Moldova

Visited: August 2022

Duration of visit: 7 days

Capital city: Chisinau

Population: 2.6 million (2022)

Estimated reading time: 22 minutes

• One of the least visited countries in Europe; no wonder why Moldova is the penultimate European country that I visited.
• The capital city Chișinău – torn between European and Soviet influence.
• Tour inside Cricova winery; the second largest wine cellar in Moldova.
• Standing on a narrow ledge of the 13^th century Cave monastery and observing the beautiful scenery of Old Orhei.
• Curchi Monastery – one of the richest, most beautiful, and largest monasteries in Moldova.
• Balti, the second biggest city is an ordinary place, where I could observe today’s reality and life of Moldovans.
• Transnistria, officially the Pridnestrovian Moldavian Republic (PMR) – open air museum of socialism, where the main attraction is also a foreign visitor.

Moldova, an Eastern European country and former Soviet Union republic, is a country torn between the desire for integration into the European Union and Soviet legacy in the form of the system, architecture, way of life, values and food.

Despite the quality wine, magnificent monasteries and bottle-shaped buildings, Moldova is one of the least-visited countries in Europe. Actually, the least visited according to some sources.

In 2016, only 121,000 foreigners entered the country. Based on the number of visitors per resident of the country, only Bangladesh and Guinea had fewer than Moldova. In 2022, the proximity of Ukraine and possible Russian threat made it even less attractive for foreign visitors, but I have not faced any issues or security problems.

Due to the extremely (for a car) painful drive on wide, mostly empty and flat, but patched roads, and shorter distances, I decided to settle down in Chisinau and commute daily to some of the surrounding locations.

Formerly known as Bessarabia, the region of Moldova was an integral part of the Romanian principality of Moldavia until 1812, when it was ceded to Russia by a sultan of the Ottoman Empire. Bessarabia remained a province of the Russian Empire until after the World War I, when it became a part of Greater Romania, and it reverted to Russian control again after World War II.

Upon the collapse of the Soviet Union in August 1991, the republic declared its independence and took the name Moldova.

Two-thirds of Moldovans are of Romanian descent and the two countries share a very common cultural heritage.

The official language of Moldova is (strangely) Romanian, but there have been disputes in the past over whether it is a separate language – Moldovan. Most Moldovans speak Russian, even though younger generations prefer to use English for communication with foreigners.

Crossing the border from Romania to Moldova at Leuşeni was pretty smooth. Mostly Moldovan and Romanian cars were checked at customs and registered into the system to prevent illegal car trading. The gasoline on Moldovan side was much cheaper and a big release when filling up the tank of my Audi.

Navigation system deviated me from the main road a few kilometers later and guided me along a local road, that was much shorter, but patched all over in the first 20 kilometers. I thought I made a big mistake, even though there were hardly any other vehicles and the countryside with a few villages on the way was attractive.

Soon completely new asphalt appeared and the ride was smooth all the way to the capital of Chisinau. The main road transformed into wide avenues, the pavement deteriorated again and the main challenge was to find the surface with less vibration.

Situated in the heart of Moldova, the capital city of Chisinau, which has a population of around 500,000, embodies both the historical legacy and the future aspirations of the nation. While the city’s origins date back six centuries to 1420, it has been struggling most of the time between influence of Russia and Romania, until it was practically levelled during WWII attacks and an impact left by a tragic earthquake that struck the city in 1940.

First, the Red Army invaded in June 1940. Then, just four months later, Chisinau fell victim to an earthquake measuring 7.3 on the Richter scale. In 1941, the German aerial-warfare branch attacked the capital, bombing and destroying the little that remained.

In the Soviet period food for cosmonauts was produced in Chisinau, while today the municipality of Chisinau generates about 60% of Moldova’s GDP. Many parks and green areas, location on seven hills and pretty low emissions, make it a pleasant city to live.

Socialist architecture is still predominant, mainly visible in large-scale housing, palaces, administrative buildings and hotels, implemented by Stalinist architecture and later under Nikita Khrushchev, who enforced construction under the slogan “good, cheaper and built faster“.

Independence from the Soviet Union was followed by a large-scale renaming of streets and localities from a Communist theme into a national one.

As contemporary structures gradually emerge, the remnants of the Soviet era remain prominently visible; some are well-preserved and operational, whereas others lie neglected, awaiting investors to either demolish them or upgrade their infrastructure.

