Day 33 – Wed July 15th – Moldova
For the relatively small price we are paying for the room at the ‘Aparthotel’, it didn’t feel right to sit in the very plush Italian restaurant next to the Hotel for our price inclusive breakfast, the cost of which back home would be more than the room price! We enjoyed it nevertheless, and were waiting out the front at 10am for Slava Jnr to pick us up to be our host for the day.
The Republic of Moldova is a small landlocked country in Eastern Europe wedged between Romania to the west and Ukraine to the north, east and south. It has a long and complicated history, and a proud history. It was originally part of Roman Dacia under the Roman Empire. The Principality of Moldavia can be traced from about the 1350’s. It was a vassal of the Ottoman Empire from 1538 until 1812 when the Russian Empire annexed Bessarabia, the eastern half which is today modern Moldova (the western half remains Moldavia, a Province of Romania). It enjoyed brief independence from 1918 and united with Romania, but was again annexed by the Soviet Union in 1940 as the Moldavian Soviet Socialist Republic, until the USSR dissolved in 1989.
In 1991, Moldova declared its independence as the Republic of Moldova. By reputation, it has been regarded as the poorest country in Europe, but it would appear that things are rapidly changing in that regard. Its currency is the Moldovan Lei, which is about AUD$1 to 14 MDL. By contrast though, a very decent pizza might be 70 Lei, which is about AUD$5. Its language is basically Romanian, with Russian also a dominant language. Most Moldovans, especially the older ones, would speak both, but English is also prevalent being taught in the school system.
We headed north out of the city about 30k to the city of Orheiul, then turned slightly south east to Orheiul Vechi (old Orheiul) which is marked on maps as Trebujeni. As we approached, making the gradual descent down on to the Raut River plain we could clearly see the high limestone cliffs standing like a long and high wall from the far side of the river. In the limestone cliffs were a number of caves, but one of them in particular was of great historical interest to us. Regarded as probably Moldova’s most fantastic sight, the Orheiul Vechi Monastery is carved into the massive limestone cliff.
The cave Monastery was dug by Orthodox Monks in the 13th Century, and has had continual habitation up to the 18th century, and resumed again from 1996. Deep in the rock, a beautiful chapel has been developed, with separate sleeping quarters for the Monk. Visitors gain access via a steep stairway cut into the rock from above. It was a wonderful experience, and to take in the view across the river plain from the cliff opening of the cave was just stunning.
We drove away from the Monastery in the limestone cave cliffs, to one of the most beautiful Monasteries in Moldova, at the nearby Curchi, a village in the wider region of Orhei. Described as one of the most important architectural monuments of Bessarabia, it is certainly one of the most beautiful. Founded in 1773, a number of churches have been built on the site over the years. But the centre of attention is the Cathedral Nasterea Domnului. Built in 1872, it was inspired by the Church of St Andrew in Kiev and has the highest dome in Moldova at 57 metres.
We hit the Monastery at the right time. A wedding party had just arrived who had no issues with us taking photos of the bride. We were also permitted to stand as part of a lovely family Christening service, which was a huge privilege indeed and a very moving and memorable moment.
To cap off a fabulous day, young Slava then took us to the famous Cricova Winery which is based in the town by the same name about 15k north of Chisinau. The wine cellars are the 2nd largest in Moldova (and probably in the world) and which is housed in a labyrinth of 120k of underground roadways, tunnels which have existed under Cricova since the 15th century when the limestone was dug out for the building of Chisinau.
The labyrinth of tunnels are perfectly cut, and are laid out like a well planned suburb. We were driven in an open vehicle through the myriad of roads, which ultimately go to a depth underground of 100 metres. The roads have names. Wines are made here, and stored for years to mature. Famous owners have paid annual fees to have their wine stocks stored here in perpetuity, such as President’s Putin (Russia) and Merkel (Germany). The wine owned by Field Marshal Gooring is still stored here. There is more than a million bottles of wine in some stage of maturing or storage. The oldest wine dates to 1902.
The labyrinth of tunnels was famous from WW2 when it was used for hiding Jews in wine barrels during the Nazi invasion of the Soviet Union. There are also some very plush rooms for wine tasting and conferences, one of which was reputedly used by President Putin to celebrate his 50th birthday.
It was a solid day of introduction to Moldova, and a very tiring day. Young Slava, at 20 years of age was a font of great knowledge on his country, its politics and the social issues impacting the Moldovan people. We appreciated his guidance and hospitality very much. We enjoyed an early night, deciding to ‘fast’ rather than eating for the sake of eating, given that we had feasted in luxury at the beautiful restaurant at the Cricova underground winery for a late lunch.
From our rather period styled apartment at the ‘Aparthotel’ in downtown Chisinau, we send our love.
KRA
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