District Drochia – between past and future...

Native from Hârbovăţ woods, I fully belong to Drochia, as well, by the will of destiny, as here is where I founded my family, here is my home and here is where my children were born. By that same will of destiny I have the honour of being the president of this well-known and so important district of our Republic.

Not so far in the past, the economy of Drochia district - once extremely industrial, as the economy of the whole Republic - was largely subordinated to the union interests of the former USSR. The reforms that have been enforced since the proclamation of independence, though long, changed considerably the States economic structure, including that of Drochia district. At present, the greatest treasure of this administrative and territorial unit consists of its land and people. These two essential aspects make me optimistic and confident in the future of our district, as the fertility of this soil, as well as the care for it of those who own it, have become renowned throughout all the country. These important issues increase my responsibility towards the people living in Drochia and their problems. Moreover, I have to mention the fact that us, people in Drochia, we inherited from our forerunners a district with economically developped villages and all necessary social infrastructure. The city of Drochia, the district’s administrative centre, looks particularly well. As a president, I would like to express my gratitude towards my predecessors and towards every single person in Drochia who contributed to the prosperity of our city and district.

At present, the District Council Drochia and the Local Public Administration spare no effort in order to make the most of the values inherited from forerunners. To this purpose, the best is done for the district to be as attractive and open to investors as possible. Moreover, various social and economic projects are drawn and carried out. The activity of promoting the image of the district throughout the country and abroad is one of the priorities of the Presidents administrative body and of the other decision-makers. In this respect, the importance of this book is self-evident. It is an excellent visiting cârd of the district, which shows the beauty of our native land and points out the economic potenţial of this district for possible partners in setting up common projects. It is also a valuable didactic resource for students and teachers in terms of history and geography of the district, of its towns and villages, which is of utmost importance for the hearts of the young generation to open towards the Iove for their native land, for their country and people.

I take this opportunity to thank the District Council Drochia for supporting the inspired idea of publishing a book about the district of Drochia, about those who made it famous in the past and about all that is worth considering by us, those of today, but also by those who will come after us.

I wish you - people in Drochia, as well as all readers - every success and confidence in the future.

Andrei Marian, president of Drochia district

OUR BIT OF THE MOTHERLAND

Drochia is that small part of the motherland and country which belongs to us, those who were born here...

What is ones motherland, what does this word mean for each of us? I really tried hard to find a more academic definition that would go with this sacred notion, but all my thoughts eventually led to the fact that Motherland is the place where we were born and where we grew up, is the parental little house that gave us shelter and heat in the frosty winters, is the small church in the centre of the village where we were baptised and given the Eucharist by the old priest, is the school where we all learned to read and write. Motherland is, first of all, the native land with all its beauty and richness, with childhood friends and forefathers lying down in its earth, in the village graveyard. For us, people in Drochia, these are Cubolta meadows and Răut valley, fields where we were romping barefooted on the green silky grass from spring to autumn, until one day when mother would remind us that summer was over and the school year was about to start...

Motherland, for us, people in Drochia, is also the railway and its halts which, towards the end of the 19th century, troubled the idyllic peace of these places so dear to us with the whistle of the engine and the rattling of the train wheels. And when the right time came, it brought us all out, opening our mind with new geographical „discoveries”, new contents, etc., until we understood what is our big Motherland - the Republic of Moldova.

But is it possible – I wonder – to know who we are, in this huge world, without knowing the very beginning, ne place where we started life? This is the mission of such a book, a description of the homeland, which does not pretend to hold the absolute truth, but remains open to other visions and approaches. The Iove of the country springs up in those hearts who know, first of all, their native land, neighbours, people around, and only afterwards will they Iove their people, their country, language, songs, traditions and customs inherited from forefathers...

We will not make a separate geographical description of the district of Drochia, we will only mention the net that, as administrative and territorial unit, we are situated in the northern part of the country and that we  are known as being an economically developped region. This circumstance made us, people in Drochia, extremely hard-working and more inclined to accumulate wealth. To reach such a conclusion it is enough to see the houses in our villages and the peasant households that villagers have today. The hard years of famine, deportations and political reprisals, the poor life led by Moldovan peasants in the ’50s and ’60s of the 20th century aroused in our parents the instinct of self-conservation and the irresistible yearning to draw their children out of that ill-treated class by sending them to schools and making every possible sacrifice for them to become teachers, agronomists, doctors, etc. Consequently Drochia, as well as other neighbouring regions, is known to be a district with a lot of well-read people. Every village or commune is home to a famous scientist, a great doctor or a writer, an artist, etc. Conceptually speaking, bringing out these names is one of the main purposes of this book. Everything that is worthwhile remembering by the generations to come seems to be icluded in this modest description of our bit of the Motherland – Drochia.

HISTORICAL LANDMARKS

The name of Drochia district and city comes from Drochia village, situated at a distance of 12 km north of the city. It was first attested in a document dated April 23, 1777, by a royal decree of Prince Grigore Alexandru Ghica. According to the legend, the name of the village comes from dropia, meaning bustard, an exceedingly beautiful bird that used to wander about in the grassy plains of this region. There were so many of it in the past, now the districts arms and flag are the only places where we can see this wonderful bird.

The starting point in the emergence and development of Drochia as a city and administrative centre of the future district was the building of the railway Ocniţa-Bălţi at the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries (in 1895). Setting up a halt railway station in this place, bearing the name of the nearest village, namely Drochia, was the very beginning. Apart from the halt, or train station, as it was later called, the water tower and the warehouse were also buit, as infrastructure elements absolutely necessary for a railway station of those times. The warehouse used to store the coals for the engines and the tower would provide their water supply. The water was pumped from a distance of 10 km, the location of todays Şurii Noi village, from Şuri commune. People still caii the place ‘vodokacika’ (water pumping station) and extend this name to the whole village, which is sometimes referred to as vodokacika. Only the ruins remained from that water pumping station. Still, the ceramic-made aqueduct, with a diameter of 80 cm, survived in a good state, well hidden in the ground. The present-day water suply network of the city can only dream about such high quality pipes.

Gara Drochiei (meaning Drochia Train Station), this is how the residents would caii Drochia town, later a city. ‘Tm going to the Train Station”, would say those from the villages around, when they came to town. Even today, when old people meet, they will ask each other: “Anything new at the Train Station?” AII these are clear proofs that present-day city of Drochia was first nothing more than a railway station, a halt. Time brought more and more people around it, those who were working there, villagers who were fleeing poverty and that is how Drochia finally turned into a town.

