When the Soviet union collapsed in 1991, some took it harder than the others. Namely the South-Eastern part of Moldova, which decided to stay loyal to the ideals of Communism and declared itself a separate country of Transnistria.

When the photographer Julia Autz heard about it, she had to go down there and investigate for herself: "I wanted to see if I could discover how it feels to live in a country with such an uncertain future," she told the Huck Magazine.

What she found was a self-proclaimed republic with its own currency, border controls, a parliament, a national anthem, and citizenship. Yet all of these things are not recognized by the outside world or even Russia, which is still perceived as a beacon of hope among the Transnistrians who dream of a better future.

The ones who didn't make the choice of this life in seclusion are the youth of Transnistria: "Many young people want to leave Transnistria because it’s increasingly difficult to find a job that pays enough, not to mention the degrees of the Transnistrian University aren’t even recognized outside of the country. So many kids told me they dream of studying abroad in Russia."

In March 2014, during the Ukraine crisis and the annexation of Crimea, the Transnistrian government asked to become a part of Russia, which eventually didn't happen and this paints an even foggier picture of the Transnistria's future.

More info: Julia Autz (h/t: demilked)