 | |
| flag | |
.svg/150px-Flag_of_Transnistria_(state).svg.png) | |
| Short dates | |
| Capital | Tiraspol |
|---|---|
| Form of government | De facto regime; Autonomous Region or Parliamentary Republic |
| currency | PRB (Pridnestrovian ruble = 100 kopecks) (only available on site) |
| surface | 3567 km² |
| population | 555.500 |
| languages | Russian, Ukrainian, Moldavian (Romanian) |
| power grid | 230V / 50Hz |
| Phone code | 373 |
| Internet TLD | .md / .ru |
| Time zone | OEZ (CET 1) |
Transnistria, in their own name Pridnestrovian Moldavian Republic, located in Southeast Europe and is an internationally unrecognized landlocked country which, according to the international community, is still part of Moldova. In fact, however, it has been completely independent since 1990. Adjacent territorial states are the Moldova in the west as well as the Ukraine in the north, east and south. Transnistria is a long, narrow stretch of land east of the river Dniester With Tiraspol as the capital and has so far been one of the few tourist destinations in Eastern Europe.
Regions
The state territory comprises ten cities and towns, as well as 69 municipalities, with a total of 147 localities (including the unincorporated localities).
Cities
The main cities are Tiraspol (168,000 inhabitants), Bendery and Rybnitsa.
background
Aside from its more recent history, Transnistria also offers an interesting cultural mix of Russian-East Slavic and Romanian elements, as well as remnants of Jewish and Ottoman culture. The influence of the glorious Soviet power is also omnipresent; Soviet-era symbols can still be found everywhere, Lenin- Statues and corresponding street names. Especially from the point of view of "nostalgia of GDR“For several years now, smaller numbers of tourists have increasingly been drawn to the region. Although it is no longer governed by communists, Transnistria is sometimes referred to as the last remnant of the Soviet Union. The security situation is now very stable, so that a trip is not a danger.
history
When the Soviet Union was on the verge of collapse in 1990, a new government took power in Moldova and was working towards an exit from the Soviet Union. They also pursued a nationalist policy that was directed against minorities in the country. Russian, until now the language for inter-ethnic communication and the preferred language of the minorities, has been abolished as the official language. Since Moldova was mostly Romanian-speaking, a connection to Romania was also discussed. In the economically more important Transnistria, however, the Romanian-speaking Moldovans were in the minority, the Russians, Ukrainians and other minorities living there saw their rights as threatened by Moldova's new policy.
As early as 1990, when the region was still officially part of the Soviet Union, Transnistria declared its separation from the Moldavian SSR if it wanted to break away from the Soviet Union. However, this was not accepted by the Moldovan government. After Moldova formally declared itself independent from the Soviet Union in 1991, the now independent Moldova tried to recapture the region by military means, which led to a civil war in 1992. With the support of the Russian army still stationed in Transnistria, the country was able to achieve de-facto complete independence and Moldova lost control of the area.
To this day, the majority of the Transnistrian population does not want reunification, which has been confirmed by several referendums.
To date, Transnistria is not recognized by any UN member state, not even by Russia. Nevertheless, it is actively supported by Russia. Russia, for example, acts internationally as an advocate for the country and financially supports the government in Tiraspol. The latter contributes around a fifth to the national budget in 2018. The few Russian troops, only 800–1000 in 2018, are probably the main reason why Moldova has not yet tried again to recapture Transnistria by force of arms.
Anyone who visits the country realizes that it has long since built its own state structures. There are own border controls (on the main roads), uniforms, license plates, currency, passports and media.
In the meantime, the situation between Moldova and Transnistria has relaxed so much that both parties have largely come to terms with the status quo. The situation is stable. The Foreign Office advised against traveling to the "Transnistrian Region" for a long time, as the FRG does not recognize the country of Transnistria and therefore has no representation in the country Should be clear. The German embassy in Chișinău (Moldova) cannot offer consular services in Transnistria.[1] This becomes problematic if, for example, one loses one's passport or is arrested. Nevertheless, there are numerous reports from tourists from German-speaking countries who have traveled to Transnistria without problems and without risk. The Transnistrian authorities also put people in touch with their counterparts in Moldova in the event that a passport is lost.
Travel motifs
In view of the now very relaxed political situation, Transnistria is definitely an interesting travel destination. It is repeatedly referred to as the “last remnant of the Soviet Union”, nowhere else can one experience the lifestyle of the collapsed Soviet Union better than in Transnistria. In fact, the area's economy is no different from the neo-liberal conditions that prevail in other republics of the collapsed Soviet Union. The only difference is that one accepts the past as part of one's own self-image and does not consider it necessary, as in neighboring states in the nationalist delusion, to destroy their symbols, i.e. one or the other remaining statue of Lenin, in the style of an iconoclasm.
