Dana Irina Popa

One can find Pavel Ciubotaru smoking a cigarette on his porch, alone, not having a single creature around him. Pavel remained the only inhabitant of his village, New Darcauti, The Republic of Moldova. Everybody else left abroad, for other cities or simply died.

He chose to stay over; it is the only place he has ever lived in and he does not want to desert it.

Pavel has no wife, no children, no pets, no TV or running water in his house, no bike or garden to take care of. He seems to enjoy life in solitude and to laugh at the Mayor’s offer to relocate him to the closest village. In the winter time, especially when it snows, he is completely isolated.

His connection with the world is the next village, 10 kilometers away. It takes him one and a half hours to reach the first house. His parents, his best friend, the man who welcomes him to watch TV together, the lady who allows him to use her telephone, live here.

Only the urge of cigarettes, bread or spirits would make him start such a journey and he would almost never travell further than that. He believes that if people want to see him, they can pay him a visit.