Chișinău

Chișinău is the capital and largest city of Moldova. It is the main place for jobs and trade in the country. The city sits in the middle of Moldova near the river Bîc, which joins the Dniester.

According to the 2024 Moldovan census, over 567,000 people live in Chișinău itself, and even more live close by.

Chișinău is a busy city for travel and work. Many people live in the area. The city is well-known for its wine, holding a big wine festival each October.

Even though some buildings were damaged long ago, Chișinău still has many interesting places. These include buildings with special designs, like ones made in Socialist realism and Brutalist styles. There is also a train station with old Russian style. Famous architect Alexander Bernardazzi designed important spots, such as Chișinău City Hall and two churches.

The city has many places for learning and culture, like the National Museum of Fine Arts, Moldova State University, and the National Museum of History of Moldova. Visitors can see busy markets and even the house where the poet Alexander Pushkin once stayed.

Etymology

The name of Chișinău, Moldova's capital city, is not fully known. One idea is that the name might come from an old Romanian word for "spring" or "source of water" called chișla, combined with nouă meaning "new". This is because the city was built near a small spring.

Another idea says the name was formed like the name of a place in western Romania called Chișineu. Its Hungarian name is Kisjenő, which means "small" and comes from one of the old Hungarian tribes.

The city is also known by many other names in different languages, showing its rich history and connections to many cultures.

History

Main articles: History of Chișinău and Timeline of Chișinău

Chișinău began in 1436 as a small village. It became part of the Principality of Moldavia. By the early 1800s, it was a town of about 7,000 people. In 1812, after a war, the area joined the Russian Empire. The city grew with new buildings, roads, and a railway.

During World War II, the city had heavy fighting and damage. After the war, it became part of the Soviet Union and continued to grow. Since Moldova became independent, the city has kept developing and hosting important events.

Geography

Chișinău is located on the Bâc river, which flows into the larger Dniester river. The city covers an area of 120 km² (46 sq mi), and the whole city area is 635 km² (245 sq mi). It sits in the middle of Moldova, with flat land and rich soil all around.

Chișinău has warm summers and cold winters. Winter temperatures often drop below 0 °C (32 °F) but usually stay above −10 °C (14 °F). Summer temperatures average around 25 °C (77 °F) but can sometimes reach 35 to 40 °C (95 to 104 °F). Most of the year’s rain falls in the summer, sometimes causing heavy storms. Spring and autumn are milder, with temperatures between 16 and 24 °C (61 and 75 °F) and less rain than in summer.

Law and government

Chișinău is run by a Municipal Council and a Mayor, who are chosen every four years by the people. Ion Ceban has been the mayor since 2019 and was re-elected in 2023.

The city also has a new city council that was elected in 2023. The council has representatives from different parties.

The Municipality of Chișinău is the largest in Moldova, with over 720,000 people living there. It includes the city of Chișinău and 34 other nearby towns and villages.

Economy

Chișinău is the main place for business and money in Moldova. The city has many shops and places to buy things, like MallDova, Port Mall, and stores such as Kaufland and Metro. There are also fun places like amusement parks.

Demographics

Chișinău has a mix of people and languages.

The city is home to many different religious groups, including the Moldovan Orthodox Church and has churches and synagogues.

Ethnic composition

Languages

Religion

Chișinău is the seat of the Moldovan Orthodox Church, as well as of the Metropolis of Bessarabia. The city has multiple churches and synagogues.

Cityscape

Panorama of Chișinău at night

Architecture

Soviet-style apartment buildings in Chișinău

Romashka Tower, the tallest building in Moldova

See also: Wooden church of Hirișeni

Chișinău began to grow in the 1800s. In 1836, the Kishinev Cathedral and its belfry were completed. The belfry was removed during Soviet times but rebuilt in 1997. The city has many Orthodox churches and lovely 19th-century buildings, like Ciuflea Monastery and the Transfiguration Church. Many buildings are made from limestone from Cricova, which also has a famous wine cellar.

Since 1991, many new modern buildings have appeared, such as office and shopping centers like Kentford, SkyTower, and Unión Fenosa headquarters. But you can still see many old Soviet-style apartment blocks throughout the city.