At the beginning of the 20th century there were 11 houses here and no social or cultural institution, not to mention any school. According to historical data, 43 inhabitants of this place - that did not officially appear on the Romanian state map at that moment -received 200 hectares 500 m2 of land after the agrarian reform in 1922. The name Drochia-Gară was first officially mentioned within the General Census of Romanian Population of December 30, 1930. 595 residents, namely 296 men and 299 women, 137 farm households and 110 houses were registered at this location, which was then part of Bădiceni rural district.

The notion of district was arbitrary in the Republic of Moldova during the Soviet times. The district did not represent an administrative and territorial unit and a community of people with a common history, with deep roots in this region. The districts, just like the state, called MSSR (meaning Moldovan Soviet Socialist Republic), were costituted by political decisions, without observing any historical, ethnocultural, social or economic criteria. In this way, on November 11, 1940, Drochia becomes administrative centre of a district bearing the same name. After the dissolution of the counties, Drochia became part of Bălţi district. Given the fact that the creation and dissolution of districts in Soviet times were run only by political and party-related interests, this district was dissolved twice throughout its history - in January 1963, to be recreated in December 1966. Drochia district was dissolved again in 1998, most of its towns and villages being included in Soroca county. Following the Counter-reform in 2003, counties were dissolved and Drochia became a district once more.

Looking back to the past again, we have to mention the fact that Drochia became a real town at the beginning of the ’50s (20th century), being economically and culturally developped, with schools and nurseries, asphalt streets, parks and recreation areas. This development was certainly related to the construction of the sugar factory which started in 1954 and was finished in 1957. A whole district was soon built for the employees around the sugar factory, including a school and a community centre which were called - the community centre of the sugar factory and zavodskaia şkola (the school of the factory), where the language of instruction was Russian at the beginning. Today, this institution has become Middle School nr.2 in Drochia-city, having Romanian as language of instruction.

From 1940 until present times, at the head of the district were the following presidents: Andrei Procopenco (1940-1941, 1944); Nicolai Smorigo (1945-1946); Andrei Samozvanchin (1946-1953); Anatolie Panihidin (1953-1955); Gheorghe Immer (1955-1960); Ion Leşan (1960-1962); Porfirii Corduneanu (1962); Vladimir Vesnin (1967-1970); Serghei Fandofan (1970-1975); Simion Buză (1975-1977); Anatolie Manziuc (1977-1985); Ludmila Zagrudnîi (1985-1990); Valerian Gherman (1990-1991); Petru Avasiloaie (1991-1998); Dumitru Postovanu (1998-1999); Veaceslav Belin-schi (2003-2007); Vladimir Calaraş (2007-2011); Andrei Marian (2007- to present).

 Monument dedicated to the repression victims of the Communist regime. From this very place, innocent peasants from the region were forced into the train and taken to Siberia on July 6, 1949.

Tins monument was designed by Valeriu Moscalciuc, a painter from Drochia and descendant of Soviet repression victims, who considered his duty to dedicate this architectural work to the memory ofhis deportedgrandparents and to all the victims of the communist rule.

The meaning of this monument is deep, but at the same time easy to understand. The five-pointed star, symbol of the communist ideology, can be seen broken,fact that symbolizes the crash of the totalitarian communist regime, which brought only suffering to our people. A church beli was hungfrom the upper broken corner of the star, a compositional element with a special meaning, representing the revival of Christian spirituality. Another bigger beli, probably thrown from a church dome by Soviet bodies that were promoting an aggressive atheism was placed at thefoot of the monument. One could certainly see a crack on the surface of this belfformed when itfellfrom the belfry. Being welded, it looked more like a scar and represented the deep wound left in the soul and heart of the repression victims and of their descendants.

On July 6 every year those who survived repression and their descendants come to this monument, commemorating the sad past and those who did not come backfrom Siberia. Unfortunately, the bells disappeared without trace. It is said that they were stolen by sorne insensible people in order to be sold for scrap. Both ofthem were made ofbronze.

THE HYDROGRAPHIC NETWORK OF THE DISTRICT

The geographic and climatic criteria were totally neglected when the bounderies between MSSR districts were set. As it was mentioned above, in Soviet times districts appeared and disappeared from the map of the Republic according to the purposes and party-related interests of the leaders. More often than not the setting of a district was dictated by the need to create a new position of First Secretary of the District Party Committee. This need was enough for a new territorial and administrative unit to appear overnight, formed by one or two towns or villages taken from other districts. In this way, the number of districts in the former MSSR was over 40, always changing.

In spiţe of the small surface of the Republic of Moldova, we can distinguish three areas that differ from the climatic point of view: the North, the Centre and the South of the Republic. Drochia district is in the northern part of the country and has a special climate. Everybody knows that snow comes earlier in Drochia as compared to other regions, trees flourish and fruit get ripe at least two weeks later than in the neighbouring districts, etc.

The territory of the present-day Drochia district is situated at 48° 03’ 49” latitude, 27° 81’ 61” longitude and 144 m altitude as compared to the sea level, at a distance of 167 km from Chişinău, the country’s capital-city.

Having as neighbours Donduşeni to the north, Râşcani to the west, Soroca to the east, Sângerei to the south and Floreşti to the south-east, Dochia district covers at present a total surface of 99 991.47 hectares (999. 91 km2), with a population of approximately 100 000 inhabitants.

The district is composed of 40 localities - 39 villages and 1 city, Drochia. On April 26, 1974, the Soviet of USSR Ministries granted it the statute of the 2000,h city of the former USSR. Within Dochia district there are 28 first-level territorial and administrative units.

 The relief of the district is generally made of a hilly field cut by valleys and meadows, being strongly influenced by exogenous processes (landslips and soil erosions).

The climate is continental, with hot, dry summers and frosty winters. The average yearly precipitation varies between 520 and 620 mm. The average yearly temperature is of 8°C.

RĂUT

The most important tributary of Dniester, Răut River has its source near Rediul Mare village (Donduşeni), at 180 m altitude, and flows into Dniester at 342 km from the river mouth, near Dubăsari town. Răut River enters Drochia district at Fântâniţa and leaves it near Pelinia. Long time ago, Răut River used to collect water from 135 tributaries, the most important of them being Soloneţul (on the right), Cubolta, Căinariul, Camenca, Cerniţa (on the left). The river is 286 km long and its basin covers an important part of Dniester Plateau and of Central Moldavian Plateau. The basin surface is made of fields, strongly divided by narrow valleys and thick ravines which would often look like canyons. The grounds of the basin were made of sandy rocks, sands, chalk and mari from the Cretaceous period, covered with a layer of lime and clayey rocks from Tortonian times. Soils are chernozemic and in the upper parts they turn grey-forest.

