Travel to Transnistria: “The Country that Doesn’t Exist”

Travel to Transnistria will take you to a place where the old Soviet Union is still alive.  See statues of Lenin, tanks, fortresses, and enjoy great food and world-class cognac.  Learn everything you need to know about visiting one of the world’s most obscure countries— where to stay, what to see, what to eat, and more.

Why travel to Transnistria?

It is like entering a living museum of the former Soviet Union, with massive statues of Lenin, and Russian tanks on pedestals.  It’s a fascinating corner of Eastern Europe.

Transnistria has the cheapest cost of living in Europe.  You can live well on less than $30 a day.  Great food, great beer, world-class cognac all at great prices.

Where is Transnistria?   

Wedged between Moldova and Ukraine, Transnistria is a “country that doesn’t exist”.  It’s a real country with passports, border controls, currency, government, police, yet it does not show up on any map, and is not recognized by any UN member nations.

How can a country not exist, or even show up on a map? 

Before we travel to Transnistria, let’s explore some history;  Transnistria was once part of the Soviet Union.  When the Soviets captured Moldova from Romania in 1940, they created the Moldavian Soviet Socialist Republic, and shifted Transnistria into it.  So, Transnistria’s mostly ethnic Russians and Ukrainians had instantly become minorities in a Romanian speaking part of the USSR.  At first this didn’t present a problem, as they were all part of Mother Russia, speaking Russian, and reporting to Moscow.

Things went along pretty well until the Soviet Union started collapsing.  In 1989 the Moldavian SSR declared that Romanian was now the national language (no longer Russian), and the Latin alphabet was the official alphabet (no more Cyrillic).  The following year they adopted a version of the Romanian flag as the national flag, and the Romanian national anthem as the Moldavian national anthem.  After the fall of the repressive Ceausescu regime in Romania, they dissolved the border between the MSSR and Romania.  It was clear that the leaders of the Moldavian SSR were heading towards a union with Romania.

For the ethnic Russian/Ukrainian people of Transnistria, this meant they were about to become a tiny minority in a foreign country where they couldn’t read or speak the language!  This was unacceptable, so the “Pridnestrovian Moldavian Soviet Socialist Republic” declared their own independence on September 2, 1990.  They even asked to be re-integrated into the Soviet Union, but Mikhail Gorbachev basically said “No thank you.”

The Moldova Transnistria War

At first, Moldova had no army, and could not do anything to prevent the Transnistrian secession.  But by 1992, Moldova had raised 30,000 troops and invaded.  The Soviet 14th Army was still embedded in Tiraspol and they unofficially provided guns and supplies to the Transnistrians.  The Moldovans faced strategic disadvantages having to cross bridges to reach the territory, and were no match for Russian arms, so they were stopped.  After four months and about 1,000 deaths, both sides signed a cease-fire agreement on July 21, 1992 that has held to this day.

So, decades later, what is the status?  

Russia still supports Transnistria and keeps 1300 troops stationed there.  This keeps Moldova from ever thinking about attacking again. The “Pridnestrovian Moldavian Republic” or PMR has been recognized by only three other mostly non-recognized states: Abkhazia, Artsakh, and South Ossetia.  It is considered by the rest of the world to be part of Moldova.  It is still “a country which does not exist”.

Things to do in Transnistria:  

Take the Soviet Tour with Transnistria Tours.   If you only have a day trip from Chisinau or Odessa, be sure to book this tour before visiting.  For $30 USD, tour owner Andrey will pick you up and drive you all over Tiraspol and Bendery, showing you the sights for a couple of hours.   Transnistria Tours will also organise private transfer from Chisinau or Odessa to Tiraspol for additional fee.

You’ll visit the House of Soviets, which has the obligatory Giant Bust of Lenin, the Tomb of Unknown Soldier which has an awesome Soviet T-34 tank (which it is completely acceptable to climb upon), the General Suvorov horse statue, and even sights in the town across the river, Bendery.  These monuments are quite spread out, and would be difficult to get to on foot.  I lucked into arriving the perfect day, as not only was Bendery was having some kind of celebration, but back in Tiraspol they were celebrating their 225th anniversary of the founding of the city.  It was like a little Oktoberfest with beer gardens and kids performing song and dance routines in traditional dress.  Everyone was having fun, and I was clearly the only tourist there.