I rented a flat in a five-story apartment building on Constantin Negruzzi Boulevard, between glorious Soviet-era Hotel Cosmos and Hotel National, which are abandoned these days. The inexpensive apartment was located on the first floor of a rather ugly building with broken doors that couldn’t be closed without the keys. The access system to the building via a metal gate equipped with a chip appears to be a broad and practical solution implemented nationwide.

Most of the sights are walking distance, still the city is spread on a big area, so I believe the population is actually much bigger than what the official numbers show.

The main official tourist attractions of Chisinau are: The Ethnography Museum, The Nativity Cathedral, The Triumphal Arch, The Park of Steven the Great with monuments, The City Hall, The Souvenirs Market, The Central Post Office, The Government Building, The Parliament and other administrative buildings of the downtown. I pretty much wandered around the city, going with the flow and finishing swimming in the Lake Valea Morilor.

The Triumphal Arch, between the Cathedral and the Government House, was built in 1840 thanks to the governor of Bessarabia initiative to commemorate the victory of the Russian Empire over the Ottoman Empire during the Russo-Turkish War (1828–29).

The Parliament building was constructed in the 1970s as the meeting place of the Central Committee of the Moldovan branch. A very imposing colonnaded building with the words Moldova shaped in the lawn in front, was guarded only by two bored policemen during my visit.

The Presidential Palace is standing opposite of it. The official residence of the president of Moldova was initially planned for the Supreme Soviet of the Moldavian SSR in the 1980s. Both buildings were heavily damaged during the protests against president Voronin in 2009, but later renovated and restored. They have very little security these days and seem to be forgotten by general public.

The Cathedral of Christ’s Nativity is the main cathedral of the Moldovan Orthodox Church built in the 1830s in a Neoclassical design, situated right in the center of the city. The cathedral was also bombed during World War II, and its bell tower was destroyed by the local Communists in 1962. During the Soviet period, worship was prohibited and the cathedral was transformed into an exhibition center. These days, it is crowned with a magnificent dome, six columns decorate the main entrance of the church and the fully painted interior walls are impeccable.

An open-air central market – Piata Centrala – is spread over several blocks off Stefan cel Mari si Boulevard. From fresh and dry fruits, vegetables, dairy products, fish, meat, bread and of course wine and brandy to any kind of small kitchen appliances or clothes can be found on the market. It is obvious that shopping malls and modern supermarkets decreased the business and increased the average age of sellers and visitors.

Many buildings in the city are constructed with white limestone that was excavated from nearby underground caves /mines that were later converted to wine cellars. The most famous one being Cricova Winery.

For a cup of coffee, the most popular place is cafeteria Tucano Coffee. Typical new era coffee shop model spreading the culture of specialty coffee through love, pacifism and freethinking. Relaxed atmosphere, modern design and flavors started in 2011 as the first coffee shop in Moldova, later franchising it to Romania, UAE and wider international network around the world.

Moldovan cuisine is very similar to Romanian, and also draws inspiration and elements from other cuisines in the region; Greek, Polish, Ukrainian, and Russian.

The best-known Moldovan dish is mămăligă – a staple polenta-like food (porridge), made from yellow maize flour, covered with cottage cheese, sour cream and pork crackling. It is traditionally served alongside succulent stews and meat dishes. I preferred it garnished with cottage cheese and sour cream.

Also popular are meatballs; variety of cold or hot, meat, vegetable or fish soups at any time of the year; and sarmale – stuffed cabbage rolls with minced meat. Placinte – is traditional pastry resembling a thin, small round or square-shaped cake, usually made of dough and puff pastry and filled with apples or a soft cheese. The stuffing could also be salty; cabbage, feta cheese, cottage cheese, potatoes, meat, etc.

One of the most popular places to taste all that is restaurant chain La Plăcinte, created in 1999 in Moldova. Modern design, wide colorful menu with photos, good service and affordable prices attract middle class population. There are 8 branches around Chisinau, but I didn’t see them in other cities.

Moldova has a well-established wine industry and produces around two million hectoliters of wine every year.

Since the country is rather small, the absolute production of wine is not representative on worldwide scale, but in production of wine per capita, Moldova is the 8^th largest wine producer in the world.

Moldova has three famous and historical wine-producing regions. Most of the export was delivered to Russia until 2006, when they banned both, Moldovan and Georgian wine.

