Discovering life in the country

Located along the border between Moldova and Ukraine, there is a small area of ​​little known, called Transdniestria. Transdniestria is not recognized by the United Nations, so it is not a nation.

It is home to more than half a million people, managed by an independent government, with its own currency and constitution, as well as a permanent army. Living in this country is an unrecognized series of days, always looking for your legitimacy.

Known officially as the Republic of Pridnestrovia Moldova (PMR), Transdniestria is legally part of Moldova. However, Eastern European scholar Dennis Deletant said the separatists had gained independence for the country since the 1992 Civil War.

In 2015, Transnistria celebrated the 70th anniversary of the end of World War II, calling it a patriotic war, and celebrating its 25th anniversary from Moldova.(Photo: Thomas Vanden Driessche).

The cultural house is a Soviet-era relic that can easily be found in the neighborhoods of Transdniestria.This image is a cultural house being prepared for the 70th anniversary of the end of World War II.(Photo: Thomas Vanden Driessche).

Transdniestria is still in a state of cold war, because even though the war ended here 25 years ago, no peace agreement has officially been signed.

Ms. Nadesha Bondarenco, editor of Bravo newspaper - the Communist Party's Transdniestria mouthpiece, has only one seat in the National Assembly.Bondarenco said, despite being a capitalist country, the symbols of socialism are still very much.(Photo: Thomas Vanden Driessche).

Monument to Vladimir Lenin in front of the Parliament building in Tiraspol, Transdniestria.It is also known as the Supreme Soviet building.(Photo: Thomas Vanden Driessche).

Today, Transdniestria is always patrolled by 1,200 Russian peacekeepers. The country has only just implemented a ceasefire, in fact it is still in a state of war and the situation in the country is not really comfortable.

The 37-year-old girl Zinaida Borets, a Transdniestria actress, has been working for Tiraspol for more than a decade.Every year, on the anniversary of the end of World War II, the troupe performs plays praising Soviet soldiers.(Photo: Thomas Vanden Driessche).

The Transdniestria people were watching an original Soviet tank from the war, during the parade to celebrate Victory Day on Tiraspol street.(Photo: Thomas Vanden Driessche).

Many men concentrated on fishing on the Dniester River, only a few hundred meters from the subway station in Dubassari - the place where the war was extremely fierce.(Photo: Thomas Vanden Driessche).

Andrey Smolenskiy, 30 years old, works every day almost exclusively for bodybuilding at a Soviet-era gym at Cionurciu.In addition to training, he also works at a travel company.(Photo: Thomas Vanden Driessche).

The crisis of national legitimacy has risen very high, causing photographer Thomas Vanden Driessche to fly to record life in this non-existent country.

Starting from the capital Tiraspol, Vanden Driessche spent two weeks exploring an area with the help of a Russian adviser. Russian is one of the three main languages ​​of this territory, the other two are Romanian and Ukrainian.

Because Transdniestria is not a world-recognized country, Transdniestria's passport is not valid.So every citizen outside of Transdniestria passport, there is Moldova's passport, Russia or Ukraine.(Photo: Thomas Vanden Driessche).

At a racecourse on the outskirts of Tiraspol, the raceboy's son is riding a horse to train for a performance in the performance.(Photo: Thomas Vanden Driessche).

The dedicated guard of President Vadim Krasnoselsky (taking office in late 2016) is taking a break at the end of the Victory Day celebration in Tiraspol.(Photo: Thomas Vanden Driessche).

The Bender Independence War Museum showcases the context of the war with Moldova.The most fierce battle took place in Bender, west of the Dniester.(Photo: Thomas Vanden Driessche).

Most people are happy to be asked to take portraits, but when the photographer goes on the road and captures without permission, everyone with an attitude wants to react. Instead of being friendly when taking portraits, they become indifferently cold when sneaky.

A turn on the highway leading from Tiraspol to the industrial city of Ribnita, has a monument to the Second World War.(Photo: Thomas Vanden Driessche).

"It's strange. When they are sneaked up, they become unhappy, their faces are tense. But they don't give off insults, they just shut up," Vanden Driessche said.