Chișinău, a capital wanting to join the “good company”
Chișinău, the capital of Moldova, is said to be the poorest capital in Europe. It may not be the most beautiful, but it has charm and warmth. Seen from a Norwegian viewpoint, wanting to join the EU is not considered the “good company”, but we are more afraid of Russification. Therefore, when there is an election in Moldova, the Norwegian press is really on the ball. That was the case this autumn, and it was fascinating. But of course, the war in Ukraine is closely connected to this small country sandwiched between Romania and Ukraine.
Moldova
The history of Moldova is long and varied, so it will be too complicated to write it all here in a travel blog. The country has also been known as Bessarabia. It was saved from the Ottomans by the Russians in 1812. It has been united with Romania, been under Soviet control, gained independence in 1991, and adopted the name Moldova. After that, they had a civil war, ending with the country having two autonomous territorial regions, Gagauzia and Transnistria, the latter of which I will write about in another post.
Chișinău
The city is Moldova’s leading industrial and commercial centre, making it the beating heart of the country. The capital is composed of Soviet-era buildings, some left in near-ruinous condition, like the Chișinău State Circus, which, in my opinion, is quite an interesting building. Another one is the Hotel National, abandoned like a skeletal shell. It was formerly known as the Intourist Hotel, after the Soviet state-owned travel agency that initially ran it. So, Chisinau has some pretty cool Communist Heritage to check out.
On the road between the airport and the city centre, you pass this spot called the City Gate—two multi-level residential buildings. The project turned out to be innovative for those times: stepped, altogether symmetrical buildings, 24 floors (70 meters) high, reminiscent of an open gate. Today, the houses look pretty tired and run-down, but they are an incredible sight when you arrive here at night, seeing all the flats lighting up the buildings.
Lacul „Valea Morilor”
Valley of the Mills Park is the name surrounding the small lake close to the centre of Chișinău, and a place for leisure and peaceful walks, or a run, if one is up to that. The Cascade Stairs lead down to the lake. After the collapse of the USSR, the staircase fell into disrepair and remained neglected until its rehabilitation in 2016—a nice place to start the morning walk. You can walk around the whole lake, and on that journey, you will find some interesting things to watch.
One of these things is the smallest monument in the Republic of Moldova, measuring only 11 cm in height. Antoine de Saint-Exupéry Le Petit Prince. It is supposed to bring luck if you wish for something when you find it. In the further corner of the park, you can see a large statue of Lenin. On the other side of the lake, there is the outdoor Green Theatre. So, this park and its surroundings offer several worthwhile sights.
A city full of churches
Chișinău is full of churches, no enormous cathedrals, but still some nice older churches and monasteries. However, in this post, I will write about the small Virgin Mary Wooden Church. This is a 1700-century church originating from the countryside. It was neglected during the communist atheist era, but was rescued and moved to its current spot on the outskirts of the city. It is really a very sweet building; unfortunately, it was closed when I was there.
The Jews in Bessarabia
Before the Second World War, there was a sizeable Jewish community in Chișinău. From 1941 to 1942, 120,000 Jews from Bessarabia, a county in Romania proper, were deported by the Romanian authorities to ghettos and concentration camps in Transnistria, with only a small portion returning in 1944. Chișinău Jewish Cemetery contains over 20,000 graves dating back to the 17th century. I am often drawn to cemeteries, and had a walk around in this peaceful place. The Funerary Hall is today just in ruins.
Other interesting sights
The Russian novelist Alexander Pushkin (1799 – 1837) has influenced all the former USSR countries; I have seen that before. And here in Chișinău, they will use this to attract more tourists. In this little house did Pushkin live for two years, and it was here that he wrote Eugenie Onegin—a novel that has been transported to an opera, and a ballet. This house is a part of a small complex of houses that make up the Pushkin Museum. Interesting, but no English information.
This will mark the end of my days in Chișinău. They had a significant and food market, much better than you can see anywhere in Norway. Returning to this post’s headline. The election held in 2025 gave 55,5 % to pro-Europeans, so they will continue their application to join the EU. In my next post, I will go hitchhiking in the Moldovan countryside.