Cricova Winery is only 15 kilometers north of Chisinau. Since there were so few foreign visitors, no tours in English were available. I joined a small group of Italian speaking tourists to explore the underground cellars on an electrical cart. During 1.5 hours exploration I learned about Moldovan wines, productions and traditions.

Cricova Winery is the second largest wine cellar in Moldova (after Mileștii Mici) and it features 120 kilometers of labyrinthine tunnels, which have been originally created when limestone was dug out to help build Chisinau since the 15^th century.

They were converted into an underground tunnel with wine emporium in the 1950s. Approximately half of the underground tunnels are used for the production and storage of wine, tasting rooms and other facilities. Excavation is still active, but mainly for limestone digging.

All-year around temperature of 12°C is perfect for wine. The labyrinth of tunnels was also known for hiding Jews in wine barrels during the Nazi invasion of the Soviet Union, while later received much more prominent guests: in 1966 cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin entered the cellars, Russian president Vladimir Putin celebrated his 50^th birthday there. Many other world leaders’ photos are exhibited on the World map.

During the visit, we stopped at three import areas:

• Sparkling wines production center, where the wine in accordance with the classical French method is aged. It is an old process invented by the monk Dom Pierre Perignon – Methode Champenoise.
• Main storage facilities with over 2 million of bottles that are separated in different areas: Cricova production, collection bottles that are older than 10 years and wines from different origins, that are special in variety or age. Some of the most valuable examples are Jerusalem of Easter vintage 1902 and the liqueur Jan Becker vintage 1902.
• For extra money wine tasting can be organized in special rooms that are thematical of different sizes. I avoided this part since it was overpriced and as I could observe a little bit plain and too quick. I have been to wine tasting in Slovenia, where the whole process is rather a ceremony accompanied with food, conversation, storytelling, etc.

Old Orhei is a historical and archaeological complex, on river Raut, north of the capital. I drove there through beautiful countryside on a good road. It is famous for its well-preserved cave monasteries. The natural landscape of limestone rock, eroded by the river, is combined with archaeological vestiges of the ancient Trypillian civilization.

This territory was isolated from the outer world; at the time when Christians came here, the caves had already been cut in the rocks by prehistoric tribes who had lived in the area. The Christian monks expanded the existing caves and created new ones.

I parked my car at the parking lot, visited a museum and walked along the cliff to the monastery. The sun was moving quickly towards zenith, the temperature was rising. The seldom visitors quickly disappeared, I visited the monastery, looked around the valley over the stone cross, and descended the stairs into the hollowed-out cave. The Orthodox monastery is still inhabited by a handful of Orthodox monks, who maintain the church at the top of the hill.

The highlight was the 13^th century Cave monastery, built right into the cliffside, which later remained inhabited until the 18^th century. In 1996 a handful of monks returned to this secluded place of worship and restored it to its current state.

Behind the monastery, a small passage opens up onto a narrow ledge within the cliffs, providing an impressive view over the valley. The medieval icons depicted below are illuminated solely by the flickering glow of candlelight and by the irregularly shaped windows carved into the cliff face.

An elderly lady quietly confided her thoughts in confession to a bearded monk dressed in a black robe. Peace and tranquility filled the room.

On the outer wall I noticed many thin holes, where coins were inserted. I found a space for one more, made a wish and looked around at the tranquil scenery along the river. Stunning!

As I made my way back to the car, I became hungry and sought advice on where to eat from the woman at the museum. She directed me to Villa Etnica in the village behind the monasteries. Good food in traditional environment was surprisingly tasteful. Another great day in Moldova.

There are many churches and monasteries in Moldova. Monks have been building impressive monasteries since the 15^th century and even these days many of them are active, with an enviable population of permanent residents. Căpriana Monastery and Saharna Monastery are among the oldest, Tipova Cave Monastery extends over three levels, Hîncu Monastery was built by the Moldovan boyar after he and his daughter Paraschiva escaped from the Tartars.

There is one thing in common for most churches and monasteries in Moldova: they were closed or transformed for other purposes during the Soviets time.

A lot of renovations took place since the 1990’s, and today they are in great shape again, serving for the original purposes.

I visited Curchi Monastery, one of the most important monuments of Bessarabia architecture, dating mostly from the 18^th and 19^th century.  One of the richest, most beautiful and largest monasteries in Moldova is not far from Chisinau, but the area feels to be very remote. Some small villages on the way, mostly farming – rural area, with hardly any traffic on a good road. From 1959 to 1995 the monastery was used as a psychiatric hospital; therefore, it was largely neglected until 1999.

