Video reporting demographic catastrophe in the Republic of Moldova. What is discussed on the streets of a village where there are 7 inhabitants left: “There are only me and the stick”

The last census in the Republic of Moldova shows that the country loses, every three years, about 140,000 inhabitants, ie a city of the size of Balti. Many of the Moldovans went to work abroad, most in the EU countries. The hotnews correspondence in the Republic of Moldova went to a village where 7 people left, none young, to see how they live there and how the locals see their future.

The population of the Republic of Moldova reached 2.4 million inhabitants, almost 400,000 less than ten years ago, shows the census data of 2024. The steep decrease of the population “endangers the future of the state as a functional entity”, experts from Chisinau for Hotnews explained.

In many localities in Moldova, you can almost find no young man. Only the pensioners or those who, for various reasons, cannot work.

On a Saturday morning, at the beginning of summer, they left Chisinau, on some heavy roads, to see how to live in the depopulated localities further from the Capital.

I arrived in the village of Semionovca, from Mingir commune, which is about 90 kilometers from Chisinau. According to the 2004 census data, 43 people officially lived there. During the interwar period, when he was part of Great Romania, his locality called Queen Maria.

In order to reach this locality you have to travel the last 4 kilometers on a country road, unpaved. On the spot, however, I learned that the census data show an even optimistic situation: only 7 people, of whom a single man, live in Semionovca. They are all pensioners, and their children are going to work in European countries, mostly in Italy.

“The children left because they could not cope with the expenses in Chisinau”

The first woman I met in Semionovca was Aunt Ana, 70 years old. The woman has three children, two daughters and a boy, and her husband died. He told us that one of the girls was married and lives in Chisinau, the other two children are leaving for Italy. The husband of the daughter who stayed in the country was also left abroad, in Israel, but after five years spent there he returned to the Republic of Moldova.

The two tried to make a life in Chisinau: they bought an apartment and a car, and their husband found a job in the city. Unfortunately, they could not cope with the expenses and the husband had to go back to work in Israel.

“What to do, where to go? We stay here too. Okay we have children, we bring us what we need to eat. But they don't get their money, alas as they live there. Weights. We're waiting for better, but I don't know when,” Ana says.

“Now the lands are ribbon. It is no order, as it was once”

I asked Ana how the village was 30-40 years ago. The woman smiled and told that she “worked on the hill, as did the other villagers.”

“It was good, we were going to the hill, now the lands are rushed. It is not order, as it was: I knew I was waking up in the morning, I went to work. But now the youth to do, where to go?

They let go abroad, it is not paid here. Everywhere it is expensive, but our pension is 2000 lei (101.3 euros – no) ”, says Ana.

Why is the woman fearing Europe

The woman says she is worried about what is happening in Ukraine.

“We are very afraid of war. It would be good to understand the emperors. I was crying last night: Lord, children through ruins, by … How do they have no heart? They are not parents too? They have to stop, to be an understanding between them. But they … still bring tanks,” Ana tells us.

Surprisingly, the woman is worried about what is happening in Europe. He says he follows the news and is not quiet at all.

“I am afraid of them (Russians-no), but I am afraid of Europe.

“The children went abroad, I was only the stick”

Aunt Vasilița is 77 years old, is the oldest inhabitant in the village. He met us with a few apples from his garden.

“There were a few baboons left. I am born at Mingir (neighboring village – no), but here were houses. I remember everyone who went to the Lord, and the children went abroad, all. I was only the stick.

We are reconciled with the pension we have. Do you know why I'm afraid? To come even worse and take this, ”says the woman.

Aunt Vasilița claims that if she needs to go to the doctor, she must go, either in the neighboring village or in Chisinau, but only with the help of relatives.

Also on relatives in the Capital is based on medicines, when it needs it.

“What to do the politicians with so much money?

While looking for people in the village to talk to, we also had a discussion between two neighbors, about what they found last night about the politicians in the Republic of Moldova.

“Last night I was watching the TV, I was sitting with my mouth and listening about what they were talking about. A woman, I don't know what she was calling, she said they put salaries of 60 thousand lei per month (about 3000 euros-no). To leave him 30 thousand to give them to the poor ”, the story of one of the neighbors.

“Those who voted not at the referendum to go to Siberia, not in Europe”

Dumitru is just over 60 years old and is the only man in Semionovca. He lives with his wife, Zinaida. All three boys they have are going to work abroad. Dumitru hopes that at least one will return to the Republic of Moldova, even if he does not settle in the village.

“We do not have gas, the water here is not good for food, we buy it from the ball. But we remained cellars from the Germans (no-during the Second World War). Before, there were jobs in the colossus, in Vie, who descended here near the village. Now we have no school, no store,” says Dumitru.

Dumitru tells he can no longer work, he is considered invalid. As for politics, he says he does not understand those who are in the European Union or have relatives there, but voted “no” to the referendum for the accession of the Republic of Moldova to the EU.

“I believe that those who are in Europe and have put” no “to be brought home and sent to Siberia to work, not in Europe, hot. They want the Russians, but women and children are in Europe. How does this come? ”, Dumitru asks.

The Republic of Moldova will have parliamentary elections on September 28. Most analysts say they are crucial to the European future. A future that depends on the people living in these localities, as if forgotten and the world.