Chișinău has a recorded history that goes back to 1436. Since then, it has grown to become a significant
political
Politics (from , ) is the set of activities that are associated with making decisions in groups, or other forms of power relations among individuals, such as the distribution of resources or status. The branch of social science that stud ...
and
cultural capital
In the field of sociology, cultural capital comprises the social assets of a person (education, intellect, style of speech, style of dress, etc.) that promote social mobility in a stratified society. Cultural capital functions as a social relatio ...
of South East Europe. In 1918 Chișinău became the capital of an independent state, the
Moldavian Democratic Republic
The Moldavian Democratic Republic (MDR; ro, Republica Democratică Moldovenească, ), also known as the Moldavian Republic, was a state proclaimed on by the '' Sfatul Țării'' (National Council) of Bessarabia, elected in October–Novemb ...
, and has been the capital of
Moldova
Moldova ( , ; ), officially the Republic of Moldova ( ro, Republica Moldova), is a landlocked country in Eastern Europe. It is bordered by Romania to the west and Ukraine to the north, east, and south. The unrecognised state of Transnistr ...
since 1991.
Foundation of the town
Founded in 1436 as a
monastery
A monastery is a building or complex of buildings comprising the domestic quarters and workplaces of monastics, monks or nuns, whether living in communities or alone ( hermits). A monastery generally includes a place reserved for prayer whi ...
village, the city was part of the
Moldavia
Moldavia ( ro, Moldova, or , literally "The Country of Moldavia"; in Romanian Cyrillic alphabet, Romanian Cyrillic: or ; chu, Землѧ Молдавскаѧ; el, Ἡγεμονία τῆς Μολδαβίας) is a historical region and for ...
n Principality. Chișinău was mentioned for the first time in 1436, when Moldavian princes Ilie and Ştefan gave several villages with the common name Cheseni near the Akbash well to one
feudal lord
An overlord in the English feudal system was a lord of a manor who had subinfeudated a particular manor, estate or fee, to a tenant. The tenant thenceforth owed to the overlord one of a variety of services, usually military service or se ...
Oancea for his good service. That year,
Stephen III of Moldavia
Stephen or Steven is a common English first name. It is particularly significant to Christians, as it belonged to Saint Stephen ( grc-gre, Στέφανος ), an early disciple and deacon who, according to the Book of Acts, was stoned to death; ...
signed the donation to his uncle Vlaicu, who became the owner of the village Chișinău near the well Albișoara.
The second documentary attestation (this time about the village Chișinău) dates with the chronicles from 1466. Over the next centuries Chişinău's population steadily grows and at the beginning of the 19th century it had 7,000 inhabitants.
Măzărache Church is considered to be the oldest Chișinău, erected by Vasile Măzărache in 1752. It is a monument built according to the typical indigenous medieval Moldavian architecture of the 15-16th centuries; the church was built on the place on a fortress destroyed by the Ottomans in the 17th century. The stone block marking the location of the water spring that gave name to Chișinău is set at the foot of the hill upon which stands Măzărache Church. The name of the spring - "chisla noua" - is believed to be the archaic
Romanian
Romanian may refer to:
*anything of, from, or related to the country and nation of Romania
**Romanians, an ethnic group
**Romanian language, a Romance language
*** Romanian dialects, variants of the Romanian language
** Romanian cuisine, tradition ...
for "new spring".
During the
Russo-Turkish War
The Russo-Turkish wars (or Ottoman–Russian wars) were a series of twelve wars fought between the Russian Empire and the Ottoman Empire between the 16th and 20th centuries. It was one of the longest series of military conflicts in European histo ...
s Chișinău was twice set on fire, in 1739 and 1788.
Built by the boyarConstantin Râşcanu in 1777, Râşcani Church stands top of the hill overlooking the Bâc River. At the time it was built, the Bâc River was navigable and formed a large reservoir in front of the church. There is a graveyard near the church in which some famous Moldavian personalities are buried.
In 1812 Chișinău came under
Russian imperial
The Russian Empire was an empire and the final period of the Russian monarchy from 1721 to 1917, ruling across large parts of Eurasia. It succeeded the Tsardom of Russia following the Treaty of Nystad, which ended the Great Northern War. The ...
administration. Having got an official status of town in 1818, Chişinău became a centre of the Bessarabian district and since 1873 the centre of the Bessarabian province. If from 1812 till 1818 the Chişinău population had increased from 7 up to 18 thousand people, by the end of the 19th century it had grown up to 110,000. The growth of population was due to the immigrants from
Russian Empire
The Russian Empire was an empire and the final period of the Russian monarchy from 1721 to 1917, ruling across large parts of Eurasia. It succeeded the Tsardom of Russia following the Treaty of Nystad, which ended the Great Northern War. ...
. In 1856, Chişinău was the Russian Empire's fifth biggest city, after
Saint Petersburg
Saint Petersburg ( rus, links=no, Санкт-Петербург, a=Ru-Sankt Peterburg Leningrad Petrograd Piter.ogg, r=Sankt-Peterburg, p=ˈsankt pʲɪtʲɪrˈburk), formerly known as Petrograd (1914–1924) and later Leningrad (1924–1991), i ...
,
Moscow
Moscow ( , US chiefly ; rus, links=no, Москва, r=Moskva, p=mɐskˈva, a=Москва.ogg) is the capital and largest city of Russia. The city stands on the Moskva River in Central Russia, with a population estimated at 13.0 millio ...
, Odessa, and Riga.
