Chisinau, capital of the Republic of Moldova, is nowadays an image of modern metropolis, with wide boulevards and streets, grown up from old city built according to the traditions of Europe.
The city is located in the central part of the Republic, on the river Bic having an area of 160 sq km with the population of 750 thousand of inhabitants.
The history of Chisinau is original. Situated on 7 hills, Chisinau was mentioned for the first time in 1436, when Moldavian princes Ilie and Stefan gave several villages with the common name Cheseni near the Akbash well to one feudal lord Oancea for his good service. The second documentary attestation (this time about the village Chisinau) dates with the chronicles from 1466. That year, the greatest ruler of Moldova Stephen the Great and Saint signed the donation to his uncle Vlaicu, who became the owner of the village Chisinau near the well Albishoara.
The city’s emblem represents the pictures of buildings in the city’s center built in neo classical and neo Rumanian style: among which there are City Council (1902, arch. Elladi, Bernardazzi), Museum of Fine Arts, Museum of the History of Nature and Ethnography, National Museum of History (former Secondary school for boys), Water Tower (nowadays, Museum of city), Ciuflea Church – Cathedral of Saint Martyr Theodor Tiron, built in 1850-1858, Mazarakii Church (1752-1757) – the oldest building preserved in Chisinau. (People say that the church was built by the feudal lord Mazarakii, the chief of the town, on the foundation of Tatarian fortress from X-XIIth c.c. and destroyed by Tatars themselves in XIV-th c.c.).
The monuments of history, culture and fine arts represent a unique wealth of our capital. One of them is mostly distinguished, the monument to the ruler of Moldova Stephen the Great and Saint (set up in 1927, arch. A. Bernardazzi), national symbol, dominating the Square of Great National Assembly. This genuine patriot and warrior defended the country without any foreign assistance, from the attempted invasions of Turks, Tatars, Hungarians, Poles and other aggressors.
The statesman of foresight, clever commander, Stephen the Great and Saint, wrote the most majestic page in the chronicles of Moldova. The monument to Stephen the Great and Saint marks the entrance to the Central public Garden, where there is the Alley of Classics, inaugurated in 1957. We call it as our "spiritual Pantheon" The busts of the most distinguished personalities of national literature and culture from XIV-XX-th XX c.c. are represented in this Alley: M. Eminescu, V. Alecsandri, I. Creanga, B.-P. Hijdeu, A. Hajdeu, D. Cantemir, A. Mateevici, A. Donici, O. Goga etc.
In the same park, there is a bust of the great Russian poet A. S. Pushkin, who spent a few years in Chisinau being sent here in exile.
Modern Chisinau is a city of sweet-smelling verdure, with clean parks and streets, with a great number of entertaining and business centers, hospitable restaurants in national style and ambient atmosphere.
rss feed
HOME
