Visiting the Little-Known and Barely Recognized Breakaway Nation of Transnistria

Thomas Brag and Eric Tabach of Yes Theory took a flight from Paris into the little-known and rarely recognized nation of Transnistria, a breakaway state between the borders of Moldova and Ukraine. Once on terra-firma, the pair attempted to fit in as best they could with new haircuts and a change of clothing.

On this trip, Eric and Thomas head to a country in Eastern Europe that doesn’t exist that calls itself Transnistria.. Considered dangerous to travel to by some familiar with the region.. They decided to travel there without any itinerary and see what they find.

The pair received warnings about visiting the country. Yet, what they found was a land steeped in Soviet memorabilia with a desire to move into the future. They also encountered the incredible kindness of all the people, particularly the babushkas (grandmothers) who wished them well along the way. Luckily, Tabach speaks fluent Russian, one of the primary languages of the country.

First, a very strange amount of Soviet pride and monuments, then of course, the kindest most welcoming Babushkas. We literally got adopted by one of them…With Eric speaking Russian we were able to bond with these people like not many others have before, which creates such a unique peak into a culture very isolated from the rest of the world.