The mayor of Chişinău office was established in 1817 as City Duma and its first mayors there were the captain Anghel Nour (1817–1821).
Gavril Bănulescu-Bodoni
Gavril Bănulescu-Bodoni (; 1746 – 30 March 1821) was a Romanian clergyman who served as Metropolitan of Moldavia (1792), Metropolitan of Kherson and Crimea (1793–1799), Metropolitan of Kiev and Halych (1799–1803), Exarch ...
was Metropolitan of Chişinău between 1812 and 1821. The Ştefan cel Mare Central Park was originally laid out in 1818.
Industrial age
By 1834, an imperial townscape with broad and long roads had emerged as a result of a generous
development plan
A development plan sets out a local authority's policies and proposals for land use in their area. The term is usually used in the United Kingdom. A Local Plan is one type of development plan. The development plan guides and shapes day-to-day dec ...
, which divided the city roughly into two areas: The old part of the town – with its irregular building structures – and a newer City Center and station. Between 26 May 1830 and 13 October 1836 the architect
Avraam Melnikov
Abram or Avraam Melnikov (Авраам Иванович Мельников; 1784—1854) was a Russian Neoclassical architecture, Neoclassical architect associated with the late phase of the Empire style. His teachers at the Imperial Academy of Art ...
Triumphal Arch
A triumphal arch is a free-standing monumental structure in the shape of an archway with one or more arched passageways, often designed to span a road. In its simplest form a triumphal arch consists of two massive piers connected by an arch, cro ...
, planned by the architect
Luca Zaushkevich
The last universal common ancestor (LUCA) is the most recent population from which all organisms now living on Earth share common descent—the most recent common ancestor of all current life on Earth. This includes all cellular organisms; th ...
, was completed.
Since 1983 the
National History Museum of Moldova
The National Museum of History of Moldova ( ro, Muzeul Național de Istorie a Moldovei) is a museum in Central Chişinău, Moldova.
Overview
Over 263,000 exhibits, 165,000 of which belong to the national heritage, are exhibited in the National ...
has housed in a building erected in 1837. Initially the building was the headquarters of the City Duma, but in 1842 it became the Gymnasium (High School) for Boys No. 1 in Chişinău.
On August 28, 1871, Chişinău was linked by
rail
Rail or rails may refer to:
Rail transport
*Rail transport and related matters
*Rail (rail transport) or railway lines, the running surface of a railway
Arts and media Film
* ''Rails'' (film), a 1929 Italian film by Mario Camerini
* ''Rail'' ( ...
with
Tiraspol
Tiraspol or Tirișpolea ( ro, Tiraspol, Moldovan Cyrillic: Тираспол, ; russian: Тира́споль, ; uk, Тирасполь, Tyraspol') is the capital of Transnistria (''de facto''), a breakaway state of Moldova, where it is the th ...
Ungheni
Ungheni () is a municipality in Moldova. With a population of 35,157, it is the seventh largest town in Moldova and the seat of Ungheni District.
There is a bridge across the Prut and a border checkpoint to Romania. There is another border ...
- Iaşi railway was opened on June 1, 1875, in preparation for the Russo-Turkish War (1877–1878). The town played an important part in the war between Russia and
Ottoman Empire
The Ottoman Empire, * ; is an archaic version. The definite article forms and were synonymous * and el, Оθωμανική Αυτοκρατορία, Othōmanikē Avtokratoria, label=none * info page on book at Martin Luther University) ...
, as the main
staging area
A staging area (otherwise staging point, staging base, or staging post) is a location in which organisms, people, vehicles, equipment, or material are assembled before use. It may refer to:
* In construction, a designated area in which vehicles, ...
Pushkin
Alexander Sergeyevich Pushkin (; rus, links=no, Александр Сергеевич ПушкинIn pre-Revolutionary script, his name was written ., r=Aleksandr Sergeyevich Pushkin, p=ɐlʲɪkˈsandr sʲɪrˈɡʲe(j)ɪvʲɪtɕ ˈpuʂkʲɪn, ...
Moscow
Moscow ( , US chiefly ; rus, links=no, Москва, r=Moskva, p=mɐskˈva, a=Москва.ogg) is the capital and largest city of Russia. The city stands on the Moskva River in Central Russia, with a population estimated at 13.0 millio ...
to have a Pushkin monument. Originally funded by the Chişinău inhabitants, it is the oldest surviving monument in the city.
Pogrom and pre-revolution
In the late 19th century, especially due to growing anti-Semitic sentiment in the
Russian Empire
The Russian Empire was an empire and the final period of the Russian monarchy from 1721 to 1917, ruling across large parts of Eurasia. It succeeded the Tsardom of Russia following the Treaty of Nystad, which ended the Great Northern War. ...
and better economic conditions, many Jews chose to settle in Chişinău. Its population had grown to 92,000 by 1862 and to 125,787 by 1900. By the year 1900, 43% of the population of Chişinău was
Jew
Jews ( he, יְהוּדִים, , ) or Jewish people are an ethnoreligious group and nation originating from the Israelites Israelite origins and kingdom: "The first act in the long drama of Jewish history is the age of the Israelites""T ...
ish – one of the highest numbers in Europe.
A large anti-Semitic riot took place in the town on 6–7 April 1903, which would later be known as the
Kishinev pogrom
The Kishinev pogrom or Kishinev massacre was an anti-Jewish riot that took place in Kishinev (modern Chișinău, Moldova), then the capital of the Bessarabia Governorate in the Russian Empire, on . A second pogrom erupted in the city in Octob ...
