Orthodox shrines of the south of Pridnestrovie
Journey through the spiritual heart of southern Pridnestrovie on this rewarding two-day tour of 14 Orthodox churches, cathedrals and monasteries — a 170 km pilgrimage that traces the living faith of communities from Dubossary to the shores of the Dniester near Kitskany. Picturesque temples set amid rolling countryside, graceful urban cathedrals and a legendary monastery await those who seek beauty, silence and spiritual renewal.
Tours along this route are organized by travel agency “RIO”: +373 778 32492
Day 1 — From Dubossary to Slobodzeya: Faith Across the Southern Heartland
The journey opens in Dubossary at the magnificent All Saints Cathedral (23 Voroshilova Str., Dubossary) — a grand and beautifully maintained cathedral dedicated to all the saints of the Orthodox calendar. A fitting place to begin a pilgrimage, its soaring architecture and serene interior invite visitors to leave the world behind and enter a space of genuine spiritual depth.
After 20 km, the route arrives in Grigoriopol at the Church of the Ascension (11 Shevchenko Str., Grigoriopol) — an elegant parish church whose dedication to the Ascension of Christ connects it to one of the most joyful feasts of the Orthodox year, celebrated with particular warmth in this quietly charming town.
Continuing 14 km to Tashlyk village, the Church of St. George (29a Yakira Str., Tashlyk village, Grigoriopol district) honors the beloved warrior saint whose cross and dragon have symbolized courage and faith across the Orthodox world for centuries. Set within a peaceful rural village, this church offers a genuinely moving encounter with grassroots Orthodoxy at its most authentic.
After 43 km, the route reaches Karagash village and the Church of the Kazan Icon of the Mother of God (116a Dnestrovskaya Str., Slobodzeya district) — dedicated to one of the most venerated Marian icons in all of Russia and the Orthodox world. The Kazan Icon has long been considered a protector of the Russian lands, and churches bearing her name carry a special spiritual significance.
Just 5.8 km further, the Church of Archangel Michael in Slobodzeya (17 Mikoyana Str.) stands as the principal Orthodox landmark of the district’s main town — a well-loved parish church whose dedication to the chief of the heavenly host reflects the deep military and spiritual traditions of this region.
After 23 km, the route arrives in Dnestrovsk at the Church of Saints Cyril and Methodius the Equal to the Apostles (47/2 Stroiteley Str.) — a church dedicated to the creators of the Slavic alphabet and the fathers of Slavic Christian civilization. Few dedications carry more cultural and spiritual weight across the Orthodox Slavic world, and this church honors that legacy with quiet pride.
The first day concludes after a 3.3 km drive at the Church of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary (35 Zhukova Str., Nezavertaylovka village, Slobodzeya district) — a rural parish church dedicated to one of the most beloved feasts of the Orthodox calendar, its peaceful setting in the Slobodzeya countryside offering a perfect place for evening reflection before the night’s rest.
Day 2 — Sukleya, Tiraspol and Kitskany: Urban Shrines and a Legendary Monastery
The second day opens 35 km away in Sukleya village at the Church of the Holy Great Martyr Dmitry Salonsky (90v Gagarina Str., Slobodzeya district) — a parish dedicated to the great martyr of Thessalonica, one of Orthodoxy’s most celebrated military saints, whose intercession has been sought by the faithful of these lands for generations.
After 1.6 km, the route enters Tiraspol — the capital of Pridnestrovie — where five remarkable churches await across the city’s neighborhoods. The Church of the Intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary (201 Kutuzova Str., Tiraspol) opens the urban sequence with a dedication to the Pokrov — the feast of the Protection of the Mother of God — one of the most deeply cherished celebrations in the Russian Orthodox tradition.
Just 4.3 km away, the Church of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker (3 Gorplavni Lane, Tiraspol) honors the universally beloved patron saint of travelers, sailors and the poor — a church that has long served as a spiritual home for Tiraspol’s faithful with warmth and constancy.
After 5.2 km, the Church of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross (4a Ukrainian Str., Tiraspol) is dedicated to one of the oldest and most solemn feasts of the Orthodox year — a church whose very dedication invites visitors to pause and reflect on the central mystery of the Christian faith.
Just 3.5 km further, the Nativity of Christ Cathedral (81 Karl Marx Str., Tiraspol) stands as one of the capital’s most prominent and beautiful Orthodox landmarks — a cathedral dedicated to the Nativity whose graceful architecture graces the city’s skyline and whose doors are always open to the faithful.
After 2.4 km, the Church of the New Martyrs and Confessors of the Russian Church (25b Fedko Str., Tiraspol) offers one of the most spiritually significant dedications on the entire route — honoring the countless priests, monks and laypeople who suffered persecution and death for their faith during the Soviet era. A place of profound reverence and historical memory.
The two-day pilgrimage reaches its magnificent conclusion 8 km away at the Holy Ascension Novo-Nyametsky Monastery (2 Lenin Str., Kitskany village, Slobodzeya district) — one of the most celebrated and beloved monastic communities in all of Transnistria. Nestled in the peaceful village of Kitskany on the banks of the Dniester, this stunning monastery with its gleaming domes, ancient traditions and deeply spiritual atmosphere brings the journey to the most fitting of conclusions. Here, in the tranquility of monastic life far from the noise of the world, the full meaning of this two-day pilgrimage through the Orthodox shrines of southern Pridnestrovie reveals itself completely.