Otherwise there are some interesting monasteries, churches and old fortresses in the country. Transnistria is a transit country for travel between Ukraine and Moldova.
getting there
Normally you will enter Transnistria by bus, mostly on the main road from Chișinău to Odessa via Bendery and Tiraspol.
Border and customs controls are normal in 2019. Upon entry, you will receive a “migration card” which is hardly different from a receipt in a supermarket. A seven-day stay is granted without any fuss. If you pretend to be sufficiently stupid, you won't even be asked for an address. Luggage is scanned briefly - here, too, accelerated pa russki njet (“I can't speak Russian”) the clearance, then searches are extremely rare.
Registration with the Ministry of the Interior, which was customary until 2018, is no longer necessary. The noted departure time should not be exceeded, as this would constitute an illegal stay in Transnistria. The inspectors are practically without exception friendly if you are traveling as a simple tourist and this is also credible.
automobile
Upon entry, you need a vignette, which the officer issues for around € 3 (August 2018).
Many roads lead to Transnistria. The main roads are checked like at a normal border, with waiting times ranging from 20 minutes to several hours.
In Odessa and Chișinău, some drivers offer their services as unofficial taxi, which has the advantage of being faster than the bus (however, they have right of way at the border and pass the queues). The journeys can be very cheap, as the drivers bring other things across the border in addition to the people, of which you should be aware.
In July 2017, the Transnistrian roads were much better developed and maintained than the Ukrainian ones.
By train
The only major train stations in Transnistria are the Tiraspol railway station and Bendery.
To get to rural areas of Transnistria from Ukraine (coming from the east), it is common to take a Ukrainian train on the Odessa - Lviv to take. This is left at one of the intermediate stops and from there you cross the border by bus, taxi or hitchhiking. However, not every border crossing is set up for international travel; one should try to have the locals verify beforehand that the chosen crossing does not only allow small border traffic.
By bus
The Bus station in Tiraspol is located in the parking lot at the station forecourt. Individual lines are described in the article there.
Bendery (Бендеры) and Tiraspol (Тирасполь) are also connected to each other via a trolleybus line No. 19 for 2.50 PRB (2017 = 15 cents), pensioners free of charge.
By plane
There are no commercial flights to Transnistria. Chișinău (Moldova) and Odessa (Ukraine) have international airports. Transnistria can be reached from both cities by train, bus or taxi in around an hour.
mobility
Within Transnistria you usually travel by marshrutka, taxi or in the countryside by hitchhiking if you don't have your own vehicle. In the marshrutka you pay when you get off at the latest. It is customary to give the money to the front of the other passengers during the journey, the change comes back the same way and reliably. Don't worry, the driver registers who has paid and who has not. How this happens is somewhat a mystery. The journey between Chisinau and Tiraspol, 64 km, costs 43 TRbl in 2019.
Taxis come and stop only on phone call - then within seconds you receive the car type, the code number of the car registration number and the exact arrival time of the taxi via SMS. So taxis never stop at or on the side of the road.
list of Call taxi company
In Rybnitsa, at the Transnistrian end of the border bridge over the Dniester, there is a taxi stand (somewhat hidden behind the market stalls). Since the main attraction there, the Archangel Michael Cathedral, is located at the top of a hill where no buses go, a taxi is recommended here. If you do not want to "import" your own car, or you are not allowed to move your rental car across the border, you can simply leave the vehicle on the Moldovan side of the border bridge, walk across the border and take a taxi.
language
The country's official languages are Russian, Ukrainian and Moldavian. The latter, however, is only a local name for Romanian, which in Transnistria is also written in the Cyrillic alphabet. The dominant and most widely spoken language in Transnistria in everyday life is Russian, so it is advisable to have at least a basic knowledge of Russian. Signs, menus in restaurants, brochures, city maps or advertising posters are almost always in Russian.
The chance of meeting someone who speaks English or German is roughly the same, but unfortunately not very likely in either case. So it is always worth trying German as well, as German was quite common as a foreign language in Soviet times. Young people do not necessarily speak a foreign foreign language either. At the University of Tiraspol, however, you can study German, so if you want to get to know locals who speak German, you could try it here.