CUBOLTA

This beautiful river - 92 km long, 6-18m wide, 0.4 - 1.3m deep -has its source in a narrow valley situated to the north-west of Lipnic village, at 180 m altitude, and flows into Răut River on the left river bank, near Putineşti village, at 85 m altitude. Cubolta comes across Drochia district boundary on the land of Maramonovca village to go on along Mândâc, Drochia, Şuri, Chetrosu villages and so on until it reaches Hăsnăşenii Noi, where it leaves the district and goes out to the steppe of Bălţi, flowing into Răut. Cubolta river meadow used to have alluvial, salinized soils, marshes with a rich fauna, and higher up - pastures and plenty of hay-fields. The clear water of this river was the source for setting up piscicultural farms, which resulted in the draining of many marshes from the meadow, the picturesque landscape of Cubolta being seriously affected.

The river basin is made of a hilly field, pierced by narrow valleys and deep ravines, often canyon-shaped, being used as arable land. Mature forests of leafy trees (oak, ash, maple and acacia) can be found in the upper part. The river bed is winding, generally without bifurcations, having reed and sedge vegetation on the banks.

Going downstream from Maramonovca village, the river crosses a number of ponds which are over 1.0-2.8 km long, 60-300 m wide and 1.5-5.0 m deep. Near Chetrosu and Gribova villages there are some lakes with rich vegetation of reed and sedge which are over 18 - 85 m long, 11- 40 m wide and 0.6-0.8 m deep. Within the river basin there are two big storage lakes, with a total surface of 125 hectares and the volume of 1.5 million m3. There are also some tens of smaller storages, many of them being muddy and unusable. The water of the storage basins is used for irrigation, providing the domestic water supply to population, etc.

CĂINĂRI

The river has its source at two kilometres north-west from Sauca village and flows into Răut on the left bank, at 184 km from its river mouth, between Gura Căinarului and Prajila villages. The river is 95 km long. The surface of the basin is flat, strongly divided by narrow valleys and ravines. It is generally farmed (arable lands), mature forests of leafy trees (oak, ash, maple, etc.) being found only in its upper parts. Lakes and marshes fiii less than 1.0 % of the total surface. On the grounds of the basin there are cretaceous and tertiary rocks (limestone, mari and sands), covered by sandy clay and quaternary earth, on which chernozems were formed. Căinări River crosses Drochia border on the land of Cotova and Măcăreuca villages, passes by Zguriţa village and crosses the administrative border of Soroca district not far from Popeşti village.

THE DEMOGRAPHIC SITUATION

Drochia district is an administrative and territorial unit with a population of approximately 100 000 inhabitants. There are up to 20 000 people living only in the district centre, Drochia city. The population density is of 113.24 people / km2.

The natural increase had negative dynamics in 2011 - 5.5 people at 1 000 inhabitants, thus being registered 824 births and 1313 deaths. On January 1, 2012 the stable population of the district was of 84 701 people, out of which 17 456 living in towns and 67 245 living in the countryside. About 12 000 people from Drochia district work abroad.

According to the data shown by the 2004 census, the ethnic composition of the district s population was as follows: 86.17% Moldovans (75 044 people), 11.31% Ukrainians (9 842 people), 1.88% Russians (1 644 people), 0.31% Romani population (272 people), 0.05% Găgăuz people (44 people) and 0.28% other nationalities (242 people).

In what concerns the population structure according to age, Drochia district has only a small percent of the population below 14 years old (approximately 13%) and a larger number of old people (28%).

There is a well-balanced representation of men (42 518) and women (46 983).

AGRICULTURE

The main natural resource consists of the soils, with an average reliability of 67 points. Consequently, 86 935 hectares are agricultural lands, which stand for 86.9% of the total district surface, namely:

Arable lands    - 71 919.55 hectares

Vineyards        - 225.48 hectares

Orchards         - 2 172.55 hectares

Fallow ground - 454.44 hectares

Hay-fields       - 72.24 hectares

Pastures           - 11 723.62 hectares

Forest plantations        - 3295.59 hectares

Including sylvicultural plantations     - 2 208.86 hectares

Underwater lands        - 2 234.86 hectares

Including ponds          - 1 172. 32 hectares

Other lands      - 7893.14 hectares

The average volume of the agricultural annual production con-sists of 219 545 thousand lei. In the agrarian sector of the district there are:

-           54 limited liability companies;

-           4 agricultural cooperatives;

-           3 joint stock companies;

-           9 198 individual peasant farms.

The agricultural enterprises produce on a yearly basis approximately:

Wheat - 44 314tones Maize - 31 198 tones Sugar beet - 147 228 tones Sunflower - 22 651 tones Soybean - 3 456 tones Rapeseed - 2 456 tones Fruit - 5 530 tones Vegetables - 2 281 tones

In what concerns the zootechnical sector, Drochia district has livestock:

horned cattle - 13 590 head (out of which 10088 cows); porcines - 11 026 head, producing on a yearly basis 25 580 tones of milk, 632 tones of beef and 463 tones of pork.

We have to mention that these quantities of milk and meat are provided by the individual peasant farms, meaning the private sector.

At the same time, the sector is characterized by a low productivity, as investments are small and the existing infrastructure is not funcţional for collecting agricultural products. Moreover, local agricultural products cannot compete with the imported ones.

The social and economic analysis of the district shows discrepancies within the territorial development.

Agro-pedo-climatic conditions are favorable to agriculture, but the low productivity, the use of outmoded production technologies, the high production price and the uncompetitive product quality make this sector s contribution to the district economy insignificant.

Unfortunately, not enough attention is paid at district level to the revitalisation and extension of the irrigation System, to the proper use of water ressources, rivers and storage lakes, fact that could reduce the impact of natural disasters (hail, hard frosts, drought, etc.).

The agricultural sector represents the core of the district s economy. Droughts and other frequent natural disasters affect agricultural productivity, making agricultural enterprises run major risks and reducing the possibilities ofinvesting in agricultural infrastructure, implementing new technologies, etc. Moreover, the improper functioning of the agricultural products collection, Processing and marketing system creates additional obstacles to the business development in this sector. That is why an infrastructure supporting agriculture must be developped.

The current situation of the district is more favorable to trading raw agricultural materials than to selling finished agricultural products, which brings small profit and prevents agricultural business development.

In order to purchase agricultural products and to ensure an efficient use of the human resources, there is a strong need to revitalize the enterprises of agricultural production purchasing and Processing, to build sections of agricultural products processing and packaging in the city and villages, either individually or by the cooperation of economic agents.

