Putin celebrated his 50th birthday at the state-owned Cricova Winery which is located 9 miles north of Moldova’s capital Moldova’s former president gave Putin a collection of wines during the visit They were added to an exhibition of famous former visitors along with a picture of the Russian leader ‘we got lots of questions that we could not answer about why he was still here,’ winery director Sorin Maslo told The New York Times sealed-off area of the winery so that ‘nobody has to deal with him,’ Maslo added Cricova’s display features pictures of famous visitors such as Ukraine president Volodymyr Zelensky former German chancellor Angela Merkel and former US Secretary of State John Kerry Putin’s snub also reflects the strained relationship between Moldova and Russia Moldova was a major supplier of wine to Russia until 2013 Moscow then imposed an embargo on Moldovan wine after the country signalled its ambition to join the EU Kremlin officials threatened Moldova with a ‘military scenario’ in the breakaway Transnistria region which is controlled by Russian-backed separatists Moldovan voters approved a change to the country’s constitution which moves Moldova out of Moscow’s sphere of influence and aligns it more closely with the EU Removing Putin’s wines from the display is a symbolic gesture from Moldova Cricova is the country’s second-largest wine cellar with 75 miles of labyrinthine roadways under the winery Half of the roadways in this underground ‘wine city’ are used for wine storage Please enable JS and disable any ad blocker This website is using a security service to protect itself from online attacks The action you just performed triggered the security solution There are several actions that could trigger this block including submitting a certain word or phrase You can email the site owner to let them know you were blocked Please include what you were doing when this page came up and the Cloudflare Ray ID found at the bottom of this page The TimesBuried 80 metres deep below the rolling vine-covered hills to the north of Chisinau lies the world’s second largest wine cellar is known best for its sparkling wines but the 70 kilometres of tunnels also host the president’s wine collection the Yuri Gagarin tasting room where the Soviet astronaut and first man to travel into space spent two days straight drinking as well as the confiscated 2,000-bottle wine collection of the commander of the Luftwaffe rainy day in December some unusual new tunnel occupants lined up to enter the state-owned cellar 14 runners limbered up in preparation for a 10-kilometre run through the labyrinth in aid of Hope and Homes for Children (HHC) a charity that works in Moldova and elsewhere to close orphanages and integrate children into families Part of Hermann Göring’s wine collection on display in CricovaTIMES PHOTOGRAPHER JACK HILLMark Waddington said after the run: “I wanted to use this sweaty affair to raise awareness and get Moldovan organisations to really buy into what we’re doing If there’s one thing you can do to generate social coherence in the advent of existential crises like invasion from Russia and the threat in Moldova is felt palpably you’re investing in community and creating social coherence.” The group completed the run in 50 minutes and raised £20,315 brought together on Facebook by Iulian Bercu the partner organisation working on the ground in Moldova for HHC HHC chose the location as it is one of the most culturally — and politically — significant sites in Moldova Its European Hall plays host to meetings of the Congress of Local Authorities and meetings between the president and foreign dignitaries are held in the Presidential Hall Tourism is gradually recovering from the impacts of the Covid-19 pandemic before which the cellars received 300 to 450 visitors per day Runners more used to the conditions in the tunnels made sure that they’d wrapped upCHARLOTTE HAYTONThe temperature is kept between 12 and 14 degrees and a relative humidity of 97 to 98 per cent According to guides at the winery the stone into which the cellar is carved contains sediment that can be traced back to the Sarmatian Sea which existed millions of years ago and covered from the point at which Vienna now stands to the foothills of Tien Shan in central Asia Because the stone is porous it creates the perfect micro climate to store wine a military veteran who broke his knee but now runs short distances with the group to stay active said: “I cannot run 100 kilometres anymore but I still can run ten The oxygen is a bit lower in the cellar so that can make it harder but today was