Chisinau's historical center could disappear in ten years

The civic group for cultural patrimony warns the authorities that the historical center of Chisinau risks disappearing in ten years if its destruction is not stopped, Info-Prim Neo reports. Ion Stefanita, the acting head of the Agency for Inspection and Restoration of Monuments, said that Chisinau is a historical city that is on the verge of extinction. There are no institutions in Chisinau that would deal with the protection and restoration of the historical, architectural and archeological patrimony. According to Ion Stefanita, the civic group for cultural patrimony made approaches to the Division of Architecture, Urbanism and Land Relations, the Construction Authorizations Division and the State Construction Inspectorate, asking that any reconstruction, restoration or demolition certificate be approved first by the Agency for Inspection and Restoration of Monuments, starting with this year. Chisinau councilor Alexandru Corduneanu, of the PPCD, said the monuments have been vandalized throughout the period of Moldova's independence and that they continue to be destroyed by demolition and different interventions. “The historical center of the capital city cannot be restored. All the interventions are ecological crimes and crimes against the cultural heritage,” he said. Sergiu Ciocanu, the head of the International Council on Monuments and Sites' Office in Moldova, said the Moldovan authorities disregard the conventions signed by them. “They cannot always ignore the three international conventions on the protection of the patrimony signed by Moldova. We demand that the governors fulfill the obligations laid down in these documents,” Ciocanu said. The members of the civil group demand that the competent bodies take steps to remedy the situation. They consider that there should be adopted EU-compliant legislation on the protection of the cultural and archeological heritage and a Government decision whereby all the design institutions will be obliged to present the draft designs of constructions for approval. They also demand creating a preventive archeological service under the Ministry of Culture and patrimony police that will be empowered to impose penalties on the organizations and individuals who damage the national patrimony. The historical center of Chisinau includes 977 architectural constructions, 248 of which are demolished monuments. The civic group for cultural patrimony was constituted in the autumn of 2009 to prevent the destruction of Chisinau.