life in Pridnestrovie

The people of Pridnestrovie (Transnistria), represented by a joint coalition of civil society NGOs and political parties, appealed to the international community for a chance to be heard. They want recognition of their country's nearly 18 years of 'de facto' independence. UN, OSCE and the Council of Europe are urged to not pursue a policy of double standards that will lead to failure and increased tension in the region.

On an official visit to Tiraspol, EU representative Kalman Mizsei urged Moldova and Pridnestrovie to re-open free railroad traffic links. Pridnestrovie (also known as Transdniester) has been the target of a Moldovan railroad blockade since 2004. The Chamber of Commerce calculates losses at $17M per year.

The government of Pridnestrovie and the United Nations Children’s Fund plan to fight child abuse together. Problems include parents who abandon children in foster homes and drug abuse during pregnancy. "UNICEF will do everything to improve the situation," said UNICEF head Ray Torres during a meeting with health ministry officials in Tiraspol.

Christmas came early to prisons, hospitals and orphanages in Pridnestrovie. For the past two weeks, American volunteers from a Protestant charity have been distributing aid in the unrecognized country. They represent Children's Emergency Relief International (CERI) which has helped Pridnestrovie on a regular basis for the past six years.

Boosted by increased buyer confidence in Pridnestrovie's future, real estate prices in Rybnitsa have nearly doubled this year. Even so, real estate prices are still a lot lower than in neighboring Ukraine. A one bedroom apartment in the best part of the city costs less than $20,000.

Under a new agreement, Moldovan TV will now be re-distributed throughout all of Transdniestria with no censorship or editing of any kind. However, Moldova will not reciprocate and no Transdniestrian TV is allowed to be shown in Moldova. Other news media face similar discrimination: Newspapers from Transdniestria are banned in Moldova, although Moldovan newspapers are freely for sale in Transdniestria.

The people of Pridnestrovie overwhelmingly support independence. They also have "great trust" in their government institutions and claim that living standards are better than in Moldova. Those are some of the conclusions of three detailed international surveys, including an EU study reporting positively on Pridnestrovie's reforms.

All over the capital of Pridnestrovie, events were held throughout the weekend to mark its 215th birthday. Street parties took place to celebrate Tiraspol's anniversary as well as Pridnestrovie's current peace and independence. For the first time ever, the city also got an anthem.

During an official visit with Transdniester's Parliament, Ukrainian MP Ekaterina Samoilyk said she "felt like at home, as if there were no borders between us". For centuries, Transdniester was a legal and ethnic part of Ukraine. It has never been part of any independent Moldovan state at any time in history.

For the past 17 years, the people of Pridnestrovie have been building their own country. The rest of the world didn't take much notice. But six years ago, two authors started following the process behind the scenes and the result is now available in a new book from Amazon.