---
title: "Homesickness turned into a mission: Four Moldovan women promote traditions in Vienna"
url: https://moldova1.md/p/82723/homesickness-turned-into-a-mission-four-moldovan-women-promote-traditions-in-vienna
published: 2026-08-09T07:30:00Z
language: en
author: "Cornelia Cornea"
section: "Diaspora"
source: moldova1.md
---

# Homesickness turned into a mission: Four Moldovan women promote traditions in Vienna

> Although they are far from home, four Moldovans living in Vienna have embraced the traditions that define their identity. They have channeled their longing for the Republic of Moldova into a community-focused project. Through a non-governmental organization (NGO) that they established themselves, they organize cultural events and book clubs. Their mission is to preserve and promote the customs of their homeland by bringing together Moldovans and Romanians living in Austria.

[Video](https://www.youtube.com/embed/9yXRNm-mlPQ)

Although they are far from home, four Moldovans living in Vienna have embraced the traditions that define their identity. They have channeled their longing for the Republic of Moldova into a community-focused project. Through a non-governmental organization (NGO) that they established themselves, they organize cultural events and book clubs. Their mission is to preserve and promote the customs of their homeland by bringing together Moldovans and Romanians living in Austria.

![](https://storage.moldova1.md/images/ec52cd10-e3bc-4e3d-bf0e-80dd4f20eb6b.jpg)

![](https://storage.moldova1.md/images/b2d46e3a-b9ca-49e4-adcb-6ae9a8584eb9.jpg)

Lucia Cojuhari, along with three other Moldovans, has lived in Vienna for six years, during which they founded a non-governmental organization (NGO) using their own resources. They established the NGO to promote Moldovan culture and traditions, operating without legal or accounting support. One of their biggest challenges remains the lack of a dedicated space to organize activities.

*“The NGO was born out of an emotional and spiritual necessity to fill a void we feel here in Vienna. We want to have a presence and be able to host events on a larger scale. Finding a space is a luxury in Vienna, and it poses a significant challenge for us. However, we do have supportive partners, including the Embassy of the Republic of Moldova in Vienna, who are always there for us and respond positively to our needs. They've never turned us down for events that we can hold at the embassy,”* says Lucia Cojuhari.

![](https://storage.moldova1.md/images/a596cdc0-9bbd-40be-94ad-91c362ab76cf.jpg)

Nina Chirtoacă first arrived in Vienna to visit her brothers, who had settled there. Enchanted by the city, she decided to move to the Austrian capital with her family. After meeting other Moldovans at various charity events, she became actively involved in community life. Today, through her own NGO, she organizes activities that bring together not just Moldovans.

*“The participants in our events are mostly Romanian speakers, including both Moldovans and Romanians. Our goal is to unite both groups,”* says Nina Chirtoacă. *“For instance, at our book club, which we established here, we were pleasantly surprised to see that people from Romania were also interested.”*

![](https://storage.moldova1.md/images/53bb21c9-4ddd-4aae-bf72-d64a5faed114.jpg)

![](https://storage.moldova1.md/images/83d6850a-c774-45f9-9f91-d4f3d4d3b3fe.jpg)

The plans go further, however. The next project aims to bring the tradition of ia (national blouse) to Vienna.

*"For the future, we have planned, we hope it will work out, we have a project with the national blouse, to bring it to Vienna, to sew ii in Vienna. We are in discussions with folk craftsmen from the Republic of Moldova, to guide us to have a long-term project"*, emphasizes Diana Croitoru.

![](https://storage.moldova1.md/images/2ff819cc-e76b-4630-8a6d-db9b53fcbee4.jpg)

The "MolDor" organization has strengthened the bond among the four Moldovans living in Vienna. What began as a spiritual connection has evolved into a project for the entire community.

![](https://storage.moldova1.md/images/c4517d77-7ab0-4c31-a12b-2329ab95d99e.jpg)