some history
by josephescu
There are several legends concerning the Chisinau origin. According to one of them, settlement was founded near the spring called “Chisinau” in a picturesque place in Codri, on the bank of the river Bac. The earliest mention of Chisinau refers to 1466. In this very year the Moldovan ruler, Stephen the Great, had granted a special letter to his uncle, Vlaicul, by which the former had transferred the right of possession of the present Chisinau’s territory.
At the beginning of the 19th century it was a small village of 7,000 inhabitants. In 1812 it was occupied by Russia, who made it the capital of the province of Bessarabia.
In its modern view Chisinau was founded in the beginning of the 19th century, with the Russians allocated resources and money to consolidate their presence in Bessarabia. In this context, the first general plan of the city was authorized in 1834 and an “imperial” townscape started to shape the city, with large boulevards, administrative buildings and churches built in a combination of classical and romantic styles.
HAVE A KVAS !
by DAO
When in Moldova....
Across Chisinau you will see the little Kvas stands selling this very interesting drink. Kvas (looks like KBAC in Russian and often spelled CVAS here) is a most Eastern European drink. Essentially it is fermented bread that has a low alcohol content of about .5 to 1.5%. It is made from stale rye bread, sugar, yeast, water and raisins. Dark rye bread is used for a darker version and some variants are flavoured with herbs, mint or fruits like strawberries. For just over half of a US Dollar you can get a full litre of this classic drink.
Kvas is an ancient Slavic drink that derives its name from the old Ukrainian language and means simply ‘sour drink’. Because it is high in vitamins B and C it has always been held up as a health drink. In fact it can stave off Scurvy. In Soviet times it was a cheap, popular drink that was cheap to mass produce. It is widely drunk across the former Soviet Union, Baltic States, here in Moldova and Poland.
So how does it taste? Well, personally I don’t rate it. It tastes kind of bland and slightly sour. I would recommend some of the flavored Kvas varieties available from the larger Kvas stalls. They also served it chilled which makes it taste better.
Please be careful where you buy Kvas in Chisinau! Unsafe vendors have actually sold Kvas tainted with coliform bacteria. You should look for vendors who have cash registers. This indicates they pay tax, are insoected and legal.
The original spring
by josephescu
The name of Chisinau comes from the old Romanian word chisla ("spring", "source of water"; the word is not used anymore, but was replaced by cismea, which has the same meaning), and nouã ("new"), because it was built around a small spring.
Nowadays, the original spring which gave the name to the city is located at the corner of Pushkin Street and Albisoara Street.
Getting around can be done by...
by Mr_Furious
Getting around can be done by the old, ordinary trolleybusses, normal busses (still old) or by Minibus (in Russian: marshrutka), (a van, in most cases an old Mercedes van).
The price for the trolleybus is 75 bani (1 Leu=100 bani) (75 bani= 0.05 euro), the price for a minibus ride is 2 Lei (0.16 euro).
On the citybusses a women selling tickets will come to you, in the minibus give the money to the driver.
Chisinau
by josephescu about vegetable market
The vegetable market in Chisinau keeps a flavour lost throughout Europe – actual old farmers and peasants sell their crops 110% eco-quality, younger ones even “advertise” their merchandise by shouting various funny catchphrases, a place crowded with people moving all directions and carrying everything you can imagine. Local bakeries, donuts and sweets, excellent pickles and delicious fruits, this is a place to take your lunch while observing people.
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Gates of the City of Chisinau
Chişinău Station
All Saints church, Chisinau
the arch of Chisinau
