The building, where the Union of Bessarabia with Romania was voted in 1918, is today the seat of the Academy of Music, Theatre, and Fine Arts. Here, the young generation of artists is trained, engaging in theater performances, learning directing, and rehearsing, sometimes until midnight.

Over 100 years ago, the walls of this building witnessed a historic event. The speeches of the Great Union echoed within these walls: “In the name of the people of Bessarabia, the Council of the Country declares: Bessarabia, in its borders between the Prut, the Dniester, the Black Sea, and the old borders with Austria, torn a hundred years ago from the body of the old Moldavia, in the strength of the historical right and the right of the nation, on the basis of the principle that nations alone decide their fate, from today onwards and forever unites with its Mother, Romania.” From 1917 to 1919, the Council of the Country made history in this building.

The building of the former Council of the Country was designed in 1902 by the architect Vladimir Țâganco. Originally, it served as the site of the 3rd Gymnasium for boys. The First World War transformed the institution into a military hospital.

Built in the French classicist style, the two-storey building now housing the Academy’s Faculty of Theatre, Film, and Dance appears well-preserved from the outside. Posters of student performances in the courtyard invite you in. However, upon entering, you may notice leaky floors and a rain-damaged ceiling. The building is in need of renovation, along with other structures of historical and cultural importance in Chisinau.