a great day Homes and Children raise funds and their glasses for the charityHARIUC DIMATired but cheery after sharing a congratulatory glass of Cricova’s sparkling wine with his fellow athletes in a carved out area of the tunnels Braga added: “I used to be mayor in a village called Ulmu and I’ve seen how impactful CCF’s work can be for families and vulnerable children it’s a pleasure to participate for this charity.” CCF’s and HHC’s impact in villages such as Ulmu can also be seen on the Romanian border and six other young children have been reunited by CCF Tamara battled alcoholism and the children were separated from her and put into two different residential institutions But CCF ensured that she received addiction therapy and was able to move into a mother and baby unit to be with the youngest four before they came home Tamara was emphatic: “I don’t have any challenges I am home and here I feel the warmth of my kids and we play together like before.” The money raised in the wine cellars of Cricova will go towards helping many more like Tamara achieve everything they hope for • Donate to The Times and Sunday Times Christmas Appeal while on assignment for the charity appeal in Moldova unexpectedly found himself taking part in the 10k but it had been a while since I’d tackled such a distance,” he said “What I hadn’t anticipated were the unique challenges of the event: running through the dark and capturing moving subjects in such conditions was no easy feat the chilly underground temperatures took me by surprise When I remarked to Mark [who was in shorts] that we seemed underdressed compared to the other runners as every runner was greeted with a celebratory glass of Cricova fizz — a fitting end to an extraordinary experience.” Every pound donated to Hope and Homes for Children by readers will be doubled up to £500,000 by an anonymous donor Find out more about the Christmas Appeal and donate by calling 0151 286 1594 or by clicking the button below the historic underground winery stretching 120 km beneath Moldova’s wine city of Cricova has expressed its condolences to the Orizu royal family of Otolo Nnewi She was the first wife of Igwe Kenneth Onyeneke Orizu III the supreme leader of Nnewi in Anambra State The Orizu royal family is steeped in history having produced notable figures like Igwe Orizu I (Eze Ugbonyamba) who served as Nigeria’s first Senate President and Acting President during the First Republic This rich legacy caught the attention of Cricova Winery one of the largest wine cellars in the world and the second largest winery through its African distributor Don Pee Wine and Beverages Ltd sent a distinguished team to the royal burial in Otolo Nnewi on Thursday with guests and mourners treated to premium wines from Don Pee welcomed the Cricova-Don Pee team on behalf of the family A highlight of the visit was the presentation of Cricova’s premium brands by the Head of Brand and Communications for Cricova Africa Prince Azubuike later handed the wines to his eldest brother and Crown Prince of Nnewi who appreciated Cricova’s thoughtful gesture during the burial held deep cultural significance for the people of Nnewi with special events marking the passing of their beloved matriarch and queen THISDAY is published by THISDAY NEWSPAPERS LTD. Nigeria with offices in 36 states of Nigeria the Federal Capital Territory and around the world It is Nigeria’s most authoritative news media available on all platforms for the political professional and diplomatic elite and broader middle classes while serving as the meeting point of new ideas culture and technology for the aspirationals and millennials The newspaper is a public trust dedicated to the pursuit of truth and reason covering a range of issues from breaking news to politics sports and community to the crossroads of people and society You can email us at: hello@thisdaylive.com or visit our contact us page Cricova takes the notion of a "wine city" to another level About 260 feet below this little-known Moldovan town over 75 miles of limestone caves are home to about 1.3 million bottles of wine The fertile region surrounding the town of Cricova had no problem becoming a major source of wine for the USSR by the mid-1900s Conveniently, the excavation of vast amounts of limestone to build the nearby capital of Chişinău left a sprawling underground network of cool, dry caves, ideal for aging and storing wine. As more limestone was mined to build the city, more space was created underground to host an imperial collection of bottled wine. After Milestii Mici Cricova is the second-largest wine cellar on the planet.  