Soroca

Sometime in the near future, I will hail from a respectively large town called Soroca.  It is situated rather uniquely on the northern border (hotar) across from the Ukraine.  35 paces from the Nistru river, which separates the Ukraine from Moldova, sits the Soroca Fortress (Cetate de Soroca, “Che-tah-teh”).  Though much of what I currently know about Moldova can be ironically found on Wikipedia, I will do my best to deliver what I know as naturally as possible.  It was built a long long time ago.  The date eludes me right now.  You can find it quite easily.  (Note: If I had internet at this house, research would be no problem.  I have electricity and all other amenities.  I am definitely not complaining.)  When I was driving into Soroca on the highway, I could clearly see the Nistru River, and as soon as I understood what I was looking at, the director of my future pointed out that the fort was on the banks of the Nistru.  He didn’t say “fort,” but simply pointed.  I said “Oh, the castle” and the little English that he knew was sufficient enough to correct me.  “Nu!  Cetate!  Not castle.”  I didn’t have the heart to tell him that I didn’t remember what “cetate” meant.  I was sort of embarrassed inside, but played off the embarrassment with a corrective, “Ah, da!  Am uitat.  Cetate.”   Now I know.  Now I will never forget it.  And it’s a funny thing, language learning.  I never know when or how my language will develop, but it does as long as I put myself in its path.  There’s no stopping it. 

The “city” of Soroca is a raion center which is why I placed city in quotation marks.  I am a city boy and I suppose I would equate a raion as a county and a raion center as the city that distributes resources to surrounding cities.  I’m sure my peers who grew up in a similar setup would know better than me.  That said, Soroca is a raion center, or oraşul, with approximately 7 or 8 villages surrounding it and obviously to the south because north of Soroca is the Ukraine.  I currently live in a village whose raion center is Ialoveni (Yah-loh-ven).  Raion centers are usually more populated with a more developed infrastructure.   Soroca’s history can be traced back to the times of Stefan cel Mare, a medieval king of Moldova.  He is regarded as Moldova’s national hero for a number of reasons including protecting Christianity during his reign and limiting Turkish growth and expansion.  Up until 1812, before the Russian Empire took over, this land was already called Moldova, but was changed to “Desarabia” by the Russian Empire.  The city of Soroca dates back to the time of these medieval upheavals. 

As I walked through the fortress halls and staircases, I could not but guess what life would have been like.  To know that I was walking through the halls of a structure that was build approximately 500 years ago simply blows my mind.  I get real excited every time I think about it.  (Btw, “excited” in Romaneşte is not “excitant” as I thought it would have been.  =))  From the top of the fort, I can easily see the Nistru and the borders of both countries, Moldova and the Ukraine.  The countrysides for both are gorgeous.  I cannot wait to travel across, which apparently for Moldovans is very difficult.

Border crossing.  If a Moldovan from surrounding cities or villages wished to cross the border at Soroca, they would have to present their passport and visa, which in themselves are an ordeal.  However, if they can prove that they have lived in Soroca for more than 3 months, they are officially a Sorocan citizen and can cross the border with simple identification card that states their current residence as officially Soroca.  Otherwise, they would have to travel 4 or 5 hours south to a different border crossing town and enter through their depending on how strict their respective immigration laws are.  It is very interesting. 

Off the topic, on a real note, my current host little brother who is no older than 6 just knocked on my door and gave me a green balloon that is made for balloon flowers.  He was very excited to give it to me.  His older brother sells balloon flowers in the capitol of Chişinâu.  I am going into the living room to say thank you.  Have a good night.  Noapte bună.