Driving across the border from Ukraine into Transnistria is like driving from Europe in 2025 straight to the Soviet Union in 1987. The capital city of Tiraspol is still dominated by Soviet-era brutalist architecture, the streets full of carefully-maintained Soviet-era cars. The local state-run radio station plays Soviet-era music. And the nicest hotel in town, while refreshingly modern, sits directly across the main square from a federal courthouse with a huge statue of Vladimir Ilyich Lenin standing between them.

Still, this is where you have come to meet with Larisa, an up-and-coming Instagram influencer with an almost fanatically loyal following now topping 100,000 people across the world. You're here to sign her up as part of an influencer network to represent her to sponsors and promote her channels.

The Premier Hotel is a weird combination of old-world luxury and Soviet-era service. By the time you arrive and check in, the hotel restaurant is closed even though it's barely past 8 PM. The wifi is pay-as-you-go and intermittent, but the staff is not only incredibly deferential, but also young and attractive, suggesting working here is a plum job.

Once you check in and call Larisa, she answers immediately. Yes, she knows where the hotel is. Yes, she can be there in twenty minutes, but can you meet her outside so they let her in and don't make bad assumptions about her.

You freshen up and head downstairs. Outside, the air is warm and springlike. The cobblestone streets are fairly empty, but not desolate. Lenin's statue doesn't seem to pay you any notice. Then, you spot Larisa in a long coat, denim shorts, and a white tank top, all of which shows off her long, tan limbs and curves. She tilts her head and asks. "Is that you?" Without waiting for an answer, she grins. "Of course it is. Nu slava! I knew you were real."

She grips your upper arm and kisses your cheek. "I'm so excited to meet you."