Tiraspol

My AirBnb host graciously arranged for a taxi direct from the airport, and before I knew it, I was in Tiraspol. The border passed without any hitch—for all the stories of petty corruption, I saw none in my limited interactions with transnistrian officials.

Hand cannons

                The next day I took a tour with Andrey Smolensky  from Transnistria Tour and I enjoyed it greatly. The first day was spent simply looking around and getting a basis for further travels. The various soviet memorials were interesting, especially the obelisk at the location from which the Chisnau offensive was launched in 1944, and the palace of culture. But most interesting was the Bendery fortress, which had a good English explanation of the surprising episode in history when the Swedish king spent several years there. This was a particularly worthwhile opportunity to learn about a fascinating and arcane piece of history. I also visited the Kvint factory and received an excellent tour from (name). Transnistria has some industry, to include Kvint, steel, shoes, and cable. Later, my Airbnb host was able to set me up with a local artist and photographer who showed me some more random corners of town, including the upper floors of an old soviet apartment building and a few parks. 

Bendery Fortress

Atop the apartment building, looking out over Tiraspol

               The next day, I was able to meet up with a friend of a friend, who showed me even more of Tiraspol. We took a river cruise and walked around Tiraspol at night, seeing the various buildings lit up. We met up again the next day and visited the Sheriff complex, including their “hypermarket”, which resembled a poorly-stocked Costco. After more visits to random parts of Tiraspol, we parted ways and I headed to Odessa.

Classic Tank Monument

Dom Sovietov

Dniester

                Tiraspol is not a touristy city—with the exception of the Bendery fortress, and the soviet monuments that are scattered everywhere in high density, there is not much to actively go see. That being said, its friendly people and relaxed pace of life make it an enjoyable place to spend time. To unlock its full potential, I think it is best to 1.) have a very good grasp of Russian 2.) spend a week or two here and get to know some of the residents. That’s really the key—if you can get an introduction to people who will show you around, it can be very enjoyable. Otherwise, you may quickly find yourself bored, especially with somewhere like Odessa right around the corner…

Local kvas, which according to everyone in Tiraspol, is the "real" kvas