In southern Moldova, a vineyard gets caught in the turmoil of the war in Ukraine
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By Isabelle Mandraud
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FeatureLocated at a strategic crossroads on the border with Ukraine and the separatist region of Transnistria, Purcari Castle has hosted thousands of refugees.
Perched atop a hill, Purcari Castle, which draws its name from the nearby village of Purcari, in Moldova, enjoys a breathtaking view. Straight ahead, along the Dniester River, Ukraine is less than 1.5 kilometers away, while to the North, Transnistria lies only slightly farther. The winery is located in the very South of Moldova, at the crossroads of the three borders that separate this former Soviet republic from Ukraine and from the pro-Russian Moldovan separatist enclave. And since February 24 it has been living with Vladimir Putin’s war right on its doorstep.
As if to prove the point, thick black columns began to fill the blue sky, plumes of smoke rising one after the other. It was the middle of the afternoon on May 7, and a deluge of fire was falling on Odesa as Russian forces began bombing the large Ukrainian Black Sea city, some 60 kilometers away. On this clear day, the horizon suddenly loomed all too near.
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“Yes, it’s Odesa,” Eugen Comendant said grimly. The director of the Purcari Wineries Group has become accustomed to this. The estate he manages – 320 hectares specializing in renowned varieties of wine such as merlot, pinot blanc, chardonnay and montepulciano – was plunged into turmoil on the very first day of the invasion, when thousands of Ukrainians crossed the border, fleeing the fighting. “On the morning of February 24, everyone woke up to the war,” he said. “We immediately held a meeting with the staff and by noon, the first tents were up.”
Eugen Comendant, executive director of Purcari Wineries Group in the reserve of Chateau Purcari, Moldova, on May 7, 2022. PHILÉMON BARBIER/HORS FORMAT POUR « LE MONDE »
A steady stream of refugees – 400,000 had crossed the Moldovan border in just the first few weeks – was flowing into the castle. This first stop on their journey was transformed into an emergency reception center. A dormitory was improvised in the restaurant room, under the square tower; the kitchen was busy making sandwiches; and the director was struggling to secure any other available lodging in the area, in hotel rooms and rental cottages. “It was really cold then, and we heard some terrible stories.”
Among the arrivals, a group of orphans moved the staff more than anything. Evacuated on a bus with only their driver for company, two 18-year-old women with their baby in their arms and 14 children aged 2 to 10, arrived alone. “They were scared. They had only a birth certificate and scant luggage with them,” said Mihaela Lavrov, usually in charge of tourism, who took care of them. “I remember two whole families squeezed into a tiny car, who had no idea what to do anymore, and also a woman who told us that she had been raped by Russian soldiers in front of her little boy for several days in a row,” confided Ilie Pascaru, who manages the site’s reception. “It hit us pretty hard emotionally,” he added. “I try not to think about it anymore.”
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