a team of five women rotates as many as 35,000 bottles of the sparkling vino 45 degrees in wooden slots to encourage the movement of sediments Perhaps most shockingly, the wine collection of Hermann Göring his collection of more than 2,000 bottles from regions occupied by Germany during World War II were brought here to continue aging.  visitors can sample an array of wines in one of the facility's five extravagant tasting rooms including "The Sea Bottom," a nautical-themed room; the "Presidential Hall," meant to host official delegates; and the unambiguous "Fireplace Room." Feel free to purchase as much wine from the store as you'd like What makes the caves perfect for wine storage is a year-round temperature of about 54 degrees Fahrenheit. Dress accordingly. Information on tours is available on Cricova's website In a 345-million-year-old cave that's 200 feet underground This amazing ancient cave was kept secret for seven years to protect it from the public Ride a boat through this magnificent underground world This Turkish cave boasts some rather bizarre associations with the King of Mount Olympus These otherworldly caverns form Earth's oldest known cave system A labyrinthine underworld of tunnels and caverns hides beneath the city The largest known open fault in the United States is basically a giant natural refrigerator This cave system allegedly holds the "metallic library" of a lost ancient civilization Moldova's state-owned Cricova wine cellar houses private collections belonging to prominent figures wine-filled wormholes that extend between 60 and 120 kilometers People in the breakaway region of Transnistria look toward Russia while Moldovans typically lean toward Romania '+n.escapeExpression("function"==typeof(o=null!=(o=r(e,"eyebrowText")||(null!=l?r(l,"eyebrowText"):l))?o:n.hooks.helperMissing)?o.call(null!=l?l:n.nullContext||{},{name:"eyebrowText",hash:{},data:t,loc:{start:{line:28,column:63},end:{line:28,column:78}}}):o)+" \n '+(null!=(o=c(e,"if").call(r,null!=l?c(l,"cta2PreText"):l,{name:"if",hash:{},fn:n.program(32,t,0),inverse:n.noop,data:t,loc:{start:{line:63,column:20},end:{line:63,column:61}}}))?o:"")+"\n"+(null!=(o=(c(e,"ifAll")||l&&c(l,"ifAll")||n.hooks.helperMissing).call(r,null!=l?c(l,"cta2Text"):l,null!=l?c(l,"cta2Link"):l,{name:"ifAll",hash:{},fn:n.program(34,t,0),inverse:n.noop,data:t,loc:{start:{line:64,column:20},end:{line:70,column:30}}}))?o:"")+" the owner of the world’s largest wine cellar and second-largest winery signed a significant trade agreement with Lagardere France a leading luxury retail and distribution firm was attended by the President of the Republic of Moldova and the Chief Executive Officer of Cricova S.A. Don Pee’s presence further highlighted the growing influence of Cricova brands in Africa particularly in markets like Nigeria and Ghana the Cricova management team flew from Paris to Düsseldorf to participate in the International Trade Fair for Wines and Spirits from March 16–18 A key highlight of the fair was the recognition of Don Pee Wine and Beverages Ltd by Cricova’s leadership for their significant contributions to expanding Cricova’s presence in Africa Ogbatu and his team received widespread praise from the Moldova delegation for successfully introducing Cricova’s premium brands to Africa was honored with a letter of appreciation to the De Imperial Philanthropic Family for adopting Cricova as their official brand acknowledging their loyal customer base and partnership with Cricova A rare case of Cricova’s 1982 Reserve Pastoral Red sweet wine was also gifted to Chief Dr “Cricova is reshaping the narrative in the liquor and wine industry with its commitment to quality and luxury brands,” concluded Obifaruk Madu The event marked another milestone in Don Pee’s journey to bring Cricova’s world-renowned wines to the African market Take a drive through the largest wine cellar in the entire world holds a rich tradition in winemaking dating back thousands of years and moderate climate shaped by the Black Sea basin provide model conditions to grow grapes rivaling other renowned vineyard regions across the continent the country produced the most wine of all republics—every second bottle of wine consumed in the U.S.S.R Mileștii Mici holds almost two million bottles earning recognition from the Guinness Book of World Records as the world's largest wine collection “Although Moldovan wine is still looking for new markets worldwide and many people do not know about it those who try it truly appreciate its real value,” says Viorel Bezede a massive underground city exists with miles of tunnels filled with wine Every “street” carries the name of a certain grape like Pinot or Cabernet Sauvignon Visitors slowly drive cars or bikes through the maze Moldova’s ",{"type":"a","content":["Mileștii Mici"],"attrs":{"href":"http://www.milestii-mici.md/en/","target":"_blank"}}," proudly claims the title as the largest wine cellar in the world."]