After a tour by car, Andrey hands you off to one of his colleagues for a walking tour of the heart of downtown Tiraspol on 25th October Street.  Talking with Andrey and Victoria will really gave you a local understanding of the daily life in Transnistria, and of the reasons behind the conflict with Moldova that created the country.  You’ll learn that most Transnistrians have two or three passports.  They can all get both a (useless) Transnistria passport, and a Moldovan passport, as Moldova considers Transnistria part of Moldova.  And if they have Russian or Ukrainian heritage, they can get a passport from that country as well.

Tiraspol is a very pleasant, safe, clean city.  I never got to visit the Soviet Union back in the 80s, but I have to think it would have looked about like this.  Lots of green parks with benches, grey drab architecture, quiet streets with very little industry, bored elderly folks, patriotic billboards and even actual old Soviet flags flying alongside Russian and Transnistrian flags.  The Transnistrian economy is slowly dying as young people move away to find better job opportunities.  The population is both shrinking and aging rapidly.

More things to do in Tiraspol:

Check out the Bender Fortress.  Built from 1538 by the Ottoman sultan Suleiman the Magnificent, it still stands as a piece of living history.  The fortress held strong for a couple hundred years, before falling to Russian armies multiple times in the 18th century.   You’ll find trebuchet, cannons, swords, torture devices, and all kinds of cool stuff inside.  Bender is just across the Dneister River, you can reach the fort on trolleybus 19 or 19A.  Open daily 8am-5pm. $1.50 entry.

Tour the Kvint Distillery, and sample some smooth cognac.  Though you must book this at least five days before you travel to Transnistria, and have five people, you can get a 90 minute tour of the distillery, ending with a light buffet and tastings of five grades of KVINT cognac starting at just $10.  If there are just two of you, you can get a tour and taste the “good stuff” up to 50-year-old cognac for $70.  Tours are M-F 9am to 5pm.

Shop at the Central Market.  This is the place farmers buy and sell their goods.  Great place to buy fruits, veg, bread and cheese, or just people watch.  Open Tuesday through Sunday 7am to 5pm.

Take a boat trip on the Dniester River.  There are several boats docked that are available for cheap tours.  One turns into a disco at night.

Go for a swim in the Dneister.  There is a “beach” near the War Memorial.

Attend an FC Sheriff soccer match.

Know Before You Go: Transnistria Travel Advice:

Backpacker Daily Budget:

$30.  It is very, very cheap living here. $9 for lodging, $4 for dinner, $1 beers.   You might find you want to stay longer than you planned.

Cheap Beer index:

$1.33 (20 Rubles) got me a 16 ounce pint of delicious brown ale in a restaurant.  I could travel to Transnistria again just for the beer.

When to travel to Transnistria: 

Summertime is when you want to be here.  May through September has highs in the 70’s.  Winter is cold, with lows in the 20’s.

What languages are spoken in Transnistria?  

Everyone speaks Russian.  Signs are Cyrillic. Most also speak either Moldovan or Ukrainian.  Young people might speak some English.  The demography of the Transnistrian people is 34% Russians, 33% Moldovans, and 26.7% Ukrainians.

Do you need a Transnistria visa?  

Visas are NOT required for nationals of USA, UK, AUS, and CAN.  AS OF FEBRUARY 2018 you can get a free entry card at the border coming from either Ukraine or Moldova, for a stay of up to 45 days.  There is no passport stamp.  You’ll need to provide an address of where you are staying, tell the officer how long you want to stay in Transnistria, and you’ll get an entry card for that amount of time, up to a max of 45 days.  Gone are the days of the 24 hour visa.  Gone are the shakedowns for bribes.  No longer do you need to register with the police in Tiraspol.

