MOLDOVA - was officially the poorest country in Europe.

Moldova: A Century of Struggle Between East and West

Moldova is a small country in Eastern Europe with a complex and often turbulent history. Nestled between Romania and Ukraine, it has long been caught in the geopolitical struggles of larger powers. In the 20th century, Moldova’s fate was shaped by imperial collapse, Soviet occupation, and ongoing disputes over the separatist region of Transnistria. Today, Moldova stands at a crossroads, balancing its aspirations for closer integration with Europe against persistent pressure from Russia.

Early 20th Century: Between Empires

At the dawn of the 20th century, the territory that now constitutes Moldova was largely part of the Russian Empire, known as Bessarabia. Annexed from the Ottoman vassal state of Moldavia in 1812, Bessarabia became a borderland between Russian and Romanian culture. The majority of the population were Romanian-speaking peasants, while the ruling elite often adopted Russian or other European identities.

When the Russian Empire collapsed during World War I and the 1917 Russian Revolution, Bessarabia seized the opportunity to chart its own course. In December 1917, local leaders proclaimed the Moldavian Democratic Republic, initially as an autonomous region within Russia. However, with the chaos of civil war spreading, Moldovan leaders sought protection from Romania. In 1918, Bessarabia voted to unite with the Kingdom of Romania, a union that would last until 1940.

During this interwar period, Moldova was integrated into Romanian political and cultural life, though tensions remained. Romanian authorities sought to centralize administration and promote Romanian language and identity, while some minorities, particularly Russians and Ukrainians, felt marginalized.

World War II and Soviet Annexation

The outbreak of World War II drastically altered Moldova’s trajectory. In August 1939, Nazi Germany and the Soviet Union signed the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact, a secret agreement dividing Eastern Europe into spheres of influence. Under this arrangement, the Soviet Union claimed Bessarabia.

In June 1940, the Soviet Union issued an ultimatum to Romania, demanding Bessarabia and northern Bukovina. Facing German pressure and Soviet military strength, Romania ceded the territories without a fight. The Soviets quickly annexed Bessarabia, merging most of it with a portion of Ukrainian territory to create the Moldavian Soviet Socialist Republic (Moldavian SSR).

The Soviet takeover was accompanied by mass arrests, deportations, and suppression of Romanian identity. Land was collectivized, and the Moldovan language (essentially Romanian, but written in Cyrillic script under Soviet rules) was promoted as distinct from Romanian, part of Moscow’s effort to weaken cultural ties with Romania.

In 1941, when Nazi Germany and Romania invaded the Soviet Union, Romanian forces retook Bessarabia. However, the wartime Romanian administration collaborated in Nazi atrocities, including the deportation and murder of Jews and Roma. By 1944, the Red Army reconquered the territory, restoring Soviet rule until the end of the Cold War.

Soviet Moldova: Repression and Transformation

Life in Soviet Moldova was marked by both repression and modernization. The Stalinist period saw waves of deportations to Siberia, arrests of intellectuals, and efforts to erase Romanian cultural influence. Thousands were accused of being “class enemies” and sent to labour camps.

At the same time, Soviet policies industrialized parts of Moldova, particularly the eastern region across the Dniester River (later known as Transnistria). Factories, power plants, and infrastructure were developed there, while central and western Moldova remained largely agricultural. This economic disparity would later contribute to separatist tensions.

Culturally, Moscow promoted a distinct “Moldovan” identity, separate from Romania. The language was written in Cyrillic, and education emphasized loyalty to the Soviet Union. Despite these pressures, many Moldovans maintained awareness of their Romanian roots, particularly through clandestine cultural and religious expression.

The Fall of the USSR and Moldovan Independence

By the late 1980s, Mikhail Gorbachev’s reforms of glasnost and perestroika unleashed suppressed national sentiments across the Soviet Union. In Moldova, activists pushed for recognition of the Romanian language, adoption of the Latin alphabet, and closer ties with Romania. Massive demonstrations in Chișinău in 1989 helped secure these reforms.

When the Soviet Union collapsed, Moldova declared independence on August 27, 1991. Independence brought new hope but also immense challenges: economic collapse, corruption, and unresolved ethnic and regional divisions.

