Travel to Pridnestrovie with Anton Dendemarchenko - day tour
Description
I do postcards with my drawings and budget tours to top attractions and hidden gems of Transnistria. Transfer from Chishinau or start in Tiraspol. 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. Day tour takes 5+hours. 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, Bendery and optionallly Kitskany, and 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, you won’t be meeting a guide, you will be meeting a friend ☭ - Anton Dendemarchenko -
Tour Options
Itinerary
This is a day journey with a volatile route that combines classic walk and forays for true adventurers. No moving between monuments with boring lectures. - “Look to the left, there is a building, look to the right, there is a monument”…. My ideology is to show real country and hidden gems that travelers wouldn’t find themselves. That’s why most places where we may actually go are not listed here. I can’t reveal them without risk that tourist industry will take them and spoil them. Anyway, first step - we will definitely stop by DOM SOVIETOV to say hello to comrade Lenin, what can be a better start?
Optional loop through 100 rouble back side.
Day trip will include highlights, top attractions and my favorite hidden gems that I won’t display here. But probably it will be exactly them making the journey unique and unforgettable. One the known attractions will be Alexander Suvorov monument on the central square.
Surprisingly modern veggie market. What they call eco products - for my country is just products.
Eternal flame and memorial for fallen in Great Patriotic war.
T-34 is one the most significant memorials in Transnistria. Real combat tank which crew was killed in Hungary when soviet troops were already going to Berlin.
Palace of pioneers, Supreme Soviet with comrade Lenin in front.
Optional throw to Kitskany village and Noul Neamt Monastery. To see a bit of a city, a bit of rural, the contrast.
Pridnestrovie is rumored to be “back to USSR” but actually it is more complicated than that, you need to be at the right time, at the right place and frame your look to get that impression. One of my favorite gems to catch that is Aviators memorial at Balka dst. commemorating 30 years of victory in the Great Patriotic war.
The journey will be multi-sided and contrast, curiously history and nowadays life, picturesque panoramas and impressive soviet lost places. We are very volatile where to go, what to see, some parts are planned, some parts are optional or spontaneous, let’s be open to the outside world and all probable adventures. I will be not only storyteller, but a conductor to the real country and its people. In summer time they start to sell kvas in the streets, cool refreshing drink made of water, bread, yeast and sugar. You may like it or not, but that’s a chance to try something authentic, the recipe is same as back in communist times. My favorite lunch place is Soviet canteen - Stolovka USSR. Super tasty, super atmospheric, authentic place with nice interior - perfect lunchbox stop
Cognac distillery is optional and can be arranged only upon agreement a few days before the tour. But many countries have wineries, monasteries, castles. On the other hand, I discovered many curious nooks and crannies doing my drawings, they are not listed in trip advisor but will make the day unforgettable and the tour unique. We will have time to talk about all peculiarities of life in the country that doesn’t exist, this is my native land and I lived in Pridnestrovie from the foundation of the state. It is totally safe, intriguing and hospitable, mount up, comrades! You won’t be meeting a guide, you will be meeting a friend!
One of the options where to get lunch is reincarnated Soviet canteen, the place is amazing and still awfully underrated. Well, maybe it’s even better that it’s not discovered and overfilled by tourists
Bendery - second largest town of nowhereland has soviet and medieval sightseeings, on demand we may visit old Turkish fortress on the bank of Dniester river. I loved it when it was abandoned but now it still has one positive feature - the view from the main tower, a challenge to climb, but feast for the eyes. Each tour is tailored so we may explore Soviet gems of Bendery instead, it’s my hometown and hides many places you wouldn’t find alone - where time stood still.
Each day is not like other, in case you decide to entrust your time to me - it’s not a tour, it’s life. Beyond borders and propaganda. Horse blinders off, come and see for real. Welcome to Pridnestrovie, we make cognac, not war!
Highlights
What's included
Pickup Locations & Times
Starting place of the tour may be Bus/Train station in Tiraspol, Bus Station in Bendery, transfer from Chishinau, and airport pick is an option too. Anyplace in Moldova. Good venue point is House of Soviets, USSR Canteen, T-34 memorial or any place upon agreement. Send me a message and I will provide you logistics how to go Transnistria by public transport, also private transfer from Chishinau is possible for 30€ one way.
Traveller Ratings
Important Information
- Wheelchair accessible
- Infants and small children can ride in a pram or stroller
- Service animals allowed
- Public transportation options are available nearby
- Transportation options are wheelchair accessible
- All areas and surfaces are wheelchair accessible
- Suitable for all physical fitness levels
- There will be minimum restrictions. Some parts might be a challenge - climbing the tank or going up bell tower of the monastery but it is not obligatory
Reviews(217)
If you want to visit Tiraspol and Pridnestrovie (wrongly called Transnistria), there is only one choice: contact Anton. Besides being an amazing guide who knows the city and the country like the back of his hand, Anton will give you a truly immersive experience by introducing you to the realities of this very unique nation. Highly knowledgeable and yet very friendly, he turns tourists into travelers, and thanks to him, you will have the opportunity to hear valuable first-hand insights from locals. Either way, the day will be custom-tailored to your interests and the kind of experience you want to get out of it. I think you get the picture—I recommend Anton 100%!
