#moldovans

Moldova: Silent Land - Åsa Sjöström

"Moldova is one of the poorest countries in Europe and one of the consequences of this fact is felt most harshly in the fabric of the family. All over, you will find children - seeming orphans - who actually have parents. While the kids mom and dad are alive and well, they have been forced to leave the country to find work abroad, ironically, in order to support their families.

Since the fall of the Soviet Union - when the country was a prosperous farming and wine community - nearly a quarter of the population has moved abroad in search of a better life.

Thus, Moldova is facing many challenges. Internally, the tiny country struggles with widespread corruption ( as exemplified in last years banking crisis, which wiped out over $1 billion in wealth). Even more disturbingly, extremists are growing in numbers in the autonomous regions of Transnistria and Gagauzia, presaging further unrest.

But internationally, Moldova stays forgotten. The media is largely absent. Although the small country encapsulates many of struggles between East and West in contemporary Europe, its stories go largely untold. Since 2005, I have documented the lives of Moldovans and the many changes the country has experienced.

In the photos above, I focused on the Gradinari family. This past year, they could not afford to buy enough seed for their harvest since the father of the family was unable to travel to russia for work. Around the struggling family, I found a strikingly beautiful countryside. Amidst the painful economic pressures, sunflower fields were in blossom.

And Then There Was One: Three People Lived in This Village Until Two Were Murdered.

"Thirty years ago, 200 people lived in the Moldovan village of Dobrusa. But most have since left or died. After a twin killing in February, there’s only one survivor still standing.. Grisa Muntean, a short, mustachioed farmer often found in a flat-cap, a checked shirt and a ripped pair of blue trousers held up by a drawstring. For company, Mr. Muntean has his two cats, five dogs, nine turkeys, 15 geese, 42 chickens, about 50 pigeons, 120 ducks and several thousand bees. The other humans have either died, left for larger towns and cities in Moldova, or emigrated to Russia or other parts of Europe. “The loneliness kills you,” Mr. Muntean, 65, said on a recent afternoon. His former neighbors’ houses are vanishing almost as fast as their owners. With few animals to graze the roadsides, and with only Mr. Muntean to prune the orchards, the buildings are sinking below a canopy of walnut groves and apple trees. “When I work, I speak with the trees,” Mr. Muntean said. “With the birds, with the animals, with my tools. There is no one else to talk to.” Dobrusa was once a village of 50 houses that lined two parallel streets at the bottom of a shallow valley. Like many settlements across Moldova, it emptied out after the fall of the Soviet Union in 1991, an exodus mirrored across Eastern Europe, which has the world’s fastest shrinking population. Now only a few corrugated iron roofs can still be seen in Dobrusa, poking above the undergrowth. They are visible from the dirt track that connects the village to the nearest tarmac road. Even the village graveyard, set on the other side of the valley, is slowly receding into an undergrowth of nettles and brambles, grass flowers and cow parsley. Plants like these are the closest Mr. Muntean has to neighbors. Until February, Mr. Muntean relied on the company of Gena and Lida Lozynsky, a couple in their early 40s who lived at the other end of the village."

Ukrainian Kilim designs from the Carpathians

Kilims are flat woven rugs distinguished by their intricate geometric patterns and vibrant colors, that are found in the textile traditions of regions like Ukraine, Iran, the Balkans, the Caucasus, Moldova, and the Turkic areas of Central Asia and Anatolia. Though united by shared weaving techniques and the absence of pile, kilims from each region reflect unique cultural identities and aesthetic sensibilities.

In Ukraine and Moldova, kilims often feature stylized floral motifs and symmetrical patterns, and are deeply embedded in rural folk traditions and used in homes as wall hangings or ceremonial pieces. Traditionally, they also were often believed to have possessed magical protective powers; repelling evil eyes and providing protection for the family, based on their unique design and the symbols used.

Romanian Folk Vinyl Album

Sarah Rainsford, Eastern and Southern Europe correspondentIn Chisinau and Paul KirbyEurope digital editor in London Anadolu via Getty Images Moldovan President Maia Sandu warned voters their democracy was young and fragile and Russia endangered it Moldovans have voted in parliamentary elections seen as critical for their future path to the European Union amid allegations of “massive Russian…

#Moldovans living in Jackson Hole,#Wyoming- where Dick& Liz #Cheney also live-voted pro-war alignment with #EU #NATO

no global econ. growth w/o #BRICS

#US internal conflict? Migrations will occur..M.#Butina:#conservatives can enter #Russia by simple app

General Information Moldova is a country in Eastern Europe. It’s the Eastern part of the historical region of Moldavia. In 1812, it was ceded to Russia. After World War I, it became part of Greater Romania, in World War II, it was turned into a Soviet republic under Russian occupation. In 1991, the independent Republic of Moldova was declared. Today, more than three fourths of the population declare themselves as ethnic Moldovans; Ukrainians, Gagauz, and Russians constitute significant minorities. About 90 % of the 2.5 Million inhabitants are Orthodox Christians. The official language is Moldovan, which is largely considered to be a dialect of Romanian. The capital is Chisinau.

Wine Moldovans are proud of their winemaking history, which goes back circa 5.000 years. Besides more than 112.000 hectares of the small country consisting of vineyards, Moldova is also home to the world’s largest wine cellar, Mileștii Mici, which holds around two Million bottles. Cricova is also famous for its wine - the wine cellars of this town are so large and numerous that they’re called “an Underground City of wine”. October 3rd and 4th are days dedicated to wine, celebrated by the wineries with special promotions and guided visits.

~ Anastasia

Economy The economy of Moldova is an upper-middle income economy with a high Human Development Index. Moldova is a landlocked Eastern European country, bordered by Ukraine on the east and Romania to the west. It is a former Soviet republic. Moldova's proximity to the Black Sea gives it a mild and sunny climate. The fertile Chernozem soil supports wheat, corn, barley, tobacco, sugar beet, and soybeans. Beef and dairy cattle are raised, and beekeeping is widespread. Moldova's best-known product comes from its extensive and well-developed vineyards concentrated in the central and southern regions. Moldova produces liqueur and sparkling wine. It is also known for its sunflower seeds, walnuts, apples, and other fruits. This makes the area ideal for agriculture and food processing, which accounts for about 40% of the country's GDP.

Wine Bottled Building We know, it’s a question you’ve frequently pondered, just where can I find the largest bottle-shaped building in the world? The answer? The aptly named Strong Drinks Museum, in Tirnauca Village. The 28-metre tall museum-cum-spirit bottle is dedicated to… you guessed it, strong drinks.

~ Damian