. The rioting continued for three days, resulting in 47–49 Jews dead, 92 severely wounded, and 500 suffering minor injuries. In addition, several hundred houses and many businesses were plundered and destroyed. The pogroms are largely believed to have been incited by anti-Jewish propaganda in the only official
newspaper
A newspaper is a Periodical literature, periodical publication containing written News, information about current events and is often typed in black ink with a white or gray background.
Newspapers can cover a wide variety of fields such as p ...
of the time, ''Bessarabetz'' (''Бессарабецъ''). The reactions to this incident included a petition to
Tsar
Tsar ( or ), also spelled ''czar'', ''tzar'', or ''csar'', is a title used by East and South Slavic monarchs. The term is derived from the Latin word ''caesar'', which was intended to mean "emperor" in the European medieval sense of the ter ...
Nicholas II of Russia
Nicholas II or Nikolai II Alexandrovich Romanov; spelled in pre-revolutionary script. ( 186817 July 1918), known in the Russian Orthodox Church as Saint Nicholas the Passion-Bearer,. was the last Emperor of Russia, King of Congress Polan ...
Theodore Roosevelt
Theodore Roosevelt Jr. ( ; October 27, 1858 – January 6, 1919), often referred to as Teddy or by his initials, T. R., was an American politician, statesman, soldier, conservationist, naturalist, historian, and writer who served as the 26t ...
in July 1905.Virtual Kishinev , accessed 23 December 2007
On 22 August 1905 another violent event occurred, whereby the police opened fire on an estimated 3,000 demonstrating agricultural workers. Only a few months later, 19–20 October 1905, a further protest occurred, helping to force the hand of Nicholas II in bringing about the October Manifesto. However, these demonstrations suddenly turned into another anti-Jewish pogrom, resulting in 19 deaths.
''
Basarabia
Bessarabia (; Gagauz: ''Besarabiya''; Romanian: ''Basarabia''; Ukrainian: ''Бессара́бія'') is a historical region in Eastern Europe, bounded by the Dniester river on the east and the Prut river on the west. About two thirds of Be ...
'' was the first
Romanian language
Romanian (obsolete spellings: Rumanian or Roumanian; autonym: ''limba română'' , or ''românește'', ) is the official and main language of Romania and the Republic of Moldova. As a minority language it is spoken by stable communities in ...
Russian Empire
The Russian Empire was an empire and the final period of the Russian monarchy from 1721 to 1917, ruling across large parts of Eurasia. It succeeded the Tsardom of Russia following the Treaty of Nystad, which ended the Great Northern War. ...
in 1906–1907. In March 1907, the newspaper published the Romanian patriotic song " Deşteaptă-te, române!" and was closed. '' Viaţa Basarabiei'' was a more moderate attempt to continue ''Basarabias work, but in May 1907, it also ceased its publication.
Luminătorul
''Luminătorul'' ( en, The Illuminator) is a periodical of the Metropolis of Bessarabia in Chişinău.
History
The first edition was printed in January 1908. The first editor in chief was Gurie Grosu. From 1908 on, Grigore D. Constantines ...
Vladimir Herța
Vladimir Herța (May 14, 1868, Chișinău - August 3, 1924, Chișinău) was a Moldovan politician, mayor of Chișinău between 1918 and 1919. He has played an important role in the act of the Union.
Biography
Vladimir Herța was born on May 1 ...
,
Pan Halippa
Pantelimon "Pan" Halippa (1 August 1883 – 30 April 1979) was a Bessarabian and later Romanian journalist and politician. One of the most important promoters of Romanian nationalism in Bessarabia and of this province's union with Romania, he w ...
(a renowned socialist), Onisifor Ghibu. Among the leaders of the party were general
Matei Donici
Matei Donici (; 1847 – 26 September 1921) was a writer, general, and politician from Bessarabia. He was a leader of the National Moldavian Party.
See also
* Moldavian Progressive Party
The Moldavian Progressive Party ( ro, Partidul Pro ...
,
Ion Pelivan
Ion Gheorghe Pelivan (April 1, 1876 in Răzeni – January 25, 1954 in Sighetu Marmației) was a Romanian politician.
In 1898, Ion Pelivan graduated from the Theological Seminary of Chișinău and in 1903 from the University of Tartu. Then ...
, arhimandrit
Gurie Grosu
Gurie Grosu (; born 1 January 1877 in Nimoreni, Bessarabia Governorate, Russian Empire – died 14 November 1943 in Bucharest, Romania) was a Bessarabian priest and the first holder of the Basarabian Metropolitan Church after 100 years of R ...
Gheorghe Buruiană
Gheorghe Buruiană (1889 - 1933), a cooperator from Chişinăuon March 27, 1918 voted the Union of Bessarabia with România. Some acts of March 27 have signed them together with Teodosie Bârcă as Vice-Presidents of the Moldovan Parliament.
...
Vasile Gafencu
Vasile Gafencu (1 February 1886 – 16 March 1942) was a Bessarabian politician.
He was the father of Valeriu Gafencu (1921–1952), nicknamed ''The Saint of Prisons''.
Biography
He served as Member of the Moldovan Parliament (1917–1918). ...
Sfatul Țării
''Sfatul Țării'' ("Council of the Country"; ) was a council that united political, public, cultural, and professional organizations in the greater part of the territory of the guberniya, Governorate of Bessarabia in the disintegrating Russia ...
.
