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Villages of Ialoveni District Kishinyovsky Uyezd {{Ialoveni-geo-stub Văsieni is a village in Ialoveni district, Republic of Moldova. The village has an area of approximately 2.79 km², with a perimeter of 11.22 km. The commune has a total area of 36.83 km², and it borders the villages of Ulmu and Ruseștii Noi. The Botna river flows on northern side of the village. The "Țigla" (the „Tile”) hill is the main attraction of the village. History The village of Văsieni was first attested in the first half of the 16th century, during the reign of Ștefan the Young (Ștefăniță Vodă) and Petru (Petru Rareș or Petru Șchiopu), the vaivodes of Moldova, along with the villages Manoilești, Policeni and Cumpănești (which currently form the commune of Ulmu). The estates of Văsieni, Manoilești, Policeni and Cumpănești from the earliest times have been established by the descendants from the lineages of three elders: Onciul, Baicul and Băbac, starting from the 17th century. Throughout time it was partly owned by the "răzeși" (free small co-owners of land) and by large landowners of the noble families such as Prăjescu during the 17th century, Roset (late 17th - 18th century), Miclescu (late 18th - first half of the 19th century). In 1872 the Văsieni estate was bought from Anastasia and Iordache Vârnav-Liteanu by brothers Ion and Petru (sons of Kaetan Oganovici), whose descendants owned most of it until the beginning of the agrarian reform in the 1920s. There were several windmills on the hilltops, but a severe storm in May 1891 destroyed almost all of them. The trade school was built in 1892 and started its activity in 1896 with 10 students, tutored by E. Tomuleț. In the 1897 census, Văsieni entered the category of Bessarabian settlements with more than 500 people, with 1188 persons, while at the beginning of the 19th century Zamfir Arbore mentioned that Văsieni had 302 houses and 2170 souls. In 1923 the village of Văsieni took pride in having an agricultural cooperative, a trade school, the district hospital, and a church library with old books. In 1927, at the junior trade school, students were learning woodworking, blacksmithing and locksmithing. In 1933 the primary school in Văsieni was attended by 143 pupils. From the administrative point of view, Văsieni was a commune residence, with a town hall, a notary's office and a tax collection office. In 1924 the mayor of the commune was Toader Candu, notary - Ștefan Podoleanu. The general census of 1930 revealed that there were 1665 inhabitants, including: Romanians - 1598 persons; Jews - 13 persons; Russians - 33 persons; Germans - 6 persons, Gypsies - 13 persons and one Pole. As for their mother tongue, Romanian was declared by 1621 persons; Russian - 33 and Yiddish - 13 persons. Financial services were offered by the People's Bank "Gheorghe Lazăr", while the peasants organized themselves into the Agricultural Cooperative "Stefan The Great". In the field of trade and crafts there were 2 inns, 3 grocery shops, 2 taverns, 2 florists, 2 carpenters, 1 wheelwright, 2 shoemakers, 1 locksmith. Flour was produced in 4 steam mills. In the interwar period the village of Văsieni belonged to Lăpușna county (Chișinău county until 1925), Nisporeni (1925-1938) and Vorniceni (1938-1940). The Soviet occupation in 1940, the Second World War, the famine and deportations represented great calamities that the villagers stoically endured in opposition to the Soviet regime. Such was the case with the founding members of the "Freedom Party", including Victor Andreev, born in Manoilești, and Nicolae Istrati, born in Văsieni. The activists were arrested, some were executed, and others were sentenced to many years in prison. The academician Ion Dicusar, born in Văsieni, head of the agrochemical department of the University "M.V. Lomonosov" in Moscow, suffered the same way, being sentenced to 8 years for so-called Trotskyism. After his release from prison in 1956, he returned to his native Moldova and founded the agrochemical school in the republic. Văsieni is home to the "Anatol Candu" District Museum of History and Ethnography, while at the end of August every year, on St. Mary's Day, it is held the folk craftsmen's festival ”At the foot of the Țigla Hill”. In 2023 it reached its 16th edition. In 2018 the football team of Vasieni village won the first place in the Ialoveni district. Currently the team F.C Vasieni is playing in Division ”B”, the third football league in the Republic of Moldova. Currently there are approximately 1500 households in the locality. However, a significant number of citizens have left the country. The commune's economy is mainly agricultural, although there are various other types of production. Geography On the right side of the Botna river valley, west of the Văsieni hospital, are located the Văsieni ravines, a protected area in the category of natural monuments of geological or paleontological type. Administration and politics The composition of the Văsieni Local Council (13 councillors), elected on 5 November 2023, is as follows: Action and Solidarity Party - 8 councilors; European Social Democratic Party - 2 councilors; Party of Development and Consolidation of Moldova - 2 councilors; Dignity and Truth Platform - 1 councilor; Religion There are two churches: ”St. Archangels Michael and Gabriel” (a monument protected by the state) and ”St. Parascheva”. The Church of St. Archangels Michael and Gabriel celebrates its patron saint on November 21 in the old style.