Moldova, slightly larger than Maryland, is a small country in Eastern Europe that has been inhabited for millennia and has been invaded by various cultures. Moldavia was formed in the 14th century and became a buffer zone for Hungary before declaring independence. It was weakened by conflict with the Habsburgs and eventually became a vassal of the Ottomans. Moldavia became a Russian protectorate in the late 18th century and was re-assimilated into the Soviet Union after World War II. The Republic of Moldova declared independence in 1991, and ties with Romania remain close. The country offers beautiful scenery and attractions such as the Cricova wine cellars and Orheiul Vechi cave monastery. Flights arrive daily in Kishinev from all over Europe, and buses connect Moldova to Romania.
Moldova is a small country in Eastern Europe. It covers 13,100 square miles (33,900 square km), making it slightly larger than the state of Maryland. It borders with Romania and Ukraine.
Moldova has been inhabited for millennia, often used as a crossing point by invaders. The Goths, Slavs, Magyars, Huns and Mongols all held Moldova at different times, each adding their own bits of culture to the region.
In the 14th century, the Principality of Moldavia was formed, containing much of what would later be Romania and Moldavia. Moldova was originally intended as a buffer zone for neighboring Hungary, but soon declared its independence, remaining independent for a few decades before a vassal of Poland, beginning a period where both Hungary and Poland would vie for political control of the region.
In the early 16th century Moldavia came into conflict with the Habsburgs, suffering heavy losses. The region was so weakened that it was no longer able to defend itself against the Ottoman Empire, which it had been fighting for more than a century, and eventually became a vassal of the Ottomans.
Moldavia for the next century would largely become a battleground between the Ottoman Empire and the Russians, suffering greatly from it. The Poles also attempted on numerous occasions to conquer sections of Moldavia but were repulsed each time by the Ottomans.
In the late 18th century Moldavia became a Russian protectorate, and by the early 19th century the eastern half of Moldavia, the section now known as Moldova and later known as Bessarabia, had come completely under the control of the Russian Empire. In the mid-19th century Moldavia and Wallachia joined forces and declared independence as the Kingdom of Romania, but Bessarabia remained under Russian control.
In 1917, in the wake of the Russian Revolution, Bessarabia declared its independence as the Republic of Moldova. In 1918 the new nation voted to join Romania as part of the union of Greater Romania, but the new Soviet powers entered and occupied the territory, declaring it the Bessarabian Soviet Socialist Republic. In 1924, after the formation of the Soviet Union, Moldova was declared the Moldavian Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic.
During World War II, the region came briefly under Romanian control during the German occupation, but after World War II it was re-assimilated into the Soviet Union as the Moldavian Soviet Socialist Republic. The postwar period was characterized by harsh repressions against ethnic Romanians living within the Soviet Republic, and the subsequent backlash of the Romanian population against the Soviets.
In 1991 the Republic of Moldova declared its independence following the collapse of the Soviet Union. For a time there was a push for unification with Romania, but starting in 1993 the country began to move further and further away from Romania. Russia and the new Republic of Moldova have clashed over the Transnistria region, a conflict that continues to remain just below the boil. Ties between Romania and Moldova remain close, albeit complex and not always entirely amicable.
Moldova is a beautiful country, offering the picturesque Eastern Europe that most people dream of. The highlight of the village, however, is in its cellars, which is why most people visit. Cricova is the starting point into the world of wine, with nearly 75 miles (120km) of underground tunnels that are literally filled with wines to taste. Orheiul Vechi cave monastery is another sight worth seeing. Dug out of a cliff on the edge of the Raut river by monks in the 13th century, it was abandoned from the 18th century to the end of the 20th century, but has begun to be restored by a new order of monks in the last decade.
Flights arrive daily in Kishinev from all over Europe, and US visitors can pass through a European hub. Trains and buses also connect Moldova to Romania, although buses are renowned for being quite a difficult journey.
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