How to travel to Transnistria:  

Entering Transnistria takes a little more work than most countries.  First off, there are no commercial airports in the entire country.  You’ll have to arrive overland from either Ukraine or Moldova.  The closest airports are Odessa, Ukraine (ODS) and Chisinau, Moldova (KIV).  Odessa is about a two hour bus ride away, and Chisinau is about 90 minutes.  You should choose whichever of these cities appeals to you most as your secondary destination.  Check out my Chisinau, Moldova Travel Guide to see my impressions of it, and my Odessa, Ukraine Travel Guide to compare the two.  You could also just pick whichever city has cheaper flights.  Learn how Nine Steps to Free Flights Worldwide can allow you to avoid paying any hard-earned cash for your flight.

Once, you’ve landed, the cheapest and easiest way to travel to Transnistria is by bus.  There is a train, but it is slower than the bus.  You could also rent a car if coming from Moldova, as Moldova would not consider it leaving the country.  I doubt a Ukrainian car rental company would allow you to cross the border.  Lastly, you could hire a taxi if coming from Chisinau.  I doubt a Ukrainian taxi would take you all the way to Tiraspol.

Bus from Chisinau to Tiraspol:

If coming from Chisinau, get a taxi or walk to the Central Bus Station in Chisinau.  There is a Chisinau Tiraspol bus every 30 minutes, so no need to book ahead.  The bus ticket is approximately $2.50.   Buses leave on time, and 30 minutes into the ride you’ll reach the “border”.  Exiting Moldova is easy.  Moldova has NO passport control on exit, because they refuse to admit Transnistria is another country, and choose to pretend you are still in Moldova!

Bus from Odessa to Tiraspol:

If you travel to Tiraspol from Odessa, the day before you wish to leave, you should take an Uber (Uber is super cheap and convenient in Ukraine, as there is no need to try to explain your destination to a non-english speaker, or worry about being ripped off) to the long-distance bus station at Kolontaivs’ka Street 58.  At the ticket window, find out when buses leave (there might only be two or three a day) and get a ticket for the next day’s Odessa Tiraspol bus.  The ticket is about $3.  The next day, take another cheap Uber back to the bus station, and be sure to ask around to find the right bus if your Cyrillic literacy is as bad as mine.  After an hour you’ll reach the Ukraine/Transnistria border.  It should only take 15 minutes for everyone on the bus to complete Ukraine exit stamp formalities.

The Border:

Now you’ll roll up to the Transnistria border, where everyone shuffles out to get in a line to get their passports stamped in.  Everyone on the bus but you will be Ukrainian or Transnistrian or Moldovan.  The officials will be surprised to see a U.S. passport.  The officer will ask you how long you are staying.  Visas are not required for nationals of USA, UK, AUS, and CAN.  You can get an up to 45 day migration card at the border coming from either Ukraine or Moldova, but no passport stamp.

Your passport may be held aside and you are told to wait on the bus.  Don’t panic!  The stories of Transnistrian border guards shaking tourists down for cash seem to be a thing of the past.  Within a few minutes an officer in a much too-tall hat will deliver it to the bus.  You’ll get your entry slip.  Your bus lurches forward into gear.  You’ve made it into Transnistria!  You can bet Linda from accounting hasn’t been here!

Transnistria Currency and how to get it:

Just a few minutes ride past the border, you’ll arrive at the Tiraspol bus station.  The station has a currency exchange window.  They accept Ukrainian Hyrvnia, Romanian Leu, US Dollars, Euros, Moldovan Lei.   The rates are about the same everywhere in town, so you can feel comfortable getting all the Transnistian Rubles that you need here.  (16.1 Transnistria ruble to USD $1 as of 2019 – current rate ) There are ATMs in town, but I didn’t try using one.  I doubt they accept non-Transnistrian cards.  For more info on your cash-versus-credit card options when travelling, check out my post on How to Access your Money in Foreign Countries. 

Stay Connected:  

While money is easy to get, you cannot get a sim card for your phone here, or anywhere in the country.  Transnistria phones don’t use SIM cards!  They use a program from the Sheriff company, the only telecom provider.  Sheriff sells specially modified phones with no SIM card slot.  So, your only internet access will be through Wi-Fi, which is commonly available in coffee shops and restaurants.  You just have to ask the waiter for the login code.  For more info on your telecom options, check out my post on How to Get Cheap Mobile Phone Service Worldwide.

