Photo. Transnistrian ruble.
What makes it so surreal is that, because Transnistria isn't officially recognized as a country, its currency doesn't really exist to the rest of the world. You can't pay with a Visa card, and you can't exchange the money once you leave. Outside this narrow strip of land, it's completely worthless.
You cannot use Visa cards in Transnistria. Due to international sanctions, Western credit and debit cards (including Visa and Mastercard) do not work in the region. ATMs will not accept them, and merchants cannot process them. Because of this payment restriction, you must bring cash in Euros, US Dollars, or Moldovan Lei (MDL). You can exchange these currencies at banks or authorized exchange offices in Tiraspol for Transnistrian Rubles, which are the only accepted currency for daily purchases.
Holding those colorful plastic coins felt like stepping into another reality. They didn't feel like ordinary money at all. They reminded me of board game pieces or casino tokens.
Transnistria is the only place in the world that issues plastic coins for everyday use. The 1, 3, 5, and 10 ruble coins are made from composite plastic and come in different shapes as round, square, pentagon, and hexagon. They brought back my memories of playing Monopoly as a kid.
As I examined the colorful pieces, memories of childhood Monopoly games came flooding back. It was one of those unexpected travel moments that makes a destination memorable, not a famous landmark or spectacular landscape, but a small, everyday object that tells a much larger story.
In Transnistria, even paying for a cup of coffee can feel like stepping into a parallel world.
Stein Morten Lund, July 2026
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