Chișinău

Chișinău is the capital and largest city of Moldova. It is the country's main industrial and commercial center and is located in the middle of Moldova on the river Bîc, which flows into the Dniester. According to the 2024 Moldovan census, over 567,000 people live in the city itself, with more than 720,000 in the surrounding municipality.

The city is an important economic and transportation hub, with nearly a third of Moldova's population living in the metropolitan area. Chișinău is also famous for its wine, hosting a national wine festival each October, a tradition that goes back thousands of years.

Even though many buildings were damaged during the Second World War and by earthquakes, Chișinău still has many interesting structures. These include buildings designed in Socialist realism and Brutalist styles, as well as a railway station with Russian-Imperial architecture. Famous architect Alexander Bernardazzi designed several important landmarks, such as Chișinău City Hall and two churches.

The city is also home to many cultural institutions, including the National Museum of Fine Arts, Moldova State University, and the National Museum of History of Moldova. Visitors can explore bustling markets and even see the house where the poet Alexander Pushkin once lived during his exile.

Etymology

The name of Chișinău, the capital city of Moldova, 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 was founded in 1436 as a small village and became part of the Principality of Moldavia. By the early 1800s, it was a town with about 7,000 people. In 1812, after a war between Russia and Turkey, the area became part of the Russian Empire. The city grew and got new buildings, roads, and a railway.

During World War II, the city faced heavy fighting and destruction. After the war, it became part of the Soviet Union and saw more building and growth. Since Moldova became independent from the Soviet Union, the city has continued to develop and change, including hosting important international events.

Geography

Chișinău is found on the river Bâc, which flows into the larger Dniester river. It covers an area of 120 km² (46 sq mi), while the whole city area is 635 km² (245 sq mi). The city 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 don’t go lower than −10 °C (14 °F). Summer temperatures average around 25 °C (77 °F) but can sometimes get as hot as 35 to 40 °C (95 to 104 °F). Most of the year’s rain falls in the summer, leading to occasional 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. During his first term, he started a new political party called the National Alternative Movement and became its leader in 2022.

The city also has a new city council that was elected in 2023. The council includes representatives from different parties, and their numbers depend on how many votes each party received.

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. These areas help make up the whole municipality and are managed together with the city.

Economy

Chișinău is the main place for business and money in Moldova. In 2012, the city’s total money was about 52 billion lei, which is like 4 billion US dollars. This is a big part of Moldova’s economy.

The city has many shops and places to buy things, like MallDova, Port Mall, and stores such as Kaufland and Metro. Some people still go to the bazaars, but others visit the newer malls. There are also fun places like amusement parks and a circus, though the circus has not been open for a few years while it gets fixed up.

Demographics

Chișinău has a mix of people and languages. In 2015, there were 6,845 births and 6,433 deaths in the city.

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

Natural statistics (2015)

• Births: 6,845 (9.8 per 1,000)
• Deaths: 6,433 (7.7 per 1,000)
• Net Growth rate: 412 (2.1 per 1,000)

Population by sector:

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.

According to the 2024 census results, the religious structure of Chișinău was the following:

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 started growing in the 1800s. In 1836, the Kishinev Cathedral and its belfry were finished. The belfry was torn down during Soviet times but rebuilt in 1997. The city has many Orthodox churches and beautiful 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 8 public schools and 4 private universities. Some important schools include Moldova State University, Academy of Economic Studies of Moldova, and Nicolae Testemițanu State University of Medicine and Pharmacy. In 2022, the first Christian university, Universitatea Moldo-Americană, opened its doors.

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, dating back thousands of years, and is known for its great wines.

Media

Most of Moldova's media is based in Chișinău. The city has almost 30 FM-radio stations and 10 TV channels. The first radio station, Radio Basarabia, began broadcasting on 8 October 1939. The first TV station, Moldova 1, started on 30 April 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. Even though the city has only three main bus stations, 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. As of 2009, the railway network managed by Moldovan Railway is 1,232 kilometres (766 miles) long. The whole network has only one track and is not powered by electricity. 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. Sometimes, train trips to Ukraine stop because of problems between Moldova and the area called Transnistria republic.

Public transport

Trolleybuses

Chișinău has many trolleybuses that help people get around the city. Since 1994, new trolleybus lines have been added, and old lines have been made bigger to connect different parts of the city better. There are 22 trolleybus lines that cover 246 kilometres (153 miles). Trolleybuses run from early morning until early morning the next day. About 320 trolleybuses work each day, but they need at least 600 to meet all the needs. A trolleybus ticket costs 6 lei (about $0.31), which is the cheapest way to travel in the city.

Buses

There are 29 bus lines in Chișinău. At each bus stop, you can find schedules for buses and trolleybuses. There are about 330 bus stops in the city, but there are not enough buses, with only 115 working inside the city.

Minibuses

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

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. The number of personal cars is expected to reach 550,000 (not counting visiting vehicles) by 2025.

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, while Real Succes and Victoria compete in the second tier.

Zimbru Stadium, which opened in May 2006, has seating for over 10,000 people and is used for important international football matches. It is also where the Moldova national football team plays its home games. Since 2011, CS Femina-Sport Chișinău has been organizing 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 and has hosted big events like the Euro Beach Soccer League and the Socca EuroCup in recent years. The city also holds an annual Chișinău International Marathon.

Notable people

Chișinău, the capital of Moldova, has been home to many famous individuals from various fields. Some well-known natives include Gavril Afanasiu, a celebrated opera singer, and Radu Albot, a professional tennis player. The city also saw the birth of Doina Aldea-Teodorovici, a singer who was part of a famous musical duo in the early 1990s, and Dan Bălan, a musician and founder of the popular Eurodance band O-Zone.

Other notable figures from Chișinău include Maria Cebotari, a renowned opera star of the 1930s and 1940s, and Cleopatra Stratan, the youngest artist to reach number one in a country's music charts. The city has also produced accomplished athletes like Lia Manoliu, an Olympic medalist in discus throwing, and UFC fighters Ion Cuțelaba and Serghei Spivac. These individuals have made significant contributions in their respective fields, representing the diverse talents that come from Chișinău.

Twin towns – sister cities

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

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