On , Bolshevik troops occupied Chişinău, and the members of both
Sfatul Țării
''Sfatul Țării'' ("Council of the Country"; ) was a council that united political, public, cultural, and professional organizations in the greater part of the territory of the guberniya, Governorate of Bessarabia in the disintegrating Russia ...
and the ''Council of Directors'' fled, while some of them were arrested and sentenced to death. On the same day, a secret meeting of ''Sfatul Țării'' decided to send another delegation to Iaşi and ask for help from Romania. The Romanian government of Ion I. C. Brătianu decided to intervene, and on , the 9th Romanian Army under Gen. Broşteanu entered Chişinău. The Bolshevik troops retreated to
Tighina
Bender (, Moldovan Cyrillic: Бендер) or Bendery (russian: Бендеры, , uk, Бендери), also known as Tighina ( ro, Tighina), is a city within the internationally recognized borders of Moldova under ''de facto'' control of the u ...
, and after a battle retreated further beyond the
Dniester
The Dniester, ; rus, Дне́стр, links=1, Dnéstr, ˈdⁿʲestr; ro, Nistru; grc, Τύρᾱς, Tyrās, ; la, Tyrās, la, Danaster, label=none, ) ( ,) is a transboundary river in Eastern Europe. It runs first through Ukraine and th ...
.
For the first time in his history, Chişinău became the capital of an independent state on , when
Sfatul Țării
''Sfatul Țării'' ("Council of the Country"; ) was a council that united political, public, cultural, and professional organizations in the greater part of the territory of the guberniya, Governorate of Bessarabia in the disintegrating Russia ...
proclaimed the independence of the
Moldavian Democratic Republic
The Moldavian Democratic Republic (MDR; ro, Republica Democratică Moldovenească, ), also known as the Moldavian Republic, was a state proclaimed on by the '' Sfatul Țării'' (National Council) of Bessarabia, elected in October–Novemb ...
.
Interwar period
Between 1918 and 1940 the center of the city undertook large
renovation
Renovation (also called remodeling) is the process of improving broken, damaged, or outdated structures. Renovations are typically done on either commercial or residential buildings. Additionally, renovation can refer to making something new, ...
Mihail Sadoveanu
Mihail Sadoveanu (; occasionally referred to as Mihai Sadoveanu; November 5, 1880 – October 19, 1961) was a Romanian novelist, short story writer, journalist and political figure, who twice served as acting head of state for the communis ...
Bucharest
Bucharest ( , ; ro, București ) is the capital and largest city of Romania, as well as its cultural, industrial, and financial centre. It is located in the southeast of the country, on the banks of the Dâmbovița River, less than north of ...
LARES
Lares ( , ; archaic , singular ''Lar'') were guardian deities in ancient Roman religion. Their origin is uncertain; they may have been hero-ancestors, guardians of the hearth, fields, boundaries, or fruitfulness, or an amalgam of these.
Lare ...
. The airport was near Chişinău, at Bulgarica-
Ialoveni
Ialoveni () is a city in the Republic of Moldova situated from Chișinău. The city is administrative center of the Ialoveni District.
History
On 25 March 1977 the settlement was named to Kutuzov, and also its status was changed to urban-ty ...
. This first flight Chişinău-Bucharest was marked by the launch of a postal stamps.
On 1 January 1919 the Municipal Conservatoire (the Academy of Music) was created in Chişinău, in 1927 - the Faculty of Theology, in 1934 the subsidiary of the Romanian Institute of social sciences, in 1939 - municipal picture gallery. The Agricultural State University of Moldova was founded in 1933 in Chişinău. The Museum of Fine Arts was founded in 1939 by the sculptor Alexandru Plămădeală.
Gurie Grosu
Gurie Grosu (; born 1 January 1877 in Nimoreni, Bessarabia Governorate, Russian Empire – died 14 November 1943 in Bucharest, Romania) was a Bessarabian priest and the first holder of the Basarabian Metropolitan Church after 100 years of R ...
Pan Halippa
Pantelimon "Pan" Halippa (1 August 1883 – 30 April 1979) was a Bessarabian and later Romanian journalist and politician. One of the most important promoters of Romanian nationalism in Bessarabia and of this province's union with Romania, he w ...
and
Misionarul
''Misionarul'' ( en, The Missionary) is a newspaper issued by the Metropolis of Bessarabia in Chişinău.
History
The first edition was printed on October 6, 1929. The first editor in chief was Vladimir Burjacovschi (May 23, 1891, Sănă ...
in 1929.
Radio Basarabia
Radio Moldova ( ro, Radio Moldova, RM) is the first publicly funded radio broadcaster in Moldova.
History
The first radio transmission in Moldova was broadcast on November 1, 1928 by the Radiotelephonic Broadcasting Company in Bucharest. O ...
was launched on 8 October 1939, as the second radio station of the
Romanian Radio Broadcasting Company
The Romanian Radio Broadcasting Company ( ro, Societatea Română de Radiodifuziune), informally referred to as Radio Romania ( ro, Radio România), is the public radio broadcaster in Romania. It operates FM and AM, and internet national and lo ...
. ''Writer and Journalist Bessarabian Society'' took an institutionalized form in 1940. First Congress of the Society elected as president
Pan Halippa
Pantelimon "Pan" Halippa (1 August 1883 – 30 April 1979) was a Bessarabian and later Romanian journalist and politician. One of the most important promoters of Romanian nationalism in Bessarabia and of this province's union with Romania, he w ...