Outside of the classic tours found online, Anton welcomed us and accompanied us on an authentic experience, allowing us to understand, km after km, how the people of a State-non-State live. Out of respect for the secrecy that makes this tour so special, I will not reveal the stops. It is a journey that invites you, however, to observe, listen, and reflect, asking questions to which, perhaps, even today it is not possible to give a single answer. More than a simple visit, it is an experience that leaves food for thought and allows you to get closer to the history, culture, and daily life of a unique place.
Anton and his driver, Dima, are true superstars. I reached out very, very last minute to see if there was any availability and I was more than accommodated. This was my last place in the former USSR to explore and Anton made it personal for me. I’m no stranger to this part of the world and had complex questions and a more rigorous set of desires than the average visitor; he took this on with stride and asked thought-provoking questions and had a healthy perspective about complex issues. I 100% recommend this tour to anyone looking for a true local experience in Pridnestrovie.
My day with Anton was amazing! I felt like I got to see what life is Pridnestrova is like from a local. It also felt nice to be able support the people that actually live there rather than a tour company from outside the country. Anton is such a talented story teller and he puts his heart into his tours. He makes sure to customize them to what you would like to see! It was just me and one friend and he drove us around in his car. It was nice being in an everyday vehicle rather than a clunky tourist bus! We stayed with him for the day! I recommend for anyone that wants to learn the local experience and have conversations with other people that live in Pridenestrova! Love from the USA and Hawaii! Thank you for a wonderful day!!
Anton is an intellectual with a strong knowledge of history. However, I was not satisfied with the experience, as he often slept in the car and took frequent breaks. For €100, we could have visited many more places and seen more mosaics. Instead, he was tired and preferred to park the car and rest, while we continued exploring on foot.
After a month after our day together, Zlatena is it really you?! I can’t believe you wrote this, this is heartbreaking… Do you remember that we didn’t drive 5 hours default? No, our route was 8,5 hours! We finished at 7:30pm. It was hyper extended tour - to have a chance for me to recover after work and for you to do more sightseeing. Everything we saw, everything we talked about - nothing left? You was nice, charming, understanding, how come all that’s left from the whole day is that I slept in the car? You are disappointed after all - I can’t keep your money then, please send your PayPal and I will send everything back. This is heartbreaking, I don’t even have your phone number to connect and you said nothing tette-a-tette when we said goodbye. This is my WhatsApp, send me message with your PayPal please, I don’t believe in revenge, I believe in circle of kindness, I put all my heart, all my time and every percent of my energy into our day… send me a message please, I want no regrets from you or me, my life makes no sense this way Anton +37377805004
If you want an authentic, deeply moving experience that goes far beyond the standard tourist path, look no further. Weeks after our meeting, the memories of what Anton shared with us are still incredibly vivid. Our chats and strolls with Anton at his place gave us a true glimpse into what it actually means to live in a place that lacks international political recognition.
Today was one of the most unforgettable days of my trip and I owe that entirely to Anton! We visited Bender and Tiraspol together, the heart of Pridnestrovie, one of the least known and most fascinating places in this part of the world. Anton was not simply a tour guide in the conventional sense, he was a host, a storyteller, and someone who genuinely shares a piece of himself with the people he takes along. What made the day so special was not the ticking off of sights, but the way Anton led us through his life, his perspective, and his home. It felt far less like an organised tour and much more like a long walk through the eyes of someone who does not just know this place, but truly understands and loves it. Anton spared no effort: he showed us everything worth seeing and explained the historical and political context. Pridnestrovie is definitely a place that stays with you. Travelling there alone, I would no doubt have had an interesting day, but with Anton the experience gained a depth I could never have found by myself. He offered me a shift in perspective that you rarely get to hope for when travelling. If you have even the slightest interest in this region, in history, in unresolved borders, in people living their everyday lives inside a political grey zone, I cannot recommend a day with Anton highly enough!
Anton provided us with an unforgettable experience in Transnistria (a Pridnestrovia -he will explain the difference of the name, it is not only a synonim). He truly immersed us in the local culture by introducing us to the people and giving us an authentic taste of life in the region. One of the highlights was crossing the river on a manual ferry, just like the locals do. He also took us to see the train that connects Odessa to Chișinău, which added a unique touch to our journey. Additionally, he organized our pick-up from Chișinău and ensured we were safely returned the next day. Anton's passion and knowledge made our visit truly special, and we are grateful for the memories we created together.
As a tour guide myself, I can confidently say that Anton offers a truly unique experience. Don’t expect dates, facts, or the usual “look on your right, look on your left” tour. Do your homework beforehand. Instead, Anton helps you understand the contradictions of an unrecognised country, Pridnestrovie, in his own way. He asks questions, challenges assumptions, and encourages you to see things beyond your Western perspective. If you're willing to step outside your comfort zone, take this tour.
It was not the Beatles but Anton who brought me back nearly 40 years in his Pridnestrovie , a country unrecognized by any UN member. His stories were full of love to his nation and questions to its future. Listen to him and see the place by yourself and you"ll have a new vision about something out of nostalgia! Thank you, Anton, you performed the art of guide through your stories and paintings! Thanks, Dima, you are an excellent driver!
