Visiting Lenin 

Transnistria is a self-proclaimed republic in Eastern Europe that is not internationally recognized by any state. The de facto regime, supported by the Russian army, is mainly located east of the Dniester River on the Moldovan-Ukrainian border.
In 1991, after the collapse of the Soviet Union, Transnistria declared independence from the Republic of Moldova, which was at that time trying to become part of Romania. The secession of Transnistria led to a six-month armed conflflict between the separatist region and the Republic of Moldova, which was ended by a ceasefifire agreement in July 1992. This ceasefifire is still supported and monitored by so-called peacekeeping troops of the Russian army.

Although Transnistria is still not offificially recognized as a sovereign state by any coun- try, it has its own currency, army, border controls, and passports. The population of Transnistria is mostly Russian-speaking, and about a third of the population holds Russian citizenship. The Soviet era is fifirmly entrenched in the minds of the population, and the authorities of the breakaway region ensure that this and the associated feeling of closeness to Russia remain: the Soviet passport is still recognized in Transnistria, the flflag and coat of arms of the region strongly resemble those of the USSR with a ham- mer, sickle, and sheaf of wheat, and statues of Lenin still stand in front of many offificial buildings. With the desire of many Transnistrians for the region to be annexed to the Russian Federation, it seems to be like the Soviet cult surrounding the founder of the state, Lenin, after his death: due to the diffificulties of the present, the past often seems more appealing. It seems that the dream of Transnistria is not to become part of the Russian Federation, but rather to become part of a global East. Driven by current politi- cal and economic tensions in the region, the dream of a stable greater Russian identity, such as the one Lenin once gave to the entire region, is growing.