Vladimir Herța
Vladimir Herța (May 14, 1868, Chișinău - August 3, 1924, Chișinău) was a Moldovan politician, mayor of Chișinău between 1918 and 1919. He has played an important role in the act of the Union.
Biography
Vladimir Herța was born on May 1 ...
Vasile Bârcă
Vasile Bârcă (born 2 January 1884, Ignăţei, Orhei county - died 14 May 1949, Bucharest) was a Moldovan politician, member of the Moldovan Parliament, mayor of Chișinău and minister during Greater Romania.
Biography
He studied law at the ...
Ion Negrescu
Ion (Ioan) Negrescu (8 January 1893 – 12 February 1977) was a Romanian politician, Mayor of Chișinău for 1928–1931.
Biography
Ion Negrescu was born on 8 January 1893 in Holboca commune, Iași County. He graduated from the National High ...
Vladimir Cristi
Vladimir Cristi (1880–1956) was a Romanian publicist and politician who served as State Minister in the Nicolae Iorga government between 16 January and 6 June 1932. Cristi was Mayor of Chișinău between 1938 and 1940.
Biography
Cristi was ...
, Anibal Dobjanski. Those years the quantity of the city population was not increasing, and in June 1941 Chişinău had 110,000 people.
World War II
In the chaos of the
Second World War
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposi ...
Chişinău was almost completely destroyed. This began with the
Soviet occupation
During World War II, the Soviet Union occupied and annexed several countries effectively handed over by Nazi Germany in the secret Molotov–Ribbentrop Pact of 1939. These included the eastern regions of Poland (incorporated into two different ...
by the
Red Army
The Workers' and Peasants' Red Army ( Russian: Рабо́че-крестья́нская Кра́сная армия),) often shortened to the Red Army, was the army and air force of the Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic and, afte ...
on 28 June 1940. As the city began to recover from the takeover, a devastating earthquake occurred on 10 November 1940. The
epicenter
The epicenter, epicentre () or epicentrum in seismology is the point on the Earth's surface directly above a hypocenter or focus, the point where an earthquake or an underground explosion originates.
Surface damage
Before the instrumental pe ...
of the quake, which measured 7.3 on the
Richter scale
The Richter scale —also called the Richter magnitude scale, Richter's magnitude scale, and the Gutenberg–Richter scale—is a measure of the strength of earthquakes, developed by Charles Francis Richter and presented in his landmark 1935 ...
, was in eastern
Romania
Romania ( ; ro, România ) is a country located at the crossroads of Central, Eastern, and Southeastern Europe. It borders Bulgaria to the south, Ukraine to the north, Hungary to the west, Serbia to the southwest, Moldova to the east, and ...
and subsequently led to substantial destruction in the city.
After scarcely one year, the assault on the newly created
Moldovan SSR
The Moldavian Soviet Socialist Republic ( ro, Republica Sovietică Socialistă Moldovenească, Moldovan Cyrillic: ) was one of the 15 republics of the Soviet Union which existed from 1940 to 1991. The republic was formed on 2 August 1940 ...
by the
German
German(s) may refer to:
* Germany (of or related to)
** Germania (historical use)
* Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language
** For citizens of Germany, see also German nationality law
**Ge ...
and Romanian armies began. Beginning with July 1941 the city suffered from large-scale shooting and heavy bombardments by Nazi air raids. On 16 July 1941 the
Romanian flag
The national flag of Romania ( ro, drapelul României) is a tricolour. The Constitution of Romania states that "The flag of Romania is tricolour; the colours are arranged vertically in the following order from the flagpole: blue, yellow, red". T ...
was hoisted over the dome of the ' Catedrala Naşterea Domnului'. The Red Army resistance in Chişinău fell on 17 July 1941.
Michael of Romania
Michael I ( ro, Mihai I ; 25 October 1921 – 5 December 2017) was the last King of Romania, reigning from 20 July 1927 to 8 June 1930 and again from 6 September 1940 until his forced abdication on 30 December 1947.
Shortly after Michael's ...
and Ion Antonescu visited Chişinău on 18 August 1941.
Following the occupation, the city suffered from the characteristic mass murder of its predominantly Jewish inhabitants. As had been seen elsewhere in Eastern Europe, the Jews were transported on trucks to the outskirts of the city and then summarily shot in partially dug pits. The number of Jews murdered during the initial occupation of the city is estimated at 10,000 people.
As the war drew to a conclusion, the city was once more pulled into heavy fighting as German and Romanian troops retreated. On 24 August 1944 the Soviet warriors entered the city as a result of the Jassy-Kishinev Operation.
In the Soviet Union
After the war, Bessarabia was fully integrated into the Soviet Union. Most of Bessarabia became the Moldavian SSR with Chişinău as its capital; smaller parts of Bessarabia became parts of the
Ukrainian SSR
The Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic ( uk, Украї́нська Радя́нська Соціалісти́чна Респу́бліка, ; russian: Украи́нская Сове́тская Социалисти́ческая Респ ...
Monument to Simion Murafa, Alexei Mateevici and Andrei Hodorogea
The Monument to Simion Murafa, Alexei Mateevici and Andrei Hodorogea ( ro, Monumentul în memoria eroilor naţionali Simion Murafa, Alexei Mateevici şi Andrei Hodorogea) was a monument in Central Chişinău, Moldova. It existed between 1933 and 1 ...
