The National Museum of Art of Moldova
The National Art Museum of Moldova, one of the most prestigious museum institutions in Moldova, founded in 1939, is located in the center of Chișinău. It occupies three buildings, significant architectural monuments from the late 19th to early 20th century, included in the Register of State-Protected Monuments: the Hertza House, the Kligman House, and the central Dadiani building. The museum also oversees one of the most valuable historical monuments from the 16th century, the Church of the Assumption of the Virgin Mary in Căușeni, which features a unique fresco for the Republic of Moldova, created in 1763.
The Dadiani building, where the museum has housed a significant portion of its collections and conducted all its exhibition activities in recent decades, was constructed in 1901. Designed by architect Alexandru Bernardazzi, it was commissioned and funded by Princess Natalia Dadiani as a girls' gymnasium, which operated until the Second World War. Subsequently, the building hosted various institutions, and in 1989, the structure, along with its two annexes, was handed over to the National Art Museum of Moldova in an advanced state of disrepair. Shortly after, following three consecutive earthquakes in 1990, the central part of the building, including the main entrance on 31 August 1989 Street, No. 115, was severely damaged and closed to the public.
Between 2004 and 2016, a section of the central Dadiani building at 31 August 1989 Street, No. 115, covering an area of 1,783 square meters, was restored. In November 2016, a portion of the museum's permanent exhibitions was inaugurated in the rehabilitated spaces. In September 2021, another section of the Dadiani building, spanning 1,485 square meters, was also restored and inaugurated. Currently, the spaces, totaling 3,268 square meters, are equipped with the most modern and efficient systems for security, conservation, and display of cultural assets, operating under optimal conditions.
The Hertza House is a monument of architecture and history of national importance. The architecture of the house, designed in an eclectic style, represents an example of Viennese Baroque, with numerous geometric and floral ornaments richly embossed and modeled on the main facade. The interior decoration abounds in frescoes and paintings on the ceilings and walls.
Among the authors of the building's project is the Austrian architect Heinrich Lonski, who also designed the building of the Nobility Assembly in Chișinău.
The building was constructed in 1906 by the nobleman Vladimir Hertza, a titular councilor, lawyer, and Romanian politician, who served as the mayor of Chișinău.
In the 1930s, the building was transformed into the Modern Theater, later becoming the headquarters of the Ministry of Bessarabia, and from 1952 onwards, it was placed under the custody of the Museum of Fine Arts.
The Kligman House is a historical and architectural monument of national importance in the municipality of Chișinău. Built in 1897, complete with a winter garden, it is one of the few houses constructed in the neoclassical style that have been preserved in the city. It belonged to the lawyer Moisei Kligman. The architect of this building is presumed to be Mihail Cecheruli-Cuș.
The merchant and lawyer Moisei Kligman purchased this house in 1896, demolished it, and built a new one in its place.
In 1957, the Kligman House was placed under the custody of the Museum of Fine Arts. Later, the two buildings, Hertza and Kligman, were connected by a gallery to ensure the functionality of the exhibition halls.
In 2006, restoration work began on both buildings, but the construction sites were closed due to a lack of funds. Currently, the buildings are in an advanced state of disrepair.
