Interview

I have already told you that the school is distributed in three buildings. There are some 1 900 children in the school, this is almost 2 000, of whom 650 are first-graders. The primary school holds its lessons here, in the kindergarten. We may compare the situation we are in, for instance, not far from us there is school 18, a Russian school. It is a typical school with a sports ground, a swimming pool, well-equipped classrooms, whereas we don't have at least something of the things they have: we don't have a refectory, the children are small and their health has already suffered and we are not able to give them at least a hot tea with a sandwich or something. Moreover children have to take a trolleybus or the school bus in order to reach the school. The school buses are taking children to school from allover the town. A seven-year-old child has to wake at 6 o'clock in the morning in order not to be late to school. Sometimes the buses have to make to routs in order to bring all the children to school. There are children who study in our school whose both parents are Russians but they wish to study here. This year there are already three classes formed and the fourth is on its way. So this is the situation here.
I.M. - How about your optimism?
A.C. - Well, in regard to optimism of course it should be present, otherwise I don't see a solution to the existing situation. I think it should be solved with the help of the international bodies, for example, with the help of OSCE there has been adopted a project of repairing the kindergarten building, its roof and interior, changing the heat system, the water system. We hope to move slowly step by step to something bigger. Hope is the last one to die.
I.M. - How do you imagine yourself the solving of the conflict? What should happen or maybe you have already lost your hope in a solution?
A.C. - It will be solved, I don't know how concretely it will, but it has to be solved.
I.M. - What is your opinion of an eventual frontier? Actually, we may say that the two states have been already formed. May it be a good idea to abandon the special status of Transnistria that is very popular on this side of the river and is not accepted by Transnistria, or maybe if Transnistria doesn't accept the statute of federation, it's better to create two separate states?
A.C. - No, certainly no!
I.M. - Why? Do believe this may be seen as a giving up?
A.C. - Yes, it's clear. I don't even imagine that we can get to such a situation; today we give up here, tomorrow there since it's not for the first time in our history, and what remains is what remains:
I.M. - Does this mean you will not accept a yielding? Would you consider it senseless to raise a frontier?
A.C. - No, I cannot imagine a frontier, no: Though there is one now, people hope for an elucidation of the situation and I refer not only to Moldavians but to the Russians who live in cities as well. You can notice that those who have come a long time ago and are senior now have a totally different opinion from the one of the youth. The situation in the city doesn't allow people express directly all their thoughts about it.