Transdniester, a breakaway republic in Moldova where many residents want to be part of Russia, is a Soviet-style communist state.
But while international watchdogs decry human rights violations – from human trafficking to censorship – there are positive exceptions like this boarding school for children with impaired hearing.
Located in the town of Bendery, the school was founded back in 1976 and is now home for over 100 children, some of whom are orphans.
With 50 staff members and 40 teachers, classes are small.
Teachers try their best to come up with creative ways of teaching, like teaching sounds using excerpts from classical literature.
Female teachers apply bright lipstick to make lip-reading easier.
All classes are taught in Russian, which is one of three official languages in Transdniester together with Ukrainian and Moldovan.
The school curriculum is the same as in ordinary schools, so after graduation students with problematic hearing can continue their education in mainstream institutions.
The state-run school also has classes for short-sighted children.
