Hidden Chisinau: A Local’s Guide to Soviet and Tsarist Secrets

Moldova’s capital city is a blend of Soviet grandeur, Romanian heritage, and surprising local stories waiting to be discovered.

On this walking tour, you’ll explore Chișinău through the eyes of a local, visiting historic monuments, elegant parks, and architectural treasures. You’ll also hear about the personalities and events that shaped this unique Eastern European capital.

This tour starts at the Main Post Office at “Kilometer 0,” the point from which all distances in Moldova are measured. You’ll stroll through the elegant Cathedral Park to see its Orthodox cathedral and bell tower, and pass the grand Triumphal Arch. Along the way, you’ll find out how Russian, Romanian, and Soviet influences have shaped Chișinău’s identity through the centuries.

I’ll also share fascinating stories about Russian poet Pushkin’s exile in Chișinău, and direct you to the secret sculptor’s signature that’s hidden in the Mihai Eminescu monument. The tour ends in a spot adjacent to the historic Chisinau City Hall building and the impressive Organ Hall, originally installed because the daughter of a Soviet leader wanted to study organ music.

On this 60-minute tour, you’ll also have a chance to:

• Visit the Metropolitan Cathedral of Christ’s Nativity, built in the 1800s over six years for reasons that you will soon discover
• Hear the remarkable story of the Public Garden’s cast-iron fence, transported by ox carts over three days from Odessa
• Discover the history behind the Stephen the Great monument, and Moldova’s most revered historical figure, twice deported to Romania during WWII
• Explore the former Greek Orthodox Church of Saint Panteleimon, once used as a wine-tasting venue during Soviet times
• Learn about the Twitter Revolution of 2009 that damaged the Presidential Palace
• Admire the ornate Opera and Ballet Theatre, and the National Museum of Fine Arts, housed in a former girls’ school funded by Princess Natalia Dadiani
• See Attributes of Arts, the unique mosaic that citizens saved from demolition through the Occupy Guguta movement
• Walk through the Parliament building shaped like an open book, where Marx and Engels once shared a bottle of vodka

By the end of this tour, you’ll have experienced Chișinău’s cozy charm, and enjoyed stories from a local that most visitors never hear.