Moldova — books & literature

The story of Moldova

Moldova's history begins with the medieval Principality of Moldavia, founded around 1359 by Bogdan I as an independent state between the Carpathians and the Dniester River. The principality reached its height under Stephen the Great (1457-1504), who defended its independence against repeated Ottoman invasions and is remembered today as Moldova's foremost national hero. By the 16th century Moldavia had become an Ottoman vassal, and in 1812 its eastern half, Bessarabia, was ceded to the Russian Empire. Bessarabia united with Romania after the First World War, only to be annexed by the Soviet Union in 1940 and reorganised as the Moldavian Soviet Socialist Republic. Moldova declared independence from the USSR on 27 August 1991 and adopted a new constitution in 1994, becoming a parliamentary republic. Since independence the country has balanced ties between Russia and the West, weathered the unresolved breakaway of Transnistria, and built one of the world's most celebrated wine industries on soil that has produced grapes for millennia. In 2022 Moldova was granted European Union candidate status, and the EU formally opened accession negotiations in June 2024 , a new chapter for a small nation shaped for centuries by empires on either side.

Timeline — key moments

1. circa 1359

   Bogdan I founds the independent Principality of Moldavia.

2. 1457-1504

   Reign of Stephen the Great, who repels repeated Ottoman invasions.

3. 16th century

   Moldavia becomes a tributary vassal state of the Ottoman Empire.

4. 1812

   Treaty of Bucharest cedes Bessarabia (eastern Moldavia) to the Russian Empire.

5. 1918

   Bessarabia unites with the Kingdom of Romania after World War I.

6. 1940

   Soviet Union annexes Bessarabia, forming the Moldavian SSR.

7. 1991

   Moldova declares independence from the Soviet Union (27 August).

8. 1994

   New constitution adopted; Moldova becomes a parliamentary republic.

9. 2022

   Moldova is granted European Union candidate status (23 June).

10. 2023

    The European Council decides to open EU accession negotiations with Moldova (14 December).

11. 2024

    The EU formally opens accession negotiations with Moldova at the first intergovernmental conference (25 June).

Top 10 things to know about Moldova

1. Moldova is one of the smallest and most landlocked countries in Europe, bordered by Romania and Ukraine.
2. Chișinău is the capital and largest city.
3. Romanian is the official language, sometimes referred to locally as "Moldovan".
4. Moldova is one of the world's most vineyard-dense countries per capita, with winemaking traditions stretching back millennia.
5. Mileștii Mici, near Chișinău, holds one of the largest wine collections in the world in roughly 200 km of underground tunnels.
6. The breakaway region of Transnistria declared independence in 1990 but is not internationally recognised.
7. Moldova was granted EU candidate status in 2022, and the EU formally opened accession negotiations in 2024.
8. Stephen the Great, a 15th-century prince, is revered as Moldova's national hero for defending it against Ottoman invasions.
9. Moldova remains one of the poorer countries in Europe by GDP per capita despite steady economic growth.
10. The Moldovan leu, introduced in 1993, is the national currency.

Famous people from Moldova

Say it in Moldova's language

Did you know?

• ★The Mileștii Mici wine cellar near Chișinău has roughly 200 km of tunnels and holds one of the largest wine collections on Earth.
• ★Moldova is almost entirely landlocked, with only a tiny stretch of Danube riverbank near Giurgiulești as its sole water outlet.
• ★Transnistria, a strip of land inside Moldova, has run as a de facto separate state with its own currency and government since 1990, unrecognised by any UN member.

Moldova culture

• Mărțișor, celebrated on 1 March, is a spring festival where red-and-white string trinkets are exchanged as symbols of health and renewal.
• Winemaking traditions run thousands of years deep; wine is central to hospitality, celebration, and the rural economy.
• Traditional dishes such as mămăligă (cornmeal porridge) and plăcinte (stuffed pastries) reflect culinary roots shared with Romania.
• The hora, a circle folk dance, remains a fixture of weddings and village festivals.

Why read Moldova's books

Moldovan literature grew from the same Romanian-language roots as its western neighbour, carried forward by scholar-princes like Dimitrie Cantemir and modern poets like Grigore Vieru who wrote through Soviet-era restrictions. Its books trace a small country's long negotiation between empires, language, and identity.