Small renovations started until, in 2006, under the patronage of the former president of Moldova, a large fund-raising campaign was organized to support the restoration of the monastery. The monastery’s main church, the Cathedral Naşterea Domnului with 57 meters high dome, was designed in the baroque style by a famous Italian architect Bartolomeo Rastrelli and inspired by the Church of St. Andrew in Kiev.

It was very quiet at the time of my visit. Beside a photo shooting team, there were no other visitors.

In addition to the main tourist attractions, I wanted to see a purely ordinary place, where I could observe today’s reality and life of Moldovans. I chose the second largest city in the country – Balti. With the atmosphere of the past Soviet era times, the city of Balti has kept its own authentic scent with little tourist attractions.

It offers a special feeling of past times, where Soviet architecture of massive volumes and raw textures is reflecting in apartment buildings, wide main avenue and parks.

In the evening people walk along Independentei Street, simple snacks and drinks are sold, scooters rented. A bronze monument on the National Independence Square is dedicated to Great ruler of Moldova – Stefan cel Mare. Very little accommodation is available to book through traditional channels; I ended in an apartment in a typical residential area.

Run-down buildings are surrounded with green areas, that were partially converted to parking lots. Spacious, but superficially constructed rooms are filled with old furniture. Some technical solutions are ridiculous, but, in an analogous way, they ensure the achievement of functional goals.

Security is undisputable. Local store offers good selection of products, communication is in Russian only.

Transnistria, officially Pridnestrovian Moldavian Republic (PMR) is an unrecognized breakaway state, which declared independence from Moldova in 1990. It represents a response (rebellion) to major cultural changes at the end of the 1980s, when Supreme Soviet of the Moldavian SSR adopted Moldovan as the official language and threatened ethnic minorities to be marginalized.

Many describe it as being more Soviet than Moldovan. Fights and military activities between 1990 and 1992 ended with the ceasefire agreement, signed on 21^st July 1992. The long narrow strip of land is mainly defined by the Dniester River, giving Transnistria its name (beyond the river Dniester), bordering with Ukraine.

Will Pridnestrovian Moldavian Republic be the next European Republic to rejoin Russia?

The United Nations doesn’t recognize the country, but the breakaway state does have its own currency, army, citizens’ documents, flag and border controls.

No country in the world, including Russia, has recognized this narrow strip of land between the east bank of the Dniester River and Moldova’s border with Ukraine as an independent country.

I took a local bus marshrutka from Chisinau to Tiraspol in the early morning. After an hour of smooth ride, we arrived to the border check point. All passengers had to leave the vehicle and enter emigration facilities.

Two Russian speaking officers checked our documents and one of them asked me, where I was heading to and how much time I was going to stay in PMR. No forms to fill, no photos, no additional questions. An official permission valid until 8:00pm was printed out and I could join other passenger on the bus again.

Most of the passengers were travelling for work or business, getting off at the main market in Tiraspol. I changed US dollars to Transnistrian ruble, since no other currency, nor credit cards are accepted. Rather quiet and calm Tiraspol is marked by three things:

• The presence of Sherriff branded businesses: supermarkets, petrol stations, a stadium, construction businesses, a Mercedes-Benz car dealer, TV channels and more. Owned by ex-members of the special services, Sherriff has grown to conglomerate of profitable private businesses in PMR. It includes the best and only internationally recognized football club, Sherriff Tiraspol. Strong Sherriff’s political connections lead to the top of PMR administration.
• Friendly people, that speak Russian and wonder, what the hell am I doing in Tiraspol. It is understandable, given that the city is situated just a short distance from Ukraine and is under Russian influence, exposed to conflicts and tensions that can easily turn into fighting.
• Plenty of things to do and sea in a relatively small – walkable area around the city. An open-air museum of socialism, filled with many structures, buildings and monuments reminding on a glorious past of Soviet empire.

My first stop in Tiraspol was Kirov park, where a non-impressive Child Jesus Church is standing. Still under construction and closed for the public with small area for praying in the lower area. Right next to the park stands a factory of the most recognized Transnistria’s brand, known far beyond the borders of Moldova.

Kvint is a real cult manufacturer of alcoholic beverages, whose history begins back in 1879.

These days Kvint is recognized as one of the best cognacs in the world, first produced back in 1938.

