Moldova beyond the crowds: Jewish heritage, wine and Transnistria

A travel feature exploring Moldova's Jewish heritage, wine culture, and the Transnistrian region, highlighting sites like the Kishinev pogrom cemetery, Old Orhei monastery, Carlevana and Milestii Mici wineries, and the Soviet-era atmosphere of Tiraspol.

This travel feature presents Moldova as an off-the-beaten-path destination rich in Jewish history, wine culture, and Soviet nostalgia. The article highlights the Jewish cemetery in Chisinau, which includes graves of 45 victims of the 1903 Kishinev pogrom and a genizah with four desecrated Torah scrolls. It describes the Old Orhei monastery complex, where a monk maintains silence, and notes a Hebrew inscription in the chapel. Wine tourism is a major focus: Carlevana winery produces kosher wine (15% of output) and is developing an orange kosher wine; Milestii Mici holds a Guinness record with 1.5 million bottles stored across 55 km of underground galleries. The article also covers a visit to Transnistria, where the currency is the rouble and Soviet imagery dominates. The tone is enthusiastic and descriptive, typical of travel journalism, with no overt manipulation techniques detected.