Unghiul
The periodical "Unghiul" was established in 1997 and is considered the first independent newspaper in the Ungheni region. The first issue was published on July 20, 1997. Originally founded by three local journalists—Nicolae Sanduleac, Lucia Bacalu-Jardan, and Victor Pîslaru—the newspaper was fully taken over by Nicolae Sanduleac in 2000, when the company "Unghiul" SRL was founded.
The publication is committed to providing readers with an objective and balanced perspective on the world in each edition, educating the public, and promoting the values of responsible and ethical journalism. It is published every Thursday in Romanian and Russian, with a weekly circulation of approximately 5,000 copies.
The publication also manages the website unghuli.com, where materials from the newspaper are published, along with other news, particularly from the Ungheni district. In 1998, the newspaper received support from the Soros Foundation Moldova through special programs.
According to a 2011 study by the Independent Press Association titled "Evolution of the Local Press in Moldova from 1990 to 2010," "Unghiul" was the only newspaper in the Republic of Moldova that used its own revenue to purchase both a headquarters building and a vehicle for its editorial office. At that time, the publication offered salaries significantly higher than other local newspapers, and its combined circulation in Romanian and Russian editions reached over 9,000 copies between 2001 and 2003. By early 2011, the newspaper's circulation had grown to approximately 11,000 copies.
After the death of Nicolae Sanduleac, who led the publication until 2020, circulation began to decline. According to figures released by the National Book Chamber of the Republic of Moldova, in 2024, "Unghiul" has been printing approximately 5,000 copies a week.
Key Facts
| Audience Share | 144 thousand copies (2023) |
|---|---|
| Ownership Type | Private |
| Geographic Coverage | Local |
| Content Type | Paid |
| Data Publicly Available | ownership data is easily available from other sources, e. g. public registries etc. |
| Media Companies / Groups | PP Unghiul |
Ownership
| Ownership Structure | Unghiul is published by Publicatia periodica „Unghiul” SRL, which has one shareholder. |
|---|---|
| Individual Owner |
Media Companies / Groups
Facts
| Founding Year | 1997 |
|---|---|
| Founder | Nicolae Sanduleac Nicolae Sanduleac was part of the team that founded the independent newspaper "Unghiul" in 1997 and served as a co-founder. He soon became the director of the publication, managing it until 2019. In June 2020, he passed away from an incurable disease at the age of 68. Sanduleac was regarded as one of the best press managers in the Republic of Moldova, having received multiple awards as the top manager of API member newspapers. Under his leadership, "Unghiul" became the market leader in the region, boasting the largest circulation among local press outlets in Moldova. Lucia Bacalu-Jardan Lucia Bacalu-Jardan was born on May 7, 1958, in the city of Cornești, Ungheni district. She graduated from the Faculty of Journalism at the State University of Moldova. For over 30 years, she was active in the media, collaborating with the most important periodicals in the Republic of Moldova. She served as the editor-in-chief of the newspapers "Flux de Ungheni" and "Unghiul," after which she founded the regional newspaper "Expresul." Victor Pâslaru Victor Pâslaru was the editor-in-chief of the district committee newspaper of the Communist Party, "Octombrie," and later worked at "Vocea Satului" and the "Vocea" newspaper. He tragically died at the age of 40 in a road accident in Poland. |
| CEO | Andrian Turețchi Andrian Turețchi has served as the director-administrator of the publication "Unghiul" since 2020. He studied information technologies at the Technical University of Moldova (UTM). In addition to his role at "Unghiul," he is the interim director of the Palace of Culture in Ungheni, an institution under the authority of the Ungheni Municipality City Hall. He notes that he has been active there since the Soviet era: "Even before it was commissioned on April 2, 1987, I was whitewashing the ceiling in the ballroom with others. It was interesting. I have been deputy director since 2013; prior to that, I worked as an electrical engineer," he said in a 2018 interview with "Unghiul." According to his statements, Andrian Turețchi worked abroad for six months. He mentioned during a discussion that he officially became an employee of the Ungheni Palace of Culture in 2010. |
| Other Important People | Natalia Rîbcic-Morari Natalia Rîbcic-Morari joined the publication "Unghiul" in 2017 as an editor-coordinator before advancing to the position of deputy editor-in-chief in 2019. In her current role, she manages the editorial team, coordinates content production, and oversees the editing and proofreading processes. She also assumes responsibility for the publication's overall production in the absence of an editor-in-chief. She holds a degree in journalism and public communication from the Free International University of Moldova (ULIM). Beyond her journalism career, Rîbcic-Morari has maintained an active presence in civil society. Since 2020, she has served as president of "Casiopeea," a youth-focused NGO dedicated to developing and implementing youth policies and organizing activities for children and young people. Her commitment to community development extends back to her previous role from 2007 to 2016, when she volunteered as a promotion and active citizenship specialist with the IP "Resource Center for Sustainable Local and Regional Development" under the Ungheni Municipality City Hall. |
| Contact | Unghiul str. Mihai Eminescu 45 Ungheni contact@unghiul.com; ppunghiul@gmail.com 023622296, 023622284 www.unghiul.com |
| Revenue | MDL 1.39 million / USD 76,540 (2023) |
|---|---|
| Operating Profit | MDL 127.3 thousand / USD 7,010 (2023) |
| Advertising (in % of total funding) | 44%: MDL 613.6 thousand / USD 33,790 |
| Market Share | Missing Data |