Moldovan Community in Birmingham

Where they come from

Moldova is a small, landlocked country in eastern Europe, between Romania and Ukraine. Its official language is Romanian, and many Moldovans hold Romanian passports. It has one of the world's largest wine cellars, at Milestii Mici. Moldovans in Birmingham include workers, families and students.

The community in numbers

At the 2021 Census, out of a city population of 1,144,919, 38 Birmingham residents described their ethnic group as Moldovan.

Working for Birmingham

Moldovan residents work in construction, logistics, hospitality, care and manufacturing, and many are skilled tradespeople. Moldovan professionals work in healthcare, IT and business, and the community is known for its hard work and close family ties.

Much of the work that keeps Birmingham moving happens out of sight: the night shift on a hospital ward, the early start on a building site, the plumber who fixes a boiler on a winter evening, the teaching assistant who helps a child learn to read. People from every community in the city do these jobs, and Moldovan residents are part of that everyday effort to make Birmingham a better place to live.

Culture and community life

Martisor on 1 March welcomes spring with red and white charms, and Christmas and Easter are celebrated in the Orthodox tradition. Mamaliga, a maize porridge, and placinte, filled pastries, are family favourites, and Moldovan folk music and dance are part of every celebration.

Like so many of the communities that make up modern Birmingham, the Moldovan community shows how a city can be home to many cultures at once. Its members are proud of where they come from, and just as proud to be Brummies.