Agriculture sector efficiency can be reinforced by the following interventions: providing new market infrastructure units for agricultural products and updating the existing ones; opening new business in the filed of processing and promoting on the market agricultural and agro food products; promoting quality standards and high technology for agriculture production; creating marketing Services for agricultural products; promoting advanced technology for producing and processing agricultural products; modernization of information and counselling Services in agriculture; creating infrastructure units for product preservation and packaging; promoting new agricultural products, greenhouse farming, etc.; irrigation system rehabilitation and modernization; improving the quality of agricultural products; expanding multiannual plantation lands.

INDUSTRY

The dissolution of the economic and financial Soviet system, that was directed from the centre, carefully planned and mostly based on the state property in industry and on the cooperative-collective farming in agriculture, was an unavoidable phase for the recognition of the Republic of Moldova as a sovereign and independent state. Unfortunately, the so-called transition to the market economy proved to be long and slow in the years that followed. Consequently, the former enterprises were partly privatized by fraud, simply devastated, reoriented or sold.

At present, the districts industry is represented by processing units, sugar production, by small and medium-sized enterprises of milk processing, of vegetable oil, meat products and fermented tobacco production.

The total turnover (sales revenue) on various types of economic activities was of 963797. 0 thousand lei for January-December 2011 and it shows a decrease with 6.0% as compared to the same period of the previous year.

In the processing industry, the turnover was of 958 546.5 thousand lei, showing the same decrease with 6.0% as compared to the year 2010. The turnover for the electrical and thermal industry, gas and water, was of 5 250.5 thousand lei, which shows an increase of 9.5% as compared to the same period of the previous year.

Data show that the total value of the industrial processing enterprises production was of 777007.7 thousand lei (in current prices) in 2011, which means a decrease with 2.5% as compared to the year 2010. This decrease was determined by the fact that no tobacco products were manufactured.

From what used to be an industrial city, with tens of enterprises providing hundreds of working places, Drochia has today only one of those industrial enterprises, the sugar factory. The others were generally privatized, reoriented, turned into commercial enterprises, etc.

INVESTMENTS AND INVESTMENT PROCESS

The volume of investments in fixed capital within our district was of 470 971.6 thousand lei in 2011, which represents a growth of 53.0% as compared to the year 2010.

The structure analysis of investments in fixed capital by ownership types shows that the investment activity increase was determined by enterprises from the private economic sector. 55.8% of the total volume of investments in fixed capital was made by these economic agents.

The main financing sources of investment activities in 2011 were the economic agents’ own means - 52.2% and crediting 39.8%, the budgetary means representing only 4.7% of the total volume of investments in fixed capital.

The largest part of the investments was directed towards purchasing machines, equipments, which meant 40.3% of the total volume of investments made. The part of the investments used to make buildings was 17.8%.

There is a strong need of branch-based investments in rural areas, as there is a low development level of the different sectors of rural economy.

SERVICES

In Drochia district the Services sector is concentrated in the district centre, Drochia city. It is weakly developped. An important part of this sector is covered by retail trade.

The paid Services provided to the population constitute 55 329.0 thousand lei, decreasing with 3.7% as compared to 2010.

There are many providers of auto and home appliances repair Services within the district, but also haidresser s, carpentries, etc.

ENTERPRISE ACTIVITY

Enterprise organizations carried out works of construction and fitting worth 39 135.6 thousand lei, or 88.7% as compared to the level registered in 2010. The main volume of activities was performed by private economic agents, which carried out works worth 34 231.6 thousand lei, or 94.2% of the total volume of enterprise activities.

THE ENERGETIC SECTOR

The energetic sector activity is exclusively based on imported energetic resources. The electric power supply is provided by means of the distribution networks that belong to the State-owned Enterprise “Reţelele Electrice Nord” (meaning Northern Electricity Networks). Every locality in the district is connected to the electricity networks.

The natural gas distribution system within the district ensures the connection to the gas network of 80% of the district localities. The connection level of each household is different, depending on the location.

The city thermal station is not funcţional. Given this, people living in the city’s blocks of tlats with access to gas networks installed autonomous thermal stations or built stoves. The private sector from both city and countryside uses gas thermal stations or stoves, wood and coals being used as fuel.

DRINKING WATER SUPPLY

Artesian wells are used as sources of drinking water in localities. 10 villages and Drochia city have drinking water supply networks, the aqueduct being extremely worn out. The sewerage system is funcţional only in Drochia city. At present, the communal living complex is about to face an infrastructure crisis conditioned by the fact that the water supply equipments and the sewerage system are in a very poor state.

TRANSPORT AND ROADS

The transport network in Drochia district is represented by two types of transport: motor and railway transport. Goods and passengers traffic is ensured by motor transport at local and country level, as well as abroad. Railway transport is mostly used tor goods and passengers traffic at internaţional level.

The number of passengers transported by buses and minibuses increased in this period witli 4.4% as compared to 2010.

The length of the district public roads is of 268.43 km, out of which 104.13 km are naţional roads and 164.3 km are local roads. Local roads are unfortunately in an extremely bad state and need repairs.

Drochia city is crossed by two very important highways at naţional level - the road R17, relating Viniţa-Drochia point with the naţional road Ml4, and the republican road R7, relating Soroca-Drochia-Râşcani-Costeşti.

The railway network that crosses Drochia district relates it to Russia (Moskow and Sankt Fetersburg), Belarus (Minsk), Ukraine (Kiev, Cernăuţi, Ivano-Frankovsk, etc.).

TELECOMMUNICATIONS

Fixed telephony within the district is provided by Drochia subsidiary of SA”Moldtelecom”, joint stock company which has made important investments to modernize the networks in recent years.

Mobile telephony providers are „Orange”, „Moldcell” and „Unite”, covering over 90% of the territory.

Drochia district education system includes:

-          41 pre-school institutions with 3 364 children and 347 teachers (39 nursery-kindergartens and 2 kindergartens)

-          39 pre-university institutions with 9 136 students (12 theoretical high schools with 5 023 students, 24 middle schools with 3 841 students, a primary school with 14 students, a sanatorial-type boarding school with 183 students, an auxiliary school with 75 students). A total number of of 1 007 teachers work in these institutions.

EDUCATIONAL INFRASTRUCTURE

Drochia district education system includes:

-    - 41 pre-school insitutions with 3364 children and 347 teachers (39 nursery-kindergartens and 2 kindergarters)

-        - 39 pre-university institutions with 9136 students (12 theoretical high school with 5 023 students, 24 middle schools with 3 841 students, a primary school with 14 students, a sanatorial-type boarding school with 183 students, an auxiliary school with 75 students). A total number of 1 007 teachers work in this institutions.

Professional education is provided in:

- The Professional School in Drochia city (specializations: stone cutter and mason, locksmith and sanitary engineer, welder (gas and electric), house painter, seamstress;

- The Professional School in Zguriţa village (specializations: tractor-driver and farm-equipment mechanic, seamstress and cook).

