Chisinau Grand National Assembly Square - past and present

We offer you an article that refers to the history of the Grand General Assembly Square in the center of Chisinau.

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During the secular period of time, the space of a few hundred square meters on the perimeter of the current Ştefan cel Mare şi Sfânt boulevard, between Pushkin and Bănulescu-Bodoni streets, had to show and see a lot, especially after Chisinau, in 1812, it became the center of government. Simple and noble people, atheists and priests, artists and writers, soldiers and marshals, kings and emperors, patriots and traitors… Here various events took place, some of them with a connotation of sacredness, among them. These are also the Great National Assemblies of the late twentieth century, which we can consider crucial for our history.

The choice of Chisinau as the center of the new government, annexed in 1812 to the Russian Empire, is largely due to Metropolitan Gavriil Bănulescu-Bodoni, who also had a say in this regard. After all, Bender (Tighina) or Akkerman (White Fortress) could be chosen with the same success, cities already formed, just then abandoned by the Turkish inhabitants, and after their departure many buildings were left free in which they would have been could install the new administration without additional costs for the construction of new buildings. But Chisinau was chosen, and this is because, during the XVII-XVIII centuries, it developed more intensely than other localities, diminishing the importance of the Lăpuşna fair, and then of Orheiu, a situation that was due, in fact, to the fact that here, through Chisinau, after the capture of the White Fortress of Chile by the Turks, two major trade routes began to intersect: one - from Causeni and Tighina to Orhei, Soroca and Hotin, and the second - from Iasi through Chisinau to Dubasari, Kyiv and Moscow.

Settling in Chisinau, the new Russian administration immediately began to promote the idea of ​​creating a new city, as opposed to the old Moldovan one. To this end, a new method was applied in all that was planned, then used in English-speaking countries: the rectangular intersection of streets. It could be said that this way of urban planning was widely used in the new areas attached to the Russian Empire, including the Baltic States, and almost not in the old cities of Russia, which were allowed to develop in the same style, except only of St. Petersburg, which from the beginning is a city built based on a new urban vision of the invited architects from abroad. As for the other cities, as I said, most of them have continued to develop as before, and in this context, we can take as an example even Moscow, where you will not see this rectangular system, except for the new neighbourhoods built in the Soviet years. In Chisinau, the system in question was applied in the very first urban plan, drawn up by the Russian administration in 1817. The explanation is very simple: it was very convenient because of possible riots, which, of course, had to be suppressed. In such situations, soldiers could manoeuvre much more easily on the wide, than on the winding and small alleys of Chisinau until 1812.

The new city was designed with several markets, each with its own course. Thus, the German Square appeared (where the Dinamo stadium is now located), so named, probably because industrial goods were sold there; then, below the prison, was the Hay Square, so named because hay was sold there (in the Soviet years the Republican Stadium was built in its place); The Central Agricultural Market is where it is today. As for the square that today bears the name of the Grand National Assembly, it was originally conceived and formed as an axis that was to become dominant for the city, in fact, as a sacred nucleus, here will be built, one after another, the Cathedral Domnului ”and the Bell Tower around it (1836), the Holy Gates (1840), designed by the architect Zauşchevici after the models of the old Roman Triumphal Arches, and opposite them, where today is the Government building - the Metropolitan headquarters, the Theological Seminary buildings, in the corner The Archdiocese's House (1911), also called Seraphim's House, was built on the left side of the square, but because the Russian language insisted on its place in the life of the locals - it was more often called Serafimovskii dom, because at that time he was bishop of Chisinau. and Hotinului was Serafim Ciceagov, the hierarch being personally involved in financing the construction of this imposing edifice (erected, among others, according to the project of the well-known Bessarabian architect of Epa of Chisinau and Hotin, Gheorghe Cupcea), and in parallel with them - public institutions, houses, etc. And all this to demonstrate the prosperity of the new part of the city, of the province in general, compared to the other peoples of the Balkans, still subjugated by the Turks. That space was also intended for various events, but especially for parades and routine exercises of military troops, which is denoted even by its name from the beginning, which I found in some old documents: Plaţparadnaia…

The figures carved on the pedestal of this monument were very curious: "Aunt Russia", in Russian national clothes, and "Bessarabia", fallen on her chest as a "mother", in ordinary clothes, which at that time they wore blankets of native cities. They didn't want to do that much either: to dress her in the dress specific to our nation…

