Maria Cebotari street en Chișinău

Maria Cebotari Street (between 1834-1918 – Buiukanskaia Street (Buiucani); in 1918-1924 – Haruzin Street; in 1924-1944 – Cuza-Vodă Street; in 1944-1990 – Gorkii Street), colloquially also called Maria Cibotari Street, is a street in the historical center of Chisinau.

Along the street there are a number of architectural and historical monuments (individual houses, as well as administrative buildings (Chamber of Commerce and Industry, CIVIS Center, "Spiru Haret" Theoretical High School, the Palace of the Republic, as well as the "Ștefan cel Mare și Sfânt" Public Garden and others).

The street starts at the intersection with Alexei Mateevici Street, intersecting 8 other streets and ending at the intersection with Alexandru cel Bun Street.

But who was Maria Cebotari?

Maria Cebotari (alternatively Cibotari, born February 10, 1910, Chişinău - died June 9, 1949, Vienna), was one of the greatest sopranos, opera soloists and Romanian actress.

She studied at the Florica Niţă Normal School for Girls and at the Metropolitan Chapel in Chişinău led by Mihail Berezovschi, followed by the "Unirea" Conservatory in Chişinău (1924-1929) with Maria Zlatov, Gavriil Atanasiu and Anastasia Dicescu (singing), Mihail Berezovschi (harmony), Clara Fainstein (piano) and Grigore Gâdei (theory).

After completing her studies at the conservatory in her hometown, she was hired as an actress at the Moscow Art Theater. In 1929 she went to Berlin, where she took singing lessons. She made her debut in 1931 in the role of Mimi in Giacomo Puccini's opera La Bohème at the Dresden Opera. She remained there as a soloist until 1943; between 1935 and 1943 she also performed on the stage of the Berlin State Opera. She was later hired as a permanent soloist at the Vienna State Opera, where she remained until her death in 1949.

At only 24 years old, Maria Cebotari was awarded the highest honorary title existing in Germany and Austria at the time – Kammersängerin.

She played in eight films, film adaptations in Germany or Austria, alongside cinema stars of the time, including her husband, Gustav Diessl.