Moldavskie Vedomosti
The publication "Moldavskie Vedomosti" was established in the Republic of Moldova in 1995, exclusively in Russian. It is published weekly, every Friday. According to information on its website, it has a circulation of about 8,400 copies and consists of 12 pages in A2 format. The printed edition, as well as the website, features articles on politics, business, economy, culture, health, and sports. During the presidency of Vladimir Voronin (2001-2009), it was regarded as one of the main opposition newspapers in the country.
In 2007, "Moldavskie Vedomosti" announced a temporary suspension of its publication for "technical reasons," according to the editor-in-chief, Dmitri Ciubasenco. The newspaper later returned to the market.
In 2008, the General Prosecutor's Office opened a criminal case against the publication. Radio Free Europe reported that the investigation was launched over allegations that "Moldavskie Vedomosti" received excessive advertising revenue from the Soroca Gravel and Granite Quarry. Dmitri Ciubasenco claimed the investigation was an attempt to liquidate the publication and suggested that the order originated from the then-President Vladimir Voronin.
In 2007, the publication changed ownership when it was taken over by Victor Ciobu, who subsequently changed the editor-in-chief several times.
In a 2011 interview with Ziarul de Gardă, Nicolae Andronic, the former president of the Republican People's Party, stated that he supported the publication, although he was never among its founders. "Each month, we invested 5,000 euros for the maintenance of 'Moldavskie Vedomosti,' which was one of the few publications that opposed Voronin and his regime," Andronic declared. He served as a deputy in the first Parliament and held positions as deputy prime minister in the Ion Ciubuc Government and first deputy prime minister in the Ion Sturza Government between 1999-2000.
In recent years, the publication has faced accusations of spreading false information about the European Union, the United States, and NATO, and of maintaining a pro-Russia editorial policy. Numerous articles from "Moldavskie Vedomosti" have been highlighted on the portal www.stopfals.md, which specializes in debunking misinformation.
On October 30, 2023, the website vedomosti.md was blocked by the Information and Security Service (SIS) on the grounds that it was disseminating false information that could generate "tensions or social conflicts in the context of military conflict and recognized as an aggressor state" or involve individuals on international sanctions lists from the European Union, the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada, and Norway for actions undermining the constitutional order in the Republic of Moldova or threatening the statehood and territorial integrity of Ukraine.
Shortly after the site was blocked, the publication launched a new site with a nearly identical name, www.evedomosti.md, where it continues to publish the same anti-EU and NATO, and pro-Russian content.
Key Facts
| Audience Share | 369.600 copies (2023) |
|---|---|
| Ownership Type | Private |
| Geographic Coverage | National |
| Content Type | Paid |
| Data Publicly Available | ownership data is easily available from other sources, e. g. public registries etc. |
| Media Companies / Groups | PP Moldavskie Vedomosti |
Ownership
| Ownership Structure | The publication "Moldavskie Vedomosti" is owned by the company "Periodical publication Moldavskie Vedomosti" SRL which has only one owner, Victor Ciobu. |
|---|---|
| Individual Owner |
Media Companies / Groups
Facts
| Founding Year | 1995 |
|---|---|
| Founder | Dumitru Ciubașenco Born on August 14, 1963, in Chisinau, Dumitru Ciubasenco studied at the State University of Moldova's Faculty of Journalism. Two years later, he transferred to Moscow State University "M. Lomonosov," where he attended the International Department of Journalism. During his final semester, he completed his thesis in Bucharest. Ciubasenco has worked in journalism since 1985, holding positions at various press agencies. In 1992, he co-founded the Infotag agency and served as its deputy editor-in-chief. In 1995 he helped establish the Moldavskie Vedomosti newspaper, where he worked as editor-in-chief until 2009. In July 2009, he participated in the early parliamentary elections on the list of the Liberal Democratic Party of Moldova, despite not being a party member. That year, he left Moldavskie Vedomosti to found the newspaper Panorama. In the November 2010 parliamentary elections, he ran on the list of the Humanist Party, led by Valeriu Pasat, the former head of the Intelligence and Security Service, and served as the party's spokesman. In December 2009, he was awarded the Order of the Republic by interim President Mihai Ghimpu. However, he renounced the honor a year later after Ghimpu presented the Order to Georgian President Mikhail Saakashvili. "I couldn't take it any longer; I declared that I renounce this decoration and sent it to the presidential administration via registered mail," Ciubasenco later explained. On August 31, 2016, he switched parties again and was officially nominated for the presidency of Moldova by Our Party, led by Renato Usatii, a politician known for his pro-Russian views and ties to Moscow. He received 6.03% of the votes in the first round. In 2019, he ran for parliament on the Our Party list but did not secure a seat. He later resigned from the party while serving as deputy chairman. In recent years, Ciubasenco has appeared as a political commentator on television. In 2024, he frequently shared articles from the portal www.traditia.md, "an informational platform for Orthodox believers in Moldova," which also publishes political commentary. "I don't want to share this distinction with Saakashvili, who on March 2, 2005, came to Chisinau to support the Party of Communists led by Vladimir Voronin, with whom he was then opposing Russia. I refuse to be associated with Saakashvili, who promotes an anti-Russian policy and ignited the war in South Ossetia and Abkhazia," Dumitru Ciubasenco stated. |
| CEO | Victor Ciobu |
| Editor-In-Chief | Elena Zamura Elena Zamura is a Moldovan journalist and the editor-in-chief of the periodical Moldavskie Vedomosti. Born in Chisinau, Elena Zamura graduated from the Faculty of Journalism at the State University of Moldova and later attended the Institute of Political Science in St. Petersburg, Russia. She has worked for the newspapers "Tineretul Moldovei" and "Moldova Sovietică." Subsequently, she served as editor-in-chief of "Nezavisimaya Moldova" and "Novoe Vremea." Since 2013, she has been with "Moldavskie Vedomosti." In 2009, while she was editor-in-chief of the newspaper "Alianta Moldova Noastra," published by the party of the same name led by former Chisinau mayor Serafim Urechean, she was awarded the Order of the Republic, the highest state distinction in Moldova. In 2003, while working for "Novoe Vremea," she received a special award from the Independent Journalism Center "For Journalistic Prowess and Eloquence." |
| Contact | Moldavskie Vedomosti bulevardul Ștefan cel Mare și Sfânt 182 2004 Chișinău contabil.vedomosti@gmail.com (+373 22) 23-86-18; (+373 22) 23-86-19; (+373 22) 23-86-18 www.evedomosti.md |
| Revenue | MDL 862.99 thousand / USD 47,520 (2023) |
|---|---|
| Operating Profit | MDL -128.7 thousand / USD -7,090 (2023) |
| Advertising (in % of total funding) | Missing Data |
| Market Share | Missing Data |