Among other things, the monument was unveiled by Tsar Nicholas II, who visited Chisinau in early May 1914, on his way to Constanta, accompanied by his family, to meet with the Royal House of Romania in order to conclude matrimonial and political alliances. . In Colesnic (Chisinau from Remembrance) I found the description of this moment, significant through an insignificant detail at first sight: at the unveiling, the tsar could not pull the canvas covering the monument, so someone needed to help him. beside. When it happened, someone in the crowd murmured in a low voice that it was a bad sign… A month or so later, World War I broke out, and four years later, the Bolsheviks shot Nicholas II and his entire family. Maybe, through this tragic end, he was allowed to atone for the sins of the people of the entire Romanov dynasty ?! In fact, the destinies of the two monuments can be considered sad: the first was demolished in 1917 by the Russian revolutionary troops, who were retreating from the front, and the second - in 1918, by the local population.

The places of the demolished monuments remained empty for a long time, until the idea arose that new monuments should be erected in the created space, corresponding to the new breath of the time, honoring the nation's heroes. It was also natural for everyone to think of the reckless ruler Stephen the Great. The sculptor Alexandru Plămădeală was the one who painted his face in bronze, and Eugen Bernardazzi, the son of the well-known architect Alexandru Bernardazzi, created the pedestal of the Cosăuţi sandstone sculpture. One decade after the unification of Bessarabia with Romania, on April 29, 1928, it took its rightful place in the landscape of Chisinau, where the people of Chisinau see it every day. Most of them, I am sure, do not know that this sculpture suffered several stepsons of the time, along with the inhabitants of the land, being also forced to leave their "home".

Before referring to this subject, I would like to say something about the monument in Chisinau of Ferdinand I, King of Romania since 1914, which is known to have promoted a policy of social, economic, cultural reforms, namely he was the one who in 1924 owned all the peasants with land. The monument was also installed in 1939 in the space of the current Square of the Great National Assembly, with King Carol II attending the event (who, among other things, wanted to see the model for approval, the sculptor named Oscar Han , who also created the statue of Vasile Lupu from Orhei), accompanied by several officials. In the summer of 1940, when Bessarabia was "liberated" from Romanian occupation, both monuments were evacuated. Nothing is known about the destiny of the monument of Ferdinand I, and the statue of Stephen the Great arrived in Vaslui, finding a place next to the "Saint John" Church built centuries ago by the voivode himself. The pedestal, which remained in Chisinau, was simply blown up, and in its place (I read about it by chance in a Russian-language publication) fixed the silhouette, cut from plywood and painted, of Stalin's daddy, disappeared. at the beginning of the war. On August 25, 1942, the monument of Stephen the Great was returned to Chisinau and installed in front of the Holy Gates, but not for long, because in August 1944, when Soviet troops "liberated" Chisinau again, it was decided to be again evacuated, this time to Craiova.

Now, after many years, we can say with certainty that, although it was not an easy task, due to the second evacuation, the monument was saved. Not only because, remaining in Chisinau, it was certainly destroyed during the bombing of Chisinau, but also because, after the end of the war, the happy opportunity arose to bring it back to Chisinau along with other assets considered cultural values ​​and recovered by Chisinau. the new Chisinau authorities. The sculptor Claudia Cobizeva is also said to have contributed to this, as a member of the commission for the repatriation of property and citizens. One way or another, the monument being returned to Chisinau, the new authorities had nowhere to go and reinstalled it, but they changed it, distorting their cross, sword and pedestal, and dug another inscription on the pedestal. By 1968-1969, it was intended to be relocated to a suburb, which was reported and sparked by protests, especially among young intellectuals and students. Some of them even suffered, being excluded from college or fired, among them the then rector of the Polytechnic, S. Rădăuțan. But, after the spirits calmed down, in 1972, the monument was moved about 18 meters deep in the park, to be less exposed to view. Only after almost two decades, on August 31, 1991, in independent Moldova, Ştefan cel Mare, cast in bronze, restored exactly as Alexandru Plămădeală designed it, returned to its original place, on a base exactly like the one demolished, with the inscriptions initials engraved on the surface of…

Regarding the manifestations in the current Square of the Great National Assembly, we can mention those held here in 1912, a centenary of the annexation of Bessarabia to Russia, when the arrival of the defender Nicholas II was expected and when, to emphasize the solemnity of the event, but also In order to infiltrate the consciousness of the common man with the idea of ​​the great good of Russia for this land, several temporary triumphal arches were erected, installed not only in the market but also in the adjacent streets. It so happened, however, that the tsar did not come then, but, as I mentioned above, later in 1914, when, of course, several demonstrations also took place here and there was talk of the "happy" century he had. lived Bessarabia under the auspices of the Russian Empire.

