The National Museum of Art of Moldova
The National Museum of Art of Moldova, one of the most prestigious museum institutions in the country, was founded in 1939 and is located in the center of Chișinău in three buildings—important architectural monuments from the late 19th and early 20th centuries: the Hertza House, the Kligman House, and the central Dadiani building. The museum also holds custody of one of the most valuable historical monuments from the 16th century, the Church of the Dormition of the Mother of God in Căușeni, featuring unique artwork for the Republic of Moldova, created in 1763.
The Dadiani building, which in recent decades has housed most of the museum's collections and hosted its exhibitions, was constructed in 1901 by architect Alexandru Bernardazzi at the initiative and with the funds of Princess Natalia Dadiani as a girls' gymnasium. It served this function until World War II. Later, the building housed various institutions, including the Central Committee of the Communist Party of the MSSR. In 1989, the building was transferred to the National Museum of Art. However, after three consecutive earthquakes in 1990, the central part of the building, with its main entrance from 31 August Street, was severely damaged and closed to the public. The prolonged period of economic reform and lack of investment for consolidation and restoration restricted public access to significant exhibition spaces for over 25 years. During this time, smaller permanent and temporary exhibitions were held in the annexed spaces.
Between 2004 and 2016, part of the central Dadiani building, covering 1,783 square meters, was restored. In November 2016, some of the museum's permanent exhibitions were inaugurated in the rehabilitated spaces, and in September 2021, an additional 1,485 square meters of the Dadiani building were restored and opened. Currently, the restored spaces, totaling 3,268 square meters, are equipped with the most modern systems for security, conservation, and display of cultural values, functioning at optimal levels. Thanks to this restoration, the National Museum of Art of Moldova has become a true national cultural center hosting numerous cultural and educational activities for diverse audiences.
The museum's heritage encompasses a wide range of cultural values—39,767 pieces, systematically organized into collections:
The museum's initial collection, formed in 1939, included a wide range of works of painting, graphics, sculpture, and decorative art, primarily from private donations by notable Bessarabian artists. Some works, signed by Th. Pallady, N. Tonitza, H. Maxy, and I. Jalea, were donated by the Ministry of Culture and Arts in Bucharest. Following the Soviet occupation in 1940, the collection was supplemented by confiscated private collections. However, at the start of the war in 1941, the entire collection was transferred to Tiraspol and then to Kharkiv, where it disappeared without a trace.
After the war, the museum rebuilt its collections through acquisitions, transfers of works from major museums in Russia, and private donations. Over more than eighty years, the museum's collections have grown to reflect the diverse evolution of visual arts from the 15th to the 21st centuries.