Alexey Shchusev
Alexey Victorovich Shchusev (academic spelling), german: Schtschussew, french: Chtchoussev, pl, Szchusiew. (russian: Алексе́й Ви́кторович Щу́сев; – 24 May 1949) was a Russian and Soviet architect who was successf ...
developed a plan with the aid of a team of architects for the gradual reconstruction of the city. If in 1944 Chişinău only had 25,000 inhabitants, by 1950 it had had 50,000. There were constructed large-scale housing and palaces in the style of Stalinist architecture. This process continued under
Nikita Khrushchev
Nikita Sergeyevich Khrushchev (– 11 September 1971) was the First Secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union from 1953 to 1964 and chairman of the country's Council of Ministers from 1958 to 1964. During his rule, Khrushchev s ...
, who called for construction under the slogan "good, cheaper and built faster". In 1971 the
Council of Ministers
A council is a group of people who come together to consult, deliberate, or make decisions. A council may function as a legislature, especially at a town, city or county/ shire level, but most legislative bodies at the state/provincial or nati ...
of the Soviet Union adopted a decision "On the measures for further development of the city of Kishinev", which secured more than one billion
roubles
The ruble (American English) or rouble (Commonwealth English) (; rus, рубль, p=rublʲ) is the currency unit of Belarus and Russia. Historically, it was the currency of the Russian Empire and of the Soviet Union.
, currencies named ''rub ...
architectural style
An architectural style is a set of characteristics and features that make a building or other structure notable or historically identifiable. It is a sub-class of style in the visual arts generally, and most styles in architecture relate closely ...
brought about dramatic change and generated the style that dominates today, with large
blocks of flats
A tower block, high-rise, apartment tower, residential tower, apartment block, block of flats, or office tower is a tall building, as opposed to a low-rise building and is defined differently in terms of height depending on the jurisdictio ...
. The terminal of the Chişinău International Airport was built in 1970 and reconstructed in 2000. A 17-story administrative building was erected in the 1980s in
Central Chişinău
Sectorul Centru is one of the five sectors in Chișinău, the capital of Moldova. The local administration is managed by a pretor appointed by the city administration. It governs over a portion of the city of Chișinău itself (central and wester ...
.
The
Moldova State University
The Moldova State University (Romanian: ''Universitatea de Stat din Moldova'') is a university located in Chișinău, Moldova.
History
The university was founded on 1 October 1946. Initially, it had 320 students enrolled in 5 faculties, Physi ...
was created in 1946,
Academy of Sciences of Moldova
The Academy of Sciences of Moldova ( ro, Academia de Științe a Moldovei), established in 1961, is the main scientific organization of Moldova and coordinates research in all areas of science and technology. Ion Tighineanu has been the head of t ...
Central Chişinău
Sectorul Centru is one of the five sectors in Chișinău, the capital of Moldova. The local administration is managed by a pretor appointed by the city administration. It governs over a portion of the city of Chișinău itself (central and wester ...
Moldova 1
Moldova 1 is the national Moldovan television channel
A television channel is a terrestrial frequency or virtual number over which a television station or television network is distributed. For example, in North America, "channel 2" refe ...
, was launched on April 30, 1958, at 7:00 pm. Nicolae Lupan was the first chief redactor of TeleRadio-Moldova. Union of Journalists of Moldova was formed in 1957.
Between 1969 and 1971, a clandestine National Patriotic Front was established by several young intellectuals in Chişinău, totaling over 100 members, vowing to fight for the establishment of a
Moldavian Democratic Republic
The Moldavian Democratic Republic (MDR; ro, Republica Democratică Moldovenească, ), also known as the Moldavian Republic, was a state proclaimed on by the '' Sfatul Țării'' (National Council) of Bessarabia, elected in October–Novemb ...
Alexandru Şoltoianu
Alexandru is the Romanian form of the name Alexander. Common diminutives are Alecu, Alex, and Sandu.
Origin
Etymologically, the name is derived from the Greek "Αλέξανδρος" (Aléxandros), meaning "defending men" or "protector of men" ...
were arrested and later sentenced to long prison terms.
Literatura şi Arta was a publication of the
Moldovan Writers' Union
The Writers' Union of Moldova () is a professional association of writers in Moldova.
Mihai Cimpoi has been the president of the Writers' Union of Moldova since 1991.
External links
Uniunea Scriitorilor din Republica MoldovaC. Tănase Scris ...
Soviet
The Soviet Union,. officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR),. was a transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 to 1991. A flagship communist state, it was nominally a federal union of fifteen nation ...
supporters. In 1990, Romania donated a new copy of Capitoline Wolf; the statue was unveiled in front of the
National History Museum of Moldova
The National Museum of History of Moldova ( ro, Muzeul Național de Istorie a Moldovei) is a museum in Central Chişinău, Moldova.
Overview
Over 263,000 exhibits, 165,000 of which belong to the national heritage, are exhibited in the National ...
on December 1, 1990.
At the end of the soviet rule were established new publication as Glasul, Deşteptarea, Ţara,
Sfatul Țării
''Sfatul Țării'' ("Council of the Country"; ) was a council that united political, public, cultural, and professional organizations in the greater part of the territory of the guberniya, Governorate of Bessarabia in the disintegrating Russia ...
,
Limba Română
Romanian (obsolete spellings: Rumanian or Roumanian; autonym: ''limba română'' , or ''românește'', ) is the official and main language of Romania and the Republic of Moldova. As a minority language it is spoken by stable communities in t ...
. The
Popular Front of Moldova
The Popular Front of Moldova ( ro, Frontul Popular din Moldova) was a political movement in the Moldavian SSR, one of the 15 union republics of the former Soviet Union, and in the newly independent Republic of Moldova. Formally, the Front existe ...
was formed in 1989.
