Day 265 - Moldovan Weddings

The marriage palace

The blue building directly across the street from the embassy was a government building where it is likely lots and lots of official things happened, but we called it the marriage palace. Every day happy couples emerged and had photographs taken in front of the building. Some of the brides wore traditional white wedding dresses and carried large bouquets of flowers. Others were less formal. But all emerged with smiles.

Victoria, the embassy's economic specialist, was married there a few months after the embassy was opened, but only her family and the family of her husband were part of the group at the marriage palace. Victoria invited us to her parents' home that evening for a celebration of the marriage. Her parents' apartment was on one of the upper floors of a building at the edge of town where we experienced what we had heard about Soviet-era living. Victoria's mother met us at the entrance to the building and led us up the stairs, insisting that we hold hands like kindergarten children on a field trip, because the elevator didn't work and all the lightbulbs in the stairwells and hallways had either burned out or been removed by residents who couldn't find replacements in shops to buy. The single room that served as living and dining room, and probaby also a bedroom at night, had been transformed into a banquet hall with tables lining the walls in a large square with chairs so close to the walls that moving around in the room wasn't possible. Once situated, we were in place for the evening.

The Cleared American Guard and his wife and child with
Sandra, Helen (a local employee), GSO David, and Alex

After months of watching the marriage parades, we finally got a closer view. Blake*, one of the Cleared American Guards, was joined in Chişinău by his girlfriend, Melanie*, and their child. While there, they decided to marry. Several of us were able to enter the marriage palace along with Blake and Melanie to witness their marriage.

Another member of the local staff, Yurii, also was married during our assignment in Moldova, to Helen. In addition to Yurii working for the embassy, Yurii's mother was part of the kitchen staff set up by Fluor Daniel. Yurii, Helen, and their son Sasha ended up in the United States on immigrant visas less than three years later. Since then Yurii has turned into one of my two immigrant success stories. More on that later. Yurii's and Helen's wedding reception was held at the Hotel Codru's reception hall on the ground floor of our building.

Natalia and Ben at their
wedding reception

The next wedding took place shortly after Alex and I left Moldova.  My secretary, Natalia, took leave shortly before we left. She traveled to Tbilisi, Georgia, where some of the American craftsmen had been sent once they left Chişinău. One of those craftsmen was Ben. Very shortly after Natalia's visit, she and Ben were married. Ben and Natalia traveled together to several countries while Ben continued working on embassy projects.

Tatiana and Steve at their wedding

The last in the series of weddings I felt connected to followed our departure by a longer time. My successor in Chişinău, Steve, moved into our house where Tatiana had been our cook and maid. Before Steve left Moldova, he and Tatiana were married. When Steve returned to the United States less than a year after arriving in Moldova, Tatiana and her son traveled with him, eventually settling in northwestern United States when Steve retired.





*A name, not necessarily the right one.