Introducing Chişinău

In Chişinău (kish-i-now in Moldovan, kish-­i-nyov in Russian) fleets of BMWs and Mercedes dominate traffic, while fashionably dressed youths strut down boutique-lined avenues and dine in fancy restaurants. How did this excessive wealth find its way to the capital of one of Europe’s poorest countries? Answer: you don’t wanna know and we ain’t asking. The stunning contrast between rich and poor is only overshadowed by the conspicuously bold acts committed by individuals who are clearly above the law and shamelessly conduct themselves as such. While this dodginess may be inordinately distracting for visitors, citizens of this vibrant, good-natured city have long since dismissed these oddities in favour of what really counts: having a good time.

While photographs of Chişinău tend to show sprawling concrete esplanades smartly bookended by concrete apartment blocks, this is probably the cosiest of all the Soviet-style cities rebuilt after WWII (it was totally destroyed by bombardment and a 1940 earthquake). Just a block away from the main drag you don’t feel the concrete at all through the lush foliage that holds the city in its embrace. First chronicled in 1420, Chişinău boasts wide avenues, pleasant parks, and is circled by yet more parks and lakes.

Visitors always marvel at how funky the city is; the communist government that’s been in power since 2001 hasn’t put a damper on the nightlife, which swings until the morning hours. One of the positive Soviet legacies the Moldovans inherited is a very Slavic attitude towards enjoying life – at all hours.

Jews used to comprise 35% of the city’s population in 1913; today the figure is about 3%, though recent years have seen a reactivation of the community. In 1903 Chişinău was the scene of a pogrom that resulted in the murder of 49 Jews, with 500 injured and 1500 homes and shops vandalised; this was in response to rumours that Jews had ritualistically killed a Christian boy in Dubaşari to make unleavened Passover bread.

More than half of Chişinău’s population today is Moldovan; Russians comprise 25% and Ukrainians 13%. As such, the Russian language is widely used in the city. The city celebrates – and how! – its City Day on 14 October, which bleeds into the Wine Festival, which takes place in the first weeks of October.

Chişinău’s location in the centre of the country makes it an excellent base for day or several-day excursions to other parts of Moldova; it’s usually possible to drive anywhere in the small republic and back in a day.