New Country Review “Transnistria” - The Mostly Unrecognized Country No One Has Heard About
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Also known as “Pridnestrovie” and “Pridnestrovian Moldavian Republic”. Very few people have heard of ^ or know where it is. Some may confuse it as part of Transylvania in Romania which sounds a tad similar. You are not a million miles away – around 500kms to the east. So where is it? De jure it is part of Moldova and de facto an independent state. It is named after the Dniester River which also flows into Moldova and Ukraine. The capital city is Tiraspol.
Still, I have no idea what you are talking about. It is a break away territory and was founded in the early 1990s. Like most break away nations in Europe – it is connected to the USSR. Think of the Republic of Abkhazia and Republic of South Ossetia – which is legally in Georgia but administered differently. Moldova was of course part of the USSR and there was a war which lasted for 1.75 years from 1990 till 1992. These days Russian peacekeepers are still there – hundreds or maybe even over one thousand.
Transnistria as well as Belarus is still the only two places in Europe which still feel like the USSR never quite fell! If you like Soviet or communist architecture like moi, it is a great place to visit. Russian is the main language, and it has a local rouble currency. ATMs and money changers are around as is an official tourist information office which talks about the place as being harmonious. Restaurants and shops are plentiful, and not pricey.
What about visas? Since it has very very little recognition you cannot go to an embassy of Transnistria abroad and get a visa. You just turn up to the border, in my case Moldova/ Transnistria and you get an Israeli style paper insert. Back when I visited by public bus in 2017 & 2021 you were given entry for 24 hours, but I believe now it can be longer than this.
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Slavianski Bazaar (Festival) Vitebsk, Belarus: An Excellent Non-Politicised & Non-Woke Soviet Knockoff of Eurovision
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Ask anyone where Vitebsk (think Marc Chagal the painter) is or mention the festival name and you have a good chance no one will know either. Of course, if you originate from an ex-Soviet Socialist Republic you may have heard of it. Why has no one heard of it? Western government and media bias I would say. The West only talks negative for general news and especially about “enemy” countries. Ask anyone about Russia and Belarus, and the average person will say the same things with no positivity.
What is Slavianski Bazaar? It was started in 1992, a little after the USSR fell as some sort of Slavic Eurovision. Eurovision is the wrong word since it goes beyond just ex-SSR’s, other ex-commi states and even beyond Europe. It runs for three days but the whole city goes into festival mode for longer. With street art, crafts for sale, food stands, music, choirs, pop concerts, fireworks, military/police demos, commercial exhibits and more with a lot being free. Even the main event is not a rip off like what the West would charge. I paid £40 each for a high-end ticket near the stage for the finale & semi-final.
Is it safe? Yes! Belarus has no terrorism and very low crime, and there are plenty of police patrols. And no, you are not going to be mugged, shot or arrested as many think! Stop believing whatever you are told.
What happens? The other events are separate and not all need a ticket. The actual event is somewhat like Eurovision with different levels and some side acts like Soviet style comedy which I did not go to due to language reasons. Various performers come from all over, like: Belarus, Russia, Croatia, Spain, Italy, Argentina, Kazakhstan, Venezuela, South Africa and more. Unlike Eurovision you will see no political references or certain woke ideologies.
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Belarus’s 3rd of July: A Seriously Cool Retro Knockoff of America’s 4th of July With Sovietesque Military Parade
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Ask most people to find Belarus on a map and they will struggle. Ask anyone in the UK about Belarus and the answers will be quite brief & negative. The answers will mainly include it is not safe and it is on the FCDO/State Department naughty list. Try visiting Belarus and others, and your views will change. After visiting 65+ countries, most of which are not typical, many times over I do not believe what I read any more.
What is the 3rd of July? It is referred to as Belarus’s Independence Day which is about expelling the Nazi occupiers in 1944. 2024 was the 80th anniversary so it was quite a big deal.
What happens? I was in Belarus anyway this year and not quite for tourism. Luckily, I was in Minsk for a few days due to bureaucracy reasons and had a bit of spare time outside of hundreds of hours of paperwork to see the 80th anniversary parade which was on a public holiday.
Is it safe to attend? Yes, with plenty of private & government security personnel including searches to gain access to the parade areas. Follow the rules of the land like anywhere and you will be fine.
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