Border guards occasionally speak a few words in English and / or German, they also occasionally meet Western foreigners and know how to make themselves understood.
shop
currency
The currency in circulation is the Pridnestrovian rubles (Abbreviation: PRB,Currency symbol: 
). The official abbreviation PRB however, it is not very common in everyday service business. Often only that is shown on receipts or the unofficial abbreviation RUP (for Ruble Pridnestrovie) used. The state coat of arms emblazoned with “hammer and sickle” on the reverse of the coins. The banknotes have the practical small format of banknotes of the faded workers 'and peasants' state GDR. Coins do not play a major role in payment transactions; you usually have a thick stack of banknotes in your pocket. In the supermarket you can get coins as change, since August 2015 this has also included the globally unique but little circulating plastic coins, which are available for 1, 2, 5 and 10 rubles. They disappeared from traffic in 2018. Collector coins that meet high standards can be obtained in banks.
Exchange is only possible in Transnistria, e.g. B. left at the Tiraspol station building and in the middle of the station building at the front. The abundant exchange offices accept at least euros, Moldovan lei, Ukrainian hryvnia and Russian rubles, as well as US dollars. Exchange offices can also be found in some hotels. The banknotes to be exchanged should be in good condition, as even slightly torn banknotes are often not accepted. An exchange back into other currencies depends on the available exchange offices only according to the respective stocks - when exchanging euros for PRB after entry, you may have to exchange the PRB back into Ukrainian UAH or dollars before leaving, if there are no euros.
The rate is reasonably stable and fluctuated between 17.5 and 20 PRB per euro in 2017-19. (Official Exchange rate updated daily at the central bank.)
ATMs
There are few ATMs that accept VISA or Maestro / MasterCard in the larger cities of the country. In the past, the ATMs only issued USD and RUB for foreign cards, the notes then had to be exchanged in the exchange offices. Today you can decide in which currency the money will be spent. The ATMs are provided with a massive privacy screen. If a machine is occupied, the waiting person should stay at a reasonable distance (several meters). If several people are waiting, there is no "queue", you remember when it's your turn and stand around somewhere nearby. People in Transnistria do not seem to know about jostling.
shop
You can buy numerous things in Transnistria at prices that Western Europeans usually find very low, because after all, the average per capita income is only around € 100 per month. So acting and responsible use of money should be a matter of course there.
A significant part of the economy is run by the company sheriff that was funded by the government until 2012. To the Sheriff concern include a petrol station and supermarket chain, a professional football club named after the company and, among other things, the spirits manufacturer Kvint, the television station TSW, and the telecommunications company Interdnestrkom.
clothing
Shoes start at the equivalent of € 10 and well-made leather shoes from € 20. Warm clothing can also be bought very cheaply in the winter months.
Tobacco products
Cigarettes are very cheap if you can make friends with a local variety (1 box of 15-19 TRbl). Foreign branded cigarettes are a good 0.80 to 1.40 € per box in 2019. However, even western brands are available in the Russian Papierosy variant, i.e. with a "filter" that consists only of a paper tube and which the smoker presses in crosswise.
Alcoholic
Alcohol, well who will guess: vodka, schnapps and a hip flask in the cent range. The local brandy Kvint is good, qualitatively they correspond to German brandies of the simple brands Rudesheim am Rhein. The 0.5 liter bottle Surprisny with ten-year-old cognac costs around € 5 in the store. The standard-Kvint costs around € 1.50 for 0.5 liters; 1 to 2 liter bottles of beer as well. Kvint-Vodka is available from 90 cents per 0.5 liter bottle.
kitchen
The national cuisine of today's Pridnestrovian-Moldovan Republic is closely linked to that of the Republic of Moldova, as both cuisine is based on the same historical principles. In an area that has been shaped by different cultures and epochs and has been influenced by trade and war from neighboring regions since ancient times. On the other hand, Russian, Ukrainian and Gagauz influences in particular were able to exert a stronger influence on the further development of the kitchen in the Moldavian SSR after the Second World War. On the eastern bank of the Dniester, the more dominant influences are those from Russian and Ukrainian cuisine (which itself is very diverse with elements from German, Turkish, Polish and Hungarian cuisine).
The country offers a tasty potpourri that is worth discovering. For example, this is a good introduction Borscht-Soup with sour cream and dill or the delicious stuffed ones Wareniki- Dumplings (sometimes filled with sweet, sometimes spicy). Those who prefer 'fast food' according to the “western pattern” will find, for example, the Moldovan pizza chain “Andy's Pizza” (also burgers and broilers) or “La Placinte”, with branches in the cities of Transnistria, very cheap, with some (especially at «La Placinte») regionally influenced “fast food”
nightlife
accommodation
The number of hotels is not great; So you can easily ask passers-by (or a taxi driver) to take you to a hotel and he will not have the difficulty of having to choose one from hundreds.
security
Photographing military installations and important industrial facilities is prohibited! In practice, however, it is not a problem if you are recognizable as a tourist.
