Chisinau?

Hi paniewa,

I am a British man living in Chisinau for the past 2 years with my Moldovan/British wife and so far it is ok so you don't need to worry.

The main language seems to be changing to Moldovan now however most people speak Russian and a  little English.

Accommodation outside the apartment blocks is difficult to find and will be very expensive. However there are a lot of brand new apartments being built and I am sure one of those would suit.

Make sure you obtain medical insurance when you arrive here it is inexpensive and renewal annually.

You will also need to obtain a temporary residency permit after you have been here for 90 days. It is a bit time consuming but fairly easy to obtain, just make sure you have someone who speaks Moldovan or Russian when you go to the immigration department on Stefan Cel Mare Street, (the main street in Chisinau). 

Shopping wise you are spoilt for choice especially in places like MallDova and on Stefan Cel Mare street.

When you get to the restaurants make sure you order everything to be served at the same time, for instance if you order steak and chips you will find the chips will arrive in 5 minutes and the steak 20 minutes later.......Meals and drinks are not expensive here and good wine is plentiful.

Weather wise it gets very hot here in summer +35c sometimes and winter is cold down to minus 20c.

Transport is easy, trolley buses run almost everywhere and are very cheap, next are minibuses, these run everywhere except in the centre of the city and are also inexpensive. These can be stopped anywhere just by holding your hand up. You will need to learn the numbering system of the minibuses to know where they go. Taxis are next and cost approximately £1.50 to £2 to go anywhere in the city.

Anyway enjoy your time in Chisinau and if you need anything further I can be contacted at rabpom@aol.com

Good luck

Rof

Hi Rapbom! I really appreciate your email, I found it very informative...thank you I've just read it at loud to my husband and we are both grateful and already feel more excited than worried about moving to Chisinau. We are really happy to hear the positive feedback on living in Moldova, as we are going to spend there approximately 4 years!
Thank you again & regards
Ewa

Moldovan? The language exists? I thought it was Romanian... o.o (My best friend is Romanian and he is adamant about Moldova being part of Romania that was stolen by Russia and should be reunited to Romania...)

The Constitution of 1994 states that the national language of the Republic of Moldova is Moldovan, and its writing is based on the Latin alphabet.

Hi, Ewa, @Rapbom: as far as the Moldovan Constitution:

“In 2013, the Constitutional Court of Moldova ruled that the name "Romanian", as used in the Declaration of Independence to identify the official language, prevails over the name "Moldovan", given in Article 13 of the Constitution.” per <FamilySearch dot org>

“On 16 March 2023, the Parliament of Moldova passed a law that replaced the phrase “Moldovan language” with “Romanian language” in all laws of the country, including the Constitution

…. ….

The Republic of Moldova is a multi-ethnic country: the majority of the population speaks Romanian (according to the previous terminology, Moldovan)…. …. The Romanian language spoken in Romania and in the Republic of Moldova are linguistically identical from the point of view of vocabulary and grammar.” per <constitutionnet dot org>

As far as how you call it, it is up to you.

Before you decide, it is good to know:

>  Moldova's native people are native Romanians, whose native language is Romanian; whether they speak it with Moldavian or Muntenian accent, the words are (spelled) the same. 

> Moldova is and always was part of Romania/Dacia, regardless of the many political powers and divisions that claimed her over the millennia. 

> The "Moldavian language" was a soviet misnomer, still preferred by that generation.

From a practical standpoint: in Chișinău the street directions, billboards, official instructions are in Romanian, so it's advisable to learn at least her basics. 

God Bless