Locuri de văzut în Moldova: Corbu - the village that distributes bread and books

joi, 29 aprilie 2021

Corbu - the village that distributes bread and books

On a sunny November day, we stop in the village of Corbu, located 3 km away from the town of Donduseni.

We are greeted on the way by the monument symbol at the entrance to the village, which reads the year 1673 - the date of the first documentary mention.

The name Corbu was not given by chance. The intelligence and courage that the crows have shown over time have created many legends around them, one of which I learned, later, from the native Grigore Mititiuc.

According to the legend, on Valea Corbilor, a zone from the geographical area of the village passed the main commercial line between Iași and Moghilău, where carriages with hikers and goods stopped at the springs next to a grove of oaks carrying herds of crows. Some travellers would have stayed to make their homes for crows, hence the name of the village. The name Corbu was not given by chance. The intelligence and courage that the crows have shown over time have created many legends around them, one of which I learned, later, from the native Grigore Mititiuc.

Gigore Mititiuc, in the yard of the High School where he worked for over 40 years

Countless cars pass on the road that runs through the town, including large trucks, which remind us that this road is an international route.

The village of Corbu is located in the east-west direction in the valley of the Corbi brook, which flows near the village of Plop, in the Cubolta river. To the northeast, Corbu borders Climăuți, to the east with Plop, to the southeast with the district center of Dondușeni, to the southwest with the village of Rediul Mare, to the west with Pivniceni, and to the north with Cernoleuca.

In the centre of the settlement is the Church dedicated to „Saint Parascheva”.

A carpet of golden leaves, fallen from the old trees that guard the yard, lies down to the threshold, creating a charming combination with the green colour of the wooden church - an architectural monument built-in 1902.

In the register of monuments of the Republic of Moldova, are inscribed the Monument in memory of the soldiers of the country, fallen in the wars of 1941-1945; 1973, Monument in memory of the victims of repression (1940-1950; 1991) and three mounds.

Heroes Monument in front of the „Oleg Pupeza” Gymnasium

Monument in memory of the villagers who died during the famine of 1946-47

Corbu was and is a well-known locality in the north of the Republic of Moldova and throughout the country. A special reputation was created for him through the High School where thousands of young people have studied in the last 115 years, as well as due to the notorious personalities who took flight from here.

The village also made a name for itself through sports. Not in vain even on the day of our visit, on the sports field next to the school there was a football match between the Floresti and Donduseni teams, within the district tournament.

„In Corbu village there is the best sports stadium in the whole district”, says the senior coach of the Dondușeni Sports School, the native Anatolie Cordulean. „Let me show you something else!”, He urges us, leading us to the building of the former farmhouse, transformed with the support of the mayor's office into a beautiful sports hall, with equipment for winter training. „We did not allow this place to be destroyed. Here come the sports teams from Târnova, Țaul, Cernoleuca, Moșana, Dondușeni.”

Coach Anatolie Cordulean

Not far from the land, a newly installed playground rises like a clearing, and a country road leads to the park with rare species of trees, planted by some nobles a century ago.

Careful households attract attention. I met Mr. Serghei Ceban, a dental technician by profession, together with his niece Anișoara, at the gate of her house built in the '80s, with vines covering the welcoming yard. „The people from Corbu village are thrifty and care about their village”, he says, and we, agreeing, can add the pleasant impression of being met here by good, temperate and hospitable people.

The raven in the library

I gladly entered one of the three libraries of Corbu village. A stuffed raven perched on the bookshelf. Here is the symbol of the village!

I have heard about Mrs Natalia Coțofana, principal librarian, through campaigns to promote reading, soul meetings and other cultural activities she organizes. Mrs Natalia was happy to talk about the collaboration with the institutions in the village, with the students and teachers from the „Oleg Pupeza” Gymnasium, with the Vocational School, the „Andrieș” Kindergarten and the City Hall.

