So maybe you know where Ukraine is on a map. And maybe you really know your geography, and you also know where Moldova is on a map. (It’s that chunk wedged between Ukraine and Romania.) Well, the place up for discussion today is a tiny wedge that’s wedged between that wedge and Ukraine. It’s a fake country that still flies the Soviet flag and is a staging ground for a brigade of Russian military.
We’re talking about Transnistria here, a breakaway “state” from Moldova. An interesting day trip from Chisinau, the vibe totally changes as soon as you cross the “border”. The place has that sterile stench you sometimes find in totalitarian states. Eau de Ashgabat, let’s call it. The years won’t be kind to these places.
A totally legitimate historical & culturally significant site as your first stop in this independent and definitely not a neocolonial puppet state sovereign country.
What we have here folks is a fort. There's statues here so it must be old & important.
If a place has something old & important, then there's probably some history to the place that can be embellished & tweaked.
It's a short narrative jump to audaciously claim that a place is a separate country.
Place was absolutely packed
Some dead traitors who are important because they sided with Russia against Moldova
More dead traitors on a Russian monument
VIP communist cosplayers
In case the quiet part isn't loud enough.