Independence has been an issue of the Moldova of Gagauzia for years. Though its people are poor and rely on agriculture to survive, they cherish their language and culture deeply. Their lives are governed by the land, but their hearts are governed by the for identity.

The little-known is small, with just three towns and a population of 160, 000, and was formed out of a 19th century competition between the Ottoman and Russian empires. The landscape comes alive in spring and summer, but the winter is , -10 or -15 degrees Celsius. Nobody is on the streets. The people stay at home and wait for spring to arrive so they can start working in the fields again.

Though independence was gained in 1994, the people are satisfied theoretically but not . Agriculture is their only livelihood. In the morning they have to take the sheep up to the fields. Then they come back to milk the cows and make their own milk and cheese. Deeply by modern life, the younger don't enjoy this kind of life and go abroad. It seemed that their independence is not .

Gagauz had strong meaning in the past but the old songs that women proudly sang are no longer sung. The traditional clothes are only used in festivals and the traditional have never been held. The culture that was once proudly worn may soon be forgotten . The older generation have a language and a culture they identify with. But the younger generation can't speak the Gagauzian language, and they only speak Russian.

Houses of Culture — an old from the Soviet era—are still all around. But if the younger generation continues to work abroad, the culture will eventually disappear.