The history of urban environmental transport in Chisinau traces back to 1888 when the City Duma, under the leadership of the mayor Carl Schmidt, entered into an agreement with a Belgian company to establish a new transportation network—the “horse streetcar” or horse-drawn streetcar. This significant transport revolution unfolded in 1889 when Bessarabia received its first two streetcars. The initial line opened on Aleksandrovskaya Street (now Stefan Velikogo Boulevard), covering a total length of 6400 m, or 6 miles. While wealthier citizens still favored carriages and phaetons, the “horse carriage” provided a more affordable and comfortable option for students and individuals with modest incomes. The first seven open cars were acquired in Warsaw, and seven closed ones in Odessa.
In 1896, an “Anonymous Kishinev Society” was established in Brussels, purchasing the streetcar fleet and becoming its monopoly owner. Subsequently, the Duma initiated the construction of a new line connecting the train station to the city center. By 1910, the total length of the routes had expanded to almost 13 km due to the gradual shift from horse carriages to more economical electric traction. The comfort of cars also improved over time. By 1939, the Kishinev streetcar fleet boasted 50 cars, carrying 175,000 passengers that year.
Following World War II, the fate of the Chisinau tramway underwent significant changes. Over 60% of the cars were severely damaged or captured by the retreating German army. Post-war, the state took over the city streetcar service, but due to the unavailability of the narrow gauge 1,000-millimeter track used in Kishinev, repairs were slow. Only 17 cars were restored by 1952. In 1956, the streetcar fleet received additional cars from Germany. Despite these efforts, the narrow gauge railway was never replaced with the broad gauge one.
In 1949, the first trolleybus MTB started operating in Chisinau. Initially, both streetcars and trolleybuses coexisted until 1959 when the streetcars were entirely replaced by 50 trolleybuses. The trolleybuses served various routes in the city.
The first museum dedicated to electric transport in Chisinau was established in 1974 inside a retired trolleybus. This unique museum operated for a decade before its exhibits were moved to the building of the former Belgian Trolleybus Company from the early 19th century in 1984. Today, the museum is open to visitors, and admission is free.
