Transdniestr is best known as a “breakaway” republic sandwiched in between Ukraine and Moldova. It is not actually recognized as an independent state by anyone other than Russia and visiting the tiny “country” is like taking a step back in time to the Soviet era. While most tourists only stop in the capital of Tiraspol, I hopped over to the town of Bendery as well. There, I found this memorial honoring those killed in Transdniestr’s fight for independence back in 1992 (note the tank in the background).
Sounds like a crazy place. Did you come across Sherrif by any chance? I watched a documentary about the football club and their relationship with Russia!!
The inscription on the memorial means:
Memorial erected in honor of the defenders the city “Bendery”
City defended in March and July 1992 from the nationalists in Moldova.
Gosh, that is interesting to see.
One very minor (and pedantic) correction: Russia does not, in fact, formally recognize Transnistria’s statehood (whereas it does that of Abkhazia and South Ossetia).
While of course it de facto permits the “state” to continue in existence (as a result of the Russian military presence there, above all), and since last year the somewhat…combative…deputy PM Dmitrii Rogozin has had special responsibilities related to Transnistria, from a purely legal and diplomatic point of view (regardless of what actually happens in practice), Russia does formally acknowledge that the territorial integrity of the Republic of Moldova includes the territories controlled by the Transnistrian “republic”…
I will go there in August. Very excited already!