Based on the articles of "Nezavisimaya Moldova"
Photographer V. Corcimari

Meantime, the City Day was going on; one of its most important events had to be the opening ceremony of the reconstructed section of Cuflea (or Chuflya) street – from Stephen the Great Boulevard up to the viaduct, connecting the centre of the Moldovan capital with Botanica sector. In this direction, along the main transport city thoroughfare (Stephen the Great Boulevard, transformed into the zone of impromptu concert stages, retailers’ stands, different competitions, exhibitions, chess and wrestling tournaments) your correspondent went among many others.

Waiting for the action, planned in advance, some thousand inhabitants of Kishinev and its visitors had gathered here. Both them and the drivers of trolleybuses as well as the passengers of the first trolleybus were impatiently waiting for the beginning. This first trolleybus sharply differed from its “colleagues” with its very modest size and interior. However, this seasoned veteran that had been out of work for a long time (and had currently returned not for long) was supposed to become one of the main heroes of the City Day. Precisely half a century ago, it made its first trip along the route, the only one in the city at that time, and, for years, the trolleybus with number 1 had been travelling along its line back and forth from early morning till late at night.

The work on this object, to be put into operation, had began some months ago by demolition of the mass of old small houses and had been conducted up to the late at night of the last Saturday, hundreds of workers were engaged in it. They could finish everything being planned in time: both had laid new land and underground communications and asphalt coat as well as had developed the territory adjacent to the arterial road. (However, the Memorial Board, set on the occasion of appelation of the name of “Square of Republic” to the small space between the Cuflea, Kievsky, Bucharest streets and the viaduct, either in a hurry or by anybody’s instructions had been removed. But few people paid attention to this fact – this is a mere “trifle” when the large-scale projects are realised).

The symbolic trolleybus trip was preceded by the ceremony of the street grand opening that lasted longer than it had initially been planned. The President of the Republic of Moldova – Petru Luchinsky, the Mayor of Kishinev – Seraphim Urekeanu, the Metropolitan of the whole Moldova – Vladimir, the President of the Academy of Sciences – Andrey Andriesh, The Director General of “Moldova-tur” JS – George Juraveli, the manager of Edilitatea JS – Anatoly Gorbunov and other persons delivered speeches in front of those present.

According to the President, Kishinev would have to be renewed on, to be kept up with the best European traditions. One step in this direction had become the reconstruction of the narrow street, unable to cope with the traffic. The speakers were giving those their due, who had realised this large-scale project and conducted the work, having contributed to the execution of the task and succeeded to prepare a worthy present to the City Day.

Finally, the long-awaited event happened: the President and the Mayor cut the band, the Metropolitan consecrated the street and shortly after this the transport got going in the reverse direction by the building of the Academy of Sciences and the church of the St Tiron.

M. DREIZLER.

Photographs by V. KORCHMARI.