70% of those who buy souvenirs with national symbols are foreigners. They purchase such items mainly in summer. The craftsmen who make them usually sell them either in retail outlets or by themselves, near the monument to Mihai Eminescu in central Chisinau, Info-Prim Neo reports. The souvenirs with national symbols cost between 10 and 1,500 lei. The embroidered shirts and towels and ceramic objects are the most expensive as they imply scrupulous work. “The items with national symbols are bought mainly by foreign citizens. The Moldovans also purchase them, but not to that extent,” said Valentina Sergheev, the wife of craftsman Anatolii Sergheev, who have worked in the field for over 25 years. “We make our handicrafts with soul and great care. The crafts are not stimulated in our country. We have to sell our works at lower prices in order to earn our living.” According to the sellers of objects with national symbols, the Italians are the most generous, while the Japanese and the Germans always ask for discounts. The Moldovan migrants also purchase such objects and give them to their employers in the countries where they work. The craftsmen selling in central Chisinau are indignant that many of the works containing national symbols are made in Russia and Ukraine. They say these are souvenirs with national symbols and should be made in Moldova. China also started to make such objects. At exhibitions in Moldova, Chinese specialists identify the best items with national symbols and copy them. Afterward, they sell the identical works on the Moldovan market at lower prices. [Svetlana Cojocaru, Info-Prim Neo]