Before the war in Ukraine began, Moldova was a little-known country in an often-forgotten corner of Eastern Europe, nestled between Romania and Ukraine. Formerly a Soviet Republic, Moldova has existed as an independent country for only 34 years. During that time, as a small nation lacking natural resources, Moldova found itself in a tug-of-war between Europe to the west and Russia to the east.
Similar in size and population to Wales, Moldova is Europe's poorest country. As a nation where corruption, poverty, and political instability have been rife, these societal problems have all contributed to huge numbers of Moldovans emigrating to find a better life abroad. The rate of emigration has been so significant that Moldova is one of the fastest shrinking countries in the world!
There are now considerable Moldovan diasporas in parts of mainland Europe such as Italy, as well as North America, Russia, and the UK. You might be aware that Romanian (the state language of Moldova) is now the third most commonly spoken language in the UK after English and Polish.
Moldova's religious context
When it comes to religion, for many, to be Moldovan means to be an Eastern Orthodox Christian. In practice though, most Orthodox Moldovans actually hold to 'folk orthodoxy' which is an enslaving, Satanic combination of fear and superstition under a thin Orthodox veneer.
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