Каждый второй дом пуст: Как опустело село в 40 км от Кишинева

#DisappearingMoldova ➡️ Journalists from the "Counter-News" program on Channel One Moldova visited the village of Mărtineşti, in the Straseni district, located just 40 km from Chisinau. There's no sign or plaque at the entrance to the village. According to local residents, most of the young people have left—some to the city, some abroad—and mostly only pensioners remain, who, they say, are living out their days as best they can. "Many left because no one wants to live in the villages and go hungry. There are almost no young people left, maybe a couple of families, and the rest are pensioners, and even then, a few. We used to eagerly await New Year's and Christmas. Everyone would go and carol, but now, even though the gates are open, we wait for at least one child to come, but no one comes." It's as if time has stood still inside the village. Houses with broken windows still contain forgotten belongings—clothes, dishes, furniture. And these aren't isolated cases: almost every other house here stands abandoned. "Even the elderly are few and far between. Many have passed away, and new people don't come, that's just how it is. If there's not enough money to live on, what else is left? So they leave. The reason is simple." "I believe that with this kind of leadership, we'll be mired in poverty. We're already poor, with our hands outstretched, and we'll get even worse. What can we say if even the elderly are fleeing the villages, not just the youth. Those who can, are all leaving." 👌 Follow @primulinmd