Complementary education is provided in two institutions:

- The Sports School, with 7 subsidiaries (608 children), with activities such as: football, handball, game of draughts, chess, table tennis and acrobatics;

- The Creation Centre, with 5 subsidiaries (660 children), with activities such as: drama, folklore, puppet shows, choral singing, geographical almanack, tourism, debates in English, arts and woodwork, crocheting and embroidery, ornithology and flower growing, model plane flying, ceramics, fine arts, tapestry and radio-electronics.

A total number of 1 357 teachers work in these institutions.

The cultural heritage of the district includes 37 community centres, most of them deteriorated, with 8 246 seats. In spiţe of their lamentable state, there are 87 artistic and technical circles, as well as interest-based clubs for children and adults. From these, 26 groups bear the honoriphic title of “models”. “Drochienii” from Drochia village, “Mărunţica” from Chetrosu village, “Busuioc” from Drochia city, “Peliniţa” from Pelinia village, “Crăişorii” from Drochia city and “Vatra dorului” from Ţarigrad village are consid-ered groups with internaţional performances.

There are 33 public libraries within Drochia district, with a total of 522000 books, used by 24850 readers, out of which 10294 are children.

There are 4 music, arts and fine arts schools at present, where 50 instructors teach 622 children.

There are 7 museums within the district:

- The History and Ethnography Museum in Drochia city with 7 804 displayed items;

- The Native Land Museum in Pelinia village with 3 174 displayed items;

- The History and Ethnography Museum in Sofia village, set in a former boyar’s manor dating from 1887, with 11 884 displayed items;

- „Boris Glavan” House-Museum in Ţarigrad village with 372 displayed items;

- „Nicolae Gribov” House-Museum in Gribova village with 39 displayed items;

- The Farmers Museum in Cotova village;

- The Museum of the Native Land in Nicoreni village.

Most of the 36 monuments existing in the district have been erected to commemorate personnalities or fellow countrymen died in World War II or other military conflicts.

The following monuments have been built in Drochia city:

- A monument dedicated to poet Mihai Eminescu

- A monument to Prince Stephen the Great and Saint

- A monument to the World War II heroes

- A monument dedicated to the victims of Stalinist deporta-tions

- The monument ‘For our COUNTRY, for our PEOPLE’, dedicated to the memory of those that died fighting for the Republic of Moldova territorial integrity and independence.

TOWNS AND VILLAGES

I will present the biggest villages from the district Drochia.

DROCHIA CITY

The history of the emergence, development and prosperity of Drochia city fully accounts for the importance of the railway and the possiblities that it offers to its inhabitants.

The biography of Drochia city starts in 1895, the year when Ocniţa-Bălţi railway was constructed. The first houses were built near the small halt, subsequently called gară (meaning train station). The name Drochia-Gară appears as official locality name in the General Census of Romanian Population from December 30, 1930.

Natural Resources

The citys land resources consist of 1830 hectares, including farm fields - 439.4 hectares. The surface of the land within the built-up area is of 864 hectares and that of the forest land of 83 hectares. As part of the city there is a lake with a total surface of 30 hectares.

Local economy

About 1884 economic agents are active in Drochia city, most of them being natural persons. 369 of these economic agents are registered as legal persons. The greatest number is of limited liability companies - 251, being followed by 35 joint stock companies, 51 cooperatives, 12 state-owned enterprises and 5 municipal enterprises. The basis of the city economy is constituted by 20 important economic agents. Present-day city industry is represented by modern companies that process the following agricultural products: sugar beet, tobacco, maize, milk and meat. Equipments for industrial refrigerators, furniture, wooden and plastic packaging materials, ready-made clothes, bakery and confectionery products are also manufactured. Enterprises from Drochia city deliver goods in Romania, Ukraine, Russia, Belarus, etc. There are 140 retail trade units, 2 markets, 8 food shops, 5 subsidiaries of commercial banks and one insurance company in the city. 6 legal expert advice centres provide Services to citizens.

The social sphere

The population of Drochia city consists of 23 000 inhabitants – 79% are Moldovans, 12% Russians, 6% Ukraineans and 3% represent other naţional minorities.

The education system consists of 5 kindergartens, 2 secondary schools, with a number of 820 students, 4 high schools, with 2 386 students, a multipurpose school and a sport school.

- „B. P Hasdeu” Theoretical High School;

- „Mihai Eminescu” High School;

- „Ştefan cel Mare” (Stephen the Great) High School;

- “ Vladimir Boiarniţchi” High School;

- Middle School nr. 2;

- The sanatorial-type boarding school.

The health protection system includes the District Hospital, the Family Doctors Centre and 16 pharmacies. 133 physicians and 302 members of the intermediate-level medical staff vvork in the above-mentioned institutions.

Local public finances

Drochia city is one of the few localities in Moldova whose local public revenues are formed exclusively by its own income and de-ductions. This structure shows the fact that the city is a developped industrial centre, with a high economic potenţial. The level of its own revenues remained constant during the last few years, but the deductions increased due to the economic growth in the city. There has been no important change in the structure of the public ex-penses lately, except for the considerable increase of the financial ressources alloted to the communal administration: from 150 000 lei in the year 2000 to 240 000 lei in 2012.

After opening the Sugar Beet Factory in 1957, the Furniture Factory (1963), The Tobacco Fermentation Factory (1969), the Packaging Manufacture Industrial Complex (1970) and the Maize Seed Calibration Factory were also built. The number of city dwellers grew at the same time as industry, so that 11.2 thousand people were living in Drochia in 1970. Unfortunately, none of these enter-prises is funcţional today.

City culture

The cultural institutions network consists of two public libraries, two community centres, a music school and a painting school. The city has a local television, „Drochia TV\ a radio station, “Drochia FM” and an independent periodical publication, „Glia drochiană” (meaning Drochia land). A real art masterpiece is the „Dormition of the Virgin” Cathedral, built over 1988-1998.

The „Dormition of the Virgin” Cathedral

A symbol of outstanding artistic value and, at the same time, the pride of the people in Drochia is the „Dormition of the Virgin” Cathedral.

People in Drochia did not have their own church for decades. They used to go to churches in the neighbouring villages in order to attend the divine service, to receive the Eucharist, to baptise their babies, to get married, etc.

In the interwar period, in the centre of the city there was a small improvised church in the unfinished house of a rich man on the very place of present-day “Moldtelecom” company. rlhe Christian community in the city purchased it and enriched it with a dome. At the same time as the arrival of Soviet rule, the church was closed and used as warehouse of the sport school and later as gym of the local secondary school. According to eye witnesses, when the church was closed, the communist that went up on the dome to take down the cross fell and died on the spot, fact which encouraged people to believe more in Gods power.

