Stephen the Great Public Garden

There is nothing more romantic than a long stroll in the park, and if the park itself is the oldest in town, it only adds to the appeal. Should you fancy a quiet oasis of greenery amid the busy urban setting, then Stefan cel Mare Park is undoubtedly the right place for you. Spread across 17 acres of land, the park is located in the very center of Chisinau, sided by the Government building to the east and the house of Parliament to the west, bounded by Stefan cel Mare Boulevard and 31 August Street. The park was established in 1818 by the Russian Army Engineer Corps and later was remodeled into its present shape by Alexander Bernardazzi. For many years, Pushkin Park was named after the great Russian poet Alexander Pushkin, who spent several years in Chisinau in exile in the early 19th century. The bust of Alexander Pushkin marked the center of the park and was created through public subscription by well-known Russian sculptor Alexander Mikhailovich Opekushin in 1885. In fact, Chisinau was the second city in the Russian Empire, after Moscow, to have established a statue commemorating the great poet. Nearby is the Alley of Classics of the Moldovan Literature, which was opened in 1958. The Alley features monuments to the pillars of Moldovan Literature, such as Mihai Eminescu, Grigore Vieru, and many others. Today, the park is also dubbed the “lovers’ park” for being one of the most popular hangouts for the young people who come here regularly to meet, chat and spend time kindling their relationship.

Alley of Classics

The idea of a sculptural complex was launched by the interwar sculptor Alexandru Plămădeală, who dreamed of creating an open-air museum. Just during the Khrushchev Thaw, the Alley of Classics was unveiled on April 29, 1958, in the Stephen the Great Park (former “A. S. Pușkin” Park). The sculptural complex from Cișmigiu Gardens in Bucharest served as a model. The Alley is decorated on both sides with red granite busts of classic literary figures and political leaders from Moldova. The Alley is located between the Ștefan cel Mare boulevard and the bronze bust of Alexander Pushkin, set on a granite column and made by Russian sculptor Alexander Opekushin. The Alley of Classics contains 28 busts (including that of Alexander Pushkin, lying at the head of the Alley) in alphabetical order. Nicolae Iorga, the Romanian historian, considers Mihai Eminescu the godfather of the modern Romanian language, in the same way that Shakespeare is seen to have directly influenced the English language. He is unanimously celebrated as the greatest and most representative Romanian poet. Call to action: Visit Pushkin House Museum The great Russian poet Alexander Pushkin was exiled to Bessarabia (nowadays Moldova) for three years by the tsarist administration. He arrived in Chisinau on September 21, 1820, and stayed at the house of General Inzov, which today hosts Pushkin’s museum and is one of only two remaining Pushkin houses in the world; the other being at Moika, St. Petersburg, Russia.

Stephen the Great monument

Stephen, the Great Monument, is located outside the main entrance to Stefan cel Mare Park, downtown Chisinau. The bronze monument commemorates Stefan cel Mare (“the Great”), Moldova’s Greatest ruler who successfully defended the country from the Turkish invasion in the 15th century. The statue was cast in Bucharest in the early 20th century at the cost of 4,000,000 lei. It was intended to replace the Russian Emperor Alexander II’s monument, which was demolished in 1918 by the Romanian authorities. Sculptor Alexandru Plamadeala traveled far and wide to find a portrait of Stefan cel Mare prior to starting the work on the monument. It is said that the sculptor had made three different copies of the memorial, one of which stands today. Over the years, the memorial has been moved from place to place several times. A few days before the 1940 Soviet occupation of Bessarabia, it had traveled to Vaslui in the eastern part of Romania and then back to Chisinau in 1942. After that, in 1944, the monument was again sent to Romania. Eventually, after a long while, in 1989, it was restored in Chisinau’s original location. The inscriptions on the monument also have been restored. Nowadays situated in the center of the city, the Stefan cel Mare monument is one of the top attractions for tourists visiting the Moldovan capital.