In Moldova’s tug-of-war between disinformation and democracy, Dumitru Garcaliuc champions Europe, one story at a time.
In Moldova’s crowded feeds of fakes and fabrications, Malenkaya Strana has carved out a name for itself, one of the only Russian-language digital platforms amidst a sea of disinformation.
Dumitru Garcaliuc hadn’t planned on becoming an investigative journalist. But suddenly, it was his experience of being in Zaporizhzhia in Ukraine that made him understand something had to change. There was a battle of narrative taking place, and its roots had begun to take hold much further than just Ukraine.
It was here where the idea for little country, Malenkaya Strana, was born.
“It was only a matter of time” he muses. “And I felt instinctively; we wouldn’t be unaffected by this - something had to be done.”
With little more than conviction and some cameras, Dumitru set out in May 2024 to cut across the noise and build a media platform with a difference. He relied first on his friends for investment - providing the support he needed to get the idea off the ground and running.
It paid off. Within weeks, their explainer videos were ricocheting across YouTube and Telegram. By the summer, they had racked up four million views. Now, they have over 65,000 subscribers.
This was the start of something new in Moldova’s media scene. A platform native to the scroll, the swipe, the share. It was enough to prove something different was possible.
Things shifted when Moldova shut down Russian and pro-Russian TV stations in 2023 and 2024. Audiences didn’t just disappear, they migrated into Telegram channels, TikTok streams, and algorithmic rabbit holes. That gap was quickly filled by pro-Kremlin voices, waging a digital war.
Other media outlets struggled to keep pace. Most were born of older journalistic traditions, relying on established ways of reporting. Few spoke fluent social media, and even fewer broadcast in Russian.
“It was about creating something that people could relate to.” Dumitru ponders “Showing them a new perspective – a critical voice.”
Malenkaya Strana did – and does - just that. Its videos take apart common pro-Kremlin tropes, exposing dubious political links and disinformation with patient storytelling, context, and perspective. Connection to the audience is key. The result isn’t just mere content, but a counterweight, credibility, a familiar face.
As for the risks? Dumitru laughs, recounting the attempts to discredit him online. The bots coming after him didn’t deter his work. In fact, the attacks have bolstered his reserve – drawing even more people to Malenkaya Strana’s reporting. It’s this resolve that keeps him and his dedicated team of journalists working.
By early 2025, the project nearly collapsed. Their main source of support was suspended, leaving the newsroom days from shutting down. An emergency lifeline from the EED kept the lights on. Three months later, they broke a story: Moldovan oligarch Vladimir Plahotniuc’s secret visit to Moscow, where he met with Kremlin powerbroker Dmitry Kozak.
The investigation made national - and international - headlines. For Malenkaya Strana, it was a test: could a fledgling digital newsroom not only compete, but lead the way?
The answer was clear, and there was work to be done. With help from the EED, Dumitru and his team could focus on what mattered – sharing stories, videos and investigations to counteract the wave of disinformation they faced online.
That clarity matters more now. On 28 September, Moldova faces new parliamentary elections. The country has already experienced the distortion disinformation brings. The 2024 presidential vote and EU referendum were scarred by Russian interference, vote-buying, whole campaigns coordinated from abroad.
This year is already proving challenging. Pro-Russian networks are entrenched within Moldova’s digital landscape.
“They exploit the fears of the people” Dumitru says. “The vulnerability of our democracy.”
In many ways Malenkaya Strana is about the opposite – hope.
As one of the few independent Russian-language voices in Moldova with reach and nuance, Malenkaya Strana prides itself on being a channel that doesn’t just react – but reframes. A newsroom that can place its documentaries, explainers, and reporting not only on YouTube and Telegram feeds, but in the minds of its people.
“It’s about building trust.” Dumitru says. “Trust in the future – hope for the generations that come after us.”
Dumitru isn’t naïve to the obstacles ahead.
“We will face a lot of challenges, but the important thing is to not be afraid.” “That’s what they want – for us to be afraid.”
He has hopes for Moldova’s European path, seeing the youth paving the way. It’s the values that he strives towards with his reporting.
Survival, however, is not guaranteed. Each month brings a new uncertainty, a new crisis, a new scandal. What keeps them alive is an insistence: that independent, pro-European Russian-language journalism in Moldova cannot vanish, and the country’s path to the European Union cannot be deterred.
Because if it does, the void won’t stay empty. It will be filled by someone else, somewhere else, with stories designed to erase the country’s independence. For now, Malenkaya Strana is still here, small in name, but loud in presence. A little country of its own, in a region where not disappearing is already a victory.
“We may be a little country, but we have big plans,” says Dumitru, a twinkle in his eye.
This article reflects the views of the grantees featured and does not necessarily represent the official opinion of the EED.
