We went to visit Pridnestrovie (Dniester Moldavian Republic).
It’s a unique trip, and very few tourists come here (I think fewer than 150 French people per year, for example, fewer than in North Korea!), but the visit is worth it. The cities of Bendery and Tiraspol are magnificent, there’s the Sheriff Tiraspol Football Club, and above all, there are a huge number of Soviet relics and monuments, just like in the days of the USSR, but still relevant in 2025.
The impression I had was of visiting “The Last Bastion of the Soviet Union.”
The country is not internationally recognized (except for Abkhazia and South Ossetia), and is considered an “autonomous region” of Moldova by the UN.
The territory is called “Transnistria” in Romanian and Moldovan, but it is strictly forbidden to use this term in Pridnestrovie. There’s a real border crossing with paperwork checks (passport highly recommended).
Feel free to contact me (via Instagram or Facebook) if you have any questions.
It’s easy and inexpensive to visit Bendery and Tiraspol by bus or taxi from Chisinau, but we preferred to use the services of a Driver+Guide with Ecaterina and Moldova Tours. I’ve provided my GetYourGuide referral link* above (as of April 2025).
The currency used here is the “Pridnestrovian Ruble,” but this currency is only used here. I recommend bringing Euros and Moldovan Lei and exchanging them on site.
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Here’s the day’s itinerary:
1. Departure
Pick-up at the hotel in the morning. We were picked up in a Berlin Mercedes, in a small group of four people, super friendly.
2. Arrival in Bender
We visit the small and magnificent Russian Orthodox Church of Saints Joachim and Anna.
3. Bender Fortress – Tighina
The Alexander Nevsky Orthodox Church, built in the 19th century, then visit the Bender Fortress – Tighina, conquered by the Ottoman Sultan Suleiman the Magnificent in 1538. The fortress became Russian after the Russo-Turkish War.
4. Military Glory Memorial Park (Bendery)
This park pays tribute to the soldiers who fell in several conflicts, most notably the Dniester War in 1992.
It features an eternal flame, the White Monument, and a tank with the inscription PMR / ПМР (“Dniester Moldavian Republic”), as well as the flag of Pridnestrovie (called Transnistria in Moldova).
5. Arrival in Tiraspol and then the “Return to the USSR” Restaurant
Our guide, Ekaterina, suggests lunch at the “Return to the USSR” Restaurant.
The decor is magnificent and entirely dedicated to the USSR, a true step back in time. An old Volga car, photos and busts of Stalin and Lenin, period decor, cathode-ray tube televisions, period crockery and old USSR posters, period currency…
So it’s very good! I had typical Soviet dishes as a starter, just like in the USSR era (except that they’re still relevant here)!
Traditional Ukrainian borscht served with black bread, cream, and bacon. Be careful, alcohol abuse is dangerous for your health; the dish is served with a glass of vodka.
Homemade pelmeni served in a traditional pottery dish with sour cream.
For drinks, locally brewed beer and house red wine (be careful, alcohol abuse is dangerous for your health).
6. The Supreme Council
We continue our tour of Tiraspol. Here is the statue of Vladimir Ilyich Lenin in front of an imposing building, the Supreme Council of the Pridnestrovian Moldavian Republic, also known as the Parliament of Pridnestrovie in the region, and the statue of Lenin (Vladimir Ilyich Ulyanov / Влади́мир Ильи́ч Улья́нов).
7. Valentina Sergeyevna Solovieva
Valentina Sergeyevna Solovieva (1918–2002) was an honorary citizen of Tiraspol and a Hero of Socialist Labor.
She headed the Tiraspol Sewing Association (Komsomol), one of the largest during the Soviet era, and played a major role in the development of Tiraspol.
8. Suvorov Square
We are now in Suvorov Square in Tiraspol, with the imposing equestrian statue of Russian military general and founder of Tiraspol, Alexander Suvorov, one of the few generals never to have been militarily defeated.
We can also see several flags in the background, including those of Russia, Pridnestrovie (called Transnistria in Romanian and Moldovan), as well as territories with friendly relations with the region, such as Abkhazia and South Ossetia (not internationally recognized by the UN).
9. PMR Coat of Arms
The next stop is to see the imposing and impressive PMR Coat of Arms (Флаги regionov ПМР / Република Молдовеняскэ Нистрянэ).
This emblem still retains the Soviet visual codes in their entirety. – Symbols of Communism: Golden hammer and sickle in the center, against a rising sun
– The five-pointed red star
– Agricultural abundance: Sheaves of wheat, corn, fruit, grapes, and vegetables
10. The Glory Memorial
In the heart of Tiraspol, the Glory Memorial pays tribute to the dead in conflicts that marked the history of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR/CCCP).
In particular, World War II, the Afghan War (1979–1989), the Pridnestrovian/Transnistrian War (1990–1992), etc.
11. T-34 Tank Monument
On Suvorov Avenue, here is the T-34 Tank Monument.
This Soviet tank pays tribute to the Red Army soldiers who liberated the region during World War II.
12. The Shops
Although there are very few tourists here, we were lucky enough to find a real tourist shop selling Soviet-style items, and even caviar.
13. The Tiraspol sign
14. The Soviet Canteen in Bender
It’s almost the end of the day, and we have to visit a real Soviet canteen: the Soviet Canteen “USSR” in Bender.
Here, the atmosphere is 100% USSR. We take the opportunity to drink a local beer (be careful, alcohol abuse is dangerous for your health, and here it is strictly forbidden to drink and drive, even in small quantities!).
* I took this trip in April 2025 on a personal basis. I receive a percentage of compensation if you click on a referral link and make a booking, but this does not affect the price paid or the services provided. Furthermore, this article was written completely independently, with no commercial collaboration.