Republic of Moldova, the jewell of the Est – a point of view

We discuss a lot about Republic of Moldova, bun few are who want to visit and know for real. But the number of those who come to the country for the holidays is, unfortunately, much smaller. In 2014, out of the 14,300 foreign citizens who came through the travel agencies, only a little over 8,000 had the aim of „vacations, recreation and rest”, according to official statistics.

The fortress of the city Soroca

Republic of Moldova, as a tourist destination, it cannot be to anyone's taste.   It would not fit into the classic patterns of the lovers of the expensive travels, luxurious restaurants and extravagant places, because every step you take here takes you closer to the traces of the recent history of the small state between Prut and Dniester. Visiting Republic of Moldova, you just need a little curiosity, doubled by the wish to pass over the information on political imbalances or visiting this territory caught between two worlds (eastern and western space) can be, rather, a rediscovery of nature and beauty, of a traditional cuisine and wine who have reached the tables of the British Crown - or, at least, so say the locals. The tourism potential of this state of only three million inhabitants was also recognized by the International Tourism Organization, which included it, but last year, in the top 10 beautiful countries in the world that attract a small number of tourists. According to the National Bureau of Statistics of the Republic of Moldova, in the first half of 2015, the number of foreign visitors who arrived in the country was 1.07 million people (most Ukrainians - over 444,000, Romanians - over 393,000 and Russians - over 116,000), up 13.6% compared to the same period last year. But the number of those who come to the country for the holidays is, unfortunately, much smaller.

The way of the wine. At the beginning of October, when we passed the Prut to the east, the sun was still shining generously over the Republic of Moldova, but the guide Ion Perojoc, which has an experience of some decades in this profession, a mong the general data and historical information we provide, he is proud of the progress made so far by this small state on the outskirts of the European Union. He also draws attention, from the first moments of our meeting, that the lack of richness of the basement compensates for the variety of soil and relief, which is easy to notice since crossing the border. Moldova, more and more known, for example, for the local terroir, already has a long history in the cultivation of vines and the production of wine. The vineyard vineyards seem endless and accompany the traveler much of his way to Chisinau. October is also the month in which the „Wine Day” Festival takes place, an event that already has a tradition in Moldova. This year, each manufacturer opened its doors and welcomed the curious directly to the winery and not in the city center, as it was until then.

At least ten Moldovan wineries should be on the list of curiosities, and by „Wine Day”, they seem inadequate. The twisted galleries, which allow the wine to stay at a constant temperature throughout the year, are similar to those in the south of France, a region recognized for the quality of the wines produced there. With 148,000 hectares of vineyards (of which 107,000 used for commercial production) and four wine regions, the Republic of Moldova exports over 90% of its wine production. In fact, in 2013, wine represented about six percent of the total exports of the republic, but the wine export was affected by the embargo imposed, at the end of the same year, by the Russian Federation, one of the important markets. There are 40 producers now, but the specialists estimated that before the embargo their number was at least double. But the wine production in the Republic of Moldova has resisted, and the wineries are among the most interesting places to visit for connoisseurs and wine lovers, but also for the curious.

The largest underground gallery in the Republic of Moldova (and among the largest in the world) is at Mileștii Mici, a small village less than 20 kilometers from Chisinau. With a total length of 200 kilometers, of which only 50 are exploited, Mileștii Mici appeared as a result of excavations for the extraction of limestone deposits from the 1970s. The galleries are located at a depth between 40 and 85 meters, and the entrance can be make the minibus, but the most pleasant is to stroll the streets bearing the names of wines. Mileștii Mici is well known for its Gold Collection, which entered the Book of Records, as the largest wine collection in Europe, with over 1.5 million collection bottles. Currently, there are about two million bottles stored there, and the wines were produced between 1968-1991. The most expensive wine bottle is „Buchetul Moldovei”, a dessert wine from 1973, which costs 29,700 Moldovan lei (about 5,900 Romanian lei), and the most expensive collection belongs to the former Soviet leader Mihail Gorbachev.

Republic of Moldova is also recognized for the sparkling wines produced here, and the leader in this segment is Cricova Winery.  Cricova Winery was founded in 1952, is situated about 12 kilometers from Chisinau, and its galleries stretching over 120 kilometers, making it one of the main tourist attractions. With a storage capacity of 40 million liters, a sparkling wine factory following the traditional method, the winery was visited by political leaders such as Vladimir Putin, Angela Merkel, John Kerry, who also have the most expensive and numerous collections. Cricova Winery has over 150 of medals obtained at wine competitions around the world. The oldest bottle in the collection dates from 1902, being the last bottle in a lot of one hundred. For this bottle, an Israeli wanted to offer one hundred thousand dollars and four Cadillac cars, but Cricova Winery refused.

