Welcome to Chișinău, the capital and largest city of Moldova, also once known by its Russian name Kishinev. It sits in the middle of the country on the river Bîc, a tributary of the Dniester, and nearly a third of Moldova's people live in its metropolitan area. This is wine country: Moldova has made wine since at least 3,000 BC, and every October the city hosts the national wine festival. Although war and earthquakes damaged many buildings, a rich architectural heritage survives, including works by the architect Alexander Bernardazzi. Alexander Pushkin even lived here in exile. Let us set off.
Nativity Cathedral
Photo: Pelin Oleg · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia CommonsIn front of you stands the Cathedral of Christ's Nativity, the main cathedral of the Moldovan Orthodox Church. It was built in the 1830s to a Neoclassical design by Abram Melnikov, commissioned by Prince Mikhail Vorontsov and Metropolitan Gavril Bănulescu-Bodoni. Its story mirrors the city's turbulent century. The cathedral was bombed during the Second World War, its bell tower was destroyed by local Communists in 1962, and in the Soviet period worship was banned and it became an exhibition centre. It returned to religious use in 1989, and a new bell tower rose in 1997.
Triumphal Arch
Photo: Pelin Oleg · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia CommonsNext to the cathedral rises the Triumphal Arch, facing Government House across the central square. It was built in 1840 by the architect Luka Zauschevic to commemorate the Russian Empire's victory over the Ottoman Empire. The arch is square in plan, with two levels reaching 13 metres, and Corinthian capitals crown its four pillars. Look at the clock on the front, lit up at night. The first clocks arrived from Odesa in 1842, but a strong wind later tore off the dial. For many years a huge bell weighing nearly 6,400 kilograms hung on its upper level.
Stephen the Great Monument
Photo: Myrabella · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Wikimedia CommonsAt the main entrance to Stephen the Great Park stands the monument to Stephen the Great, designed by architect Alexandru Plămădeală and opened on 29 April 1928. Few statues have travelled as much. Just before the Soviet occupation of 1940 it was moved to Vaslui, and its pedestal was blown up. It came back to Chișinău in 1942, was taken to Romania again in 1944, and was restored to the city by Soviet order in 1945. Only on 31 August 1989 did it return to its original spot. Flowers are laid here on every national holiday.
Orheiul Vechi
Photo: Alex Prodan md · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia CommonsAbout 60 kilometres north-east of Chișinău, the Răut River curls through limestone cliffs at Old Orhei, a remarkable historical and archaeological complex. Excavations have revealed layers from the Paleolithic onwards, along with traces of a Geto-Dacian fortress, a Golden Horde fort from the 14th century, and a medieval Moldavian town. Look closely at the rock face. An Orthodox monastery here is still home to a handful of monks who look after the church on the hilltop, and the caves carved into the cliffs still serve as chapels.
Cricova
Photo: Cepaev · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Wikimedia CommonsNow descend into Cricova, a winery just 15 kilometres north of Chișinău, famous for its underground cellars. Tunnels have existed here since the 15th century, when limestone was dug out to help build the capital, and in the 1950s they became a wine emporium. This is a true wine city: 120 kilometres of labyrinthine roadways, named after the wines they store, reaching 100 metres below ground and holding 1.25 million bottles. The temperature stays at about 12 degrees all year. Legend has it that the cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin entered in 1966 and re-emerged, with assistance, two days later.
Lomakuume
