Catedrala Nașterea Domnului

What you see

The cathedral is a clear, symmetrical building in Empire style, with a façade marked by six Doric columns and a dome over the centre. It is just over 37 metres long. Inside, the walls were repainted in Orthodox style in the years after 1989; the icons and the half-light contrast with the bright, classical exterior. The bell tower stands apart from the church and is a reconstruction from 1997.

The church lies in the Parcul Catedralei, between Bulevardul Ștefan cel Mare and the streets behind it. Directly in front of it, on the boulevard side, stands the Triumphal Arch, designed as the monumental entrance to the cathedral square.

History

Construction was ordered in 1830 by Governor-General Mikhail Vorontsov and Metropolitan Gavriil Bănulescu-Bodoni, in the years when Chișinău was being developed as the capital of the Russian governorate of Bessarabia. The architect Avraam Melnikov, who also designed a similar church in Bolhrad, received the commission. According to Wikipedia, building began on 26 May 1830 and the church was consecrated in October 1836.

In the Second World War the cathedral was bombed. Under Soviet rule worship was banned and the building served as an exhibition space; in 1962 the bell tower was destroyed by the local communists. In 1989 the church regained its religious function. The restoration lasted until 1996, and in 1997 a new zinc dome, the cross and the rebuilt bell tower followed. In 2016 the National Bank of Moldova issued a 50-lei silver coin for its 180th anniversary.

Tips for your visit

The cathedral is open all year round to worshippers and visitors, with services on Sundays and feast days. Come on a weekday if you want to look at the interior in peace, and do not take photographs during services. The surrounding park is a meeting place for the city, and the Triumphal Arch and the Parcul Ștefan cel Mare are a few minutes' walk away.