The previous night we'd been turned away by stern-looking border guards. A categorical "no entry" to Transnistria. Trans-where? Transnistria is a breakaway state, recognized by no sovereign nation. It's a sliver of land sandwiched between Moldova and Ukraine and only a little larger than Rhode Island, the smallest state in the United States. "You can't come in. Right now there is no permission for foreigners and no permission for journalists," said the Transnistrian border guard, clad in an oversized peaked cap with Soviet-style hat-badge. It was past midnight and we were too tired to argue. To be honest, we had expected as much.
@highlight
People on a sliver of land caught in a Soviet time warp long to be part of Russia
@highlight
Transnistria is part of Moldova and an unrecognized self-declared country
@highlight
They see Russia as a protecting force and a place to work and trade
@highlight
One woman explains if the Russian military arrived people would cheer
Western intelligence has shown tens of thousands more Russian troops massed on @placeholder's eastern border.
Maybe they got bored of our incoherent fast-talk or perhaps bought the idea that @placeholder nightlife was a big draw for international partygoers.