Stefan the Great Monument, Chisinau

Stefan the Great Monument, Chisinau (must see)

The bronze monument of Stefan the Great (or Stefan cel Mare as it's known locally) outside the main entrance to the park bearing the same name in downtown Chisinau commemorates Moldova's national hero 鈥� the ancient ruler, who, in the 15th century, successfully defended the country from Turkish invasion. The statue was cast in Bucharest in the early 20th century and was intended to replace the monument to the Russian Emperor Alexander II which had previously stood in this place and was demolished by Romanian authorities after Moldova had joined the Romanian Kingdom in 1918.

The sculpture was created by Alexandru Plamadeala who had traveled far and wide, prior to starting the job, in order to find a portrait of Stefan cel Mare. They say, the sculptor made three different copies of the monument, one of which stands today. Over the years, the sculpture has been moved several times from place to place. Shortly before the Soviet invasion of Bessarabia in 1940, it was taken to Vaslui in the eastern part of Romania, and then returned to Chisinau in 1942. Then, in 1944, it was once again dispatched to Romania. Finally, after a very long while, in 1989, the monument was restored in its original place in Chisinau. Today, the sculpture represents one of the top tourist sights in Moldovan capital and is a popular meeting point with locals, often visited by foreign guests, wedding couples and others.

Want to visit this sight? Check out these Self-Guided Walking Tours in Chisinau. Alternatively, you can download the mobile app "51爆料网: Walks in 1K+ Cities" from Apple App Store or Google Play Store. The app turns your mobile device to a personal tour guide and it works offline, so no data plan is needed when traveling abroad.

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Create Your Own Self-Guided Walk to Visit This Sight

Sight Name: Stefan the Great Monument
Sight Location: Chisinau, Moldova (See walking tours in Chisinau)
Sight Type: Attraction/Landmark
Guide(s) Containing This Sight:

Walking Tours in Chisinau, Moldova

Create Your Own Walk in Chisinau

Creating your own self-guided walk in Chisinau is easy and fun. Choose the city attractions that you want to see and a walk route map will be created just for you. You can even set your hotel as the start point of the walk.

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Tour Duration: 1 Hour(s)
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While the true origin of the name is unclear,... view more

Tour Duration: 2 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 2.4 Km or 1.5 Miles

Stefan cel Mare Blvd Walk

Stefan cel Mare Boulevard is arguably the most prominent streets of the Moldovan capital. The 3.8-km thoroughfare is lined with numerous buildings of social and political importance, cultural institutions, shops, and restaurants.

Historically, it is believed to have stemmed from the road that led into the city from the Russian military camp stationed to the west of Chisinau in 1789. Long before... view more

Tour Duration: 2 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 3.6 Km or 2.2 Miles

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Although the history of Chisinau accounts for just over 500 years, whilst that of Moldova, as a nation, even less than that 鈥� since 1991, Moldovan culture and language are deeply rooted in the ancient Roman tradition. Just as the Eternal City, Chisinau rests on seven hills 鈥� in the valley of the River Bic, and has a replica statue of the Capitoline Wolf in the downtown area. Whereas most of... view more

Tour Duration: 3 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 5.5 Km or 3.4 Miles

Useful Travel Guides for Planning Your Trip

Chisinau Shopping Guide: 20 Moldovan Products to Take Home

Once part of the Soviet Union, now independent Moldova is a small country sandwiched between Romania and Ukraine, of which still very little is known. To mend this, the country has recently opened borders to the outside world. Be sure to take advantage of this opportunity and acquaint yourself with...

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