Lumânarea Recunoștinței

What you see

The white tower stands on a slope between the Dniester and a ravine south of the centre of Soroca. From the car park at the bottom you climb a flight of some 600 steps, past a stone cross and a memorial stone marking the completion of the building. Inside is a small chapel with icons. At the top waits the real reward for the climb: a sweeping view over the town, the bend in the river and the Ukrainian bank opposite.

In the evening the candle is lit up and can be seen from far along the river, as far as Otaci to the north and Camenca to the south.

History

The idea came from Ion Druță, one of Moldova's best-known writers. He wanted a monument to all the vanished or destroyed monuments of Moldovan culture and to the anonymous people who passed on language and traditions. The inauguration on 27 March 2004 fell on the anniversary of the union of Bessarabia with Romania in 1918.

From 2004 to 2018 the candle was listed in the register of architectural monuments of national importance; since 2018 it has been registered as a monument in public space. When Druță died in Moscow on 28 September 2023, the religious funeral service was held at the candle, after which he was buried in Soroca, as he had wished. According to IPN, the government declared a day of national mourning for the funeral.

Tips for your visit

• The stairs are long and steep: take water, as there is no water point at the top, and wear sturdy shoes.
• Go up late in the afternoon for the softest light on the river, or after sunset for the illuminated candle.
• Combine the candle with Soroca Fortress and the Roma hill; together they fill a day trip.
• From Chișinău, Soroca is about 2.5 hours by car, a distance of just over 150 km.