The Transnistrian Conflict

One of the most pressing challenges for the young republic was the separatist movement in Transnistria, the strip of land east of the Dniester River. This region, heavily industrialized and with a large Russian-speaking population, resisted Moldova’s pro-Romanian cultural policies and feared unification with Romania.

In 1990, local leaders in Tiraspol declared the Pridnestrovian Moldavian Republic (PMR), or Transnistria, though it was not internationally recognized. Tensions escalated into open conflict in 1992, as Moldovan forces clashed with separatists supported by Russian troops from the 14th Army, stationed in the region since Soviet times.

The brief but bloody war ended with a Russian-brokered ceasefire. Since then, Transnistria has remained a de facto independent entity, with its own government, military, and currency, but recognized by no UN member states. Russia maintains a military presence there under the guise of “peacekeepers,” giving it a strategic foothold in Moldova and limiting Chișinău’s sovereignty.

Moldova Between East and West

Since independence, Moldova has struggled to balance its relations between Russia and the West. Economically dependent and politically fragile, the country has faced repeated crises.

Relations with Russia: Moscow has used energy supplies, trade embargoes, and its influence in Transnistria to pressure Moldova. Gas disputes have left Moldova vulnerable to Russian leverage. Russian media also wields significant influence among parts of the Moldovan population, particularly in Transnistria and Gagauzia (another autonomous region).
Relations with Romania and the EU: Moldova shares deep cultural and linguistic ties with Romania, which has often supported its pro-European aspirations. Many Moldovans have obtained Romanian citizenship, granting them access to the European Union. In recent years, Moldova has signed association agreements with the EU and pursued closer integration, though corruption and political instability have slowed progress.
Internal Divisions: Moldova’s politics have often swung between pro-European and pro-Russian governments. While much of the population favours EU integration, others—especially in Russian-speaking regions—remain wary of alienating Moscow.

Moldova and Russia Today

The war in Ukraine since 2014, and especially Russia’s full-scale invasion in 2022, has dramatically heightened Moldova’s security concerns. Moldova, bordering Ukraine and located near Odesa, finds itself at risk of Russian destabilization. Moscow continues to support Transnistria and uses it as leverage against Moldova’s Western aspirations.

In recent years, Moldova under President Maia Sandu has pursued a strongly pro-European course. Sandu’s government has sought to reduce reliance on Russian energy, strengthen ties with Romania, and deepen integration with the EU. In 2022, Moldova was granted EU candidate status, marking a historic shift.

However, Russia still exerts influence. It supports pro-Russian political parties in Moldova, spreads disinformation through media, and maintains its military presence in Transnistria. While an outright invasion like that of Ukraine may be unlikely, the risk of hybrid destabilization—through energy blackmail, propaganda, or manipulation of separatist regions—remains very real.

Conclusion

Moldova’s history since 1900 has been shaped by the competing forces of empire, nationalism, and geopolitical rivalry. From its time as Bessarabia under the Russian Empire, through Soviet annexation and repression, to independence in 1991, Moldova has endured immense challenges. The unresolved conflict in Transnistria continues to symbolize the country’s vulnerability to Russian influence.

Yet Moldova is also a story of resilience. Despite economic hardship and political instability, it has maintained its sovereignty and moved closer to the European Union. Today, Moldova stands as a frontline state in the broader contest between Russia’s desire to maintain influence in its former empire and the aspirations of smaller nations to chart their own futures.

The choices Moldova makes, and the support it receives from its European partners, will determine whether it can finally escape the shadow of foreign domination and secure a stable, democratic, and independent future.

Moldova is a land of undulating countryside and relies to a large extent on agriculture. The fields are worked largely by hand and during the season hundreds of workers can be seen with hand tools tending the soil and the crops. School holidays are long, which enables the children to help in the fields.

Extreme poverty can be seen almost everywhere, not only in the villages but also in the towns. The centres of Chişinău and Bălți are on the face of it quite prosperous but just away from the centre extreme poverty again can be found.

Generally speaking, the people are extremely hard working and generous with the very little that they have.

It is true to say, the world was very impressed in the way the people of Moldova welcomed the thousands of refugees who fled the escalating war at the beginning of 2022