Transnistria: Hidden Towns, Soviet Mosaics & Rybnitsa Tour｜Moldova

Leave Tiraspol and travel north along a route rarely explored by international visitors. Begin with a Soviet mosaic at the edge of the capital before continuing through small towns and villages where monumental art, war memorials, and traces of collective-farm life still shape the landscape.

In Grigoriopol, discover a striking mosaic and Lenin monument at the local abandoned cannery. Walk through the compact town center and we’ll visit some interesting local places, such as the House of Culture with its magnificent mosaics, the local museum with its unusual ships, and the authentic town library. Continue to the Mound of Glory, where a real T-34 tank creates one of the tour’s most memorable photo stops.

See an unusual example of how a damaged Soviet mosaic was repaired with paint in Dzerzhinskoye, then explore the center of Dubasari. Admire the “Dniester Garden” mosaic, the main square, Lenin monument, and music school. View the Dubasari Hydroelectric Power Station from outside and learn about its importance to the region. Please note that photography near the power station is not permitted.

Further north, stop at the colorful mosaic bus shelters and Soviet monuments of Goyany and Tsybulevka. Visit the House of Culture of village Vykhvatyntsi to see the mosaic and the monument to Dzerzhinsky.

Arrive in Rybnitsa and take in a panoramic view of Transnistria’s main industrial city. Pass the ruins of the former sugar factory and the vast Moldovan Metallurgical Plant while learning how heavy industry transformed the region. In the city center, admire the monumental “Moldova” mosaic, photograph the highest Lenin monument, and see the stone marking Rybnitsa’s traditional foundation date.

Pause for lunch at a local restaurant, then contrast the city’s Catholic church with its monumental Orthodox cathedral before visiting the Memorial of Glory. Return to Tiraspol after a full day of Soviet art, industrial history, local flavors, and places far beyond the usual tourist trail.