Transnitria, the country that does not exist but has a team that has made history in the Champions League

Sheriff Tiraspol is the most exotic club in this edition of the 2021-2022 UEFA Champions League. The club representing Moldova is in the same group as Real Madrid, Shakhtar Donetsk and Inter. The sheriff is based in Tiraspol, the capital of Transnistria, a territory which the Constitution of Moldova itself recognizes as an “autonomous territorial unit with special legal status”. This denomination means that within Moldova, Transnistria is a kind of independent state which has its own flag, its own currency, its elections, its government and its army.

However, it is not recognized by any other Country of the world. As if time had stood still, the statues of Lenin continue alongside other communist symbols.

If we look at a European political map and look for Transnistria among the independent states, we won’t have much success. It is this for the international community, for the authorities of the rest of the countries and for those who draw the cards, Transnistria does not exist. But if we focus on Eastern Europe, we can find a peculiarity. What appears to be Moldova at the cartographic level does not quite correspond to the reality of the place.

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On the eastern fringe of this country, on the border with Ukraine, we find Transnistria. For Moldova, this is part of its territory and calls it Administrative-Territorial Units of the Left Bank of the Dniester. The local government, meanwhile, is recognized as independent under the name of Republic of Moldova of Pridnestrovie. In English it is generally simplified as Transnistria. It refers to the fact that it sits beyond the Dniester River, which serves as a natural border for much of the border with Moldova.

On the other hand, the vast border with Ukraine. Almost half a million people live there in an area equivalent to a tenth that of the Dominican Republic or almost double that of Luxembourg.. But, beyond what the maps indicate, experience tells us otherwise. If we start from Chisinau, the capital of Moldova, and travel the 70 kilometers that separate it from Tiráspol, the capital of Transnistria, we will have to pass an immigration check, it will be useful to get the local currency, and not only the change of language, but also the alphabet will also be another. And this is not a new situation: it has happened since 1992.

Historically, Moldova and Romania are part of common entities. The two countries have deeply rooted cultural ties: the common language is Romanian and Latin. This is not the case in Transnistria, where the proportion of ethnic Russians and Ukrainians is higher and the Cyrillic alphabet is used.

To understand how this situation happened, we have to go back to the Second World War. In the context of this conflict, and by an agreement between the Germans and the Soviets, in 1940 the Moldovan Soviet Socialist Republic was established, which was separated from Greater Romania. The following year, the present-day region of Moldova fell under Nazi rule. There, one of the worst war crimes took place, and it is estimated that over 150,000 Jews were murdered.

In 1944, the Soviet Union regained control of the territory. Neighboring Romania, although an ally of the socialist regime, has kept its government separate. Thus, these limits for Moldova were maintained for almost half a century. But inside there were different stories: the western part was Latin and identified with the Romanians; the oriental was Slavic and had ties to Ukrainians and Russians. This situation continued until the 1980s, when the power of the Soviet Union fell.

In Moldova, a sense of nationalism and reconstruction began to emerge with ties to Romania. The Latin alphabet was adopted to replace the Cyrillic alphabet and the current flag, which has obvious similarities to that of Romania, was implanted. In Transnistria this was seen as a threat, as they would be in the minority if this union progressed. This is why in 1990 the independence of the territory was proclaimed. The situation continued until 1992, when Moldova wanted to regain control and a war broke out for three months. With the help of the Soviet troops present, Transnistria was able to defend itself and a ceasefire was signed. Thus ended a war in which a thousand people gave their lives. Since then, for almost three decades, the situation has remained in limbo. With one country, Moldova, which has international recognition on the territory, but does not really control it. And another, Transnistria, which cannot sign a treaty with another country but which in fact dominates the field.

Currently, three other territories recognize Transnistria. These are Nagorno-Karabakh, Abkhazia and South Ossetia. In other words, other states that are not welcomed by the international community either. This strange situation aroused the interest of many curious people who wanted to know the place, despite the fact that it does not present great tourist attractions.

Until a few years ago, getting in and out was a bureaucratic odyssey. Currently, the procedures are simpler, since the economic aspect of the visits has started to be more valued. Those who enter the Pridnestrovian Republic may be surprised by the huge statue of Lenin in front of the parliament, called the Supreme Soviet. In case more Communist references are needed, we can see the hammer and sickle on the flag. It is also still symbolic, because there is a market economy. And in the political aspect, there are periodic elections, although there are doubts about the validity of these acts due to the absence of foreign observers. Tourists can also try to get their hands on the eye-catching plastic ruble coins from Transnistria, unique in the world and very popular with collectors.

The most relevant economic group is Sheriff, a conglomerate that includes grocery stores, car dealerships, gas stations and the media. And also a football team, Sheriff Tiráspol. This team participates in the Moldova championship, and it’s not bad: over the last 21 championships it has won 19. At European level, this Tuesday it gave the big blow of the Champions League, beating the powerful Real Madrid, Spain, by 2 a1.

How far will the team without a country go?