She spoke with great respect about Mrs Natalia Pupeza-Dobrovolischaia, a teacher of many generations of students - „Mrs Natalia is the „spiritual sponsor” of the public library in the village of Corbu. She founded SMB "Stories, stories with the scent of memories”, she wrote numerous articles about teachers and students, about mothers and daughters, about flowers and birds, about the parental home and many other beautiful things.”

Natalia Coțofana, principal librarian

He knows well the problems of the locality and even if the position of mayor is not easy, he makes every effort to contribute to the development of the village. Being a young mayor, he wants to contribute to maintaining the lively spirit of the village, by creating favourable conditions in the community for all ages.

Victorin Slipenchi, the mayor

„There are many problems that need to be solved,” said the mayor. Depending on the financial sources, we will solve them one by one. We are glad that we will soon put the aqueduct into operation. We plan to make a new sidewalk from one end of the village to the other. We will increase the area of the cemetery, because there are no more places. Another important project we are working on is the renovation of the stadium.

„I enjoy an open collaboration with the villagers. People are hardworking, caring and thank them for their efforts in building their future at home.”

From the history of the village

From the history books, we find out that the initial name of Corbu village was Siliștea Andreișeni. Through a deed signed on April 12, 1620, by Gaspar Voală, the settlement was given to Costea Busuioc. In 1673 the locality was inherited by the landlady Ruxandra, the niece of Costea Busuioc. In 1749 the first wooden church was built.

In 1825–1853 the town became the property of the boyar Brăescu. During this time, 16 families from Hotin and 59 families from Secureni come and settle. From Corbu, 20 families leave for Ţarigrad Valley. In 1879 in the village of Corbu from Voloștea Climăuți, the Parish School was founded, which had 8 students and a teacher - Simion Davidcenco. In 1904 Corbu, a village in Soroca County, located in a ravine of the Corbului Valley, is part of Volostea Climăuți, has 222 houses, 1,119 souls.

The nephew of the boyar Brăescu, Constantin Brăescu was born on January 21, 1873, in the village of Corbu, became Minister of War and Navy, the first general of the Democratic Republic of Moldova, manifesting himself as a patriot of the nation after the outbreak in Bessarabia of socio-political events in 1917-1918.

Constantin Brăescu

Of the 250 men of the village sent to the front in World War II, 46 fell in battle. During the deportations in the summer of 1949, 97 people were exiled to Siberia from the village of Corbu. In the years 1949–1950, the kolkhoz was organized in the village.

[The kolkhoz was a form of collective labour in Soviet agriculture and existed alongside state farms (sovkhozes). The word is an abbreviation of the phrase „collective household”. In the kolkhoz, the member called „kolkhoz / colhoznița” (колхо́зник / колхо́зница), received as payment for work a part of the farm's products, corresponding to the number of working days. Unlike the kolkhoz worker, the sovkhoz worker received his salary in cash, not in kind. The kolkhozes were also allowed to own about half a hectare of land and a few domestic animals. The Soviet peasants were satisfied that they received at least the lot in use, which provided most of their income.]

At the beginning, there were two: „Biruința” and „Miciurin”. At the end of the 1950s, the kolkhozes united and, together with the kolkhoz in the village of Pivniceni, formed a mixed household for growing and producing fodder, led, for the longest time, by President Stanislav Maznic. The main branches of the household were the growth and production of beef, the growth of sugar beet, tobacco, sunflower, fruit growing and vegetable growing, with high economic indices, were often highlighted in the republic.

On January 1, 1989, 2,424 inhabitants lived in Corbu village, and on January 1, 2002, 1,897 people lived in the village. Currently, the village of Corbu has 1,200 inhabitants, most of them natives.

Of course, in two pages of the newspaper, not all the wonderful moments and the brave people of the village can fit, but leaving the tab unfinished, we urge the villagers to send to Ziarul Nostru the most interesting stories from their home.