Culture and education

See also: List of public schools in Chișinău and List of universities in Moldova

Education

Chișinău has many places to learn. There are public schools and private universities. Some important schools include Moldova State University, Academy of Economic Studies of Moldova, and Nicolae Testemițanu State University of Medicine and Pharmacy. A new Christian university opened recently.

Events and festivals

Chișinău holds fun events and festivals. One big celebration is the Moldova National Wine Day and Wine Festival every October. People enjoy food, wine, dance, and music. Moldova has a long history of making wine and is known for its great wines.

Media

Most of Moldova's media is based in Chișinău. The city has many FM-radio stations and TV channels. The first radio station, Radio Basarabia, began broadcasting in 1939. The first TV station, Moldova 1, started in 1958.

Many TV channels and radio stations have their main offices in Chișinău, including TV8, Jurnal TV, and ProTV Chișinău. Some big broadcasters in the city are StarNet and Moldtelecom. In 2007, digital TV cable networks were launched by Sun TV and Zebra TV.

Politics

Elections

See also: 2023 Moldovan local elections

Transport

Airport

Chișinău Eugen Doga International Airport connects the city to important places in Europe and Asia.

FlyOne and HiSky have their main offices, and Wizz Air uses the airport as a center for its flights.

Road

The most common way to travel inside Moldova is by bus. Buses are used to travel between cities both inside and outside Moldova. Popular trips go to Tiraspol, Odesa in Ukraine, Iași, and Bucharest in Romania.

Rail

The second most common way to travel inside Moldova is by train. The main train station is Chișinău Railway Station. There is also a smaller station called Revaca at the edge of the city.

Chișinău Railway Station has trains going to Bucharest, Kyiv, Minsk, Odesa, Moscow, Samara, Varna, and St. Petersburg.

Public transport

Trolleybuses

Chișinău has many trolleybuses that help people get around the city. Trolleybuses run all day and night. There are 22 trolleybus lines. A trolleybus ticket costs 6 lei (about $0.31).

Buses

There are 29 bus lines in Chișinău. There are about 330 bus stops in the city.

Minibuses

In Chișinău and nearby areas, private minibuses called "rutieras” follow the same routes as buses and trolleybuses.

As of October 2017, there are 1,100 minibuses working in Chișinău. Minibuses cost the same as buses – 6 lei for a ticket (about $0.36).

Traffic

City traffic gets worse each year. Today, there are about 300,000 cars in the city, and 100,000 more vehicles come into the city every day.

Sport

Football is the most popular sport in Chișinău. Local teams such as Zimbru, Dacia Buiucani, Spartanii Sportul, and Politehnica UTM play in the top league of Moldova. Real Succes and Victoria play in the second tier.

Zimbru Stadium opened in 2006 and has seating for over 10,000 people. It is used for important international football matches and is where the Moldova national football team plays its home games. Since 2011, CS Femina-Sport Chișinău has organized competitions for women in seven different sports.

Chișinău Arena, an indoor arena, opened in 2022. The FMF Beach Soccer Arena, a special stadium for beach soccer, also opened in 2022. It has hosted big events like the Euro Beach Soccer League and the Socca EuroCup. The city also holds an annual Chișinău International Marathon.

Notable people

Chișinău, the capital of Moldova, is home to many famous people. Some well-known people from the city are Gavril Afanasiu, an opera singer, and Radu Albot, a tennis player. The city is also where Doina Aldea-Teodorovici, a singer, and Dan Bălan, a musician and founder of the band O-Zone, were born.

Other famous people from Chișinău include Maria Cebotari, an opera star, and Cleopatra Stratan, a young artist who reached number one in music charts. The city has also produced athletes like Lia Manoliu, an Olympic medalist, and UFC fighters Ion Cuțelaba and Serghei Spivac. These people have achieved great things and show the many talents from Chișinău.

Twin towns – sister cities

See also: List of twin towns and sister cities in Moldova

Chișinău has friends in other countries. Some of these friends are called "twin towns" or "sister cities." This means the cities work together and help each other. Chișinău is friends with cities like Alba Iulia in Romania, Ankara in Turkey, and Borlänge in Sweden, among others.