MOLDOVA
Situated in the Southeast of Europe, Moldova is a small country, neighboring Romania to the West and Ukraine to the East; it is equidistant from the Ural Mountains in the East and Atlantic Ocean in the West. The rich history of the country abounds in dramatic and agitated events.
Moldova is one of the most densely populated countries in Europe with a population of about 4,000,000 which is a lot in relation to its small size.
The modern day Moldova has been fashioned from a coalition of several tribal clans and thus has a culture which is rich in traditions and customs. The country became a part of the Roman Empire in 117 A.D and its culture became heavily influenced by the Roman way of life.
In 1940 a part of the country was annexed to Romania. The present day Moldova proclaimed its sovereignty in 1990 and in 1992 it became a member of UNO. Today it is a parliamentary democracy, having the President as its head of state.
GEOGRAPHY AND CLIMATE
The country geographically belongs to the Black Sea region though it does not have any access to sea and its coastline is shorter than 1 km. The total area, 33700 sq. km, of the country’s territory is a hilly river cut plain and is extremely picturesque.
Moldova has hot and longstanding summers and short and green winters; there are no major fluctuations in temperatures as the country has a temperate continental climate. Its climatic conditions have made the country a very agriculturally productive country since ancient times.
ECONOMY AND CURRENCY
The Moldovan Leu (MDL) is the nation’s currency. The economy of the country, owing to its favorable climate and good farmland is mostly dependent on agriculture and additionally on its reserves of mineral wealth. After its breakup with Czarist Russia, its economy suffered greatly and today it is the poorest country in Europe. Today the country is going through a period of transition to a market economy.
PEOPLE AND LANGUAGES
Ethnic Moldovians comprise about 65% of the total population and the other large ethnic groups are comprised of Ukrainians and Russians.
Christianity is the country’s predominant religion and about 96% of the population follows the Eastern Orthodox Church.
The country has an impressive adult literacy rate of 100% and education between the ages of 6 and 15 is compulsory.
The rich Moldovan folk culture has several folk traditions and among them the more popular ones are, the ancient folk ballade ‘Miorita’, ceramics and weaving. During the winters, in the beautiful Moldovan villages called ‘sezatorile’ very traditional social meetings are held where people sing and dance and make handicrafts.
Moldovan, a romance language derived from Latin, is the official language of the country and it is a dialect of Romanian. Russian is also spoken by a large number of people.
CAPITAL AND MAJOR CITIES
The largest city of the country, its administrative, political, economic and cultural center and its capital is the city of Chisinau. Situated in the center of the republic on the river Bic, Chisinau has its own emblem and flag which has seen many changes. Chisinau is a city of lakes, having a total of 23 lakes and it is considered one of the greenest cities of Europe.
The other major cities of Moldova are Tirospol, Balti, Tighina, Ribnita, Cahul, Soroca, Ungheni, Orhei and Comrat.
HOW TO REACH THERE
Moldova is quite an unexplored and forgotten tourist destination, which has not been roped in by the budget airlines as yet.
Air Moldova and Moldovan Airlines are the two national airlines and the main airport is the Chisinau International from where regular bus services and taxis are available to the city.
One can travel to the capital Chisinau by train from London and Berlin, either through Bucharest or Warsaw. Between the latter two countries and Moldova, the tickets are inexpensive and the trains have a bar car selling snacks and drinks but there is no restaurant.
From Ukraine and Romania it is possible to travel by road to Moldova.
PLACES TO VISIT
Visit one of the oldest towns in the country, Benderi. The town as well as its remarkable 17th century fortress was badly damaged during the fighting in 1992.
In the History and Regional Lore Museum in Chisinau, you can learn of the country’s history and the museum itself, built in a beautiful Turkish style complex, is worth seeing. The capital also has a Fine Arts Museum, which has good examples of Russian, West European and Moldovan paintings, sculpture and applied arts.
At Chisinau there are two cemeteries- the Armenian Cemetery and the Jewish Cemetery, famous as the burial place for the victims of the Chisinau pogrom in 1903, where you can pay your respects.
The focal point of meetings and violent clashes between Moldova’s nationalists and Pro-Soviet supporters in 1990-91, has a monument dedicated to it, the Monument of Stefan cel Mare (Stefan the great).
At the forest of Stanca-Jeloboc, there are numerous varieties of flora and fauna that one can explore.
THINGS TO DO
At Chisinau, visit the Pushkin House, the place where the Great Russian poet spent his days in exile and where he began working on his epic poem Eugene Onegin.
At the Chisinau Choral Synagogue, which today houses the Chekhov Drama Theatre, you can watch a performance.
The Chisinau Lake with its picturesque bathing beaches and boats for hire is an ideal place for a relaxing swim.
Visit the renowned vineyards and wine cellars of Mileshti and Krikova-veki.
Shopping
There are several items you can shop for in the local markets and take back as souvenirs or gifts for friends and family. Vividly colored costumes, handmade carpets and locally produced wines and brandies are some of the popular items to shop for.
The ‘Tolchok’ or the open air market on Calea Mosilor, about 10 minutes drive from central Chisinau sells everything and gives good bargains though some may find it a bit over-crowded.
Nightlife
The capital has a decent collection of theatres and concert halls and one can enjoy performances ranging from operas, to ballads and plays in these. The Philharmonia Concert Hall is the base for the folklore Doina choir, the internationally acclaimed Zhok National Dance Ensemble and the Fluerash Orchestra of the National Music. There is a puppet theatre as well where one can witness Russian and Romanian puppet performances.
However, if theatre, opera and music do not interest you much then Chisinau has numerous bars and nightclubs which are reasonably good.
Food and drink
The country has several restaurants and coffee shops, though the service tends to be slow but the food is excellent. When there try some local dishes:
-Mititeyi- small grilled sausages with onion and pepper.
-Mamaliga- thick sticky maize pie, served with brinza (freta cheese).
-Tocana- is a pork stew which should be tried with sweet-and-sour watermelons and apples.
In order to down this delicious cuisine, the country has an enormous wine list; there are more than 100 varieties of wines produced in Moldova! Among white wines there are: Aligote, Riesling and Sauvignon and the noteworthy reds include Moldovan Cabernet and Merlot. For an ideal accompaniment with desserts, try the Doina or Nistru brandy.
HOW TO GET AROUND THE COUNTRY
There are no domestic airlines in the country but considering its size it does not matter much.
There are rail connections to most parts of the country and beyond, so rail travel is the best way to get around in Moldova.
Roads in the capital city are reasonably good but outside of it they are not in such good condition. Buses run between most part of the city and taxis too can be found everywhere.
WHERE TO STAY
In the capital city there is a small selection of hotels, mostly close to the railway station and some in the city center. Outside the capital though, the hotels are mostly low grade.
There are also apartments for rent available in the capital.
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