Apart from Russia, there is Abkhazia and South Ossetia No consular representation of the FRG or other states in Transnistria, in urgent matters (loss of passport, imprisonment, & ct.) you do not receive direct help from European authorities. At this point, however, it should be pointed out that the Transnistrian authorities are relatively helpful to western foreigners in such a case.
Discrimination
There is a culturally common one Heterosexism with corresponding discrimination.
crime
Unorganized crime against tourists seems to be low as there is a relatively large number of military and police forces. You should follow their instructions. Even in the crowded bus, the locals do not hold their bags carefully with their hands in front of their stomachs, as in large German cities; pickpocketing does not seem to exist.
In the PMR, especially in Tiraspol, the principle of mutual safeguarding of property rights clearly prevails. In addition, as a tourist you are treated so courteously, politely, respectfully and honestly that you don't have to worry. According to various travel reports, petty crime is de facto non-existent. If there is such a thing as crime, it is on a large scale, from which travelers could only be affected in the rarest of exceptional cases.
Many Transnistrians are happy to see foreigners and appear very friendly, if a little shy at first sight. Like everywhere else in the world, taxi drivers see foreigners as sources of easy money. Therefore it is best to negotiate prices for taxi (with or without a "defective" taximeter) trips in advance, with pen and paper, if you do not speak Russian, before you get on. Find out about the prices before ordering them in a bar or eatery. It is not common to be scammed, but it is far from rare. But even if fraud is attempted, it is often no more than a few euros. So just be careful and stay friendly.
Traffic and administrative offenses
Even if there is no offense, the police will carry out spontaneous checks, nor should one go on a course of confrontation with police officers or officials. The smallest offenses can then lead to drastically high traffic fines (July 2010: 90 EUR for non-compliant turns; an "agreement" could only be reached with great difficulty - still cost around 30 EUR). Here, too, it is important not to carry large amounts of currency with you or to hide them in a second wallet. It is advisable to remember the official's number.
The Transnistrian Ministry of Interior asks you to call hotline 373 (0) 533 94578 or 373 (0) 778 50986 (English speaking) if a police officer or officer tried to extort bribes from you (but this is increasingly unlikely).
Also note that drinking on the street is illegal and (needless to say) extremely unpopular.
health
A program was started with EU and Russian development aid in 2017 that is intended to greatly improve the health system, initially through hospital renovations.
Pharmacies and medicines
The predominantly Russian medicines are very inexpensive, so aspirin only costs a few EUR cents.
Rules and respect
The official name of the de facto regime is Pridnestrovian Moldavian Republic or short Pridnestrovie, so the country at the Dnistr. "Transnistria" (Romanian Transnistria), so the country beyond of the Dniester, on the other hand, corresponds to the Romanian or core Moldovan view. The term was coined during the annexation by the fascist Romania under Marshal Antonescu in World War II and is used by the more pro-Russian or pro-Soviet population of the region, which of course itself this side of the Dnistr, refused. Even if “Transnistria” is the usual term in German, it should not be used in the country itself or with locals (especially not with representatives of the authorities).
Practical advice
Tourist information center
There is now a Tourist Information Center in Lenin Street 33 (ul. Lenina 33; diagonally across from the factory outlet of the Kvint distillery; that is, the street in the direction of the train station ("Gara Voksal")). There are flyers and brochures. The staff speak English and are happy to help. Email: [email protected] (April 2018)
Postal services
The Main post office is centrally located in Tiraspol. There are post offices in the larger towns of Transnistria for sending mail. Foreign post is franked with Moldovan stamps.
The postage costs are so cheap that you can please your loved ones with postcards.
- Postcards to Zone A (the CIS countries and Europe, including the Republic of Moldova) cost 3.30 PRB for overland mail and 4.29 PRB for airmail.
- Letters up to 20 g to Zone A cost 4.95 PRB via overland mail. By airmail it is then 5.94 PRB. The full list of tariffs is the Tariff page the SUE «Post Pridnestrovia» refer to.
telecommunications
The communication services in Transnistria are all privatized and the telephone system runs on a digital infrastructure.