Today, whereever you may come from to Drochia, from Soroca, Râşcani, Bălţi or Donduşeni, at the entrance to the city the impressive „Dormition of the Virgin” Cathedral will welcome you.

The context of the naţional renewal movement at the end of the ’80s of the 20th century, alongside fundamental claims regarding the statute of the Romanian language, alphabet, sovereignty, rights and political liberties of the citizens, brought about the demand that the church should be rehabilitated and that the holy places should be given back to the Christian communities. People in Drochia, fighting as much for a democratic society, did not hesitate to assert their right to build a holy church. On January 9, 1989 a group of intellectual people requested a meeting with the First Secretary of the District Committee in order to discuss the linguistic situation and the Party activists’ abuses on citizens. Within these debates they asked for permission to build a church in Drochia. Elena Bodiu, an inhabitant of the city, together with an iniţiative group that was backing her, had been knocking on communist authorities’

doors (even in Moskow) for years on end in order to obtain such an authorization but, unfortunately, it was all useless. Not this time, though, when the district top leaders, aware of the unavoidable changes that occured, gave in, approving their request.

After having obtained the place to build the church (namely, a part of the territory of the former „Selhoztehnica” enterprise, inexistent today), Elena Bodiu and the other women of the iniţiative group started promptly collecting the money necessary to make the sacred dream of Drochia people come true. The Soviet rouble devalued more and more from one day to another and there was no time to lose. The appointment of Pavel Vuluţă as parish priest of the future cathedral strongly stimulated the activity of the iniţiative group. Thus, on May 17, 1989 the place was consecrated and the foundation stone of the cathedral was laid. Soon all the necessary materials were bought from the Baltic countries, Belarus, Ukraine and other republics of the former USSR and the construction of the holy church finally started. Drochia people who had some free time and wanted to devote it to this project would come and work daily on the building site. Some of them would come just for a few hours, as their situation permitted, others would spend here -partly or totally - their holidays. Women from the iniţiative group would prepare food for the workers even from their own products, according to a pre-established graph. On Father Pavels advice, a church was built at the basement level in the first part of the works. Generally called „The basement church” and dedicated on May 27, 1990, it was not planned in the first project of the cathedral, but it was really needed, as people in Drochia did not have another place to celebrate the divine otfices.

Those who helped building up the cathedral were not only inhabitants of Drochia city, but also well-meaning people from the whole Republic. The news about this construction spread all throughout the country, even abroad. The final stage of the works was supported by companies, private economic agents and local authorities. The building works lasted until the end of 1996.

Another important stage of the history of this cathedral is related to the painting and furnishing works. Anatol Pleşca, mayor of Drochia city at that time, met the Roman ian painter Petre Achiţenie, professor at the National University of Arts in Bucharest, within a public event held at Dorohoi. This painter was famous first of all for his church painting. He had painted about 50 Romanian churches and monasteries, as well as other tens of churches throughout the whole world by that time. Despite his old age, maşter Achiţenie started his sacred work with an unfatigable energy. Helped by his apprentices, his brush would unveil figures of saints and scenes from the Holy Scripture day after day. He painted over 3000 m2 - the interior walls - in less then two years, putting all his heart and talent in every single centimetre. The interior of the cathedral was also embellished with unique wooden sculptures, real masterpieces created by extremely gifted carvers.

Therefore, the dream of Drochia people came true: on August 28, 1998, on the city festival day, the great cathedral was dedicated by a group of priests. Mircea Snegur, the first president of the Republic of Moldova, maşter Petre Achiţenie, Prince Paul, descendant of the Romanian royal family, were among the guests of honour. From that day on, the brilliant dornes of the “Dormition of the Virgin” Cathedral tower over the city, giving it splendor and charm.

The monument dedicated to Mihai Eminescu

The idea of erecting the bust of the Great Poet in Drochia city was born in the whirl of the naţional renewal movement events, more precisely in June 1988. In that year of utmost importance for the Bassarabians’ naţional renewal process, ‘the need of Eminescu’ had become imperative. According to Nicolae Leahu, poet and professor, „He was the only prince that could bring us all together, as a nation, under his poetic flag, in that climax of history”.

The political regime of that time rejected this noble idea. Moreover, during one of the meetings a few of its members proposed the shooting of Marin Guivan, Alexandru Bobeică and Tudor Moscalii, those who brought about this idea and were leading the naţional movement in Drochia district. These brave people bore the brunt of implementing the idea of erecting a bust dedicated to the memory of Mihai Eminescu. Supported by the public opinion, the members of the iniţiative group started collecting the financial means needed and extorted from the authorities the permission to open a bank account together with the authorization to erect the bust of the Great Poet. Paradoxical situations would sometimes occur, resulted from the local authorities’ approach to the need of erecting such a monument. For example, the local executive leaders asked the iniţiative group to provide them with a certificate meant to confirm that the Poet of our Eternity had been in Drochia at least once. The “document” proved that the poet passed through Drochia on his way to Odessa for a treatment, making a short halt while the train stopped at the small train station. This argument made the local authorities give in, despite the fact that there was no Drochia and no railway station in the year when Eminescu really travelled to Odessa.

To everybody’s surprise, the officials said that: “Eminescu deserves a monument, not only a bust. Let’s make him a monument!” The unveiling of the monument took place in 1993, on January 15, Eminescu’s birthday, after about two years of hard work. The event brought together important personalities of Romanian culture from both banks of Prut River. The authors of the monument are the sculptor Ion Ţurcanu, Nicolae Zaporojanu and Veaceslav Chiţan, architects born in Drochia district.

CHETROSU VILLAGE

The first attestation of Petrosu estate dates back to the reign of ruling Prince Alexandru Lăpuşneanu. In 1566 he gave BailifFPetru Albotă, his faithful servant, two plots for the construction of two villages - one on Speia valley mouth, on Cubolta river banks, and the other near Căinări River, called La Răchită (meaning By the Osier). The donation document got lost and Bogdan Lăpuşneanu, son of Alexandru Lăpuşneanu, renewed it for Petru Albotă on February 16, 1570. The bailiff had already founded Alboteni village on Căinări river banks, bordering Zgura. The old document showing the borders of the estates sold on September 15, 1764 attests Chetrosu village under the name of Speia, neighbouring Şuri village.

Founded in 1566 and attested by documents on February 16, 1570, Chetrosu village was first called Speia. It was also named Chetrosu, toponym used for it in the document of donation to “Sf. Spiridon” Monastery in Iaşi. The land will belong to this monastery from 1768 until 1922. The village is mentioned with this name in the census of 1774, where there are 74 houses, two priests, a psalm reader and six widows.

