The Mystery of Moldova

I admit. One year ago I had no idea where the country of Moldova was. I knew it was in Europe, but would have been hard-pressed to pinpoint it. Plus, isn’t it called Moldavia and not Moldova?

Ah.

Trouble is, Moldavia used to be a country, from 1359 to 1812. Then things got complicated for the next 200 years.

The long and short of it is that Russia won the eastern part of Moldavia from the Ottomans in 1812, while the western half eventually merged with the neighboring kingdoms of Wallachia, Bukovina and Transylvania to form what is now modern Romania (so Romania’s eastern province, which borders Moldova, is still called Moldavia. Confusing, I know). Despite Romanian attempts to reclaim the lost territory by aligning with Germany during WWII, the Russians ultimately won and kept the two regions administered separately and encouraged large-scale Russian and Ukrainian migration into Moldova.

Sandwiched and completely engulfed between its two neighbors (Romania to the west and Ukraine to the east), Moldova declared independence from the Soviet Union in 1991. Racked by corruption and war with its breakaway republic of Transnistria, Moldova is by far Europe’s poorest country, with a GDP per capita for its 4 million citizens of only $3,173, barely above that of India’s (compare that to Germany’s $44,660, over 10 times higher).

Not part of the European Union, not on the way to anywhere in particular, bereft of any tourist attractions (apart perhaps from its wine industry), and saddled with a reputation for corruption and lawlessness, Moldova is far removed from most travelers’ typical agendas. Perhaps precisely for these reasons, however, it is a fascinating place to visit, and I found the people friendly and welcoming, the rolling hills of the countryside beautiful, and the streets of its capital Chisinau full of life and color.

Here are some images from an afternoon in Chisinau: