Stephen the Great Monument

The Stephen the Great Monument stands in Chișinău’s Stephen the Great Park in Central Chișinău. Designed by architect Alexandru Plămădeală, it was completed in 1927 and opened in April 1928. The statue replaced an earlier monument to Alexander II of Russia, destroyed in 1918. During the 20th century the monument was moved to Vaslui, returned in 1942, removed again in 1944, and finally restored to Chișinău in 1945. In 1989 it was returned to its original location chosen by Plămădeală in the 1920s.

The monument honours Stephen the Great, a 15th-century ruler of Moldavia. Flower-laying ceremonies take place at its pedestal on national holidays and during official visits. The inscriptions on the pedestal were restored to their original form. The statue has become a symbol recognised across Moldova. Its history reflects the city’s changing political landscape over the decades.

Visitors find a tall statue of Stephen the Great in military dress, holding a cross in one hand and a sword in the other. The pedestal bears inscriptions in Romanian. The park around the monument offers green paths and open spaces. The setting provides a quiet place for reflection near the city centre. The statue’s location remains the one chosen by its original architect.