moldovan Republic (Transnistria). The city is located on the eastern bank of the Dniester River.
As we made our way around, everything and everyone seemed quite normal, and the city appeared well organized and filled with development under the light of day. We found a variety of sights, toured a small museum (all was in Russian, though), took public transit, and ended up visiting an incredibly impressive fortress, before a torrential downpour put a damper on things. But we got past that, found an excellent restaurant -- which actually did take credit cards! -- and thoroughly enjoyed our day. The photos below are evidence of a very interesting place, indeed!
Because our train to Chisinau didn't depart until 9PM, we had decided to pay for a second night at the hotel, just so that we could relax after a day of sightseeing. We hopped in a taxi to the station at 8:30PM, a customs guard took our temporary visitor pass, the train pulled in right on time.
Pam breathed a huge sigh of relief as we left the station, but we both felt content for having experienced this quirky and quite unknown Soviet breakaway republic, which fought a bloody war to gain its (self-declared) independence from Moldova in 1992.
The streets of Tiraspol were quite dark, as there were few street lamps. So it all just added to the spookiness of the experience. Poor Pam was almost beside herself with fear, and my guilt at having subjected her to this started to mount.
However, before long, we pulled up to the CityClub Hotel, and it looked quite inviting. The receptionist got our room key, we paid in cash (as we had been told credit cards do not work in Transnistria), and before long, we were comfortably situated in our clean, modern room.
We got up this morning and had an excellent breakfast at the hotel, and then we set out on foot to explore Tiraspol. Tiraspol is internationally recognized as the second largest city in Moldova, but is effectively the capital and administrative centre of the unrecognized Pridnesrrovian Moldovan Republic (Transnistria). The city is located on the eastern bank of the Dniester River.
As we made our way around, everything and everyone seemed quite normal, and the city appeared well organized and filled with development under the light of day. We found a variety of sights, toured a small museum (all was in Russian, though), took public transit, and ended up visiting an incredibly impressive fortress, before a torrential downpour put a damper on things. But we got past that, found an excellent restaurant -- which actually did take credit cards! -- and thoroughly enjoyed our day. The photos below are evidence of a very interesting place, indeed!
Because our train to Chisinau didn't depart until 9PM, we had decided to pay for a second night at the hotel, just so that we could relax after a day of sightseeing. We hopped in a taxi to the station at 8:30PM, a customs guard took our temporary visitor pass, the train pulled in right on time.
Pam breathed a huge sigh of relief as we left the station, but we both felt content for having experienced this quirky and quite unknown Soviet breakaway republic, which fought a bloody war to gain its (self-declared) independence from Moldova in 1992.
Map of Transnistria
Flag of Transnistria
Coat of arms of Transnistria
Vadim Krasnoselsky, President of Transnistria. The president of the republic is the country's head of state and commander in chief of its armed forces.
Tiraspol, Capitol of Transnistria (Russian spelling).
The city is growing - it feels prosperous
Beautiful parks
Even has a beach on the river!
Memorial to war of independence of 1992
Memorial to war of independence of 1992
A young man killed in the War of Independence against Moldova in 1992
Memorial to victims of Chernobyl, 1986
We took in a museum on Transnistria’s war history and were taken by this certificate bearing Stalin’s photo, validating a soldier’s involvement in the war against the Nazis in 1944.
Supreme Soviet (Parliament) with Lenin in front
Commemorating independence
The Sucorov Monument
The bustling city market
For a city of 136,000, Tiraspol has a huge and elaborate sports stadium.
The Christmas Cathedral
Bendery Fortress
Bendery Fortress with Dniester River in background
Bendery Fortress
Bendery Fortress
Newlyweds having photos taken today at Bendery Fortress
Military depot next to Bendery Fortress
View of Bendery, the second largest city in Transnistria
War memorial in Bendiry
War memorial in Bendiry
War memorial in Bendiry
War memorial in Bendiry
War memorial in Bendiry
As we were leaving Bendery, black storm clouds were forming. We had just gotten on a bus when the skies opened up. By the time we reached Tiraspol, the electrically-operated buses came to a grinding halt, as there had been a flash flood.
Madia is known as the best restaurant in town. We stopped there for a wonderful late lunch/early dinner. Soup, pasta and macchiatos for two came to $13 USD. And that’s in a five-star restaurant.
Tiraspol is very much aware of its place in the world.
City Hall
It’s not much to look at, but for a city of this size to have such a concert hall, is quite amazing.
Arrival of the train from Odessa (the same one we took last night), which we took onwards to the capital of Moldova tonight. I think Pam breathed a huge sigh of relief as the train pulled out of the station!
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