Post-Soviet Russia has provoked unresolved conflicts in several of the former autonomous Soviet republics, claiming that all they’re doing is protecting ethnic Russians and Russian-speaking inhabitants of these areas. There’s Georgia’s South Ossetia and Abkhazia, Azerbaijan’s Nagorno-Karabakh and Moldova’s Transnistria and most recently, Eastern Ukraine. There is of course method in Putin's madness. Short of seeing a recreation of the former Soviet empire, Putin wants to ensure that the countries which are the victims of Russian aggression don't drift any closer to the European Union (or more critically for him, become NATO members).

Moldova and the breakaway "independent" Transnistria exemplify this strange situation perfectly. Moldova, despite all of its problems is primarily Romanian in culture and attitude and at least on the surface appears West European-leaning. The country abandoned the Cyrillic alphabet in the early '90's and like its western neighbour Romania, adopted the Latin alphabet. Romanian is now the official language (there is no Moldovan language as such) although many people still speak Russian. A plurality of the population favours closer ties with Western Europe (up to and including membership of the EU). However, a sizable minority would prefer closer ties with Russia. The Russians maintain pressure on the country using natural gas on which Moldova is dependent as an economic weapon and periodically embargoing Moldovan exports, wine for instance. (Our guide Natalya's mother, is a typical example of the older Moldovan generation's continued attachment to Russia. Natalya tells us that her mother had been a senior official in the Moldovan Communist Party - Natalya was even born in Moscow - and she still today only watches Russian television and tries to ignore changes taking place within Moldova). Incidentally, few people in Moldova would opt again for a union with Romania. Despite the ethnic and cultural ties with Romania, people haven't forgotten or forgiven the brutality of the Romanian fascists during the 1941-44 occupation.

Traveling east from Chisinau, we pass through the border checkpoint and enter Transnistria close to the city of Bendery.

Transnistria maintains all the trappings of an independent country, complete with a military, border controls, an "elected" government and so on. They have their own currency - the Transnistrian rouble, banks, postage stamps, mobile phone network etc., etc. Trouble is as no country (Russia included) formally recognizes Transnistria's independent existence, none of this has any use beyond their borders! Post to Moldova or any international destination requires Moldovan stamps, the Transnistrian rouble can't be exchanged anywhere (other than at the rather shady and unofficial change desks in Odessa's bizarre Book Market), the banks are not connected to the international banking system and credit cards don't exist. Motor vehicle have Transnistrian license plates and cannot be driven outside the region other than Moldova (although recently new plates were introduced not displaying the Transnistrian flag and cars using these can cross international borders). Entering Transnistria is like stepping back 30 years into the Soviet Union. Only Russian is spoken, the Cyrillic alphabet is used, most buildings in the two cities we visited - Benderi and the capital, Tiraspol - are Soviet style concrete blocks or over-the-top Soviet-style edifices. The Russian military is also here, most visibly as "peacekeepers" but the exact number of Russian military personnel and military equipment is a closely guarded secret.

Nevertheless, more than half a million people call Transnistria home and there is a somewhat heavy industry and agriculture-based economy. In keeping with post-Soviet Russia, Transnistria also has its very own oligarch - Viktor Gushan. Viktor, a former officer in the KGB is the president of the Sheriff Corporation which has a monopoly on almost every aspect of Transnistrian life - real estate, supermarkets, hotels, Tiraspol's soccer team, members of the "country's" parliament - you name it and in Transnistria, Sheriff almost certainly owns it!! Sheriff through its various companies and holdings is accountable for more than 50% of Transnistria's tax revenues! To keep the populace "happy", Sheriff through one entity or another helps maintain the community and infrastructure. The company, or at least its founders made their money originally through smuggling - mainly cigarettes and arms but in recent years have gone legit!!

So a conflict which resulted in the deaths of many people between 1992-94 remains unresolved, frozen in time. As much as Moldova might like to see its country whole again, in the current geopolitical environment and the ongoing tensions between Russia and the West, that's a pretty forlorn hope.

Whoever said that the Cold War's over....?