After independence
In 1990 the office of mayor was reestablished in the Republic. In 1990 Nicolae Costin became the first elected mayor of Chişinău. Many streets of Chişinău are named after historic persons, places or events. Independence from the Soviet Union was followed by a large-scale renaming of streets and localities from a Communist theme into a national one. The first diplomatic mission in Chişinău, the Romanian Embassy, was opened on January 20, 1992.
BASA-press
BASA-press was a newsagency from the Republic of Moldova. Founded in November 1992, Moldova's oldest independent newsagency ceased its activity in December 2009.
History
BASA press was founded by a group of five journalists (including Vasile Bo ...
was the first independent news agency in Chişinău.
From 1994, under
Serafim Urechean
Serafim Urechean (born 2 February 1950 in Larga, Briceni District) is a Moldovan politician. He held the position of general mayor of Chișinău municipality (1994–2005) and interim prime minister of the Republic of Moldova (5 – 17 February 1 ...
, Chişinău saw the construction and launch of new
trolleybus
A trolleybus (also known as trolley bus, trolley coach, trackless trolley, trackless tramin the 1910s and 1920sJoyce, J.; King, J. S.; and Newman, A. G. (1986). ''British Trolleybus Systems'', pp. 9, 12. London: Ian Allan Publishing. .or trol ...
lines, as well as an increase in capacities of existing lines, in order to improve connections between the urban districts.
In 1995, elections for the post of mayor of Chişinău were held on July 10, July 24, November 27, and December 11.
On 7 October 2002 and 8–9 October 2009, in Chişinău were held summits of the
Commonwealth of Independent States
The Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) is a regional intergovernmental organization in Eurasia. It was formed following the dissolution of the Soviet Union in 1991. It covers an area of and has an estimated population of 239,796,010. ...
.
Delegation of the European Union to Moldova
The Delegation of the European Union to Moldova ( ro, Delegația Uniunii Europene în Republica Moldova) was established to facilitate relations between Moldova and the European Union. It is located in Moldova's capital, Chișinău.
History
Th ...
was opened in 2007.
The
Memorial to victims of Stalinist repression
The Train of Pain – Memorial to Victims of Stalinist Repression ( ro, Trenul durerii – Monumentul în memoria victimelor deportărilor regimului comunist) is a monument in Chișinău, Moldova. A temporary stone was unveiled in 1990 in Chișin ...
Moldova Suverană
Moldova Suverană () is a Romanian language official newspaper of the Moldovan government which is published daily in Chișinău. It had a circulation of 100,000 copies per day in 1994.
It was founded in the Moldavian Autonomous Soviet Socialis ...
,
Timpul de dimineaţă
''Timpul'' (Romanian for "The Time") is a literary magazine published in Romania. Originally a political newspaper, it was the official platform of the Conservative Party between 1876 and 1914.
The publication is still active (2018) and publishe ...
Party of Communists of the Republic of Moldova
The Party of Communists of the Republic of Moldova ( ro, Партидул Комуништилор дин Република Молдова, italic=no, Partidul Comuniștilor din Republica Moldova; russian: Партия коммунистов Р ...
If from 1812 till 1818 the Chişinău population had increased from 7 up to 18 thousand people, by the end of the 19th century it had grown up to 110,000. The growth of population was due to the immigrants from
Russian Empire
The Russian Empire was an empire and the final period of the Russian monarchy from 1721 to 1917, ruling across large parts of Eurasia. It succeeded the Tsardom of Russia following the Treaty of Nystad, which ended the Great Northern War. ...
. In the late 19th century, especially due to growing anti-Semitic sentiment in the
Russian Empire
The Russian Empire was an empire and the final period of the Russian monarchy from 1721 to 1917, ruling across large parts of Eurasia. It succeeded the Tsardom of Russia following the Treaty of Nystad, which ended the Great Northern War. ...
and better economic conditions, many Jews chose to settle in Chişinău. Its population had grown to 92,000 by 1862 and to 125,787 by 1900. By the year 1900, 43% of the population of Chişinău was
Jew
Jews ( he, יְהוּדִים, , ) or Jewish people are an ethnoreligious group and nation originating from the Israelites Israelite origins and kingdom: "The first act in the long drama of Jewish history is the age of the Israelites""T ...
ish. In the interwar period the quantity of the city population was not increasing, and in June 1941 Chişinău had 110,000 people. The birth of the 500,000 Chişinău inhabitant was celebrated in 1979.
The population of the city is 592,900 (2007) which grows to 911,400 in the entire metropolitan area.
Etymology
According to one version, the name comes from the archaic Romanian word ''chişla'' (meaning "spring", "source of water") and ''nouă'' ("new"), because it was built around a small spring. Nowadays, the spring is located at the corner of Pushkin and Albişoara streets.
An alternative version, by Ştefan Ciobanu holds it, that the name was formed the same way as the name of Chişineu (alternative spelling: Chişinău) in Western
Romania
Romania ( ; ro, România ) is a country located at the crossroads of Central, Eastern, and Southeastern Europe. It borders Bulgaria to the south, Ukraine to the north, Hungary to the west, Serbia to the southwest, Moldova to the east, and ...
, near the border with
Hungary
Hungary ( hu, Magyarország ) is a landlocked country in Central Europe. Spanning of the Pannonian Basin, Carpathian Basin, it is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine to the northeast, Romania to the east and southeast, Serbia to the ...