A bottle of cognac KVINT – abbreviation for cognacs, wines and drinks of Tiraspol – was taken to the Mir station in space by Russian astronauts in 1998.

In their cellars there are currently 11 million liters of spirits aged from 1 year to 60 years. Yearly production of 20 million bottles of alcoholic beverages include over 30 names of liquors aged from 3 to 60 years, table and collection wines, vodka, gin, and brandy.

The image of the Kvint plant is also printed on the 5-ruble bank note.

Unfortunately, the museum and plant production tour were not available during my visit. I was only able to visit the Kvint products store, where most of their products are sold at much more competitive prices. The range goes from wines, sparkling wines, vodka and other liquors to the most prestigious cognacs. Aged 10 years are standard, 20 years old more expensive, but still very accessible comparing to other world recognized brands.

The winery has its own raw materials source – approximately 2,000 hectares of vineyards, where they grow more than 30 varieties of grapes.

The House of Soviets is one of the most recognizable and magnificent buildings in Tiraspol. It retains original elements, decoration with Soviet symbols, combining Lenin statue in front of it. Today, the building keeps its original function and serves as a home for city authorities and local administration. I was actually scared to take photos of it, fearing that a KGB agent might suddenly confront me and seize my camera. Nothing happened, hardly any people passed by.

I passed the Suvorov Monument, walked along main avenue 25^th October Street and crossed the bridge on the Dniester River. I should remember to bring a swimsuit on my next visit to enjoy cooling off by the sandy beach alongside the locals.

The Memorial of Glory commemorates the Veterans and the dead of the Great Patriotic War, the Soviet-Afghan War, and the Transnistria War.

The tank was transported from Hungary in April 1945, while the Wall of Memory was the latest addition during reconstruction in 2010, when also the names of all the Transnistrian defenders, who died between 1990 and 1992, were carved. Even though the tank and the place commemorate war, dead and violence, it is a favorite place for wedding photos.

In order to understand better the history of Pridnestrovian Moldavian, I visited the Museum of Local History. Two ladies guided me through different rooms, where the independence war and mayor historical facts are presented.

The Presidential palace is officially called the Building of the Supreme Council and the Government of the Pridnestrovian Moldavian Republic, with a striking Lenin monument in front of. It was built in 1983 for the local Committee of the Communist Party. This huge, impressive building, surrounded by park and accessed by a long series of marble steps, is another sample of glorious past.

Lenin monument was erected in 1987, on the 70^th anniversary of the October revolution. A similar Lenin statue was also erected in Berlin in 1970, but dismantled in 1991 during the peaceful revolution in Eastern Europe.

One of the highlights of my visit to Tiraspol was visiting two traditional restaurants Снова в СССР (Back in the USSR) and Столовка СССР (Canteen USSR). They are both decorated in the Soviet style, exhibiting flags, statues, photos and objects of the socialist leaders and lifestyle. Delicious, inexpensive Russian food, drinks and especially desserts are well worth a visit.

For brunch, I tasted traditional medovik – Russian honey cake made of various layers soaked in honey and cream filling. My late lunch with borsht soup, vegetables and kvass, while watching cartoon socialist series on an old, thick CRT television, transferred me to the mid-80`s. Kvass – a fermented cereal-based beverage with a slightly cloudy appearance, light-brown color and sweet-sour taste, is my favorite drink from this region.

The day that I spent visiting PMR, was probably my most memorable experience of Moldova. There is no other place like this in the world, glorifying disputed legacy of the Soviet Empire.

Torn between East and West, influenced by Russia and Romania on the edge of Europe, today Moldova is a forgotten land that is far away in the eyes of tourists, politicians or investors. Following its unique path with an interesting mixture of cultures, languages, traditions, political conflicts and internal divisions, it has been taking steps into an unknown future.

Time will tell whether the Pridnestrovian Moldavian Republic will remain independent, return under the auspices of Moldova, or it will be swallowed up by the powerful Russia with its almighty desire for recovering the imperialist power (again).

Excellent food, cheap accommodation and short distances on decent roads, in addition to safety, historical socialist influence and a kind of open-air museum of socialism in the Tiraspol, were the things that I liked most.

Moldova will never be a highlight of Europe, but it’s nice to appreciate a unique mix of political & economic systems that reflected different ideologies of the World in the 20^th century. Most of it will probably disappear in the next decades.