Step inside the tiny former Soviet country that doesn't technically exist

We all take pride in our roots, but photographer Anton Polyakov has a unique love for his homeland.

Polyakov was born and raised in the breakaway province of Transnistria, an approximately 125-mile-long sliver of territory along the Dniester River running between Moldova and Ukraine.

In the aftermath of the USSR’s collapse in the early '90s, the Soviet Republic of Moldova declared independence, but the region along the Dniester sought freedom of its own. Transnistria may have fought a bloody war for self-rule from Moldova in 1992, but it's still not recognized by the UN — or any UN member country — and essentially exists as an independent state.

Polyakov is a proud member of the first generation of the tiny republic. “Despite the fact that our republic is unrecognized, for people of my generation, it is ... the homeland,” he says.

Many Transnistrians hold strong pro-Russian views, and the area is dotted with relics of the Soviet era. But to Polyakov, Transnistria has much more to offer than remnants of communism. He set out to document his home, hoping to capture elements that many don’t see.

“Transnistria is more than just Lenin standing near the house of government or some other symbol of the Soviet period,” he tells Business Insider. “It is important for me to show that there is another side of life where these characters do not hold such value, especially for my generation born after the collapse.”

Polyakov has shared his photos and experience in this unique land with us here.

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Every February 23, Transnistria celebrates Soviet Army Day with festivities and competitions taking place in Tiraspol, the republic’s capital. The Russian army has been present in Transnistria since the war for independence, a presence with which Ukraine has taken issue with recently.

Here’s Tiraspol in the winter. With a population of about 135,000, it’s the largest city in Transnistria. The nearby city of Bendery is 7 miles west across the Dniester River and is considered under the de facto control of Transnistria.

The Dniester River forms the border between Moldova and Transnistria. The river is very important to the tiny republic, both for agriculture and leisure.