Vladimir Ilich, a Veteran on the Victory day, wearing his cossacks of Chernovitz orden and the medals for the 1992 Transnistria - Moldova war, in Tiraspol, Pridnestrovian Moldavian Republic (PMR), Republic of Moldova.
The parade is over and the delegations, followed by the crowd, gather at the eternal flame to lay down the flower wreaths, as on the big screen the broadcast of the big parade from Moscow is shown, in Tiraspol, Pridnestrovian Moldavian Republic (PMR), Republic of Moldova.
A board reads "Great day of the great Victory" as after the end of the parade the delegations, followed by the crowd, await to gather at the eternal flame to lay the flower wreaths, in Tiraspol, Pridnestrovian Moldavian Republic (PMR), Republic of Moldova.
Anastasia poses for a portrait before the parade, wearing her uniform of the Transnistrian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, in Tiraspol, Pridnestrovian Moldavian Republic (PMR), Republic of Moldova. She was born in Russia and her father was killed during WWII. According to her, Transnistria wants to be independent from Moldova and be part of Russia. While we speak, she cites the result of the referendum which took place in 2006, when more that 90% of the votes were for independence from Moldova and joining Russia.
A family stands for a picture in front of a decoration made of flags with the Russian flag's colours, in Tiraspol, Pridnestrovian Moldavian Republic (PMR), Republic of Moldova. Decorations with red and green are from the Transnistrian flag's colours.
Anja holds her female dog "Dusha" wearing a "Russian armed forces - border troop" jacket, while attending the parade with Mischa, before they join their grandmother who is a war veteran engaged on the Ukrainian territory digging the trenches for stopping German and Romanian tanks, in Tiraspol, Pridnestrovian Moldavian Republic (PMR), Republic of Moldova. They thank their grandmother and all who fought for the survival of the post-Soviet generation. Their wish for the future is a flourishing country, peace and the hope the Ukrainian events won't repeat elsewhere.
A board reads "Great day of the great Victory, 9th of May" as after the end of the parade the delegations, followed by the crowd, march to the eternal flame to lay the flower wreath, in Tiraspol, Pridnestrovian Moldavian Republic (PMR), Republic of Moldova.
A military official holds his daughter, who wears army clothes to honour all those who fought during WWII, in Tiraspol, Pridnestrovian Moldavian Republic (PMR), Republic of Moldova.
A family dressed for the special occasion stands for a portrait on the main avenue of Tiraspol after the parade, in Tiraspol, Pridnestrovian Moldavian Republic (PMR), Republic of Moldova.
A sign reads "Great day of the great Victory, 9th of May" as the parade is over and is old veterans and young people together go gather at the eternal flame to lay down the flower wreaths, in Tiraspol, Pridnestrovian Moldavian Republic (PMR), Republic of Moldova.
Cristina (L), a nurse who lives in Bender, recalls how she was helping wounded soldiers during the war between Moldova and Transnistria in 1992, as she meets her friend at the Victory day celebrations,in Tiraspol, Pridnestrovian Moldavian Republic (PMR), Republic of Moldova. They recall how Cristina helped her wounded husband on the front who though later passed away.
A soldier wears the marines uniform to attract people to the history-army museum as he stands for pictures with a kid in front of the Transnistrian Parliament, in Tiraspol, Pridnestrovian Moldavian Republic (PMR), Republic of Moldova.
A singer entertains veterans and guests in a courtyard during the celebration of the Victory day after the parade, in Tiraspol, Pridnestrovian Moldavian Republic (PMR), Republic of Moldova.
After the parade is over, the young people and old veterans gather at the eternal flame to lay flowers down, in Tiraspol, Pridnestrovian Moldavian Republic (PMR), Republic of Moldova.
Katharina, born in Tiraspol, and her father stand for a picture as they visit the parade in the centre of Tiraspol, in Tiraspol, Pridnestrovian Moldavian Republic (PMR), Republic of Moldova. Her grandfather, born in Ukraine, died in WWII and her mother found out after long researches, that he was buried on Transnistrian territory.
A sign reads "Great day of the great Victory, 9th of May as a decoration with the Russian flag's colours is seen in front of the awaiting crowd" in Tiraspol, Pridnestrovian Moldavian Republic (PMR), Republic of Moldova.
A sign reads "Great day of the great Victory, 9th of May" as after the parade people approach the eternal flame to lay down the flower wreaths, in Tiraspol, Pridnestrovian Moldavian Republic (PMR), Republic of Moldova.
Alina, the grandmother, stands for a picture with the list of names of family members who gave their life for freedom of their country in the big war, after she visited with her family the monument for the death soldiers of the WWI, in Tiraspol, Pridnestrovian Moldavian Republic (PMR), Republic of Moldova.
Transnistria is currently broadly known for its status of unrecognised independent state and unique Sovietstyle-pickeled daily life. But what is holding this place afloat and what is keeping its people together in the everyday? In the Priednestrovian Moldavian Republic landscape is smooth and verdant, cities are neat and spare; celebrations are sumptuous and ostentatious. The Victory Day is here one of their most important commemorations: it underlies which memory and which history is honoured, it serves the function of gathering all people with their different origins and trajectories together under one common past, and raises consciousness by cultivating the sense of duty for the motherland and its heroes. The 9th of May 2015 counted as the 70th anniversary of the end of the Great Patriotic War. For the occasion Moscow had the biggest military parade on display on Red Square which Tiraspol re-aired on its gigantic screen on the 25th October street. As a matter of fact, the squares and avenues of Tiraspol on the Victory Day are full. Full of Ukrainian Veterans, Bulgarian nurses, Transnistrian children, unemployed men in working age, Russian English teachers, half Russian half Moldovan enterprising youth. Here is hardly a family not directly affected by WWII, the rest of their stories is a thousand piece puzzle.