Day 35 - July 17th - Moldova

Day 35 – Fri July 17^th – Moldova

We had a slightly easier day planned for today, and by the way we are feeling we really need a slower day including some ‘down time’. Young Slava offered to show us some sights in the old part of the city and then leave us for some free time during the afternoon. We enjoyed our usual breakfast at the usual place and were ready by 10am for our excursion with Slava.

He took us to the National Museum of Ethnography and Natural History of Moldova which is the oldest museum in Moldova having been founded in 1889 by Baron A. Stuart. The beautiful old building was built over 100 years ago, but looked like it was several centuries old. We are not normally keen museum consumers, but this one had a number of quite fascinating features.

Firstly the preserved animals and evidence of archeological findings of animals of past millennia. The very life like boar pigs were waist high with tusks that would make an elephant proud! The bears are always of interest – the one disappointing thing about our pilgrimage to Romania and Moldova was that we failed to see a bear in the wild – stuffed and life-like were the best that we could do. The most amazing though was the actual bones of dinosaurs and pre-historic creatures which obviously walked this ancient land so long ago. The near complete skeleton of something akin to a brontosaurus was found at the bottom of one of Moldova’s lakes. It was twice the size of an elephant.

Julie of course loved the history of the traditional clothing which was on display. How the women managed to make beautiful creations for both men and women stands as a tribute to their skill and their ingenuity. Some of the old looms on display were quite amazing.

We went from the Museum to the “Eternity Memorial” in the heart of Chisinau, the largest War Memorial in the city which was opened in 1975. The main monument is composed of five stylized rifles forming a 25 metre high pyramid, each one representing each year of the WW2 conflict from 1941 to 1945 when Moldovan troops fought as part of the Russian military against Nazi Germany. An eternal flame burns at the centre of the monument with an impressive honour guard of two young soldiers who stand ‘statue’ still for their shift of some 5 hours each.

Adjacent to the War memorial complex is the oldest cemetery in Chisinau, which despite the very impressive tombs and large ornate graves and headstones of marble, was surprisingly untidy with very long grass and scrub that detracted from the otherwise beautiful graves. At the centre of the cemetery was a lovely Orthodox chapel, but due to a funeral service taking place indoors we were unable to go inside.

We visited Chisinau’s answer to the London Borough Market, which was probably just as cramped with fruit, vegetables and wares of all kinds, also fish, bread, and clothing. It was nice to walk through for the experience, and to get a feel for the kind of life that people from the local rural communities live, and their need to carve out a livelihood of some kind.

We took Slava Junior to lunch at ‘La Placinta’. He is a very intelligent 20 year old and fascinating to listen to as a young person finding his way in this country as it emerges from so many years of Communist rule. He took us for a ride on the famous Chisinau Trolley Bus to the top of the main square in Chisinau, where we said our goodbyes for the day. Behind us was the beautiful House of Parliament for Moldova, and across the road at the top of Boulevarde Grigore Vieru (actually the same street as our apartment) stood the magnificent Triumphal Arch. Perhaps not quite the ‘Arc de triumph’ of Paris, but similar and to the Moldovans, just as meaningful. It was built in 1840 to commemorate the victory of the Russians over the Ottoman Empire during the Russo-Turkish war 1828-29. The huge 6400kg bell was smelted with the copper of the cannons captured from the Ottomans.

The photos will show that just behind the triumphal Arch at the top of the Boulevarde Grigore Vieru is the beautiful Nativity Cathedral (Cathedral of Christ’s Nativity’). Built in 1830, the Cathedral was bombed in WW2, with its bell tower destroyed by the local Communists in 1962. Worship was prohibited during the Soviet period following WW2 with the Cathedral being used as an exhibition centre. It was good to see it once again restored to its original purpose and being so well preserved and used once again.

The day was long and hot. We valued a few free hours to ourselves to return to our humble apartment to enjoy a late afternoon snooze while watching the finishing stages of the Tour de France.

Tomorrow is our final full day on the soil of Moldova, a country and people we have come to love and respect. We will be leaving early to again head north to a small rural village to observe first-hand The Salvation Army’s mobile medical clinic at work. From the security of our lovely apartment at the Aparthotel on Boulevarde Grigore Vieru, we send our love.

KRA