Every nation carefully keeps in its memory the reminiscence of its history immortalizing them in stone and metal. That is why the modest memorial boards and majestic monuments, created both by our contemporaries and artists of the past, have the great power of the emotional influence, sharpen the natural feeling of love to the Motherland.

Many beautiful monuments were created in our city. One can feel bitterness today, that not all of them have been preserved. The nations that carefully keep everything to have been bequeathed by the ancestors, century by century multiply their spiritual wealth. The culture based on the sober and objective analysis of the positive and negative historic experience becomes stronger. In Berlin, the monument to the Russian Soldier is not far from the Bismarck's monument, in the same side of the street.

And this is just, as monuments are the witnesses of history and whatever our history is, irrespective of our present day attitude to it, nobody has the right to deprive the future generations the possibility to get acquainted with these silent witnesses. And we often create, demolish, remove, restore… As though the past would be changed if a page was torn from the book of history. If a new generation  destroys and create the new instead of the destroyed, we will never save anything.

There is some information here accessible to the authors about the existing and destroyed Kishinev monuments that does not pretend to be complete. We will gratefully accept any information, corrections and amendments concerning the monuments and their history, enabling us to enlarge this page.

The Monument to the Moldovan gospodar Stephen the Great

By the main entrance to Stephen the Great Park there is a monument to the Moldovan gospodar. The monument is made of bronze; it was projected by well-known sculptor Alexander Plamadeala. The monument was opened in 1928. Stephen the Great is depicted in the crown in the rich dress of the Moldovan gospodar. He seems to be slowly, proudly stepping towards the enemy, having raised a cross high and clenching the powerful sword by his right hand. Stephen's face is severe and sad as if he predicted the calamity for his own country. The material for the base is the stone from the Kosoutskii sand-pit.

Monuments to Mihai Eminescu
(1850 - 1889)

The classic of Moldovan literature, one of the largest late representatives of the late European romanticism. His poems, being full the gnawing   melancholy for the might-have-been happiness, conquer one generation after another. Eminescu is an idol of the poetry lovers of all ages. His poems are very musical; the romances have been written to many of them. The first monument was erected in Stephen the Great Boulevard adjacent to the building of the National Theatre of Drama. Tudor Cataraga is the monument author. The second monument was initially erected by the Alley of Classical Authors, then transferred to the House of Writers.

The Monument to Ion and Doina Aldea-Teodorovici

The monument is mounted in memory of Ion and Aldea-Teodorovici, a composer, poet, singer and his beautiful wife - Doina - who was a singer too. They were wonderful couple revered and loved by everybody. The monument was mounted in 1998 by the main building of the University, in the favourite place of the city residents' rest - near the big staircase leading to artificial lake Valea Morilor (former Komsomol Lake). The monument author is Yury Kanashin. 

The Monument to A.S. Pushkin.

In 1885, for the money collected by Kishinev inhabitants according to the list (1 000 golden roubles) the monument to A.S. Pushkin was mounted by sculptor A. Opekushin. Kishinev became the second city after Moscow, where the monument to the great poet was installed.

The Memorial of Victory

The Memorial is constructed in honour of warriors perished in the fights for the liberation of Moldova and its capital Kishinev from the German invaders in the years of World War II (1941-1945). The grand opening took place on 9 May 1975.

The monument to those perished in the years of Transdniestrian War in 1992

  It is mounted in the territory of the Memorial of Victory

The Monument to the victums of the Jewry Genocide

The monument  was set up in 1992. The authors are sculptor N. Apelbaum, architect S. Shoikhet. It is situated between A.S. Pushkin Street and Renasterii Boulevard.

The Bust of Composer Stephen Neaga

The bust was erected before the republican School of Music and Choreography in 1964, and later it was transferred to Khristo Botev Street. The monument, 2 metres high, is made of the block of red granite. The authors are sculptor L. Dubovitsky, architect F. Naumov.

The Bust of Prominent Historian Nicolae Iorga (1871 - 1940)

It was erected at the crossroad of N. Iorga and Bucharest Streets in the Alley of Classical Authors in Stephen the Great Park on 31 August 1993. The sculptor is M. Ekobich.

The monument to Metropolitan Petru Movila (1595 - 1646)

An outstanding individual in Moldovan, Russian, Ukrainian history, founder of schools, Orthodoxial Church reformer, author and issuer of books. The monument is located in Stephen the Great Boulevard, where it is intersected by Movila Street. The monument author is Galina Dubrovina, who is defunct now.

The Stele with the High Relief of Ion Creanga

Ion Creanga (1837 - 1889) is a classical author of Moldovan literature, and  progressive educational specialist. The stele with the I. Creanga alto-relievo was mounted in 1982 on the block of the Kishinev Pedagogical Institute (now the University). It was made by sculptor V. Kuznetsov, architect V. Kudinov.