},{"type":"p","content":[{"type":"a","content":["Moldova"],"attrs":{"href":"https://www.nationalgeographic.com/travel/destination/moldova","target":"_blank"}}," sandwiched between ",{"type":"a","content":["Romania"],"attrs":{"href":"https://www.nationalgeographic.com/travel/destination/romania","target":"_blank"}}," and ",{"type":"a","content":["Ukraine"],"attrs":{"href":"https://www.nationalgeographic.com/travel/destination/ukraine","target":"_blank"}}," hailed from Moldova."]},{"type":"inline","content":{"name":"Image","props":{"link":{},"caption":{"title":"","credit":"Photograph by Alexander Spatari Getty Images","source":"","text":"Mileștii Mici holds almost two million bottles Following the successful reception of Cricova wines at the burial ceremony of the Orizu Royal Family matriarch in Nnewi the premium wine and liquor brand from Moldova continued its tour of Nigeria with a stop in Oba the event was the burial of the father-in-law of renowned Igbo businessman Fondly known as “Teka,” Orabuchi made a significant purchase of Cricova’s range of wines for the occasion the exclusive Cricova distributor in Africa added a touch of elegance by employing 35 professional ushers all dressed in Cricova-branded attire to bring extra flair to the event was followed by another high-profile affair on November 2 held its Annual General Meeting and Gala Night (Midas Night) at the Oriental Hotel in Lagos where Cricova was the official drink of the evening further cementing its presence at elite Nigerian events “Cricova has become a staple at major events across Nigeria quickly winning over wine and liquor lovers across Africa,” said Obifaruk Madu Head of Brand and Communications for Cricova are now in high demand as fun lovers continue to embrace the brand.” a prominent social and philanthropic organisation from Eastern Nigeria officially endorsed Cricova 5 Star Winery of Moldova and Bodegas Muñoz Martin of Spain introduced to the African market by Don Pee Wine and Beverages Ltd were celebrated at a grand event at Four Points by Sheraton Hotel in Ikot Ekpene known for its exclusive membership of industrialists After a meticulous evaluation of the wines endorsed the brands for their exceptional quality and authenticity Their endorsement reflects the club’s dedication to promoting only the finest luxury products CEO of Don Pee Wine and Beverages Ltd and an active member of De Imperial Club expressed his gratitude for the endorsement He emphasized his commitment to maintaining the high standards that earned the club’s approval Don Pee also offers a range of 15 premium and luxury wines More than 60 parishes have left the Metropolis of Moldova under the jurisdiction of the Patriarchate of Moscow which belongs to the Romanian Orthodox Church This shift reflects growing tensions and a desire for alignment with the Romanian Mother Church amidst the ongoing conflict in Ukraine Romanian media report that in Cricova parishioners recently celebrated their return to the Romanian Orthodox Church The Christian community in Cricova marked the inclusion of their parish in the Metropolis of Bessarabia at the Church of “Saint Alexander Svir” with a special service attended by Metropolitan Peter of Bessarabia we realized that something was wrong in the church where we all served priest of the Church of “Saint John the Theologian” in Roskani “We convened an ecclesiastical council and informed the village about our decision The Metropolis of Bessarabia welcomed us with brotherly love.” the Metropolis of Moldova announced that it would prohibit these priests from performing religious services a decision disputed by the Metropolis of Bessarabia Metropolitan Petros of Bessarabia declared “Any sanctions that the Russian Church will impose on the clergy of the Metropolis of Bessarabia are invalid The Russian Church is not recognized here in Bessarabia and we must belong to our nation’s church.” The Metropolis of Bessarabia now comprises over 200 parishes more than 60 priests have left the Metropolis of Moldova signifying a significant realignment within the Orthodox community in the region the Patriarchate of Jerusalem solemnly celebrated the Sunday of the Myrrh-Bearing Women... 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