And in 1940, when Soviet troops entered Chisinau, their military parade took place in this square, only on June 28, as stated in the history textbooks, but almost a week later. , July 3rd. In the archives we find photos, from which it can be seen that among the slogans held by the townspeople, you can't find any in Romanian, be it written in the Cyrillic alphabet - they are all in Russian. By the way, during this parade, a huge portrait of Stalin was fixed on the base of the former monument of Ferdinand I.

In August of the same year, a joint parade of red troops with German SS troops took place here. I have a copy of a photograph, which clearly shows the swastika, and the hammer sickle. This parade is mentioned in the memoirs of eyewitnesses, some of Jewish origin who, of course, were outraged: how, that is, does the liberated red army march alongside the fascist one ?! But then the Russians, that is, the Soviets, were still friends with the Germans. And the German troops, not very large, about two thousand people, had come here with the mission to repatriate the ethnic Germans from the villages in southern Bessarabia, in accordance with the stipulations of the Ribbentrop-Molotov pact.

In July 1941, after the liberation of Chisinau from the Bolsheviks, there was a military parade of the Romanian Army, then, in 1942 and 1943, several demonstrations of the local population, one of them being conditioned by the exhibition inaugurated in connection with the two years of to free Bessarabia from the Russian yoke. The exhibition was called "Two Years of Freedom" and was attended by King Mihai I and Marshal Ion Antonescu. Since that event, I have found hundreds of images stored in the Bundestag archive on the Internet. To a possible question such as "From where and to where something like this in the Bundestag archive ?!", I will answer that the images found - the parade of Romanian troops, then the presence of Mihai I and Ion Antonescu at the exhibition in question, then at the consecration of the Cathedral after the repair, - is due to a Romanian reporter, Saxon (German) of origin, Willy Pragher, who in 1941 -1944 worked as a war reporter in Chisinau, so he had the opportunity to photograph many moments from those festivities, but also many sad images of the ruins of the city. And this - I have in mind the state of the city fixed in these photos - is also a very important testimony, which disputes the claims that the city was destroyed, in 1944, by the aerial bombardment of

German armies in retreat. In fact, Chisinau was blown up in the summer of 1941 by Soviet troops during their withdrawal under Stalin's command. The destruction of buildings that were more than one storey, regardless of what was in them, was pursued with hostility. The Romanian administration ordered that the fresh traces of these destructions be photographed and that information was found in the declassified archives, together with about 50 photographs. Chisinau has been specially mined and blown up by Russians in charge of this mission; the same thing happened, only partially, in Tighina, Soroca, Balti, Hotin. I happened to be talking to one of those who participated in this barbarism.

Thus, all the buildings on the perimeter of the square were destroyed, and the Cathedral - set on fire. But, in a short time, a special committee started to take care of its restoration, the Chisinau architect Gheorghe Cupcea being in charge of directing the works. After their completion, the consecration of the Cathedral took place, which, as I said above, was attended by King Michael I and Marshal Ion Antonescu. Of course, none of those present at the ceremony could even assume that in about two decades, on the night of December 22-23, 1961, at the behest of the Soviet leadership, the Bell Tower next to the Cathedral would be blown up, and the Cathedral would be The cathedral was demolished, and the Cathedral was transformed into an exhibition hall. her project. Moreover, they could not have guessed that, in the meantime, the neighborhood in front of the Cathedral, including the imposing edifice of the Diocesan House, will be demolished in order to build a large but architecturally banal building in this place. , - Government House ...

People of my generation remember that it was through this market that the columns of the obligatory parades in honor of the so-called revolutionary holidays, initiated by the regime in the 1960s, had to pass through. Many of those who took part in them are still alive and have not forgotten how pompous and noisy they were. which was predominantly an imposing marble statue of him.

As I study the history of the monuments, I know that the pedestal was periodically changed, the new one always being taller and more massive than the old one, so that it became disproportionate to the monument itself, distorting the original concept of the sculptor Merkulov. When in the U.R.S.S. the new revolutionary ideas were heard, the monument was demolished, the statue being moved to the exhibition complex in Valea Morilor, but few know that this was done following a decision of the mayor's office (mayor Nicolae Costin) during the period when the Soviet Union still existed yet. The same thing happened in other republics, so the then head of the Communist Party, Mikhail Gorbachev, was forced to issue a decree banning the demolition of Lenin's monuments. But the spiritual emancipation movement, which was gaining momentum throughout the union, could no longer be stopped.

The source:  chisinaucapitala.wordpress.com