Darmon Richter knew he was in trouble.
"Some of my well-meaning trespassing earned me an official warning" Richter, an urban explorer, told Business Insider. "It seems some 'abandoned' military tunnels I had discovered were actually being put to covert use by the Bulgarian government, and I may have got close to seeing things I wasn't meant to see."
With a scare and a promise to stick to "bizarre travel" rather than urban exploration, Richter set off for the nonexistent country of Transnistria.
Situated between Ukraine and Moldova, Transnistria is not officially recognized as a country. They have armed men, uniformed police who demand bribes, and a Parliament, but all their exports go through Moldovan authority.
While the Soviet Union forgot about Transnistria, judging by the strange (and strangely beautiful monuments) Transnistria certainly hasn't forgotten about the Soviet Union.
On the road to Tiraspol, an Orthodox cross stands in contrast to communist motifs.
One of the main administrative buildings in Tiraspol, presided over by a statue of Lenin.
Lenin looks down on the Transnistrian capital.
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