Free internet via W-LAN is offered in many cafés, restaurants and hotels and also in the newer local trolleybuses equipped with it.
The provider Interdnestrkom (IDC) offers mobile internet tariffs for laptops, tablets and smartphones. IDC is the mobile operator in Transnistria. The company offers mobile internet access via EVDO Rev. A.- Networks with download speeds of up to 3.1 Mbit / s (GSM) and network coverage over most of the country. Access via the 4G / LTE-Network with up to 10 Mbit / s is limited to the big cities. It must be carefully checked whether it is worth purchasing a SIM card for short-term stays.
Internet
Free WiFi is offered in many cafes, restaurants and hotels and also in the newer public transport trolleybuses equipped with it. The provider "Interdnestrkom“Also offers Mobile Internet Tariffs for laptop, tablet and smartphone.
public holidays
| meeting | Surname | importance |
|---|---|---|
| Jan. 7 | Christmas (Рождество Христово) | In the Russian Orthodox Churches, Christmas is celebrated on January 7th according to the old, unchanged, date. It is customary on this day to bring the godparents with you Kulitsch Ash cake (raisin tart with icing and sprinkles) to visit. |
| 23 Feb | Defender of the Fatherland Day (День защитника Отечества ( | In honor of the keepers of the peace (by which all members of the army are meant) is celebrated according to old Soviet tradition. |
| 1st Mar | Marchchen spring festival (Мэрцишор, Mărțișor) | A traditional Bulgarian-Romanian-Moldovan spring festival. It symbolizes the awakening of nature from hibernation. On this occasion, performances of the dance collectives will again be performed in all cities and districts of the republic. The white and red March ribbon (usually with a pendant) given away on this day symbolizes spring and is given away by relatives or good friends. |
| March 8 | International Women's Day (Международный женский день) | As is the case with us in the former GDR Tradition was; flowers are given to women or friends. And especially in kindergartens, but also in elementary schools, painting and drawing competitions are organized for the best drawings for the mothers. In all cities and many larger villages in the districts, dances are performed on this occasion. |
| 1st of May | Labor Day (День международной солидарности) | |
| May 2, 2021 | Orthodox Easter (Пасха) | |
| May 9 | day of the victory (День Победы) | On this day of the victory of the Soviet people over Nazi Germany, the leadership and some of the veterans (1941-1945) honored by the whole society marched through the center of the city with invited guests Suvorov Memorial where other celebrations will be held. Afterwards we will be on the quay of the Dniester traditional Zemlyankas (Outdoor banquet) organized for the veterans, where they drink the traditional 100 ml on the victory and the deceased comrade. |
| May 13th | orthodox all soul (День поминовения усопших) | Christian festival to honor the souls of the dead that takes place on the second Monday after Easter. |
| 1 Aug | Day of remembrance (День памяти) | In memory of the fallen heroes of the war who stopped the armed attack unleashed by the ruling circles of Moldova. This day will be held across the country in memory of the fallen and victims of the armed conflict Dniester thought in mourning from 1990-1992. In Tiraspol at the memorial. |
| Sept 2 | day of the Republic (День Республики) | The national holiday has also been a non-working holiday since the Pridnestrovian Moldavian Republic was proclaimed in 1990. The concert performances, dances and, above all, the military parade (based on the Soviet model) that take place in the capital Tiraspol on this day have become a well-attended tourist attraction. At the end of the festivities, there will be a large fireworks display and the bands invited from Russia will end the festival with music. |
| Oct 14 | City Foundation Festival Tiraspol (годовщина со дня основания города Тирасполя) | |
| Nov 7 | Day of the Great October Socialist Revolution (День Великой Октябрьской социалистической революции) | |
| Dec 31 to Jan 3 | New year celebrations (Новогодний праздник) | The New Year festival is always celebrated in the context of the family. You dine together in the New Year and you listen to the New Year speeches of the Transnistrian and Russian heads of state (at 11 p.m. local time). Eating together as well as visits to relatives, walks around midnight to the large Christmas tree in the center of the city, small fireworks on the streets and gifts for one another are the essential components of the Transnistrian New Year celebrations. |
literature
- : This is Radio PMR - News from Transnistria. Berlin, Germany: Beautiful books, 2007, ISBN 9783939181071 , P. 240; Pbk., 210 mm x 278 mm x 180 mm (in German).
Web links
- gov-pmr.org - Official website of the government of the PMR (russ.)
- Tiraspol bus station with all bus departure times (Russian)
- ↑Moldova, Republic: Travel and Safety Advice (As of 2019-02-01)