Culture
If, as PJ O'Rourke paraphrases, 'Russia is a riddle, wrapped in a
mystery, inside an enigma, tied in a hankie, rolled in a blanket and
packed in a box full of Styrofoam peanuts', then Moldova, with its
cultural ties to Russia, Romania and Turkey, is even more of an puzzle. It
has risen from the ruins of Soviet socialism to become a democratic
republic split in two, one area controlled by the government and the other
by separatist rebels loyal to Mother Russia; it has few cities but is one
of the most populated countries; unification with Romania, its closest
neighbour, is an on-again-off-again issue and yet it has more in common
with other former Soviet countries; the official language, Moldovan, is
phonetically identical to Romanian, while Transdriestran schools and
universities are all taught in Russian. Moldova actively encourages
entrepreneurial flair and closer ties to Western economies but is still
hobbled to the Russian rouble; it's got all the ingredients for a
successful tourism industry but is less developed than other Eastern
European countries; Moldovans are gregarious people but make some of the
surliest hotel staff in the world. Everything in Moldova has an equal and
opposite reaction, which makes it either one of the most balanced of
countries or one of the most confusing.
War and religion play a big part in the Moldovan psyche, and it has a
fistful of monasteries, ancient fortresses, wooden churches and war
memorials to prove it. These architectural and cultural museums are
supplemented by medieval frescoes of Madonnas, princes, crosses, anonymous
churchy folk and a range of gilded iconography that immediately makes you
think of Russia. Literature, art, music and dancing are also pretty big in
Moldova. Folk dancing is similar to other Eastern European folk dancing;
all dirndls, bonnets and elaborately embroidered tunics, with partners
moving in circles or sinuous lines to the sound of bagpipes, flutes,
panpipes and violins. Sort of like sedate square dancing without the
Stetsons and whoopin 'n'
hollerin'. And when all the praying and dancing are done with,
Moldova has some of the best and biggest vineyards in Eastern Europe. Wine
and wine tasting are an integral part of Moldovan life.
It's fortunate that the wine is so good because Moldova has inherited
the Russian anti-style of cooking: meat done to a consistent grey and
vegetables boiled to a watery pulp and sculpted into forms resembling
Soviet-style monoliths. The ubiquitous Romanian mamaliga (soft cornmeal
mush) appears on most menus along with Turkish sasliks, kebabs and
baclavas. Some of the better dishes include Russian dumplings in mushroom
sauce and hearty Jewish stews. One uniquely Moldovan speciality is
tochitura Moldoveneasca, pan-fried pork in a spicy pepper sauce served
with mamaliga and topped with fried egg. If you've got a cast-iron stomach
and feel particularly adventurous you might want to try some of the dishes
at the Cactus Cafe in downtown Chisinau, where time is saved by serving
main meal and desserts on the one plate.
National Anthem
To listen the national anthem click
here.
UP