Tiraspol must-see tour - Transnistria

Overview

I do postcards with my drawings and budget tours to top attractions and hidden gems of Transnistria. Honestly, I can’t make Maldives of my country, because it is not Maldives. But i can make an unforgettable journey through all contrasts of what it really is - beautiful panoramas and impressive soviet lost places, curious history and nowadays life in the country that doesn't exist, combining classic walk with forays for true explorers and adventurers.

Tour takes 2,5 hours, though Transnistria deserves at least a week. It is not Stalinism, we are very volatile where to go and what to do, but default route covers must-see USSR era and modern bits of Tiraspol, plus my favorite nooks and crannies that I discovered doing my sketches. The trip won’t be exhausting, not boring at all, we will have time to talk about all peculiarities of past and present of Transnistria, real name is Pridnestrovie ☭
You won’t be meeting a guide, you will be meeting a friend!
- Anton Dendemarchenko -

City: Chisinau

Sun 22 Sep

Other dates

You can choose the date already on the booking website

Starting at $26.96

Make a reservation

Sun 22 Sep

Starting at $26.96

Make a reservation

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What's Included

Transport - walking and private car. There is an option to try authentic trolley bus, made in USSR.

Postcard for the memory! Cards, magnets and maps made by the guide himself available for purchase!

Additional Info

Wheelchair accessible
Infants and small children can ride in a pram or stroller
Service animals allowed
Public transportation options are available nearby
Specialized infant seats are available
Transportation options are wheelchair accessible
All areas and surfaces are wheelchair accessible
Suitable for all physical fitness levels
Sightseeing walk is perfect and transparent for all genders and ages. Optional foray may be challenge - climbing a talk or tasting kvas. But it is not obligatory experiences.
There are two versions of the tour - real and virtual. I would recommend to go in real life, border is open!

What To Expect

House of Soviets

Default route covers best modern bits and soviet relics of Tiraspol. It is not strict consumerist kind of deal, we are free to decide where to go and what to do. There is enough to see for a two day tour so you can imagine - no matter how much I will tell and no matter how fast I speak - it will be just top of an iceberg. But we will dive as deep as possible. Take a look behind the iron curtain, discover Pridnestrovie- the most epic remnant among USSR debris.

The Christmas Cathedral

Optional loop to the back of 100 rouble note

The Suvorov Monument

Since 1972 generalissimo Alexander Suvorov is standing at the central square of Tiraspol, he is considered to be the founder of the city. No spoilers, more curious history during the tour itself!

Green Market Center

and veggie market, surprisingly modern!

Palacio Presidencial

Government building from soviet era with comrade Lenin in front. You can find it on the back of fifty rouble note. Transnistrian roubles, of course.

The Tank Monument

Real combat tank that reminds of many important things, war and peace, darkness and sunshine. It is famous T-34. We will also walk out to the river bank, there is a nice view from the bridge.

Kvint

Optional walk inside kvint factory, no tasting.

Mig-19 Monument

Aviator memorial can be found at Balka dst. It commemorates thirty years of victory in the Great Patriotic war. I didn’t add all hidden gems in between these listed attractions, but they are great to make the tour really unforgettable and contrast! Highly recommend brutal tour - some lost places we have here are more impressive than Chernobyl. My wife says no one should go to Chernobyl, but every other traveler I meet either just came from there or is heading there next. Luckily there was no radiation here, it was ussr collapse. Finally we have an option to go to some eerie lost places from gone era that will satisfy lovers of Tarkovsky cinematography or post-apocalyptic movies, it is a way to explore “exclusion zone” without radiation risk or crowds of people you definitely see around in actual Chernobyl exclusion zone. I also can’t reveal these places here, just make notice, adventurers, it’s also tour of a lifetime!

Tiraspol

For lovers of Tarkovsky cinematography, post-apocalyptic movies and USSR legacy there is a brutal version of the tour. Impressive soviet lost places and Chernobyl style cityscapes of Transnistria will make your heart beat faster and leave you speechless, I can’t reveal where we go without the risk of subsequent demolition of these eerie gems, but I guarantee unforgettable trip. It is also important to keep these urban wastelands a secret for keeping melancholic atmosphere of solitude, you know, the best and only way to explore such things is to do it alone, let’s keep it this way. No one can predict how long these communism remains will be accessible so the whole idea is to discover everything while it still exists and do it without overcrowd of people. In a way, this journey is a chance to explore a version of Chernobyl “exclusion zone” without crowds of tourists that overfill real Pripyat and actual Chernobyl exclusion zone. There is no radiation here luckily, not here.

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Cancellation Policy

For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.

Traveler Photos

Reviews (102)

Tim P

May 2020

I am reviewing the 'virtual walking tour' of Transnistria. At the end of the day you are watching video filmed on a mobile phone walking around the streets of Transnistria. It does not sound very exciting, and when I first heard about this I was sceptical. However, I took a gamble on it and I'm glad that I did, the concept has since grown on me and I have now been on two of these trips with Anton and hopefully another soon so if you are in doubt about it I encourage you to give it a try. In each tour Anton shows a different aspect of life, or a tour of a particular building. After a personal live intro and quick chat Anton will switch to pre-recorded video (makes sense as the mobile signal in Transnistria is very poor), and will voice over it live explaining what things are, talking about life in Transnistria, his adventures and answering questions from the chat. Anton knows to leave some uninterrupted periods where you can effectively take in the atmosphere and hear the sounds like you would if you were standing there yourself. The video quality is decent even in full screen. Is the video full of action like a JJ Abrams film? No. Is this going to 100% recreate the experience of being there in person? No. Is this a fun and cheap way to 'travel' during quarantine? Yes. Is this a great way to get a taste of the country to decide if you want to visit it for real some day? Absolutely.

362janai

Apr 2020

There was something incredibly gripping being on this virtual tour, and knowing the whole world is united in isolation. Anton does an incredible job of sharing his life and country with us, and it will be one of the most memorable "travel" experiences I've had. I highly recommend this, and especially now! He is able to show us things we would never be allowed to see in real life. It is somehow intimate, haunting, strange, and beautiful all at once.

Resa_1511

Apr 2020

I couldn't believe that sitting in front of the computer and looking on a virtual tour would be this great - But it was. The tour took over two hours, and it was a great opportunity to ask questions since the tour guide did live comments to the recorded footage. He also let us decide what to see and really did his best to present it as a show and it was really entertaining. Now in Corona times this tour is a bargain. Highly recommended actually.