France will help restore two Chisinau architectural gems
A new opportunity arises for restoring two architectural treasures in Chisinau: the Herța Urban Villa and the Kligman House, with support from the French government.
The Kligman House was built by the merchant Moisei Kligman in 1898, and the Herța Villa - in 1905, at the request of the nobleman Vladimir Herța, the first mayor of Chișinău after the Great Union of 1918. Later, the two mansions were joined by a gallery. Built in the neoclassical style, they are among the few buildings of this kind that have withstood the passage of time. The news that the two buildings in the heart of the capital are to be restored with the support of France surprised passers-by.
“Bravo to France for having money and wanting to help. It is the center of the capital, the center of Chișinău. We owe it to restore it”.
“The building is beautiful. Of course, such historical buildings must be preserved, they represent the history of Moldova”.
Villa Herța and the House of Moisei Kligman are part of the surviving buildings of the National Museum of Art of Moldova (MNAM). The last exhibition was held in this space in 1986. In the early 2000s, the roof was spotted, but there was no talk of restoration works, the costs were too high. France, which has valuable experience in saving heritage, offered the Republic of Moldova the necessary financial support. The announcement was made by President Emmanuel Macron, during his visit to Chisinau, on Independence Day.
"There is a restoration project that needs to be updated to reflect current technological conditions. The plans and documentation will be revised to determine the exact costs. It is estimated that the total cost for the entire complex will be between 6.4 million and 7 million euros," stated Tudor Zbârnea, the director of the MNAM.
"We hope to start as soon as possible, we will conduct pre-feasibility studies together with the French Development Agency. They will probably also take the lead in this project", says the Minister of Culture, Sergiu Prodan.
Both mansions are recognized as architectural monuments of national significance.