Transnistria Hotels and Hostels: 

Tiraspol has some well reviewed, inexpensive hostels.  There are more popping up every year.   If you prefer a hotel or apartment, Tiraspol is incredibly cheap, possibly the cheapest place in Europe, so it’s a reasonable place to splurge a little.

• Red Star Camping provides a tent with two futon beds for just $4 a night!  Can’t beat the price.
• Hostel at the Center of Tiraspol is….centrally located, has a lounge with cable tv, and has dorm beds for $9.
• Like Home Hostel, is the top rated hostel in town and has dorm beds with breakfast for $9
• Old Tiraspol Hostel is well reviewed with dorm beds for $9. 
• The centrally located Apartment Near KVINT starts at just $18 a night!

Tiraspol Restaurants:  

Transnistria is about the cheapest places to eat in Europe.   If you speak Russian, you might enjoy more time here living like a king.

• Kumanek serves Modovan/Ukrainian fare, and is by far the most famous restaurant in Transnistria.  Staff wear traditional dress.  Strada Sverdlov 37
• Cricova is another highly rated Romanian style dining restaurant.
• La Placinte is a Moldovan chain restaurant serving excellent traditional dishes at cheap prices.
• Andy’s Pizza is another chain specializing in pizza.
• 7 Fridays is a popular downtown restaurant, where two pints of excellent local draft beer and a big pizza cost just 102 rubles or $6.50!

Tiraspol Nightlife:

I didn’t find anything happening on a weeknight.  The city shuts down early.  But, what I needed to do was get in a cab and get to one of the following locations, not right on the main street:

• Mafia –  a restaurant by day/karaoke bar by night
• Baccarat –  another karaoke bar
• Vilya is a dance club.
• Vintage  The most popular dance club in town.  Klari Tsetkin St, 14/2, Tiraspol
• Plazma Club  Dance club catering to a slightly older crowd.  Strada Sverdlov 47, Tiraspol 3300
• Ekvator  – A dance club playing techno across the river in Bender.  Kalinina St., 11, Bendery

Is Transnistria safe?   

Yes, in Transnistria crime is low, locals are friendly and the city is very well policed. I felt very safe.  I walked around in the evening alone, no problems.  It’s like a small town.  Stories you may have read about border guards shaking people down for bribes seem to be mostly a thing of the past.  It is safe for solo travel, female travel, and families.

Get a Transnistria guidebook:

There is only one guidebook on Transnistria: The Single Girls Guide to Tiraspol and Transnistria 

Supplementary reading:

Back in the USSR: Heroic Adventures in Transnistria   

Bastard Republic: Encounters Along the Tattered Edge of Fallen Empire<

What to pack:

You can dress the same you would anywhere else in Europe.  To learn how to pack light and be prepared for anything, check out my post The Worldwide Travel Packing List.

Leaving Transnistria:

Walk or get a taxi to the bus station or train station.  You should dump all your Transnistrian rubles here, as they will not be accepted anywhere outside Transnistria.

To Chisinau:

There is a bus leaving for Chisinau every 30 minutes, so no need to book ahead.  The ticket to Chisinau is 40 rubles or $2.54.  After 30 minutes into the ride you’ll reach the “border”.  Exiting Transnistria is easy, takes all of 3 minutes.  An officer comes on the bus, briefly checks everyone’s passport and entry documents, and then you drive on.  Moldova has NO passport control on entry because they refuse to admit Transnistria is another country.  There is only a brief customs and security check of the bus.  You’ll arrive in Chisinau 90 minutes after departure.

No Entry Stamp?

If you travel to Transnistria from Ukraine,  this means you will eventually have to leave Moldova with no entry stamp to Moldova.  There is no need for concern.  Upon departure from the Chisinau airport, explain to the passport control officer that you came by bus from Odessa thru Transnistria.  He’ll find your Ukraine exit stamp, and that will be good enough.

To Odessa:

If you are heading to Odessa, make sure your departing bus gets you out of Transnistrian territory before your visa-slip expires.  After passing through Transnistrian exit control and Ukrainian entry, you reach the long-distance bus station at Kolontaivs’ka Street 58 about two hours after departure.

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