Shapiro’s House
Shapiro’s Report House is a monument of national architectural significance, listed in the Register of Monuments of History and Culture (No. 114) of Chisinau, and in the Register of Monuments of the Republic of Moldova protected by the state (No. 68). It is situated in the Historic Center, at 60 Bucharest Street. The ensemble comprises two buildings (“A” and “B”) erected in the late nineteenth century to the early twentieth century, which were owned by the Shapiro-Rosenfeld family between 1907 and 1940.
The architect responsible for the building was Țalel Ginger, a Bessarabian Jew. His initials, “Ц.Г.,” and his emblem can still be observed on the building today.
From 1940 to 1944, as per accounts from former locals (though official documents are still archived), the building served as the headquarters for the “Security” (Romanian Intelligence Service). Subsequently, from 1944 until 1955, it functioned as a section of the Soviet Ministry of Security. The secrets and traces of detainees are said to linger in the basement walls, and the windows are adorned with robust metal bars.