Complexul Memorial „Eternitate”

What you see

The complex lies in a well-kept park on Strada Pantelimon Halippa, south of the historic centre. The five rifles with bayonets lean towards each other and together form a 25-metre pyramid; they stand for the five years of the war. In the middle, an eternal flame burns in a five-pointed star. A guard of honour from the Moldovan army watches over the monument.

The grounds also contain a memorial to those who died fighting for the independence and territorial integrity of the Republic of Moldova, a reference to the armed conflict over Transnistria in 1992. On remembrance days such as 9 May, politicians and citizens lay flowers here.

History

The monument was designed by the sculptors A. Maiko and I. Poniatowski and the architect A. Minaev. It was inaugurated on 9 May 1975, thirty years after the Soviet victory in the Second World War. In Soviet times it was called the Victory Memorial. It honours the Soviet soldiers who died in the battles for Bessarabia, particularly during the Iași-Chișinău offensive of August 1944.

On 24 August 2006, the 62nd anniversary of that offensive, the complex was reinaugurated after restoration. For many Moldovans it is a place to mourn family members; others see it mainly as a symbol of the Soviet period. Both readings exist side by side, which makes the monument a good place to reflect on the country's recent history.

Tips for your visit

• Come around the hour if you want to see the changing of the guard of honour.
• Behave respectfully: this is a place of remembrance, not a playground.
• You will get the best photos from the long axis leading to the pyramid, ideally in late afternoon light.
• Combine your visit with a walk to the centre; the monument is about three kilometres from the Piața Marii Adunări Naționale.

More about the designers on Visit Chișinău.