„Holy Archangels Michael and Gabriel” wooden church was attested in 1786. The stone church was built in 1869 and the parish school with one class was opened in 1897. There are sources that indicate the foundation of a school in 1862.

Chetrosu village has at present 2 406 peasant households, a population of 6 471 people and 5964.20 hectares as land resources. Growing cereals and technical crops are the main branches of the agricultural activity. Social infrastructure includes a health centre, the State Veterinary Service, two inns, two commercial units, a post office, „Victor Coţofană” High School and a middle school.

Leonid Cemortan, correspondent member of ASM (Academy of Sciences of Moldova), theatre critic and historian, poetess Lidia Ungureanu, singer Arseni Botnaru, they were all born in Chetrosu. Here one can find the natural monument „Exposure of Chetrosu Rock”.

Ion Prodan is the village mayor for the third mandate in a row, Iacob Furtună is the director of the high school and Emilia Surlari is director of the middle school.

COTOVA COMMUNE

Attested by documents on September 21, 1528 under the name of Cotoviţa, Cotova commune is situated on Căinări river banks. The donation document of Petru Rareş proves that the great Provost Marshal Marcu Ciuciuma is given three village areas: Cotoviţa, Dăngeni and Zăpădeni. In 1703 Cotova, Crişcăuţi (half of it), Burdujeni and Visoca were offered to „Neamţ” Monastery. Câşla Cotova is registered in 1817 and Odaia Cotovei in 1859, both lands belonging to the monastery.

Over 1772-1773 there were two priests in Cotova and „Our Ladys Veil” Church is made of stone in 1851. The parish school with one class is opened on October 29, 1887. Cotoviţa was also called Cartofleanca. In Cotova and Cotoviţa there were 580 peasant households, 340 and 162 houses, respectively, 1525 and 810 inhabitants, a primary school in each village, post offices, mayors offices and three inns in 1922. The villages joined together in 1970 under the name of Cotova, but the villagers still caii a part of the village Cartofleanca.

On the left bank of Căinări River there is a spring attested as a natural monument, protected by the state, that has the water temperature of + 10°C in any season.

The land ressources of the commune consist of 7541 hectares, including 5 523 hectares of arable land, 431 hectares of orchards and 175 hectares of ponds. Cotova village has 1294 peasant households, 3411 residents, a family doctors centre, three shops, an inn, a post office, a high school, a cultural centre (not funcţional), two kindergartens, a library, a church, two oii presses, five economic agents: SRL Cartofleanca (Valeriu Rotaru, director), SRL Cotoveanca (Alexei Cobâlaş, director), GŢ Flocosu Petru, GŢ Gangan Vasile, GŢ Bărlădeanu Ion.

Valentina Casico is mayor of the commune and director of the high school. The writer Claudia Partole was born in Cotova.

NICORENI VILLAGE

Attested on July 8, 1756, this village is situated on Ochiul Alb valley. „Holy Trinityn stone church was built in Nicoreni in 1877. In 1904, the village had 257 houses and 1730 inhabitants, whereas in 1923 it counted 720 houses, 4082 people, a consumer cooperative, a mixed primary school, a police station, a medical unit, a rural post office, mayor’s office and five inns.

„Saint Elijah the PropheG Monastery is still under construction on the territory of Nicoreni village.

Another religious establishment in this village is Nicoreni Monastery., founded in the summer of 1992 by archimandrite Rafail, on the place of a former rest câmp. The canteen of the câmp became the winter church, dedicated to the “Holy Mother of God - Portăriţa” (meaning The Gate Keeper), and the two blocks meant for resting were turned into cells for monks and pilgrims. The building of the summer church, dedicated to Saint Elijah, started in 1993 and was planned to have two levels, with three altars each. A large refec-tory with kitchen was built in 1996 - in 1998 it will be painted by two painters from Drochia in neo-Byzantine style. The monastery has an impressive library with ecclesiastical literature, especially prayers, church decrees and divine service books.

„Saint Elijah the Prophet” Monastery owns today 100 hectares of land, a very modern farming machine, poultry and animal farms, bee garden, orchard, vineyard, a few greenhouses for vegetables, etc. As part of the monastic premises, there is also a wood Processing workshop, where frames, iconostases and other top quality church-related articles are made.

At present, there are about 40 monks and some tens of attend-ants in this monastic community.

OCHIUL ALB VILLAGE

„Ochiul Alb - big village, situated in the valley with the same name, between Mihăileni şi Nicoreni”, wrote historian Vladimir Nicu in “Moldova suverana’ newspaper dated December 23, 1992.

Attested by documents in 1788, Ochiul Alb village has a surface of approximately 4.10 km2 and a perimeter of 9.93 km.

On December 23, 1792 Princess Mărioara Calimah buys Corlăteni village, also called Strâmba, as well as Ochiul Alb village, also called Paporţu from Matvei Cantacuzino. In 1859, Ochiul Alb estate belonged to Mihail Sturza and had 107 peasant households and 658 inhabitants. In 1875, on Mihail Sturzas expenses, “Saint Archdeacon Stephen’ Church was built of stone. In 1923, Ochiul Alb village had “Mihail Kogălniceanu” agricultural cooperative, a consumer cooperative, two mixed primary schools, a churcn, a rural post office, a police station, mayor’s office. A secondary school, a cultural centre, two libraries, a hospital, a policlinic, a pharmacy, social service offices, a post office, a canteen, shops and a nursery-kindergarten were opened in Soviet times. Two limited liability companies are funcţional today in Ochiul Alb: ‘Dealul Ochiualbean (Victor Zbancă, director) and ‘Câmpia Ochiualbeana (Serghei Babin, director).

ŢARIGRAD VILLAGE

First attested by documents on July 27, 1795, Ţarigrad village, also called Corbu, was founded on Răut river valley. In 1859 it is mentioned as Valea Ţarigradului (meaning Ţarigrad Valley), having 943 inhabitants and 190 peasant households. “Saint Aleksandr Nevski” Church was built of stone in 1882, and in 1905 the zemstva school with one class is opened. Later, in 1907, the school revision committee in Soroca County made the following recommendation: AII schools must be built as well as the school in Ţarigrad: two-storeyed, brick building, with joints finished off, not to need plastering and repairs every year. In 1922, 631 residents were alloted 2 341 hectares of the expropriated boyar’s land. In that period, Ţarigrad village had boyar Demianovici’s herd of horses, four steam mills, a mixed primary school, a church, a synagogue, a police station, a post office, mayor’s office, two inns and in 1930 it had 776 peasant households and 3 391 inhabitants. On November 5, 1945 Ţarigrad village was renamed Glavan, to the honour of Boris Glavan, a young man from Ţarigrad, member of “Molodaia Gvardiia” antifascist organization from Krasnodon, who was shot in 1943. The village later got back its historical name, Ţarigrad. At present, the village has two middle schools, a cultural centre, a library, two medical units, three nursery-kindergartens, a post-office, a canteen, shops, etc.

