Muzeul Național de Artă al Moldovei
National Art Museum of Moldova
The country's largest art collection, in a restored grammar school by Bernardazzi
47.0218° N · 28.8296° E2 km from Chișinău
Photo: Photobank MD from Chisinau, Moldova, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons
The National Art Museum of Moldova holds almost 40,000 works of art, from icons and folk art to 20th-century Moldovan painting and European masters. The main building is a girls' grammar school from 1901, designed by Alexandru Bernardazzi. After a quarter of a century closed because of earthquake damage, it has been open to visitors again since 2016.
What you see
The museum is the only institution of its kind in the Republic of Moldova and, by its own count, holds 39,767 items. The collections range from ancient art through late medieval icons, liturgical objects, old books and textiles to modern and contemporary Moldovan art. There are also departments of Russian art, Western European art from the 17th to the 20th century, Oriental art from Japan, China and Tibet, and coins and medals.
If you want to get to know Moldovan painting, this is the place to start: the earliest acquisitions include work by Romanian artists such as Theodor Pallady, Nicolae Tonitza and M. H. Maxy and by the sculptor Ion Jalea.
History
The museum opened on 26 November 1939, when Bessarabia was part of Romania. The sculptor Alexandru Plămădeală and the French painter Auguste Baillayre, a teacher at the Chișinău art school and the first director, were its founders. The first collection came largely from donations by Bessarabian artists and from works provided by the Ministry of Culture in Bucharest; some 160 pieces formed the first gallery.
The central building at Strada 31 August 1989 no. 115 went up in 1901 as a girls' grammar school, funded by Princess Natalia Dadiani and designed by the city architect Alexandru Bernardazzi. In 1990 three earthquakes damaged the building so badly that it stayed closed for more than 25 years. Between 2004 and 2016 about 1,783 m² was restored; in November 2016 the permanent displays reopened. In September 2021 another 1,485 m² was added, according to the museum itself 3,268 m² of restored space in total.
The museum also manages the Herța villa in the centre and, outside the capital, the 16th-century Church of the Dormition in Căușeni, with wall paintings from 1763.
Tips for your visit
- Allow an hour and a half to two hours; start with the icons and folk art to put the rest of the Moldovan collection in context.
- The museum is within walking distance of the National Museum of History and the Ethnographic Museum; together they make a full museum day.
- Temporary exhibitions change often; the current programme is on mnam.md.
- A good choice for a rainy or very hot day in Chișinău.
Highlights
- Almost 40,000 works of art, from icons to contemporary art
- Grammar school building from 1901 by Alexandru Bernardazzi
- Founded in 1939 by Plămădeală and Baillayre
- Open again since 2016 after 25 years of closure
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