This year was declared the Year of Family in the Transnistrian region. Under a decree signed by the region’s leader Igor Smirnov, such a decision was made with the aim of drawing authorities’ attention to the problems faced by the family in the modern society. The program of activities was officially opened on Monday, January 5, Info-Prim Neo’s correspondent in Tiraspol reports. Elena Bomeshko, adviser on education, culture and science to the president of the breakaway republic of Transnistria, said that after the USSR fell apart, many parents in the CIS states had to go abroad to work owing to the unfavorable economic and political conditions. Their children remain with the relatives or friends in the best case. Yet, they can also remain alone. According to the official, the young generation does not realize the meaning of the family and this is an acute problem in the region. Reportedly, about 100,000 people of Transnistria’s population of approximately 540,000 work abroad. The Moldovan constitutional authorities say that up to 1 million people of the about 4 million living in Moldova went abroad to work. Transnistria’s program of activities for 2009 includes the Family and Education, the Family and Sport, the Family and Culture, the Family and Society and other activities. So far, Transnistria marked the Year of Youth, the Year of Culture and Labor Protection, the Year of Employment-Related Problems etc.