On this way of the wine, great name like Purcari or Château Vartely they should not be overlooked. Less well known is the Comrat Wines Combinat, situated in the autonomous region of Gagauzia (founded in 1994, Gagauzia is situated in south of Moldova it has a territory of 1,830 square kilometers, inhabited by a population that speaks a language of Turkish origin and is culturally close to the Turks, but they are Orthodox. Gaza has a People's Assembly and an Executive Committee and is headed by a governor). The visitors appear there as curiosities, because there are rarely those who walk through this region. The language that the Gagauzians use is Russian. In Comrat, wines have been made since 1951, but the construction dates from the late 19th century when there was vodka. Production capacity is low - about 132 tonnes, in the best years. In a complicated geopolitical game, the Russian Federation decided to cancel the wine and fruit embargo only for products coming from Gagauzia, thus further orienting the region to Russia.

O întoarcere în timp. Republica Moldova nu înseamnă însă numai viță de vie. Înseamnă și biserici și mănăstiri care au rezistat dârze trecerii timpului, cum este Mănăstirea Curchi, care are o vechime de două secole și jumătate. Situată în Codrii Orheiului și considerată astăzi „cea mai frumoasă și vestită mănăstire din Basarabia”, în timpul dominației sovietice, a trecut prin numeroase încercări, căci călugării săi au fost alungați, icoanele au fost distruse, iar circa patru mii de volume religioase au fost arse. Mănăstirea a fost transformată în spital de psihiatrie, în perioada sovietică. La fel ca majoritatea lăcașelor de cult, și mănăstirea Curchi s-a degradat în acest răstimp  ajungând aproape o ruină. La începutul anilor 2000 au fost demarate însă lucrări de reparație, iar astăzi, mănăstirea și-a recăpătat faima și aspectul de odinioară.

A return in time. However, the Republic of Moldova does not mean only vines. It also means churches and monasteries that have stood the test of time, such as the Curchi Monastery, which is two and a half centuries old. Located in Codrii Orheiului and considered today „the most beautiful and famous monastery in Bessarabia”, during the Soviet domination, it went through numerous attempts, because its monks were banished, the icons were destroyed, and about four thousand religious volumes were burned. The monastery was transformed into a psychiatric hospital during the Soviet period. Like most places of worship, the Curchi monastery was degraded during this time, reaching almost a ruin. In the early 2000s, however, repair work was started, and today the monastery has regained its former fame and appearance.

On roads that nobody seems to know about, there are other places where time seems to be in place. On a promontory that watches almost along the Răut river, near the village Butuceni, on the place where formerly Orheiul Vechi was located, well hidden in the rock is the cave monastery bearing the name of the village. In time, the stairs built from the Răut river surged, and in order to gain access to the small church, at the beginning of the 19th century an access corridor from the village was dug. With many small cells, from the last room, where the church is dug, a door opens to a stone balcony, where the view leaves you with your breath cut because you see the Snake snaking, but also the road that crosses its place among the vines. vineyards and rows of luxurious cars coming in for the wine festival of this small eco village. Foreigners – quite in number compared to the small size of Butuceni – are fascinated by the simplicity, order and authenticity that reign here. The tradition is part of everyday life, but you are easily surprised that, in the houses saved from ruin and transformed into accommodation places by a former lawyer who bet on the traditional Moldovan village, unaltered by the haste and superficiality that dominates in the big cities, you can connect easily with wireless Internet. In Chisinau, this seemed much more difficult. The food in Butuceni has the taste of „home”, long forgotten, because the fruits and vegetables are not treated with pesticides (which, paradoxically, are too expensive to be bought by the villagers) and then they retain all the qualities that we run today and we pay more.

Till to the river Dniester. A visit to Moldova would not be complete without a visit to one of the most famous cities (for the Romanians on the left of the Prut): Soroca. Located on the bank of the Dniester, the fortress rises so fiercely as if it had not been passed for more than five hundred years. Built in the time of Stephen the Great, Soroca is the only 15th century fortress that has remained almost unchanged to this day. The fortress is built on four levels - first were the warehouses, then there were the cannons (and in each of the five towers there was a cannon), and on the last floors there was the garrison. From the outside, but also from the inside, the fortress seems incomparable. The only vulnerable point: the massive 22-meter door with a suspended bridge. Circularly built, with a width of three meters, it resembles a Norman castle or those built in northern Italy. Many consider Soroc's fortress to resemble Queenborough, Walmer and Deal castles in Kent (UK). Starting with 2013, the fortress was included in the cross-border project „Medieval Jewelry”: the Hotin, Soroca and Suceava Fortresses, realized in partnership with Romania, Ukraine and the Republic of Moldova and financed with the help of European funds. From the towers, one can easily admire the quiet course of the Dniester, which, like Soroca, does not seem to be touched by the modern times and remain unpolluted, in this area with an unpredictable history, as two old friends.

Article wrote by Cristina Dobreanu for Forbes România on November 11th, 2015.