. Its Hungarian name is Kisjenő, from which the Romanian name originates. Kisjenő in turn comes from ''kis'' "small" + the "Jenő" tribe, one of the seven Hungarian tribes that entered the
Carpathian Basin
The Pannonian Basin, or Carpathian Basin, is a large Sedimentary basin, basin situated in south-east Central Europe. The Geomorphology, geomorphological term Pannonian Plain is more widely used for roughly the same region though with a somewh ...
in 896 and gave the name of 21 settlements.http://ganymedes.lib.unideb.hu:8080/dea/bitstream/2437/78065/2/de_882.pdf
Chişinău is also known in
Russian
Russian(s) refers to anything related to Russia, including:
*Russians (, ''russkiye''), an ethnic group of the East Slavic peoples, primarily living in Russia and neighboring countries
*Rossiyane (), Russian language term for all citizens and peo ...
as Кишинёв (''Kishinyov''). It is written ''Kişinöv'' in the Latin
Gagauz alphabet
The modern Gagauz alphabet is a 31-letter Latin-based alphabet modelled on the Turkish alphabet. Previously, during Soviet rule, Gagauz's official script was Cyrillic.
Gagauz was first written in Greek letters in the late 19th century.M. Ciachi ...
. It was also written as "Кишинэу" in the
Moldovan Cyrillic alphabet
The Moldovan Cyrillic alphabet is a Cyrillic alphabet designed for the Romanian language spoken in the Soviet Union ( Moldovan) and was in official use from 1924 to 1932 and 1938 to 1989 (and still in use today in the breakaway Moldovan regio ...
in
Soviet times
The history of Soviet Russia and the Soviet Union (USSR) reflects a period of change for both Russia and the world. Though the terms "Soviet Russia" and "Soviet Union" often are synonymous in everyday speech (either acknowledging the dominance ...
. Historically, the
English language
English is a West Germanic language of the Indo-European language family, with its earliest forms spoken by the inhabitants of early medieval England. It is named after the Angles, one of the ancient Germanic peoples that migrated to the ...
name for the city, "Kishinev", was based on the modified Russian one because it entered the English language via Russian at the time Chişinău was part of the
Russian Empire
The Russian Empire was an empire and the final period of the Russian monarchy from 1721 to 1917, ruling across large parts of Eurasia. It succeeded the Tsardom of Russia following the Treaty of Nystad, which ended the Great Northern War. ...
(e.g.
Kishinev pogrom
The Kishinev pogrom or Kishinev massacre was an anti-Jewish riot that took place in Kishinev (modern Chișinău, Moldova), then the capital of the Bessarabia Governorate in the Russian Empire, on . A second pogrom erupted in the city in Octob ...
). Therefore, it remains a common English name in some historical contexts. Otherwise, however, the Romanian-based "Chişinău" has been steadily gaining wider currency, especially in the
written language
A written language is the representation of a spoken or gestural language by means of a writing system. Written language is an invention in that it must be taught to children, who will pick up spoken language or sign language by exposure eve ...
.
Gallery
File:Chisinau bublik seller.jpg, Chişinău bublik seller
File:Chisinau home brewed beer seller.jpg, Chişinău home brewed beer seller
File:Chisinau pastry shop visitors.jpg, Chişinău pastry shop visitors
File:Chisinau agricultural exhibition jury 1889.jpg, Agricultural exhibition jury 1889: Carol Schmidt (center) is reading
File:Chisinau water carrier.jpg, Chişinău water carrier, about 1900
File:Gherman Pântea (1894-1968).jpg, Gherman Pântea,
Mayor
In many countries, a mayor is the highest-ranking official in a municipal government such as that of a city or a town. Worldwide, there is a wide variance in local laws and customs regarding the powers and responsibilities of a mayor as well ...
Mayor
In many countries, a mayor is the highest-ranking official in a municipal government such as that of a city or a town. Worldwide, there is a wide variance in local laws and customs regarding the powers and responsibilities of a mayor as well ...
Mayor
In many countries, a mayor is the highest-ranking official in a municipal government such as that of a city or a town. Worldwide, there is a wide variance in local laws and customs regarding the powers and responsibilities of a mayor as well ...
LOWA ET54.jpg, Gothawagen ET54
File:Органный зал, Кишинев, Республика Молдова Sala cu orga, Chisinau, Republica Moldova Organ Hall, Chisinau, Republic of Moldova (50698329527).jpg, Organ Hall (Sala cu Orgă)
File:Capela Gimnaziului de Fete.jpg, St. Teodora de la Sihla Church
File:Banulescu-Bodoni.jpg,
Gavril Bănulescu-Bodoni
Gavril Bănulescu-Bodoni (; 1746 – 30 March 1821) was a Romanian clergyman who served as Metropolitan of Moldavia (1792), Metropolitan of Kherson and Crimea (1793–1799), Metropolitan of Kiev and Halych (1799–1803), Exarch ...
File:Stamp of Moldova 128.gif,
Gurie Grosu
Gurie Grosu (; born 1 January 1877 in Nimoreni, Bessarabia Governorate, Russian Empire – died 14 November 1943 in Bucharest, Romania) was a Bessarabian priest and the first holder of the Basarabian Metropolitan Church after 100 years of R ...
File:Chisinau jew.jpg, Chişinău Jew
File:Kishinev-Aleksandrovskaja.jpg, Chişinău about 1900
File:Stamp of Moldova md077cvs.jpg, Viaţa Basarabiei