Chiţcani

Chițcani (Russian: Кицканы / Kitskany, Ukrainian: Кіцкань) is a commune in Căușeni district, Moldova. It consists of the village Chițcani and two small villages (hamlets), Mereneşti and Zahorna. Chițcani is situated to the south-east of the city of Tighina (Bender). The locality, although situated on the right (western) bank of the river Dniester, is under the control of the breakaway Transnistrian authorities. On the opposite side of the river lies the city of Tiraspol.

Chițcani is one of the oldest recorded villages in Moldova, its history dating back to 1367. The name of the village means "shrews" in Romanian language.

The village is also well known as the home of the Noul Neamţ Monastery. The monastery was closed when Moldova was under the Soviet Union. It was then used as a hospital, a storehouse, then as a makeshift museum.

Official data for the present population of the commune are not available. Estimates appreciate the current population at c. 9,000 people, of which c. 4,800 ethnic Russians, c. 3,100 ethnic Moldovans (Romanians), c. 900 ethnic Ukrainians, and c. 200 other. This data, however, is not reliable.

At the 1930 Romanian Census, there were 4,744 inhabitants in Chiţcani, including the 2,456 Romanians, 2,146 Russians, 71 Ruthenians and Ukrainians, 35 Jews, 16 Gypsies, 7 Poles, 3 Bulgarians, 2 Gagauzians, and 8 unclear. 2,426 people named Romanian as native language, 2,245 named Russian, 35 named Yiddish, 27 named Ukrainian, 5 named Gypsy, 3 named Bulgarian, 2 named Turkish, and 1 non-declared.

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