Week-end in Tiraspol
Transnistria is a must-see destination for foreigners visiting Moldova. At least this is what the guidebooks say. So, my friends and I decided to spend our Sunday visiting Tiraspol, the capital city of Transnistria. Today, Tiraspol is a quiet and green city of about 160,000 inhabitants, located on Nistru River. It was established by Alexandr Suvorov in 1792 as a fortress protecting the Christian world against tatars.
However, to me, Tiraspol did not feel like home, unlike Ungheni or Cahul cites would. Maybe it is because the percentage of ethnic Moldovans is unusually small (circa 15%) or because the number of monuments of Bolshevic and Soviet heroes (Lenin, Kirov, etc.), existance of a museum of Transnistrian statehood, the presence of a red-and-green flag emanate the chill of an isolated frozen conflict zone.
Comments:
I never went to Transnistria as a tourist :), but I passed through it numerous times. It never felt like home either, and I always had a feeling of wanting to get out as soon as possible. May be it was because of the men with guns and an attitude when going in and out of the region.
Let's not forget the amusement rides in Kirov park. For the record, the guidebook did not mention them. A must see!
But seriously, the whole place was weird. Weird, weird, weird.
Thanks for a day to remember, Lucia.
Amanda