The Bust of Composer G. Muzichesku

Gavriil Muzichesku (1847 - 1903) is a composer and a conductor. The State Conservatory was named after him in 1959. The bust was erected in Alexander Mateevich Street in front of the State Conservatory.

Monument to Maxim Gorky

Maxim Gorky is a Russian writer. His monument was mounted in 1972 in the public garden in front of the "Moldova" hotel. The authors are sculptor L. Dubinovsky and architect F. Naumov.

The Monument to Vasile Alexandri (1821 - 1890)

He is a classic of Moldovan literature, publicist and folklore collector. He was the head of several progressive journals and newspapers. He was one of the leaders of 1948 revolutionary movement in Moldovan princedom. One of the first gatherers and the first publisher of the Moldovan folklore. The monument is mounted in front of the building of the National Library. The monument author is Ion Zderciuc, 1997.

Monument to Onisifor Ghibu è Octavian Ghibu

Onisifor Ghibu (1883 - 1972) - is a professor, Corresponding Member of Romanian Academy,  cultural worker, outstanding individual in the Roumanian social life. He devoted many of his works to the history of the Romainan living in Bessarabia, on the eastern bank of the river Prut, behind the river Dniester.

The monument is erected in Pushkin Street near the building of the National Museum of Fine Arts. GH.  ADOC 1998

The Bas-relief of A. Bernardazzi

A.I. Bernardazzi (1831-1907) was the first chief architect of Kishinev (1856-1878). According to Bernardazzi projects more than 30 buildings and houses were built, where he used the assumptions and details of the Italian, Byzantine and Russian architecture. On the house, where he lived, and on the Chapel of the Female Gimnasia were placed the memorial boards with his bas-relief.

The Memorial Board to Anry Barbus

Anry Barbus (1873 - 1935) is a French writer and social figure. He came to Kishinev in November 1925 in the head of the delegation of the Western Europe democratic community. On the house, where the writer lived (148, Stephen the Great Boulevard), in 1979 the memorial board with the bas-relief was set up. The sculptor is B. Apelbaum-Marchenko, the architect is S. Shoikhet.

The Monument to K. Marks and F. Engels

It was mounted in 1976 near the present building of the Parliament of the Republic of Moldova. The polished pedestal is made of the red granite, the figures of K. Marks and F. Engels - of hammered copper. The monument authors - sculptor L. Dubinovsky, architect A. Cherdantsev. This was a unique monument made by beating. Firstly, the life-size model was made of a very firm material, babbit, that was wrapped with the sheets of the forged copper and beaten with the massive circle metallic rods until the sheets repeated the model shape. But even this hardening did not help the monument to bear the pressure of crowd that ruined it at the times of increase of the nationalistic moods. The local television showed the moment when the vandals were beating the monument heads with hammers. The monument was dismantled on 25 August 1991 in accordance with the decision of the Parliament Presidium of the Republic of Moldova

The Monument to the Liberation

The sculptural composition to the warriors of the Soviet Army, who liberated Moldova from fascist invaders was mounted in the Square of Freedom in 1969 in accordance with the project of sculptures L. Dubinovskii, N. Apelbaum and architects I. Gritsenko, A. Kolotovkin, A. Minaev, F. Naumov.

The Monument to G.I. Kotovsky

The monument to G.I. Kotovsky was mounted in 1954. The monument authors are sculptor L. Dubinovsky with the group of his colleagues, architect F. Naumov.

The Stele with Khristo Botev's High Relief

Khristo Botev is a Bulgarian revolutionist, poet, and publisher. The street in Botanica was named after him; in this street, by house number 2 there is a stele with the high relief set up in 1977. The sculptor is V. Kuznetsov, the architect is G. Solomin. There is an inscription in Bulgarian on the stele: «That one, who perished in the fight for the sake of freedom will never die. Khristo Botev»

The Monument to Heroes-Komsomolists

It was mounted in 1959 according to the initiative and at the expense of the youth of the Republic in honour of the young patriots perished for the freedom of Moldavia. It is situated in 13 Renasterii Boulevard. The authors of the monument are sculptor F. Dubinovsky, architect F. Naumov.

The Monument to Sergey Lazo

 S. Lazo is a hero of Civil War of 1917 in Russia. He is of boyar origin. The monument was placed in S. Lazo's square on 28 December 1982. The bronze figure is put on a high granite pedestal. The monument height is 7.5 metres. The authors are sculptures B. Dugev, B. Dubrovin, E. Zibrov, architect E. Kutyrev. In 1991 the monument was dismantled according to the decision of the Parliament of Moldova.

The Monument to V. I. Lenin

The monument was mounted in the Central Square in front of the House of Government on 11 October 1949. Nowadays it is the Square of the Great National Meeting. It is made of red Ural granite. The authors are sculptor S. Merculov, architect A. Shusev and V. Turchaninov. In 1991 the monument was dismantled in now it is located in the territory of the Free Enterprise Zone - "Moldexpo".

The Monument to the Russian Emperor Alexander I

The Monument to the Russian Emperor Alexander II