ŞURI COMMUNE

Şuri commune officially attests its existence on March 11, 1631 in a document confirming Gheorghe Moţoc and his family as landowners of Mândâc, Şura and Volosca villages.

Başotă was the landlord of the village between the years 1772 and 1773. At that time, the village had 23 houses, 19 Moldovans and two ecclesiasts, whereas in 1817, Câşla Şurile counted 34 peasant households and 68 men, all belonging to “Saint Spiridon" Monastery in Iaşi. In 1882 the “Dormition of the Virgin" Church was built of stone. In 1894, the zemstva in Soroca assigned 3500 rubles for the construction of a school in Şuri and in 1896 the zemstva school with one class was opened.

In 1922, 573 villagers were alloted 2 222 hectares of land and in 1923 “Luceafărul” agricultural cooperative was created. In 1930 this village registered 752 peasant households, 3184 inhabitants, a primary school, a church, a rural post oftice, mayors oftice and four inns.

In Soviet times, in Şuri were built a secondary school, a community centre, a library, a medical unit, social service units, a post oftice, a canteen, shops, nurseries and a kindergarten. At present, there are about 2 056 peasant households in Şuri village, 4 349 inhabitants and ‘Glia şurenilor’ limited liability

ZGURIŢA VILLAGE

Present-day Zguriţa village was formed by the fusion of Zgura and Nicoreşti villages with Zguriţa Jewish colony.

Some historical documents attest the fact that in 1528 the village land belonged to boyar Marcu Ciuciuma. The village will appear with the name Zguriţa as late as April 7, 1742 when the estate will be transferred to Ban Aristarho. The village was also called Ţâţus hamlet.

Nicoreşti outskirts were first attested on july 15, 1601 and Zgura is first mentioned in 1765, in a border-attesting document regarding Vasile Velişcos Căinări estates.

Between 1772 and 1773 Zgura had 23 houses, two ecclesiasts and 14 Moldovans, whereas in 1817 it was called Câşla Zguriţa and beloged to High Spatharus (meaning Sword bearer) Mihail Cerchez. Zguriţa Jewish colony was founded in 1851, counting 60 peasant households and 388 inhabitants. „Saint Michael” Church was buit in Zgura in 1881 and a parish school with one class is opened in 1905.

25 peasant households with 145 inhabitants were registered in Nicoreşti in that period. As a result of the Bessarabian peasant reform, a lot of people received land in 1922: 145 peasants from Zguriţa (394 hectares), 229 peasants from Zgura (827 hectares) and 117 peasants from Nicoreşti (495 hectares). In 1923, Zgura village had water mill, “Lumina” agricultural cooperative, primary school, church, post office, mayors office and inn. At the same period, in Zguriţa there were a cooperative, a quarry, two oii factories, a steam mill, a slaughter-house, five synagogues, a police station, a post office, a medical unit, mayors office, 12 inns, etc.

In 1930, Nicoreşti village had 151 peasant households and 643 inhabitants, Zgura - 327 households and 1 353 inhabitants and Zguriţa - 704 households and 3 028 inhabitants.

Zguriţa district was created in Soroca County on November 11, 1940. This territorial and administrative unit existed until 1956. The three villages fused in 1970 under the name Zguriţa. “Saint Parascheva” Church was later built in this village, as well as “N. Gribov” Professional School, the secondary school (today middle school), a cultural centre, two libraries, a hospital, a policlinic, a pharmacy, a nursery-kindergarten, two fruit collecting centres, a tobacco collection centre, a primary vinification unit, a canteen, a bakery, a post office, shops.

Zguriţa village includes at present 1 265 peasant households, 3012 inhabitants and a few limited liability companies: “Vir-Semcom” (Ion Gavriliţă, director), “Zgura-Agro” (Mihai Nedelciuc,director) and “Zgura-Conex” (Igor Lucico, director). Zguriţa is the birth place of the Moscow poet and interpreter Victor Peleneagră.

PELINIA VILLAGE

Mentioned as Pelinei, Sângureni, Pelinia village confirms its existence in the second half of the 18th century. Vladimir Nicu, historian and researcher, asserts that Sângureni village was first attested in documents dating from 1783 and 1786. Nevertheless, recent discoveries show that Pelinia is officially attested on November 14,1703 in a donation document of “Neamţ”Monastery.

As journalist Raia Rogac, born in this place, mentions in her study “Pelinia - name of legend”, the village surface is of 8 522 hectares, with a population of 8 651 people. Statistics show that women prevail - there are 4509 women as compared to 4 112 men.

The village is situated at 2 km from the railway station bearing its name, at 16 km from Drochia district centre and at 150 km from the capital-city of the Republic of Moldova, Chişinău.

The main economic agent form this village is „Câmpia Peliniei” agricultural cooperative, which generates the activity of some other 32 trade and service units (bakery, consumer copperative, petrol supply station, veterinary service, etc.).

In the village there are: a theoretical high school, a middle school, a primary school, a cultural centre and „Our Lady’s VeiEChurch. Soon, the „Great Saint Prophet Elijah” Church will generously open its gates at the entrance to Pelinia from Drochia.

DROCHIA VILLAGE

Drochia is the village that gave its name to the railway station, to the city and the district.

According to archaeological researches and to the account of the village elders, who received this information from their forefathers, j the first dwellers of Drochia village settled in Mătăseni, a beautiful j place with a lot of greenery and clear springs. The difficult living j conditions in this region made the villagers move to Cubolta valley, where the village developped until present times.

 The existence of this village is ofhcially confirmed on April 23, 1777 by a royal decree of ruling Prince Grigore Ghica regarding the conflict between the High Steward Iordache Panaite and a group of peasants.

The wooden church built in 1881, preserved until today in an execellent state, was one of the few churches that were active also during Soviet times.

At present in Drochia village there are 1300 peasant households,

3120 inhabitants, a middle school, a kindergarten, a cultural centre, a policlinic, a pharmacy, a post office, shops and inns. Outstanding personalities born in Drochia village are Dinu Roman, the first naţional hero decorated post-mortem with the Order of the Republic for courage and heroism during the conflicts of 1992 summer; Valentin Bobeică, Habilitated Doctor in Chemistry, winner of the State Prize of the Republic of Moldova for Science and technology, decorated with „Meritul civic” medal, former Vice-Ministrer of Ecology; Vlad Gheorghelaş, folk rhapsodist, peoples artist.