I Visited a Country That Doesn't Officially Exist <br />WITH VID AND PIX<br />BY SAM PRINGLE<br />A British traveller has shared their surreal experience visiting one of Europe's most unusual destinations - a self-declared nation that the world doesn’t even recognise.<br />Welcome to Transnistria – the last outpost of the Soviet Union.<br />Kieran Brown from Rochester, UK said: "Government buildings display communist flags, and their national flag is the only one that still uses the hammer and sickle."<br />"They have their own currency, which consists of plastic coins,"<br />Located between Moldova and Ukraine, Transnistria declared independence in 1990 - but no country officially acknowledges it. Despite that, the region has built a fully functioning state.<br />Kieran, 29, explained. "They have their own military, and even a football team that just beat Real Madrid recently – the biggest shock in Champions League history."<br />And if you're on a budget, it might just be paradise.<br />"It's without a doubt the cheapest area in Europe," they said. "A Transnistrian supermarket and a bottle of vodka is literally $1.<br />“The Soviet vibes can really be felt here,” Kieran added. “Many things have been left unchanged since the USSR.<br />“This truly was one of the most interesting places I’ve ever visited in my life.” <br />ENDS
